BMW, what do you think of once you hear that name? Luxury, sporty, and expensive? All of that comes to mind. But last year, they released something out of the ordinary, the i8, which is a hybrid sports luxury coupe! And it’s rather fantastic as well, which is pretty evident if you read online reviews.
So, you know about it, and now we’re going to give you the reasons to buy one, read on.
1. Looks that even aliens drool after
The words ‘hybrid sports car’ made me roll my eyes because I’d yet to see the car, but once I saw it roll by while scrolling through another motoring page, it immediately caught my attention. It looks breathtaking, absolutely mesmerising. It is a car of design, and so technologically advanced and bold that it motivated me to read all about it. It’s beautiful.
2. Miles per gallon figures that even a Prius desires
Another thing that strikes me is just how economical it is, its official miles per gallon figure is even better than that of the Prius. This is all thanks to its clever hybrid setup. Official figures given by BMW is 134.5 mpg, but let’s all be honest here, that’d probably be unachievable. But still, it’s a car with a 0-62 time that competes with some low-tier supercars or high tier sports cars, so it’s still quite impressive.
3. Sounding Like a Proper Sportscar
When you hear the phrase ‘turbocharged straight three’, you might think the car sounds like an angry wasp, but that’s completely false. Because the car sounds like a Porsche, except with turbo and crackling upshifts. Although so, BMW had to implement their ActiveSound system into the infotainment system, and the replicated audios are pretty obvious, if you are not deaf and have ears.
4. A Useful Key Fob for Once
Most key fobs made by other manufacturers have pretty limited usage. However, it’s not the same for the i8, why? It displays all the information you need to know about your car and more in a high-res LCD screen, just look at it.
5. One Clever Gearbox
Once you start to press the throttle and drive the car for yourself, you’ll notice just how well sought out it is. It’s a brilliant 6-speed auto, the motor’s 2-speed auto is even smarter, after reaching high speeds, the motor switches to its high gear to contribute in the power band, and the 6-speed shifts in the perfect moments, pretty much immaculate.
6. Ingenious Drivetrain
While you’re on the road with your i8, you will notice something weird about the driving characteristics. The contributing factors are the motor and the engine, the engine, which is the 1.5-litre, sits behind you, but the little electric vehicle motor sits in front of you, they drive, respectively, the rear wheels and the front wheels, which when combined together forms a harmonic four-wheel drive. Complex stuff.
7. Radio Silence
If you’re driving through the neighbourhood at midnight, you’ll be pleased to hear that the BMW i8 can drive in complete electric vehicle mode, that means the engine won’t fire up at all, therefore, the car is completely silent, only the driver/passengers will hear a slight whine from the motor.
8. Splendid Powertrain
I’m sure you’ve heard enough about it already, but the car is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo inline-three that’s paired up with a small electric vehicle motor, those facts come in tandem to push out 357bhp and 420lb/ft of torque, plenty for your daily commute, especially if you consider the fact that it does all that while giving an mpg figure comparable to diesel saloons.
9. Road Presence
If you’re the snobby kind, this car has got you covered. Its road presence is unquestionably colossal, all thanks to the aerodynamically shaped body and the doors, which are swan-wings. If you want to be the center of attention, this car is tailored for you.
10. Driving the Future
Yeah, no kidding. You might be driving the future here, fuel consumption of nations is one of the big issues right now. So the BMW i8 might be representing what we’ll see on the road on a day-to-day basis in a decade’s time. The price tag, not so much, but the amount of technology implemented into this platform is just boundless. BMW played their big cards here, and it has certainly paid off.
