Ever since the i8 was launched, the world rushed to compare it to BMW’s original supercar, the M1, but things are so different that we can’t even put them in the same league. At the same time, that’s what you’d expect from two cars that are built nearly 30 years apart.
Comparing them is wrong from a lot of perspectives but, there are a couple of similarities that we can’t get over, just like the guys from Auto Express. They were lucky enough to find an M1 owner (there were only around 500 of them ever built and even less are still running) in the UK and get his car next to an i8 for a short video.
Some of those similarities include a mid-engine setup and a big step up in design. At the same time, both vehicles are the pinnacle of what the brand has to offer.
The specs
Looking over the specs, it’s hard not to be impressed by the M1. Back in the day, that car used to weigh just 1,300 kg (2,866 lbs) without using a shred of carbon fiber. On the other hand, the i8 is close to 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs) even though it uses the lightest materials around.
To be fair, the i car also has an electric motor and plenty of heavy batteries on board so we do have to keep that in mind. At the same time, the M model uses a 3.5-liter inline 6-cylinder engine that is more than double the size of the internal combustion engine on the i8 that has 3 cylinders and a total capacity of 1,499 cm3.
The power outputs are drastically different as well. While the M1 had under 300 horses coming out of the M88/1 plant in standard guise, the i8 has over 350, not to mention the instant torque.
However, considering the gap between the two, the differences are more than understandable, they’re necessary to show how much the company grew. Even so, the moment you step inside and drive one, you know you’re behind the wheel of a BMW.
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