First Drive Review
arrow
Destination: THE FUTURE.
A funny thing happened on the way to our first U.S. drive of BMW’s i8 plug-in hybrid: We spotted a DeLorean DMC-12 with the inevitable TME MCHN vanity plate trundling along in the next lane. Was this a divine prophecy or merely a California coincidence? Join our trip to the future to find out.
John Z. DeLorean aspired to sell an ‘ethical’ sports car allegedly safer than conventional two-seaters of his day. BMW’s buzzword is ‘sustainable.’ That’s code for one of the first hybrids with sporting intent to light between the Toyota Prius and the Porsche 918.
Every i8 trip begins with a grand door-opening spectacle. Canted hinges split the difference between scissors and gullwing (scullwing?) formats. Opening and latching the aluminum, injection-molded plastic, and carbon-fiber doors is a breeze, not just because they’re light, but because BMW applied its renowned spring/damper expertise to the strut that does most of the work.
The entry trick is to sit and swivel over the knee-high sill one leg at a time. Visions of whisking down a playground slide on the drop into the seat are purely intentional. Women wearing skirts will likely prefer a foot-first entry, an alternative procedure that works nearly as well. The plus-two rear seats are excellent for delighting kids, stashing your fitted Louis Vuitton carbon-fiber luggage ($26,050 for the four-piece set), or driving your least favorite adult into full spinal arrest. Those who prefer toting their gear out of sight can use the 5.4-cubic-foot compartment accessible via the glass hatch.
Punching the start button wakes the electronic dash without eliciting combustion. The next step is choosing from five distinct propulsion modes. Notching the standard BMW shift lever back and to the left selects the preferred Sport option, where the front electric motor, a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, and a second helper electric motor contribute a total of 362 horsepower to the cause.
Other than the occasional whir, the motors are quiet at work. The engine overcompensates with a civilized idle burble and a self-assured sports-car thrum. Leg it and there’s an appropriate rise in feistiness but no clue as to the number of cylinders upstream of a turbo that huffs 22 psi of boost into this British-built long-stroke three. Response to the go pedal is initially sluggish, then impressively potent once all three torquers chime in. The best engine notes are cued by the hyperactive Aisin six-speed automatic’s upshifts. Every rip-braap from the pipes rids the mind of hybrid notions. The two-speed GKN automatic between the 129-hp AC motor and the front wheels is this powertrain’s silent partner.
Our preliminary performance estimates—zero to 60 in 4.0 seconds, the quarter-mile in 12.5—confirm that BMW is earnest in its sports-car intentions. Hold the pedal down and the i8’s little engine revs to 6000 rpm through the first five gears on to a governed 155-mph top speed in sixth.
Corvette Stingray and Porsche 911 owners will disparage these stats as uncompetitive for a $136,625 sports car. The comeback: How many miles can they drive consuming no fuel? The i8’s Eco Pro and E-Drive modes offer 22 miles of electric range while providing enough speed and acceleration to rule any carpool lane. We believe the EPA will report lofty fuel-efficiency ratings, as its testing procedure for plug-ins includes a heavy dose of electric-only operation, but real-world numbers are likely to fall in a window of 25 to 35 mpg.
Two driving personalities are double the fun. Commutes are less tedious when the game is completing the trip without depleting your onboard store of refined dinosaur. Then, if the mood strikes, you can switch into Comfort mode to charge the battery on the roll in preparation for the home stretch when the team of propulsion sources mounts an attack on a Corvette or Porsche.
BMW made sure that the i8’s chassis is suitably armed for combat. The carbon-fiber center body module is reinforced with strategic aluminum inserts and a space frame at each end to support steering, suspension, and propulsion gear. The electric power steering is tight, quick on turn-in, and perfectly weighted to sync effort to rising cornering force. What’s lacking is any real feedback from the front control-arm suspension and the 215/45R20 Bridgestone Potenza (non-run-flat) tires. The five-link rear suspension and 245/40R20 tires keep the heavy end of the i8 in check, while electronically managed dampers astutely control ride and body motion. Tire tread noise and shake triggered by L.A.’s rippled pavement invade the cockpit but never rudely enough to spill your coffee. There are meaty four-piston, fixed-caliper brakes in front and less impressive floating-caliper stoppers in back. They’re strong, and we executed multiple panic stops with minimal fade. Energy regeneration automatically kicks in when you lift off the accelerator. The friction-electric blend is seamless on the road, but in town the brake pedal is touchy.
In spite of its sprawling 110.2-inch wheelbase and dual energy tanks, electric motors, and transmissions, the i8 feels lighter and more agile than its Corvette-plus size suggests. Dive bombing Tehachapi, California, foothills never rattled this car’s grace and stability. The tail remains painted to the pavement and there’s manageable understeer when grip finally runs out. Yes, doubters, this hybrid is a real sports car.
So what did BMW screw up venturing deeply into uncharted territory? The whipped cream exterior is an acquired taste. Way-early adopters will adore it, BMW’s ardent believers may wait and see. We’d be happier if the front hood opened to show off the pony-keg-sized electric motor (accessible only by dealer service techs), and we’re suffering withdrawal anxiety over the barely visible exhaust pipe. The instrument cluster is too small and marked with graphics difficult to read at a glance. We’d willingly trade some of the electric-propulsion information for a more legible tach. The flying doors and large battery box dominating the center of the interior whittle stowage space to the ridiculous minimum. Cup holders, for example, are relegated to the back seat.
Like the DeLorean that earned immortality as a Hollywood star, BMW’s i8 is a time machine reaching into the future. It’s too expensive and not quick enough to wreak havoc in the traditional sports-car ranks where icons reign. But at less than the price of a Porsche 911 GT3 (after tax kickbacks), this is the most affordable means of hanging with the emerging clique of gas-electric supercars. Also, the number of city centers shunning CO2 emitters is rising. That means BMW i8 owners enjoy exclusive access to areas denied to regular sports cars.
View Photo Gallery