When BMW unveiled the i8 in 2009 on the Frankfurt Auto Present after which later in 2012, it appeared like an idea automotive had damaged out of the auto present flooring and one way or the other made its method onto public roads. It was not like something the model had constructed earlier than: a wedge-shaped, carbon-fiber-bodied spaceship with butterfly doorways, electrical drive, and a three-cylinder engine that sounded extra at residence in a compact metropolis automotive than in a six-figure sports activities automotive. And but, this unorthodox machine went on to turn out to be one of the crucial daring and forward-thinking automobiles in BMW’s trendy historical past.
Initially priced at $137,450, the i8 entered the market as BMW’s technological flagship, a rolling laboratory for the BMW i’s electrification technique. However now, only a few years after manufacturing resulted in 2020, the i8 has discovered a second life as one of the crucial accessible unique plug-in hybrids cash can purchase. Current examples have offered for underneath $40,000—lower than a brand new Toyota Camry XSE. For that worth, you’re getting a carbon-tub chassis, head-turning design, and efficiency figures that also impress.
Powered by a 1.5 Liter Turbo Engine
BMW constructed the i8 to interrupt the mould of conventional efficiency vehicles. As a substitute of stuffing in a thunderous V8 or a silky inline-six, Munich went with the B38 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine borrowed and modified from the MINI. That engine, mounted over the rear axle, labored in tandem with an electrical motor on the entrance axle to ship all-wheel drive and a mixed 357 horsepower (later elevated to 369 hp within the i8’s later years). It might sound modest on paper, however the i8 might dash from 0 to 60 mph in simply 4.2 seconds because of the moment torque from the electrical motor and the automotive’s light-weight construction. It didn’t should be the quickest; it simply needed to show a degree: that efficiency and sustainability might coexist.
With an EPA-rated all-electric vary of about 15 miles when new, the i8 wasn’t a long-range EV, nevertheless it was by no means attempting to be. It gave drivers the choice to cruise silently by town on electrical energy alone, then summon gasoline-fueled propulsion for longer freeway journeys or extra spirited drives. The 2-speed gearbox for the electrical motor, an innovation hardly ever seen in hybrids on the time, additional enhanced the i8’s versatility and driving dynamics.
A Design Like No Different BMW Earlier than
However the efficiency was solely half the story. The design of the i8 was jaw-dropping. Low-slung and sculpted, it wore its aerodynamic priorities proudly: floating rear buttresses, laser headlights and a sloping roofline that gave it the presence of a hypercar. Its scissor doorways—hinged on the A-pillar and rising theatrically—solely added to its futuristic vibe. This wasn’t a automotive attempting to mix in, and it actually by no means did.
Beneath its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic pores and skin was a intelligent structure: a Life Module cabin using atop a Drive Module chassis. This “i” sub-brand philosophy of modular building was shared with the i3 and stays influential in BMW’s future electrical automobiles, together with the upcoming Neue Klasse era. Inside, the i8 delivered a high-tech atmosphere with BMW’s iDrive infotainment, a head-up show, and a digital gauge cluster. The supplies had been sustainably sourced, a nod to its eco-conscious mission, although practicality was restricted. The i8 technically had 4 seats, however the rear ones had been finest reserved for kids or further baggage.
Not A Big Vendor In The Finish
Regardless of its avant-garde pitch, the i8 discovered a good following. BMW offered over 20,000 models throughout its six-year manufacturing run—a good quantity for such a distinct segment, forward-looking sports activities automotive. That manufacturing quantity, together with depreciation typical of high-end hybrids, is a part of the explanation why the i8 is now such a compelling used purchase. Only in the near past, two examples offered for $37,000 and $33,000 on fanatic public sale web site Automobiles & Bids.
It’s arduous to overstate what sort of worth proposition that presents. This was as soon as a $150,000 automotive when effectively optioned. It’s manufactured from carbon fiber, accelerates sooner than most trendy sizzling hatches, and appears like an idea automotive made actual. All for the worth of a mid-trim household sedan.
The BMW i8 could not have lived as much as the hypercar heights of its contemporaries just like the Porsche 918 Spyder or McLaren P1, nevertheless it wasn’t imagined to. It was the anti-supercar: lighter, smarter, greener. On reflection, it predicted the hybrid way forward for efficiency extra precisely than most of its friends. And because the business now pivots tougher into electrification, the i8 feels much less like a detour and extra like a blueprint.
For these trying to personal one thing actually completely different—one thing stunning, quick, and surprisingly livable—the i8 nonetheless stands as one of many coolest and most inexpensive entries into the world of unique electrified vehicles. And one of the best half? You don’t want six figures to get behind the wheel anymore.
Possession Concerns: What to Know Earlier than You Purchase
Whereas the BMW i8 is mechanically dependable in comparison with many unique or high-performance hybrids, potential consumers ought to nonetheless remember of some key possession elements. First, though the three-cylinder engine and electrical motor are usually reliable, repairs might be costly as a result of automotive’s distinctive building and hybrid complexity. The carbon-fiber tub, for instance, limits who can work on the chassis, and alternative physique panels might be pricey.
Battery degradation isn’t a widespread subject but, however as with every plug-in hybrid, older fashions might even see a decreased all-electric vary. Thankfully, BMW designed the i8’s high-voltage battery to be modular, and replacements or refurbishments had been sooner or later out there by licensed sellers. Routine upkeep is simple—oil modifications, brake service, and coolant flushes—however not each impartial store is supplied to work on this sort of drivetrain. Make sure you discover a BMW specialist or dealership conversant in the i8’s distinctive setup.
