2015 BMW i8 – First Drive

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2015 BMW i8 Details:

228hp/236 lb-ft 1.5L i-3 turbo engine | 129hp/64-369 lb-ft electric motor
375hp, 420 lb-ft | 0-60mph in 4.2sec
3270 lb | 94mpg est | Front-, rear- or all-wheel drive
Carbon fiber/aluminum passenger cell
Lowest center of gravity of any BMW

2015 BMW i8 passenger side rear view 08
2015 BMW i8 steering wheel 15
2015 BMW i8 driver side view 10

Electronics: Full LED lighting (laser lights in Europe) | DDC | Electric steering | HUD | BMW Connected Drive | BMW i Remote phone app

+ Pros: First proper hybrid performance car | Amazing MPG | Great acceleration and handling | Acoustics | Flat cornering

– Cons: Storage space | Odd brake feel

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It’s difficult to know where to start when dealing with a new automotive concept – a true mid-level sports hybrid – but let’s dive in and confirm the BMW i8 looks great, drives even better and confirms there’s a future for driving enthusiasts in a new, greener world.

We say this with huge relief because we were concerned that the purity of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept – first seen at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009 – might have been tainted by its short 38-month gestation period. Yet the design looks as fresh now as it did when Ethan Hunt drove it onto the silver screen in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
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2014 BMW i8 Preproduction – First Drive

In fact, two things came to mind when we saw it in bright Californian sunshine (a location chosen because it’s the largest single market for a performance hybrid, with 70,000 plugin hybrids sold here to date): firstly, it looks astonishingly similar to the original concept; and secondly, it simply looks astonishing.

We’re all used to squinting at concept cars to imagine what the production vehicle will look like, and yet the BMW i8 was barely diluted. It keeps many of the bold features the designers originally envisioned, with seemingly only the transparent doors sacrificed to the homologation process. Fortunately, it does get a lightweight scissor door arrangement that adds a theatrical element to your arrival and departure.
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Put the i8 on Santa Monica Blvd, Pacific Coast Highway or I-405 freeway and you still see the unadulterated concept. Driven alongside Camrys and Altimas, it looks sensational. In truth, it makes everything look rather hackneyed. Even the Porsche 911 and Ferrari 458 appear mundane alongside it.

So while its styling is like nothing else on the road, what’s it like to drive?
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If you’re like us, your experience of hybrids is limited to the unpleasant Prius and entertaining BMW ActiveHybrid 3. Neither of these made a compelling case to buy one, so would the i8 be any different?

The answer is a resounding yes. Thanks to BMW’s holistic approach, everything works. The i8 was designed to be a hybrid, rather than modified to run on electricity, so there were almost no compromises.
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Perhaps its single greatest attribute is the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) and aluminum construction, seen inside the door apertures, allowing the BMW i8 to tip the scales at 3270 lb. In turn, this means the brakes can be smaller and lighter, the acceleration better and the economy previously unimaginable.

Although US testing was incomplete at the time of writing, European data suggests 0-60mph in 4.2sec, yet with a combined fuel economy of 94mpg. Take a minute to absorb that implication…
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It’s like low-fat ice cream tasting better than the full fat.

BMW has achieved its witchcraft with a combination of gasoline and electric motors, with each playing a vital role.
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In city driving or up to 75mph, the 129hp electric motor gets you moving (unless you’ve selected the Sport driving mode via the shift lever). It allows you to travel up to 22 miles in relative silence using a two-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. The petrol engine kicks in above 75mph, or if you need more acceleration in Comfort Mode, or when you select Sport Mode. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed auto, giving you sporty RWD characteristics but with the assurance of all-wheel drive when needed.

We can thank the carbon construction for the i8’s unique engine – a 1.5L, three-cylinder derived from the new Mini Cooper but turbocharged for this application. As such, it develops a surprising 228hp.
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While many people shuddered at the prospect, we knew that a three-cylinder engine meant plenty of torque. And with electric power to fill in the torque gaps, and less weight to propel, BMW found the perfect powerplant.
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The only remaining question was how it would sound. Initially, we were impressed by the noise but discovered it was enhanced by the audio system. Having learned nothing from the F10 M5, BMW has done the i8 a disservice because everybody will assume the engine sound is poor. Yet watching several cars tackle Malibu’s canyons, we can assure you the engine sounds great. It has an unusual note with plenty of bass and certainly doesn’t need enhancement.

Accelerating hard in eDrive while attempting to plug a gap in traffic, the two-speed transmission seemed to hesitate before the demons were unleashed. Fortunately, that trait was invisible in Comfort or Sport, where the i8’s operating system makes the best use of its available power sources and provides rapid, instantaneous, seamless acceleration from any speed.
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In fact, seamless best describes the i8’s operation because, apart from some minor vibration when the petrol engine fires up, the driver is unaware of the activity happening behind the scenes, relying on the iDrive display to keep you informed.

The logic systems decide what propulsion system you need, when to charge the battery and by how much, which wheels to drive, etc. Having used the electric Mini E and ActiveE research projects, as well as its ActiveHybrid production vehicles to develop the operating system, BMW has created a remarkably efficient machine.
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2014 BMW i8 exterior details
2014 BMW i8 rear taillight
BMW i8 key fob full
2014 BMW i8 side in motion
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While the ability to run emissions-free is extremely attractive, it’s more useful to European cities that limit vehicle use. It will, of course, save you significant money at the pumps and BMW is developing several plug-in charging solutions for customers, including its own solar-powered carport.
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The batteries can also be charged on the engine’s overrun or with regenerative braking. The latter creates an unusual pedal feel, where the first portion of the brake pedal travel is sharp and communicative. But the harder and longer you push, the more wooden they feel. It’s not that the four-piston front brakes won’t stop you; they’re very effective. However, you’ll need to get accustomed to the pedal feel.

Similarly, the steering is excellently weighted but utterly numb. It does exactly as you command, but you’d have little idea if the tires were in trouble. And despite wider 215/45 front and 245/40 rear Bridgestone S001 tires on all US cars, the i8 looks and feels rather under-tired.
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This might be psychological since BMW endowed the i8 with an extraordinarily competent chassis. The handling was superb, with a natural lean towards slight understeer. However, it was generally very neutral, with small amounts of oversteer possible after severe provocation. What’s more, the car cornered incredibly flat, body roll seemingly alien to its DNA.

Surprisingly, BMW hasn’t provided the driver with a Dynamic Damper Control button. Yet the i8 is equipped with DDC as standard – it simply adjusts automatically to the driving mode, road surface and your inputs. That said, it was rather stiff on surface streets, but seemed to be more forgiving as speed increased. Some of Mailbu’s roughest canyon roads upset the car’s composure slightly because the suspension seems to have a short travel, but it was generally an exemplary and entertaining drive. While not a track car, the i8 will be an enjoyable companion for anybody with a regular commute that involves challenging roads.
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As usual, BMW went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the car was perfectly balanced. Placing the batteries down the spine of the vehicle and surrounding them in refrigerant to avoid the danger of fire from overheating.

With the engine at the rear, the weight distribution is a commendable 47/53%, making it almost ideal. And with much of its weight concentrated below the floor, the i8 has the lowest center of gravity of any BMW built to date.
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The only meaningful downside we could discover was the wide sills that make egress slightly awkward. The side windows don’t lower fully, leaving an inch of glass to knock your elbow on. And there’s a distinct lack of storage space. The rear luggage compartment might take an overnight bag but there are no door pockets, with only a couple of stowage areas in the console and a small glovebox. However, BMW has come to your aid with a line of tailor-made Louis Vuitton luggage designed to slot into all the available space, including the rear seats that even young children might find constricting. A rear luggage area might have been more useful, but BMW has tried to make the i8 as flexible as possible by offering four seats. So we look forward to seeing the first Thule roof box mounted to this sportscar.

Not only is the car good looking, fun to drive and remarkably efficient, it also benefits from a raft of support services called 360? Electric. This will include a BMW i Wallbox for home charging (with the solar-powered carport also announced) and a ChargeNow card for a cash-free payment option at public charging stations. There are also a number of efficiency systems to reduce the amount of time you waste looking for parking spaces. Furthermore, BMW is offering easier maintenance, repair and breakdown services.
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And there’s an app for that. Your phone can monitor the battery’s charge, telling you how long it needs to be plugged in, when it’s ready and how far you can travel.

The technology even extends to laser headlights, which sadly won’t be available in the US because the ancient laws hadn’t predicted it might be an option one day. However, the Europeans will enjoy the range and clarity of the beam.
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With a base price of $137500, you have to ask what the i8 is competing against. You have to assume it will attract Tesla drivers who want more visual drama and driving excitement. It should also attract Porsche 911 Carrera owners, who won’t get the same visceral sportscar feel, but will enjoy its technology and their contribution to the reduction of global warming.

As a city car, the i8 has few peers. It can slip silently and emissions-free through any metropolis, casting a stylish shadow. Yet it’s also able to pick up and go at the press of a button or moving the shift lever.

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