BMW i8
2016 / 18 500 km
Specifications
BMW
i8
2016
11.0
1.499
Propulsion
Non
18500
Black
Hybrid
Automatique
Historique
A hybrid sports car. Totally relevant at the end of 2023, this idea was still surprising when, in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW presented this concept car with a style as futuristic as the idea itself. It was not easy at the time to feel how far ahead BMW was in this regard. However, when you get behind the wheel, what is striking is still its design, both sober and bold, still very current. Everything is surprising in this line, aptly combining boldness and sobriety, without falling into excessive and vulgar fittings. The small grille is surprising and reminds us of the time when BMW did not want to make this part a caricature.
The beauty is stocky despite a total length of 4.69 meters. Everything is played out on the width of 1.94 meters and a very contained height of just 1.29 meters. The design of the rear is the most characteristic part of the i8, with its chiseled lines, its curved hips and especially the work of the air circulation. The aesthetic verdict that results is a matter of taste, but it is undeniable that the lines and volumes are very worked, even daring, like the curved side skirts or the connection between the rear wings and the rear pillars. The Turbine Style 625 rims of our copy suit it wonderfully.
The gullwing doors open into a modern cabin, pleasantly bright thanks to the light upholstery. The i8 is a 2+2, but the rear seats are viable for an average-sized adult on a short journey.
The i8 is a plug-in parallel hybrid, with a 1.5L turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine housed between the two rear folding seats and the wheels. It develops 231 hp at 5800 rpm, and can therefore claim the title of the most powerful engine in the BMW group with a specific power of 154 hp per liter of displacement. The torque is sent to the rear wheels by a 6-speed automatic transmission. A battery pack is housed in the backbone separating the two seats. With a gross capacity of 7.1 kWh (5.2 kWh net), it powers a synchronous electric motor developing 102 hp at 4800 rpm, with a peak value of 131 hp at the same speed. The maximum claimed system power thus reaches 362 horsepower. The electric motor drives the front wheels via a two-speed gearbox, a singularity where all competitors have adopted simple fixed-ratio reducers. The i8 should therefore be classified in the category of mild rechargeable hybrids.
Driving in "e-Drive" mode is an experience that meets the expectations of electric propulsion: serene silence and an absence of mechanical vibrations. The sound insulation is very good, no air noise disturbs the tranquility of the cabin. After about thirty kilometers at constant speed, the barely audible murmur of the 3 cylinders can be felt. Then this thermal engine demonstrates a beautiful sound, hoarse, modulated and largely synthetic, both inside and outside. BMW is a master in the design of these systems, and if we simply judge the rendering, it is a success. The engine sounds like a half six cylinder and is reminiscent in many ways of the flat 6 of a Porsche Carrera. In addition to a very well judged soundtrack, the thrust is more than respectable, it is even very attractive. The engine seems full, torquey and there is absolutely no lag when accelerating. This allows you to pick up speed vigorously from 2000 rpm, with a usable range of over 4500 rpm. The thrust is not mind-blowing, but perfectly consistent with the category, and from the first few sequences, you realize that you would have to work hard on the 3.8L naturally aspirated Porsche 991 Carrera S to keep up the pace without being left behind at each restart.
The i8 is an undeniable success. A versatile GT, perfectly usable on a daily basis, and interesting to drive in all circumstances. Habitable, usable in 2+2 configuration, there is only the dryness of its suspensions and the gymnastics of access that could tire in the long run. A high-tech product, attractive, accomplished and damn well thought out. The bet of building a hybrid GT around a turbo three-cylinder and a hybrid system was daring in 2014, and we can only congratulate BMW on the result.
Our original German model has very low mileage and is in new condition.
- 322: Comfort Access
- 654: DAB tuner
- 674: Kardon HiFi System
- C01: Protonic Blue color
- 2HP: 20′ profiled rims, 625 Turbine style
- 4FG: BMW i Blue Seat Belts
- 5AZ: BMW Laser Projectors
- 3CM: Leather engine compartment trim
- 4AA: Anthracite headliner
- April 17, 2020: Importation of the vehicle into France from Germany
- May 19, 2020: Technical inspection at 17,375 km
- June 11, 2020: Vehicle valuation appraisal at 17,388 km
- September 24, 2020: Change of ownership
- May 18, 2022: Technical inspection at 17,750 km
- November 18, 2022: Annual maintenance by BMW Caen at 17,849km
A hybrid sports car. Totally relevant at the end of 2023, this idea was still surprising when, in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW presented this concept car with a style as futuristic as the idea itself. It was not easy at the time to feel how far ahead BMW was in this regard. However, when you get behind the wheel, what is striking is still its design, both sober and bold, still very current. Everything is surprising in this line, aptly combining boldness and sobriety, without falling into excessive and vulgar fittings. The small grille is surprising and reminds us of the time when BMW did not want to make this part a caricature.
The beauty is stocky despite a total length of 4.69 meters. Everything is played out on the width of 1.94 meters and a very contained height of just 1.29 meters. The design of the rear is the most characteristic part of the i8, with its chiseled lines, its curved hips and especially the work of the air circulation. The aesthetic verdict that results is a matter of taste, but it is undeniable that the lines and volumes are very worked, even daring, like the curved side skirts or the connection between the rear wings and the rear pillars. The Turbine Style 625 rims of our copy suit it wonderfully.
The gullwing doors open into a modern cabin, pleasantly bright thanks to the light upholstery. The i8 is a 2+2, but the rear seats are viable for an average-sized adult on a short journey.
The i8 is a plug-in parallel hybrid, with a 1.5L turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine housed between the two rear folding seats and the wheels. It develops 231 hp at 5800 rpm, and can therefore claim the title of the most powerful engine in the BMW group with a specific power of 154 hp per liter of displacement. The torque is sent to the rear wheels by a 6-speed automatic transmission. A battery pack is housed in the backbone separating the two seats. With a gross capacity of 7.1 kWh (5.2 kWh net), it powers a synchronous electric motor developing 102 hp at 4800 rpm, with a peak value of 131 hp at the same speed. The maximum claimed system power thus reaches 362 horsepower. The electric motor drives the front wheels via a two-speed gearbox, a singularity where all competitors have adopted simple fixed-ratio reducers. The i8 should therefore be classified in the category of mild rechargeable hybrids.
Driving in "e-Drive" mode is an experience that meets the expectations of electric propulsion: serene silence and an absence of mechanical vibrations. The sound insulation is very good, no air noise disturbs the tranquility of the cabin. After about thirty kilometers at constant speed, the barely audible murmur of the 3 cylinders can be felt. Then this thermal engine demonstrates a beautiful sound, hoarse, modulated and largely synthetic, both inside and outside. BMW is a master in the design of these systems, and if we simply judge the rendering, it is a success. The engine sounds like a half six cylinder and is reminiscent in many ways of the flat 6 of a Porsche Carrera. In addition to a very well judged soundtrack, the thrust is more than respectable, it is even very attractive. The engine seems full, torquey and there is absolutely no lag when accelerating. This allows you to pick up speed vigorously from 2000 rpm, with a usable range of over 4500 rpm. The thrust is not mind-blowing, but perfectly consistent with the category, and from the first few sequences, you realize that you would have to work hard on the 3.8L naturally aspirated Porsche 991 Carrera S to keep up the pace without being left behind at each restart.
The i8 is an undeniable success. A versatile GT, perfectly usable on a daily basis, and interesting to drive in all circumstances. Habitable, usable in 2+2 configuration, there is only the dryness of its suspensions and the gymnastics of access that could tire in the long run. A high-tech product, attractive, accomplished and damn well thought out. The bet of building a hybrid GT around a turbo three-cylinder and a hybrid system was daring in 2014, and we can only congratulate BMW on the result.
Our original German model has very low mileage and is in new condition.
- 322: Comfort Access
- 654: DAB tuner
- 674: Kardon HiFi System
- C01: Protonic Blue color
- 2HP: 20′ profiled rims, 625 Turbine style
- 4FG: BMW i Blue Seat Belts
- 5AZ: BMW Laser Projectors
- 3CM: Leather engine compartment trim
- 4AA: Anthracite headliner
- April 17, 2020: Importation of the vehicle into France from Germany
- May 19, 2020: Technical inspection at 17,375 km
- June 11, 2020: Vehicle valuation appraisal at 17,388 km
- September 24, 2020: Change of ownership
- May 18, 2022: Technical inspection at 17,750 km
- November 18, 2022: Annual maintenance by BMW Caen at 17,849km