BMW i8 images

Best car of the decade BMW i8 can be called as the Zeus of the cars. It's looks and the power can totally explain that this is a car which is totally worth it.

This is a good car in value. It is the best car in the world. It has very smart look, features, and best quality. I am proud of this car.

The i8?s performance is quite frankly astonishing for a car with a three-cylinder engine. The combination of a 227bhp petrol engine and a 129bhp electric motor means it can deliver an M3-rivalling 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. The combined hybrid system also generates 420lb ft of torque with the electric motor generating the entirety of its shove immediately. That means that the i8 actually ends up feeling a bit quicker than it reads on paper. What's most impressive with the performance of the i8 is how the two systems work together to create a very clever four-wheel-drive setup. The electric motor drives the front axle, while the petrol drives the rear. They both fill in for each other, with the electric motor providing power at the lower end of the rev range and the turbo three-cylinder unit filling in at the top. This distribution of the drivetrain also helps translate to a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. As for the i8?s weight itself, the car manages 1485kg despite its 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery. This is thanks to its clever hybrid carbon fiber/aluminum structure, which saves weight, keeps occupants safe and is nowhere near as expensive as a full carbon fiber tub. BMW?s TwinPower 1.5-litre three-cylinder delivers a soundtrack that does the i8?s looks justice. Obviously, a large part of that comes from cleverly synthesized audio work, but in a car as digital first like the i8, it?s more forgivable than in the likes of the M3 and M4. Just don't open the windows in a tunnel and expect your ears to be blown off, as a lot of the noise the i8 makes is a cabin only affair.

BMW i8 is comfortable in its own amazing skin. It looks like a buttressed spaceship trimmed with extraterrestrial blue and black. If the wheels were spat-covered, itd be easy to convince people its actually levitating on the pride of Munich. Every person who catches a glimpse locks eyes on it, and you neednt be clairvoyant to read pedestrians thoughts, which mostly boil down to Bending in and under the dihedral doors is an event, every time. Before you fall into the car, you must first hoist yourself over the tall, wide side sills. Graceful entries and exits are not an option, and after a weekend of running routine errands, we found this raises questions about daily drivability. But then, like a hat worn to the Kentucky Derby, this car is about making statements. For some, announcing ones arrival is a priority that overshadows any thought of inconvenience. And this plug-in hybrid makes a greener statement than any Audi R8, McLaren 570S, or Porsche 911. Tesla owners nod in approval and Prius owners . . . ah, who are we kidding Prius owners dont see other cars.Aside from drawing all the stares, this car can see well, too. Or rather, its driver can because this is the first car in the U.S. equipped with laser headlights yes, laser beams, but not quite literally, Dr. Evil. Lasers are used internally, but the pure-white light generated by laser-excited phosphorous is safe for oncoming motorists. BMW finally got federal (NHTSA and FDA) approval to offer these lights, a $6300 option for the high-beams that are 1000 times more intense than LEDs. These new lights are even more energy-efficient than LEDs, but they are only for use as a supplemental high-beam that activates above 43 mph; the regular low-beams and the high-beams below 43 mph are LEDs. Although the U.S.-approved laser high-beams are less blue and less powerful than those offered in Europe (where they?re also dynamic, dimming out an area when the car detects oncoming traffic), they are still turn-night-into-day, we-have-a-prison-break bright. We see why they operate exclusively at higher speeds.  

The 2016 BMW i8 attracts attention for its exterior looks, but the technical wizardry in the plug-in hybrid powertrain should turn heads just the same. It could be powered by coal and ground-up baby seals and it'd still be viewed with awe and admiration by the crowds that gather to watch the striking "bird wing" doors pivot up and away, rising well above the roof.The running gear is very unique. When's the last time such a stunning coupe came with a charging cord to plug it into the wall? AND a three-cylinder engine? The classic design cues are merely there to point out that it's possible to blend energy efficiency with both style and performance. And that makes the i8 a car unlike any other.Its mission is to respond to the need for "a new era of sustainable performance," BMW says. And its highest-tech features may be its construction, with a body shell made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic that attaches to an aluminum chassis that absorbs crash energy and carries the powertrain. Then there's the battery pack, the electric motor, and the three-cylinder engine too.It's about as far from the usual BMW template as you can get. The engine is a tiny 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder, mounted transversely ahead of the rear wheels. Tiny, but mighty: it produces 231bhp. There's a 131bhp electric motor up front and a big plug-in electric battery to give it serious potency. All this is packed into a carbon fibre tub and wrapped in stunning thermoplastic bodywork; it looks like a concept car that's escaped from the motor show stage. Radical? You bet.Put to rest any doubts you may have. It's radical and other-worldly but the BMW i8 works like a charm as a sports car. You'd almost never believe it was an eco-chomping hybrid, doing an amazing impression of a 340bhp straight six rather than a little turbo triple (although synthesised, the noise is surprisingly convincing). It doesn't quite feel 911-fast, despite a 4.4-second 0-62mph time, because high-rev drama and violence is lacking. But it's still ruddy quick, and traction is fantastic. Cornering is equally wonderful, despite the mish-mash of power sources and options for front and rear axles. It's roll-free and very agile, while the steering is terrific. Consistency is high, which means so too is confidence, and it's only on rare occasions that you feel a trace of understeer.