There鈥檚 enough tech alone with which to fill the next four pages, but it鈥檚 how the i8 drives that matters most. The way it behaves depends on which mode you pick: Eco Pro, Comfort or Sport. The first two are good for town cruising, where the 129bhp electric motor on the forward axle provides mostly front-wheel-drive performance. As with all electric cars, instant response and acceleration nearly match those of a Volkswagen Golf GTI. The rear-mounted 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo - which drives the back wheels - will kick in if you鈥檙e too hard on the accelerator, but on a full charge you can do 22 miles at up to 75mph on electric power alone. The engine itself is spectacular - BMW鈥檚 managed to make a tiny three-cylinder sound like a throaty V6. Another small electric motor in the rear boosts the engine - as well as acting as starter and generator - to help integrate it better with the other electric motor.
In Comfort or Eco Pro, and with all power sources working together, the i8 feels seriously fast and the powertrain seems extremely well sorted. There鈥檚 a subtle shunt as the engine kicks in, but other than that you鈥檇 have no idea that there was such a complicated process of gears, motors and engine constantly shuffling things around you. However, to get the most out of the i8 you need to choose Sport mode. As you knock the gear selector over to the left, the dials turn red and the i8 really comes alive. Throttle response is crisper and the powertrain altogether more responsive, while the six-speed automatic changes gear with more conviction and holds on to ratios for longer. You鈥檇 think there鈥檇 be erratic surges of acceleration, but instead everything works in perfect harmony to deliver a blisteringly smooth 4.4-second 0-62mph time. Engaging Sport also switches on the maximum amount of brake energy regeneration and turns the standard-fit adaptive dampers and power-steering to their most aggressive settings. Where you previously had a supple, comfortable ride and light steering, Sport mode weights up the latter and makes the former seem instantly firmer.
Yet the i8 still feels perfectly adept at dealing with potholes or large ridges without sending thuds and vibrations up through the base of your seat. In corners, sticking with Sport, you鈥檒l discover that the i8 has a character all of its own - nothing like a traditional M car. Those hefty, powerful, oversteering machines feel brutish compared with the delicate i8. There鈥檚 a real immediacy to the steering inputs, giving near-instant turn-in to bends with subtle feedback through the wheel. Pushing the i8 hard, you鈥檒l discover that it naturally wants to understeer, and you鈥檒l have to switch off all the traction control systems if you ever want to coax it into a slide. Even then, it鈥檒l take a fair amount of provocation. It鈥檚 not as lairy as a Porsche 911, but there鈥檚 a lot of pleasure to be gained from darting through sharp bends on the perfect line thanks to the great steering and superb body control. The brakes take a little getting used to, though, often requiring a firm push. The i8 feels like a sports car revolution. It delivers everything we鈥檝e come to expect from some of the best performance models out there - but with 135mpg economy and 49g/km CO2 emissions. It鈥檚 a definite game-changer, and while the hybrid Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder will each set you back around 拢1million, the i8 costs 鈥榦nly鈥?拢100,000 - or 拢99,845, to be exact. At that price it goes up against an established crop of supercars. Yet not only do you get the carbon fibre body, 4WD and hi-tech powertrain, there鈥檚 also 8.8-inch sat-nav, parking sensors, head-up display and a design that looks unlike anything else on the road. The BMW i8 changes everything - the future of performance cars has arrived.
Supreme dynamics and exclusivity: M Sport package and BMW Individual features. An M Sport package can be specified for the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, the new BMW 6 Series Coupe and the new BMW Series Gran Coupe to further optimise their dynamic aura and performance attributes. The BMW Individual options offered for the new BMW 6 Series models satisfy the desire of customers to maximise exclusivity and infuse the exterior and interior of the car with their personal style. The BMW Individual paintwork finishes, special paintwork finishes and matt paintwork finishes stand out with their exceptional richness and fascinating colour effects. BMW Individual fine-grain Merino full-leather trim, with carefully selected and meticulously prepared raw materials taking centre stage, helps create an exclusive interior design. The leather used for the seats, door panel trim, centre console, armrests and door pulls has a natural open-pored structure; the soft and breathable surfaces are elegant to the eye and offer excellent comfort.
Exquisite materials and meticulous handcraftsmanship are defining features of the interior appointments from BMW Individual. Options for bespoke driving pleasure and comfort. Customers can also dip into the list of high-quality optional extras to further enhance levels of driving pleasure and comfort in the new BMW 6 Series models. The iDrive operating system鈥檚 Touch Controller has a touch-sensitive surface for inputting characters. The driving experience: Feel the dynamics, savour the poise and assurance. Supreme power development, impressive refinement and exemplary efficiency are attributes shared by all the engines available for the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, new BMW 6 Series Coupe and new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. The range consists of a petrol V8 producing 330 kW/450 hp, a 235 kW/320 hp six-cylinder in-line petrol unit and a straight-six diesel with 230 kW/313 hp. All enjoy the benefits of the BMW TwinPower Turbo technology developed under the BMW EfficientDynamics banner, all meet the EU6 exhaust emissions standard and all link up as standard with an eight-speed Steptronic sport transmission.
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