When BMW unveiled the i8 in 2009 on the Frankfurt Auto Present after which later in 2012, it appeared like an idea automobile had damaged out of the auto present flooring and someway 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 dwelling in a compact metropolis automobile than in a six-figure sports activities automobile. And but, this unorthodox machine went on to change into one of the crucial daring and forward-thinking automobiles in BMW’s fashionable 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, just some years after manufacturing resulted in 2020, the i8 has discovered a second life as one of the crucial accessible unique plug-in hybrids cash should purchase. Latest examples have bought for beneath $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 mildew of conventional efficiency automobiles. 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 may dash from 0 to 60 mph in simply 4.2 seconds because of the moment torque from the electrical motor and the automobile’s light-weight construction. It didn’t have to be the quickest; it simply needed to show a degree: that efficiency and sustainability may coexist.
With an EPA-rated all-electric vary of about 15 miles when new, the i8 wasn’t a long-range EV, however it was by no means attempting to be. It gave drivers the choice to cruise silently by the 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 not often 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 automobile 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 driving atop a Drive Module chassis. This “i” sub-brand philosophy of modular development 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 setting with BMW’s iDrive infotainment, a head-up show, and a digital gauge cluster. The supplies have been sustainably sourced, a nod to its eco-conscious mission, although practicality was restricted. The i8 technically had 4 seats, however the rear ones have been greatest reserved for youngsters or further baggage.
Not A Large Vendor In The Finish
Regardless of its avant-garde pitch, the i8 discovered a good following. BMW bought over 20,000 items throughout its six-year manufacturing run—a good quantity for such a distinct segment, forward-looking sports activities automobile. That manufacturing quantity, together with depreciation typical of high-end hybrids, is a part of the rationale why the i8 is now such a compelling used purchase. Only recently, two examples bought for $37,000 and $33,000 on fanatic public sale website Automobiles & Bids.
It’s laborious to overstate what sort of worth proposition that presents. This was as soon as a $150,000 automobile when properly optioned. It’s product of carbon fiber, accelerates sooner than most fashionable scorching hatches, and appears like an idea automobile made actual. All for the value 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, however 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 trade now pivots more durable into electrification, the i8 feels much less like a detour and extra like a blueprint.
For these trying to personal one thing really totally different—one thing lovely, quick, and surprisingly livable—the i8 nonetheless stands as one of many coolest and most inexpensive entries into the world of unique electrified automobiles. And the perfect half? You don’t want six figures to get behind the wheel anymore.
Possession Issues: What to Know Earlier than You Purchase
Whereas the BMW i8 is mechanically dependable in comparison with many unique or high-performance hybrids, potential patrons ought to nonetheless bear in mind of some key possession elements. First, though the three-cylinder engine and electrical motor are typically reliable, repairs will be costly as a result of automobile’s distinctive development and hybrid complexity. The carbon-fiber tub, for instance, limits who can work on the chassis, and alternative physique panels will be pricey.
Battery degradation isn’t a widespread difficulty but, however as with all plug-in hybrid, older fashions may even see a diminished all-electric vary. Happily, BMW designed the i8’s high-voltage battery to be modular, and replacements or refurbishments have been sooner or later accessible by licensed sellers. Routine upkeep is simple—oil modifications, brake service, and coolant flushes—however not each unbiased store is supplied to work on this type of drivetrain. You’ll want to discover a BMW specialist or dealership conversant in the i8’s distinctive setup.