The BMW i8 is definitely a beautiful piece of engineering and what the Germans achieved with just a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine is absolutely remarkable. However, the plug-in hybrid sports car still has its shortcomings.
While the acceleration is extremely impressive at first, reaching the top speed does require some butt clenching as the car lets you know it is struggling a little.
The configuration of the i8 is also interesting and favors such a behavior. It’s an all-wheel drive model when in Sport mode, the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint being done with, in 4.4 seconds from a standstill.
That’s thanks to the aforementioned internal combustion 3-cylinder engine making 231 HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque coupled to an electric motor powering the front axle alone, making 131 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. Together, they do deliver 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque.
It’s not a mind-blowing number but coupled with a sleek, aerodynamic body and a low weight factor, the i8 is rather lively, reaching its top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) rather easily. The problem is, that’s electronically limited and this driver learned that the hard way when a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder flew by it on what we’re hoping is not just a highway but an Autobahn.
To understand better how this happened, we need to remind ourselves that while the i8 is an eco-friendly proposition, the Gallardo hails from a different era when CO2 emissions weren’t the only thing everyone in the auto industry talked about.
Under its ‘bonnet’ lies a 5.2-liter V10 making 550 HP and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque that allow the convertible to reach a top speed of no less than 320 km/h (200 mph). That should put any debate regarding why the action in the video below took place in the first place once and for all.
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