By now we’ve all seen and heard of the 3 new hybrid hypercars. The P1, 918 and La Ferrari are all incredible cars with hybrid electric/petrol motors with power through the stratosphere and ultimately a price to match. Unattainable for all but the super rich, these cars are mindblowing, but how do they translate to the general public? Awe inspiring? Absolutely. Realistically attainable? Probably not.
This is where BMW steps in with their new world technology in the form of their i series. With the entry level overseas model i3 coming in just shy of $50k USD, it’s affordable for the general family, but not exactly the first choice for the sports & performance enthusiast community.
Image: M_93
Insert BMW’s revolutionary performance oriented hybrid contender: the i8.
Brisbane BMW were gracious enough to allow us some time up close and personal with this innovative new machine. They had the BMW i8 on display in their Fortitude Valley showroom for a short period of time so we jumped at the opportunity to see it in the flesh.
When you first hear the specs of the motor in terms of size, you’re certainly not expecting anything fast performance wise. With a very small 1.5L 3 cylinder turbo petrol motor from the Mini, it actually produces 231hp and 236 foot pounds of torque. Not too bad for a small motor right? But certainly nothing that’s going to stop the rotation of the earth in terms of acceleration. This is paired with a generator for startup and accessories and can boost torque in sports mode.
Up front is an electric motor generating 131hp and 184 foot pounds of torque. Totalling 362hp and a heap of torque!
Altogether that means a 0-100 time in around 4 seconds. Nothing to sneeze at! The i8 is encroaching on Porsche 911 territory in both performance and price with ballpark figures for Australia being speculated around the low $300k mark.
For a car that weighs in just over 1400kgs, it was surprising to see 215/45/20 sized tyres on the front. Seems quite narrow for a car of its weight and performance, however most certainly made up for in braking technology.
On the rear it is sporting 245s to get the power and torque to stick to the ground.
Under full electric power, the car will only get you a mere 37km of range. However, with the petrol motor combined, the car uses a TINY 2.1L per 100km of road. Who cares about fuel prices then?!
The i8 is a beautifully crafted car, with carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CRP) and aluminium construction.
I am actually a huge fan of the lines and styling of this car. The i8’s headlights are all-LED, coupled with Laser Light Technology.
The interior is divine with true BMW styling, coupling function with form to get the luxury/performance BMW feel.
We loved having this opportunity to get a close up look at one of the world’s newest and most innovative cars.
We can’t wait to see what comes next… Hopefully something we can drive to give you a full taste of what’s on offer!
Thank you again to Brisbane BMW. For all your BMW needs, head on down to:
Brisbane BMW – Fortitude Valley
800 ANN STREET
FORTITUDE VALLEY, QLD, 4006
Telephone
(07) 3853 0000
www.brisbanebmw.com.au