The stunning 2015 bmw i8 is both a plugin hybrid and an exotic sports car. These four cars prove hybrid fun is not an oxymoron. It looks like the design and engineering department didnt so much make a sports car as they chopped the. The i8 can run on the electric motor at the front wheels up to 75 mph, the turbo engine at the rear wheels, or both at the same time for allwheel drive. But with the i8 bmw has shown this aint necessarily so. The bmw i8 marks a moment in history when high performance plug. Last night, during the latest episode of top gear, the usual test pilot for the show, chris harris, took the new bmw m8 competition out toyota supra laps top gear test track as fast as a 997. Driver relevant functions like the gearshift lever, startstop button, and parking brake are also arranged around the driver s seat for convenience. The new bmw m5 has been out for quite some time, but this may actually be the first time we see richard hammond from top gear behind the wheel of the sports sedan. There are many tests that show tesla m3 consistently does 7. The bmw i8 is a plugin hybrid sports car developed by bmw.
Its bmws petrolfuelled icon up against the exotic hybrid pioneer. Bmw i8 coupe and i8 roadster features and pricing bmw usa. So this bmw is allwheel drive, just powered two different ways. Bmw will cease the production of the bmw i8 in april 2020. I still believe that with hybrids we are going down the wrong road. Apr 30, 2018 sportscar buyers like to have a choice, and bmw reckons the open i8 will roughly double the i8 business by selling as many as the coupe does. Porsche sells about 30,000 911s every year, but then the 911 range is vastly wider. Is the reason top gear would never want to test drive tesla. Ergonomically oriented tactile controls, plus a standard 8. In sports mode youve got awd sportscar driving with performance to roughly match bmw s own m4. Nov 08, 2018 the bmw i8 roadster is a more extroverted version of the brands forwardthinking, techy supercar. But most of the time, on most roads, that aint happening. Designers say the bmw i8 was modeled after a raindrop, the most aerodynamic shape in nature.
Bmw also tweaked the i8s plugin powertrain to produce 12 extra horsepower and an estimated three extra miles of ev range. From its conceptcar styling to its laser headlights, the bmw i8 is a sight to behold. Inside the bmw i8 protonic red edition, topquality workmanship meets elegant sportiness. A father who bought a faulty bmw was shocked to see the car had been put through a ferocious test drive by jeremy clarkson on top gear rob. On rougher surfaces and over bumps, the bmw i8 is more amusing, as it allows the driver to safely play with the chassis.
Aug 11, 2014 but with the i8 bmw has shown this aint necessarily so. The i8 averaged 38 mpge on our 200mile, 75mph highway economy test, the first 16 miles of which were completed using only electric drive. Is the reason top gear would never want to test drive tesla cars again is because the controversy back in season 12. Sportscar buyers like to have a choice, and bmw reckons the open i8 will roughly double the i8 business by selling as many. The i8 comes with a government subsidy to buy it, and does stupendously good fuel economy, and has three years36k miles of servicing included in. Its bewildering complexity stems from the need to build a newage sustainable sports car. Some have compared the i8 to bmws last midengine sports car, the m1 of the late seventies. The bmw i8 has been named as top gear magazines global car of the year 2014. Bmw s postmodern supercar takes a traditional step by popping its top, and is better for it. Heres what jeremy clarkson thinks of the bmw i8 roadster. Watching jc test drive bmw i8 and got me thinking wouldnt it be nice if they do a test drive on a top model tesla such as p85d but then after a quick googling i found that the show had some controversy and legal issue with tesla. Other eyecatchers include the dark neso seats with woven red stitching and the headrest with the embossed bmw i8 logo. Bmw says 357 horsepower worth of real, with a zerotosixty time of 4.
The only difference was that comfort didnt want to stay in a manually selected gear from the beginning of a run to the end and would selfdefault to drive. But with an i8, going in completely the wrong direction is at least wonderfully enjoyable. In todays video, well take an up close and personal, in depth look at the all new bmw i8. Read our full test and see photos at car and driver. Bmw i8 part 2, johannesburg test drives sa buyers guide. Sports cars are all very well when you get the chance to go maxattack. Down the spine is a plugin battery big enough to power the front wheels. May 15, 2016 bmw i8 part 2 part 3 coming june 2016 amazing light at night. The big news for 2019 is that the i8 is now available as a roadster, with a folding soft top and two seats instead of the twoplustwo arrangement found in the coupe. If the bmw i8 were to go vertical and shoot into the troposphere, we wouldnt be surprised. Jan 05, 2016 nelle nostre diverse playlist troverai suoni di marmitte, test di accelerazione 0100, 0200 con controllo di lancio, camere onboard e il suono unico di ogni auto. The profits we make from it go back to bbc programmemakers to help fund great new bbc programmes. Crowds that gather around the bmw i8 are easily awed by the gullwing doors, but its the wizardry in the powertrain that should be dropping their jaws.
The bmw i8 has been named as top gear magazines global car of the year. Oct 21, 2016 the i8 s three sources of powera midmounted 228hp turbo inlinethree and ac motor and a stronger 129hp ac motor up frontare the same as in the european car, but this federalized i8 weighed 3484 pounds, about 100 more than either of the other previously tested cars. Among these, you will see a bmw i8 and a bmw m3, driven across some of the most beautiful scenery in united kingdom and yes, tested on. Tiny but mighty, this little triple makes 231bhp and drives only the rear wheels. The bmw i8 wins top gear car of the year bmw group pressclub. Editorial team, author at pistonleaks page 335 of 541. Bmw m3 petrol vs bmw i8 hybrid top gear series 22 bbc.
This weeks top gear is filled with an hour of great cars. Clarksons verdict green as a prius, desirable as a ferrari. This is the full list of official power lap times on the top gear test track. No money from the licence fee was used to create this website. The bmw i8, now in its fourth year, is a unique plugin hybrid coupe with a stunning design, advanced structure and technical wizardry.
The twoseat bmw i8 roadster shares similar dimensions with the coupe, while sporting a cruiseready retractable soft top. Offered exclusively as a coupe, the i8 uses an advanced plugin hybrid drivetrain to provide an exhilarating driving experience while returning better fuel economy than even the tiniest economy cars sold on these shores. Our pure electric rage was shorter but that was because of my aggressive driving style. List of top gear test track power lap times wikipedia.
Which is how it came to be that bmw engineers took a saw to the roof of a prototype i8 to ascertain if an opentop version was feasible. It was voted auto test winner in green by auto test and okotrend. Was he similarly impressed by the new drop top i8 roadster. On tonights episode of the famous or infamous, depending on how you feel about the show british motoring program, top gear, host jeremy clarkson will drive both a bmw i8 and m3. After top gear allegedly refused to drive it because they thought it couldnt clear a speed bump.
While there, the bmw dealership had just got in a used, 2015 i8. Even with the data you show the bmw is way slower than the m3 and then you say that somehow that there is no clear. Explore the features and specifications of the bmw i8 coupe and i8 roadster. The bmw i8 is on the vanguard of that architecture. The plugin hybrid performance vehicle beat off some stiff competition from a host of other premium and luxury manufacturers to win the overall award. Was he similarly impressed by the new droptop i8 roadster. Visit and get the latest information, as well as detailed specs and features. Here are the driving impressions of the bmw i3 electric vehicle which will be unveiled on july 29th.
If you know anything about jeremy clarkson, youll appreciate that he is no fan of hybrids, but in 2014 he made an exception for the bmw i8. The bmw i8 gets more power and more electric range, and adds that sweet windinyourhair experience. Top gear really is an excellent show if you love cars and these episodes are evident of that. Bmws hightech i8 hybrid sportscar looks like it has come from the future. From the time when bmw announced the plan to build an electric car, and we started to see some pictures of what this vision would look like, i would never have imagined that seeing the vision at a show, then an actual i8 in the flesh the two are nearly the same. According to bmw, thanks to the perfect synchronization of its electric and combustion engines, the i8 is \the first thoroughbred sports car with the same consumption and emission values as a compact car. Lets find out watch his test of the latest topgear episode, where he drives the bmw i8 against the bmw m3. The i8 is the flagship of bmw s burgeoning ecofriendly i subbrand. Staying true to its sports car character, the bmw i8 keeps its focus on the driver, angling the modern lines of the freestanding center console towards the left side. Remember, you never drive any car flatout all the time, and so in the i8 and any. More comes out of the gas pump, with a turbocharged 1.
Richard hammond vs the drift at ladoux the michelin test center duration. This weeks top gear features a bmw i8 and a bmw f80 m3. The i8 is part of bmw s electric fleet project i being marketed as a new subbrand, bmw i. Us under the nedc test with carbon emissions of 49 g. The bmw m5 boasts a 500bhp v10 engine and the performance to shame most supercars but how will jeremy fare with its vast number of technolog. This is a machine whose chassis behavior varies according to the driver. On glasssmooth tarmac, its quite inert, if effective in the corners, allowing smooth and rapid progress to be made, revelling in the direct controls.
The bmw i8 is a stunning supercarlooking coupe that gets some of its power from a cord. I test drove a 2011 audi r8 no storage space and went to test drive the bmw z4. I still maintain the interior is fantastic, but at 100k, id rather have a gt3, or save myself a hell of a lot, and buy the m4 or stingray, still not into this electric hybrid crap yet, but the price wasnt as badi think as i was expecting. Mar 11, 2020 the british top gear magazine named the bmw i8 car of the year, as did the jury of uk car of the year. A fact, even petrolheads like jeremy clarkson of topgear have to acknowledge. The body with its birdwing doors is plastic reinforced with carbon fiber. In the front of the i8 is an electric motor that is powered by a 7. Find information on transmission, engine type, drivetrain, warranty, and more. The bmw i8 protonic frozen black edition embodies unbeatable sportiness and futuristic aesthetics.
The chassis is aluminum, designed to absorb crash energy. In pure electric modes, the 2015 bmw i8 can drive up to 23 miles in the eu test cycle and speeds up to 75 mph. Feb 24, 2015 to test the i8 s split personality, we leave downtown l. Review the 2017 i8 crash safety ratings from the iihs and nhtsa to see how well passengers are protected in front, rear and side impact collisions. As soon as you open the door, your gaze is immediately drawn to the door sill finisher emblazoned with protonic red edition lettering. The icecoloured finish of the matt black bmw individual frozen black exterior colour and accents in frozen grey metallic, together with the shiny black surfaces on the bonnet and rear, underline the powerful styling of the unique vehicle design. The bmw i8 accelerates from 0 to 100 kmh 62 mph in 4. The i8 s lines arent nearly as elegant as those of a. The editorial team of top gear commended the bmw i8 for its breadth of abilities. In the four years since the i8 launched, bmw has shifted about 14,000. He hated the flight, but the i8 left a positive impression on the team. We run the scifilike bmw i8 on the angeles crest highway outside of l. The fundamental thrust of the bmw i8 is to reduce the consumption of energy without detracting from the fun of the drive.
451 191 1616 50 679 1173 632 1636 248 1171 1628 1005 1517 565 1138 1098 1061 180 1366 1140 357 1131 1044 1199 1023 1039 683 105 1045 1430 979 8 1003 826 721 809 1301 1060 323 1416 1230 1075 844 1058 514 183