It wasn’t uncanny coincidence, but the scene seemed to be playing out exactly as it did in the commercial for the Audi R8, which is set in Maranello, the home turf of Ferrari. Only this time around, the car that was getting all the stares was from another German brand – BMW.

And, instead of being chased by angry Italians (like in the Ad), we actually got flagged over to the shoulder by two policemen, who proceeded to walk around and check out the i8 we were driving. Later, with smirks on their faces, the officers asked for the car’s papers and my driving licence to keep up the charade.

The Italians love their super cars and naturally take pride in their car design tradition, but this ‘Bimmer’ must have seemed too funky even for the car crazy folks living in the fashionable outskirts of Milan. So, the mix of defiant stares and curious glances were only to be expected.

The BMW i8 we were driving towards the hills past Malpensa airport looked straight out of a Sci-fi thriller. It looks like a concept car that has mistakenly been allowed a run on the street. Of course, by now we all know that it is a road-legal car and is even headed into Indian dealerships later this year.

The i8 is an unabashed show-off, but it is not without substance. Under the elegantly shaped carbon-fibre skin of the i8 lie two powertrains – one is an electric and the other a conventional petrol-driven one. It is capable of a top speed of 250 kmph and in full electric mode the top speed is a high 120 kmph.

Genesis

BMWi was created as a separate division that will create new green mobility solutions (essentially electric) that are still uniquely BMW. And, in quick succession, the German company has launched two new cars in the i3 and the i8.

The i8 is BMW’s answer to the ‘Greens’ – a premium sportscar with sustainability at its heart. It manages to uniquely marry performance and a low carbon footprint all the way from when it is just a carbon-fibre shell at the company’s Leipzig plant to when it is thundering down the track at 250 kmph. The sportscar’s worst rated fuel efficiency is 12 litres per 100 kms and its best is 2 litres per 100 kms!

Since it is a hybrid working on the combined abilities of an electric motor powering the front wheels and a three-cylinder petrol engine (borrowed from MINI) powering the rear wheels, the i8 had to contend with increased weight. Apart from the engine and motor, there is the high voltage lithium battery pack, and there are two transmissions one each for the two powertrains.

So, to equally compensate for the additional 200 kgs of electric equipment located in the centre tunnel, BMW engineers reduced the car’s body weight by replacing metal with carbon fibre (CFRP) for the entire monocoque. The chassis is aluminium but the ‘Lifecell’ is in CFRP. Even the drive shaft is a single piece made of CFRP, a significant engineering achievement. The results are those mileage numbers, a emissions figure of just 49 grams per kilometre and a kerb weight of just 1,485 kgs (comparable to most other regular sportscars).

Design

The i8’s design is radical, to put it mildly. There is a lot of BMW and in fact, a lot of BMWi that is visible in the i8’s design. But, if you didn’t find its sporty, aerodynamic profile, its flowing lines, dual-toned skin and the reinterpreted kidney grille to be dramatic enough, the upward opening wing doors will floor you.

In fact, despite getting familiar with its design, right through the test drive, we kept looking through the door mirrors at the incredibly unique design of the i8’s haunches and the cut-away tail-lamps. If the design can be claimed to be familiar after having seen the concept in various motor shows, the execution in the road car is simply amazing.

The design of the i8 has a lot to do with practicality too. Much of the design flourishes also serve as air vents and scoops meant to improve engine cooling, aerodynamics and increase downforce (co-efficient of drag or cd value is a low 0.26).

Cabin

Despite the wing doors, it is a bit of a ‘bend down and tuck in’ entry into the i8, much like in any other low slung sportscar. Get behind the wheel and the cabin gives out the same sort of futuristic, sci-fi vibe that the exterior design does. It is all in the execution, because the materials used for the various elements and the layout of the cabin seems very familiar.

There is a clear BMW stamp in each of the individual elements like the steering wheel, the gear stick, rotary MMI knob and even the aircon vents. The extra-tall centre tunnel is inevitable and so the i8 is a two-door, 2+2 seater. Blue LED tubes for accent lighting and the digital instruments are classy and add a measure of surrealism to the interior.

Performance

The i8 is a plug-in hybrid with an active M differential. Combining the outputs of the 1,499cc, 3-cylinder direct injection petrol engine with twin mono scroll turbochargers and the hybrid synchronous electric motor, the i8 manages to produce a system output of 362 HP. Its acceleration figure is a healthy 4.4 seconds for the 0-100 kmph dash. When we start out the test drive, in all-electric mode, the i8 is uncannily quiet for its sporty body type. There are three basic modes to choose from – ECOPRO, Comfort and Sport. But the car’s on-board electronics also decides whether you stay in electric or petrol or a combination of the two powertrains, based on driver demands, making it a of five modes. Whether we were choosing the slots in the 6-speed gearbox of the engine or one from the two-stage auto transmission of the electric motor was engaged, there was considerable torque available on demand.

In Sport mode, the engine really comes alive, though the exhaust note is not exactly exciting in a Ferrari or a Lambo way. But, there is no lack of linear acceleration and road hugging performance around sweeping corners compared to the cars in the top rung.

Verdict

The BMW i8 is not the first hybrid or electric sportscar to hit the road. But, it is likely to be the benchmark for future luxury sportscars that attempt to be practical and honestly green without compromising performance. It also gives BMW new bragging rights in the fast growing e-car makers club.

But, is it the right sportscar for you? For one it is not going to be cheaper than other sportscars. The market price could be close to ₹2 crore. So, there aren’t too many reasons other than going green for you to buy the i8.

But, for all the petrol heads that shook their heads in despair at the i3 being the future of mobility, the i8 should be a thumping yes.

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