BMW has a secret test facility at
Miramar in the South of France. It's where the company develops its future cars
and it's where we've just driven an i8 prototype. Even with the car wrapped in
swirly- decal camouflage, that couldn't hide how much of the style of the
original Vision Efficient Dynamics concept has been retained in the production
version (right).
The Vision plug- in hybrid was first
shown in 2009 and BMW's initial aim as to highlight the company's latest
technologies. Reaction, however, proved so positive that - says the Bavarian
firm - it decided to build a production version.
The BMW i8 was conceived from the
ground up as a plug-in hybrid sports car boasting agile performance attributes
and extraordinary efficiency
As the test drive took place a few
weeks before the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, our test cars were still in
disguise. It might fool a camera, but up close and personal it's remarkable how
much of the concept's radical design remains. There's now a motorized flap in
the nose to help with cooling and it's marginally shorter than the concept, but
the basic shape and scissor doors remain.
Officially, the i8 is a two-plus-two,
but the rear seats are even smaller than a 911 'sand are best employed as
luggage space to supplement the meagre boot. The rest of the cockpit will be
familiar to any BMW driver. A centrally mounted screen is the focal point of
the infotainment system and there's a conventional gearstick and steering
wheel.
Powertrain
There's nothing simple about the
powertrain, however. An engine at the rear, two electric motors, two fuel
sources and two gearboxes all join hands and pull together. The engineers admit
that trying to get all this to work in harmony was the biggest challenge they
faced.
On paper, the i8's performance looks
extraordinary. The combined output is 266 kW and 570 N.m of torque versus 294
kW/440 N.m for a Porsche 911 Carrera S. The i8 is claimed to accelerate from
zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, but achieves 4S km/litre by European measure
and emits less than
The BMW i8’s LifeDrive architecture
offers the ideal platform for a weight-minimizing construction, low center of
gravity and even weight distribution
59 g/km of carbon dioxide (a Carrera S
emits 205 g/km). Even in sport mode, it should still use half the fuel of a 91
1.
Getting the best from the i8 demands
the clever use of one of four driving modes. The default is comfort, which lets
the computer deliver the best combination of petrol and electric power. Or, you
can opt to run on electricity alone for up to 35 km and up to a maximum speed
of 120 km/h.
Driving Modes
An Eco Pro mode works to minimize
consumption, adjusting everything from the throttle to the air-conditioning. Or
you can go to the opposite extreme and choose sport, which stiffens the
suspension, firms up the steering and instructs the motors to pull together to
maximize performance.
The i8 takes a bit of getting used to
and the engineers admit the intervention of the petrol engine isn't yet as
smooth as they'd like. BMW is, however, promising improvements to both this and
the engine note, which sounds more Peugeot than Porsche.
The standard leather trim extends
beyond the seat surfaces to parts of the center console, instrument panel and
interior door panels
In near-silent electric mode, the car
feels luxurious to cruise in, which should make the i8 a delight in the city.
The ride is comfortable and an instant dollop of thrust is just a toe twitch
away.
Switch to sport and the i8 reveals its
fun side. The clever use of exotic materiaIs - the cockpit is constructed from
carbon- fibre, for example- has helped BMW keep the mass of the i8 down to
"less than 1 490 kg", the same as a 911's. This, and the low centre
of gravity, makes a big difference. The i8 feels light and agile, with body
roll exceptionally we’ll checked.
The electric steering has deliberately
been kept light. It feels too artificial at the straight-ahead, but it does
offer a decent level of feedback. The i8 never feels as fast as the zero
-to-100 km/h time suggests, but you wouldn't call it slow and the torque of the
electric motor does a fine job of offsetting the lag inherent in such a high
pressure turbo.
The design of the BMW i8 body is as
groundbreaking as the plug-in hybrid sports car’s concept as a whole
Our test routes included some circuit
work. Here the i8 proved impressively agile, but surprisingly eager to
understeer. It will be interesting to see whether BMW dials some of this out by
the time the cars reach production trim.
A Real Sports car Then?
Yes ... but the i8 really is a
different kind of sports car.
Traditional enthusiasts will prefer a
911 or even an M6; but for the way that it looks and for what it can do, the i8
is a hugely desirable alternative.
While it may rival fellow Teutons in
terms of price, size and performance, BMW is targeting a different buyer with
the i8. This is a vehicle that will appeal to eco-conscious customers who might
not otherwise have considered a sportscar. And these European customers can get
their recycled paper cheque books out in March
The structure of overlapping and
interlocking surfaces also contributes to the unmistakable appearance of the
BMW i8
2014. South Africans will have to wait
a little while longer- it goes on sale in the fourth quarter.
Interestingly, it looks like BMW SA
will launch both the i8 and the recently unveiled i3 at the same time. Both
cars are part of BMW's new i family and, while the i3 is a practical hatchback
aimed at urban types, the i8 is certainly not. It's a performance hybrid that
promises to revolutionize accepted notions of the sports car.
