BMW i8

Overview: Is the BMW i8 a good hybrid sports car?

The BMW i8 is a good option for those looking for a sports car that matches its dynamic looks with environment-friendly credentials. Despite its unconventional design and looks similar to a Lamborghini, the BMW i8 roadster or coupe is comfortable enough for daily drives. However, it lacks the practicality and doesn’t really live up to its sports car designation. Nevertheless, the flashiness of the BMW i8 is stark contract to its fuel-efficient nature.

Note: equipment, features, and trims can vary by model year. Always confirm these details when looking for a used BMW i8 for sale.

Find a used BMW i8 near me.

Related: How Long Do BMWs Last? What To Know About Lifespan

Key Features

The 2020 BMW i8 offers:

• Stunning looks with its butterfly doors opened
• A high-performance plug-in hybrid experience
• A user-friendly ride and comfortable front seats
• A lightweight Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Body (CFRB) in style and substance
• An unconventional built using 100-percent renewable energy
• Combination of dynamics and efficiency

Trims

The BMW i8 was available either as a coupe or a roadster. The coupe version offers fixed protection from the elements, while the roadster model allows the occupants to experience the joy of open-top driving.

Comfort, Technology & Cargo

The BMW i8 interior clearly has a bias for design over practicality. Nevertheless, occupants can still feel comfortable inside the BMW i8, especially up front. As standard, the BMW i8 features heated power seats and touches of leather. Customer need to accept the fact that the rear cargo area of the BMW i8 is quite awkward – it is long but very shallow. Unlike modern electric vehicles today, the BMW i8 noticeable has no front trunk.

BMW worked to make the i8 as lightweight as possible, but didn’t mind giving the hybrid sports car with plenty of standard features. These include adaptive suspension, rain-sensing wipers, heated seats, perforated leather upholstery, ambient LED cabin lighting, and digital instrument cluster, as well as Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and an 8.8-inch infotainment display.

How It Drives

The BMW i8 horsepower is sourced from a hybrid setup – a front electric motor with a battery pack and a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine behind the seats. A six-speed automatic transmission takes care of sending the now massive BMW i8 hp to all four wheels. The hybrid setup delivers 369 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.

This combo results in a BMW i8 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The BMW i8 is also good for an all-electric range of 18 miles. BMW made sure that i8’s handling remains dynamic and responsive without being harsh, as complemented by its electrically assisted steering. Its AWD character makes the i8 a natural mover in snow.

Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not crash-tested the BMW i8. This explains the lack of safety ratings from these agencies. However, the BMW i8 is laden with some standard driver-assistance technology, including forward-collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, and a head-up display.

Reviews

The BMW i8 received mostly excellent reviews at Kelley Blue Book. Around 92% of customers gave the hybrid sports car a five-star rating, resulting in an average consumer rating of 4.9 stars out of five. No consumer reviews gave the BMW i8 a one star.

Learn more: Do BMWs Hold Their Value? What To Know About Resale & Depreciation

FAQs

Is the BMW i8 fully electric?

The BMW i8 is a high-performance plug-in hybrid sports car. It isn’t a fully electric vehicle, as the i8 comes with both a synchronous electric motor and a 1.5-liter TwinPower Turbo engine.

How is the BMW i8 so fast?

The speed and quickness of the BMW i8 is due to the sports car's powerful hybrid drivetrain. It combines a high-performance gasoline engine with an electric motor to offer greater levels of speed and acceleration.

Why is the BMW i8 so popular?

The combination of design and efficiency makes the BMW i8 appealing to wealthy drivers. The addition of the i8 Roadster at a latter stage of its life strengthen the hybrid sports car’s appeal. In total, BMW build 20,465 units of i8.

Does the BMW i8 hold its value?

CarEdge expects a new BMW i8 to depreciate 31% in five years. The BMW i8 price after five years would be at $108,422, assuming the hybrid sports car had a selling tag of $158,050 when new.

Check out a used BMW i8 for sale.