We’ve been keeping an eye on the guys from XCAR ever since they posted their first review on Youtube and we’re extremely happy to see how they evolved into the respected journalists they are today. Now, they’re taking on the i8 and, needless to say, they loved it.
As it is repeatedly pointed out during their review, it’s rare that you come by the chance to buy a car that looks and does exactly what the concept promises and yet here we are with the first plug-in hybrid sportscar from BMW.
Sure, it lost the transparent doors and a couple more design cues but the overall essence of the concept remained untouched and that is noteworthy.
The powertrain is made up of no less than three power sources that work synchronously and separately when needed. Sound complicated? Let us explain.
In the back (well, actually it’s the middle of the car since towards the back you have the luggage compartment) you have a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine making 231 HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque that represents the old technology in this hybrid.
Up next you have an electric motor on the front axle that makes 131 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque that powers the front wheels alone when the car’s in EV mode, which is the default for the ECO PRO and Comfort settings. When in Sport, the ICE kicks in. There’s also a smaller electric unit that helps out in between reprises.
In total, the i8 has 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, all-wheel drive, a 6-speed gearbox and more innovations than you can think about. While the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint takes just 4.4 seconds, the average fuel consumption is rated at 134 UK mpg (2.1 l/100 km or 121 US mpg) which is something no other car in the world can claim.
Now that we’ve got all the tech bits out of the way, we’ll let XCAR explain the rest. Enjoy!
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