BMW i8 turns heads but will it find its niche?
The stunning 2015 BMW i8 is both a plug-in hybrid and an exotic sports car. Considering how polar that combination is, the i8 is effective, but not exemplary, in either role.
It is priced at $137,495 and eligible for a $3,793 federal tax credit. The i8 is a multilayered model in many ways, starting with what the eyes can see. Our mostly silver test car also featured layers of blue and black, a design that in the wrong hands could be a disaster. Here it works.
Like many exotic-looking cars, the i8 is stylish enough and rare enough to turn heads—maybe better than it does corners. As if the car itself didn’t garner enough attention, the doors put it over the top because they, likewise, go over the top: They open upward. BMW calls them scissor doors.
The i8’s exclusive, defining feature is prominent chutes over the taillights through which airflow is channeled. The air flows along the car’s side and is guided upward and through the chutes, making them as functional as they are visually compelling.
Look at its components and the i8 seems like other plug-in hybrids, from the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-in to the new Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and the discontinued Fisker Karma. It has a plug-in, rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, an electric motor, a gasoline engine, and limited electric-only range.
But there’s one key difference: The i8’s electric motor powers the front wheels, and the gas engine drives the rear wheels. This is sometimes called a through-the-road hybrid philosophy because the two motors interact only through the road, not directly by powering the same driveshaft as they do in most hybrids. In its complete segregation of gas and electric drive, the i8 is unique.
The i8’s electric motor drives the front wheels through a two-speed transmission with 129 horsepower and 184 lbs.-ft. of torque. The motor alone provides acceleration that’s more than respectable, mainly because an electric motor’s torque is on tap from zero rpm. The transmission’s different gear ratios are tied to driving modes; there’s no shifting as you accelerate.
You can keep the acceleration all electric up to 75 mph by activating eDrive mode. Once in eDrive, using a separate switch to select Eco Pro mode ensures you go electric only, even if you push the accelerator nearly to the floor, where it encounters resistance. Only if you push a bit further and trip a switch will it fire up the gas engine for full acceleration. If you select Comfort rather than Eco Pro while in eDrive, acceleration remains primarily electric, but the gas engine comes on a little more easily.
WINGED VICTORY? In some respects, BMW’s new plug-in hybrid, the i8, is a winner, but it may struggle to find its audience.
Even in normal Drive mode, the gas engine turns itself on and off as it does in most hybrids. Full acceleration comes courtesy of both fuel sources. The tiny 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine drives the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with a whopping 228 hp and 236 lbs.-ft. of torque thanks to turbocharging, giving it the most power per liter of any BMW engine.
The power team’s total output of 357 hp and 420 lbs.-ft. of torque rocket the i8 to 60 mph in an estimated 4.2 seconds, definitely the province of electrics like the base Tesla Model S. Overall, the two power sources work exceptionally well together.
The i8 exhibits some BMW hallmarks, including nearly even weight distribution of 48.8/51.2 (front/rear), though it enters corners with mild understeer. The handling is sporty, though possibly not as much as one might expect given the i8’s supercar looks. It feels considerably heavier than its impressive 3,455 pounds, and its steering does the job but feels over-assisted.
Ride quality is firm but certainly livable, thanks in part to an electronically controlled adaptive suspension.
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BMW i8 and other gas-friendly luxury cars
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In the world of plug-in hybrids, thanks to its modest electric-only range of 15 miles, the i8 compares more to the Toyota Prius Plug-in and Ford C-Max Energi than to a Volt or BMW’s own i3.
BMW estimates i8 recharging time at 3.5 hours with the provided cord and a household 120-volt outlet. With a 240-volt Level 2 system, it charges in roughly 90 minutes.
Look closely at the i8’s interior and you’ll see evidence of the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic that comprises much of the occupant space’s structure. Thankfully, there’s no sign of the fibrous plastic panels that plague the cabin of the i3; here the materials fit the price.
The scissor-wing doors are nifty, but most people will struggle getting in and out. Even conventional doors let you slip out if you can’t open them far. The i8’s don’t, and it’s also a little too easy to clip another car’s side mirror with them.
The i8’s front seats have basic power adjustments. Outward visibility is pretty poor. Thankfully, the i8 comes with standard Surround View cameras, plus front and rear sonar sensors. Backseat legroom is negligible and the i8’s headroom drops from competitive in the front seat to full inches shy of competitors in back.
Apart from having three means of controlling the driving modes—a rocker switch, a button and the shifter—the i8’s control scheme is good. The iDrive multifunction control interface on the center console manages the high-mounted 8.5-inch display. Years of refinement show in this system’s menus and ease-of-use. Typical of EVs, navigation is standard to enable finding public charging options.
Also common among EVs, cellular connectivity enables remote smartphone app control of features like the i8’s charging start times, cabin pre-heating or -cooling, and checking range and charge status.
The instrument panel is another large display that also shows state of charge and estimated range, along with speed and assist/charge information. A standard head-up display projects speed and other selectable information onto the windshield.
Audio provisions include a standard Harman Kardon stereo with HD radio, satellite radio (one year’s free subscription), Bluetooth hands-free telephone support and audio streaming, and a USB port that’s powerful enough to charge a tablet.
By most standards, the i8 is desperately short on cargo space, with just 4.7 cubic feet of volume under the rear liftglass. The i8’s seats don’t fold.
As a low-volume model, the i8 hasn’t been crash-tested and probably never will be. The car has adaptive headlights that swivel in the direction of turns. It isn’t loaded with advanced safety features, but it does have the most important one standard: forward collision warning with autonomous braking, adjustable for early, medium, or late warning.
The i8’s value depends on your perspective. Onlookers consistently guessed its price at above $200,000, but there’s no denying its shortcomings in passenger and cargo space compared with the likes of the Model S and Panamera S E-Hybrid, both of which cost less. As a plug-in hybrid, the i8’s electric range isn’t fantastic and neither is its gas-only mileage. As an exotic sports car, both are pretty impressive.
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