2014 BMW i8 Road Test & Review

2014 LA Auto Show bmw i8 2015 ・ Photo by BMW

How many times have you gone to an auto show, gazed wistfully at the concept cars and said; “Why don’t they build that? I’d buy one in a heartbeat!” If that was your response to the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics car making the auto show rounds back in 2009, here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is, er, was. The 2014 BMW i8 is the production version of that car, and a near dead ringer to boot.

A real-live plug-in hybrid exotic sports car from a European manufacturer with a significant pedigree, the BMW i8 is an extraordinary example of what can happen when a manufacturer with a well-deserved reputation for performance decides to get serious about making an alternative powertrain do exceptional things.

Driving it is a singularly unique experience; both for the way it goes and the effect it has on passersby.

Models and Prices

For the 2015 model year, BMW is still calling the $135,700 i8 a 2014, even though it came to market in September of 2014. Equipment-wise, the BMW i8 is being offered with all of its comfort and convenience features as standard equipment.

These include 20-inch wheels, six-way power-adjustable heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, BMW’s navigation system with a touchpad controller, 20 gigs of storage for audio files, 3D maps, voice feedback and voice control, and advanced real time traffic information.

A full color head up display is also included in the base price, in addition to enhanced USB, as well as Bluetooth audio streaming and telephone connectivity. The surround audio system is by Harman Kardon, featuring equalization tailored to the i8’s cabin with 11 speakers and a 360-watt amplifier.

Ambient interior lighting is color configurable and includes contour illumination of the air grilles, door armrests, and the instrument panel. The center console and footwells feature ambient lighting as well.  The model also features BMW Online Entertainment, Concierge Services, Real Time Traffic Information, and mobility services developed specifically for BMW.

Beyond this, three trim packages are offered to upgrade the interior accoutrements to your desired level of luxury. The base package is called ”Mega” and puts a focus on sustainable materials. The $2,000 Giga package adds perforated leather seats and LED headlights. The $3,000 Tera package builds upon Giga and includes unique leather materials tanned with plant extracts as well as signature BMW iBlue trim and seatbelts. The $10,800 Pure Impulse package contains all of the above, and adds an array of exclusive interior material upgrades for every surface. It’s the plushest package of all.

Design

One glance tells you the BMW i8 is something special. The lines of the low-slung curvaceous coupe were drawn specifically to optimize aerodynamics, and fortunately, whenever you do that, you pretty much always come up with a lovely automobile.

It’s really nice how that works out.

Constructed primarily of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum, the overall length and width of the car are about the same as BMW’s 3 Series sedan. And, if you check it out, you’ll see all the traditional BMW styling cues are there. Round headlight elements, the twin kidney “grille” treatment, the long hood/short rear deck, the Hofmeister kink in the rear side windows; it all adds up to one of the most beautiful BMW models ever offered.

The scissor type doors attract even more attention every time you get in and out of the BMW i8. The body panels overlap in a number of places, most notably at the trailing edge of the car where the roof and rear fenders meet. This channels air to help the i8 slip through the atmosphere more easily, as well as generate downforce to keep the BMW glued to the pavement at elevated speeds.

A particularly distinctive element of the design is the black band starting on the hood of the car and traveling the length of the BMW. Look closely and you’ll see a carbon fiber weave in the roof. Lightweight chemically hardened thin glass is also employed, marking the first time this has been applied to a production car.

Features & Controls

If you’ve been inside any contemporary upscale BMW model, you’ll feel right at home inside the i8. Remarkably, the interior treatment is both all new and yet hews closely to the BMW hallmarks. The layered dash is attractively angled and features leather and aluminum accents to keep the eye entertained—while providing soft-touch surfaces wherever required.

By the way, the leather is treated in a wholly sustainable fashion, as is the crafting of the entire automobile. Part of the BMW “i” philosophy is environmental responsibility, and to this end, practically everything about the BMW i8 is recyclable.

Seated at the i8-specific steering wheel, you face a glass cockpit black panel instrumentation package. All gauges are rendered digitally. The instrumentation changes configuration and color depending upon the mode in which the i8 is being operated. Getting back to the steering wheel, controls for the navigation system, audio system, cruise control, and other secondary functions of the car are incorporated on its spokes. Residing atop the center section of the dash is BMW’s now-familiar 8.8-inch display, monitoring the iDrive controller interfaces, as well as displaying the output of the i8’s camera systems.

The controls in the center stack, as well as the center console, are canted toward the driver so everything is in reach without leaning forward, assuming your seat is properly adjusted. On the center console, you’ll find the engine start button, the switches for the five different drive modes offered by the BMW sports car, referred to in BMW literature as the Driving Experience Control, and of course the climate control system.

Comfort & Cargo

Billed as a four-place coupe, the two places in the back will seat absolutely no one with lower extremities. BMW does offer a custom-tailored set of Louis Vuitton luggage, two pieces of which are molded specifically to the shape of the rear seats. Good thing too, because the trunk offers a mere five cubic feet of cargo capacity. You could do a casual weekend getaway in the BMW i8, but long road trips will require you to FedEx the bulk of your wardrobe to your destination.

Now that we've addressed that petty bullshite, the two seats that really count in the BMW i8 boast all-day comfort and more support than a trust-fund baby grandfathered into Harvard. The slender design of the seats belies their firmness and bolstering, which is situated in all of the right places. You could easily drive 500 miles in this car over the course of a day, and be ready to get right back in it and repeat the process the very next day.

That is, assuming you’re lithe enough to get in and out of the swoopy Bimmer beneath those low-hanging scissor doors—while negotiating the extra-wide door sill.  And yes, it’s an acquired ability.

The first time you try to do it, you’ll stand there for a moment devising your entry strategy. We found, when getting in to drive, the best move is to put your right foot in, do the hokey...(naw; we way too cool to go there). Approach from the trailing edge of the door, put your right foot in first, duck beneath the door, and step into the car. To exit, rotate your butt toward the door and slide over the sill, taking care to avoid bumping into the door when you stand upright.

Safety & Ratings

Naturally the usual ABS, stability control, traction control, and full complement of airbags are all fitted to the luxurious sports car. Front airbags and side airbags integrated into the seat backrests, plus head/curtain airbags for both rows of seats, are all standard—as are three-point inertia-reel seatbelts, which incorporate belt stoppers, belt tensioners and belt force limiters for all four seats.

Electronic safety features include: Park Distance Control, smart cruise control with a braking function, smart wipers with a rain sensor, and BMW’s Intelligent Emergency Call function. The driver assistance package features BMW’s High Beam Assistant, a rear view camera, a Surround View camera, Speed Limit Info including a No Passing Info display, and Collision Warning with pedestrian recognition and braking.

For those of you concerned about the ability of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP to resist attacks, BMW’s spokespeople say CFRP is the lightest material available for a car body without compromising on safety. One of its standout characteristics is hugely impressive torsional rigidity while weighing 50 percent less than steel and 30 percent less than aluminum. Meanwhile, its impressive rigidity, combined with its ability to absorb an enormous amount of energy, makes CFRP extremely damage-tolerant. Even at high impact speeds CFRP displays barely any deformation—which is why Formula 1 cars rely upon it.

To date though, neither NHTSA, nor the IIHS have crash tested an i8. Given its price and limited production status, they probably won’t either.

Engine & Fuel Economy

Power comes from two very different sources. The front wheels are driven by a 129-horsepower electric motor with 236 ft-lbs of torque and a two-speed transmission. A gasoline fired turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine with 228 horsepower and 236 ft-lbs of torque powers the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Combined, the high performing BMW i8’s all-wheel drive powertrain produces a total system output of 362 horsepower and 420 ft-lbs of torque—for a car weighing just less than 3,500 pounds. Yes, it’s very quick. Zero to 60, in our admittedly unscientific testing consistently required just over four seconds. BMW says the i8 can do it in 4.2 seconds; we don’t doubt it.

The BMW is also said to be capable of driving up to 22 miles under electric power alone, or at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour. The lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged from total depletion in about three hours using a standard household outlet. The hybrid system also charges the battery pack as the car is driven, but the only way to get a full charge is to plug the car into an AC outlet.

The EPA says to expect 28 miles per gallon combined—which is about what we got during our testing.

Driving Impressions

The BMW i8 does everything its looks suggest it would be capable of doing. It’s preternaturally quick, it holds the road like a selfish child with a new toy, and the brakes respond well to modulation, which is somewhat unusual for a hybrid with a regenerative braking system.

The steering is very precise and delivers a wealth of information as steering forces build in cornering situations. Furthermore, turn-in is adroit, body roll is non-existent, and as a result the BMW i8 corners like the proverbial dream. Meanwhile, in stop and go traffic, the i8 is quiet, docile, and rides quite comfortably.

This is a world-class grand touring sports car in every sense of the term. Yeah, there are faster cars in its price range, but when you consider what the BMW i8 represents; it’s a peerless automobile.

Final Thoughts

If this is a glimpse of the future, we’re glad we’re young enough to hopefully see where this leads. The idea of a car with this much style and  performance, constructed almost completely of sustainable materials, and returning 28 miles per gallon combined is almost enough to move us to tears.

It’s such a beautiful thing. (choke…)  :^)

Yeah the price is high, but when you compare it to something like the $800,000 Porsche 918 Spyder, the i8 looks like a real bargain—and it swivels heads just as readily.

Pros & Cons

Terrific fuel economy, a beautiful design, outstanding comfort, and you can feel good about driving it environment-wise.

Difficult ingress and egress, limited cargo capacity.