Photo: BMW
The guys from Sport Auto, known for benchmarking all the sport cars from, Germany on the country’s best circuits, took the hybrid plug-in BMW for a spin as well. As usual, they chose the Hockenheim where they had the chance to test some of the Bimmer’s rivals in the past.
Of course, since the i8 was designed to be equally eco-friendly as it is sporty, the results were bound not to be impressive. Even so, the 1:15 lap it posted puts right up there with some cars that have bigger claims.
For example, the Porsche Boxster covered the same track in 1:14.9 while the Jaguar F-Type did it slower, at 1:15.2. The uber-hatchback from Munich, the M135i was even slower at 1:15.7. Other cars were also tested as part of their latest adventure on the Hockenheim and their results show just how impressive the i8 really is.
A car with 320 HP, an engine with double the size and M Performance tuning finished the course in 1:17.4 minutes. We’re talking about a specially prepped 435i Coupe, a car fitted with everything BMW offers to tune a 4er.
On the other hand, the brand new M4 beat the i8 by a considerable margin, as it was expected since it is a true M car. Looking over the specs, it’s easy to see why it posted a 1:12.8 lap time. With 71 extra HP and just 100 kg more (221 lbs), the new sports coupe was expected to be victorious.
Even so, the 1:15 lap time tells only part of the story, as editor Christian Gebhardt even said after the lap. While the car is precise and has plenty of grip, its performance stunning at times, it’s not a true sports car but rather an insight into what hybrid technology can offer in the future.
For example, the Porsche Boxster covered the same track in 1:14.9 while the Jaguar F-Type did it slower, at 1:15.2. The uber-hatchback from Munich, the M135i was even slower at 1:15.7. Other cars were also tested as part of their latest adventure on the Hockenheim and their results show just how impressive the i8 really is.
A car with 320 HP, an engine with double the size and M Performance tuning finished the course in 1:17.4 minutes. We’re talking about a specially prepped 435i Coupe, a car fitted with everything BMW offers to tune a 4er.
On the other hand, the brand new M4 beat the i8 by a considerable margin, as it was expected since it is a true M car. Looking over the specs, it’s easy to see why it posted a 1:12.8 lap time. With 71 extra HP and just 100 kg more (221 lbs), the new sports coupe was expected to be victorious.
Even so, the 1:15 lap time tells only part of the story, as editor Christian Gebhardt even said after the lap. While the car is precise and has plenty of grip, its performance stunning at times, it’s not a true sports car but rather an insight into what hybrid technology can offer in the future.
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