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BMW i8 Takes on Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS PDK on the Track

The BMW i8 is many things and tries to fill a void with an eco-friendly attitude but the truth of the matter is, when you’re trying to be great at multiple things at the same time, it’s likely that you’ll fail at most of them.
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS PDK vs BMW i8 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
When BMW launched the plug-in hybrid sports car, they claimed it would be going up against the likes of Audi R8 and Porsche 911 but over time we realized that was not exactly true. Sure, from a pricing point of view and comparing straight up acceleration numbers, the i8 does hold its own but that’s about it.

The guys from EVO took things a little further and pitted the Bimmer against a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS PDK on a proper circuit. Care to guess who won?

It’s pretty clear and it’s not a surprise. However, the reviewer was surprised to find the i8 so enjoyable on the track. It might be the slower car here, riding on those ludicrously skinny tires and lacking some horsepower but it is enjoyable, to say the least.

It can drift and it can go in its different driving modes, putting that beautifully tuned chassis to the test everytime you approach a corner. On top of that, you can actually drive this thing through downtown London without paying a penny.

In the end, as a track tool, the Porsche wins, hands down but then the i8 is not only pleasant on the circuit but it can also return an average fuel consumption that other cars in this range of performance can never even dream about. Oh, and let’s not even bring up looks here...

If it was your money on the line, what would you go for? A track beast that's more enjoyable on the limit or a plug-in hybrid that's fast enough for most people out there?

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