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BMW i8 plug-in hybrid: It's a supercar, Jim, but not as we know it

Vroom-vroom, sort of

Cabin cruise

The cabin is a bit of a tech-fest, dominated by two 8.8-inch screens, one in the instrument binnacle and one above the centre console. As far as driver environments go, it all looks more complex than it is. If you have ever had cause to play with any BMW iDrive system, you’ll feel right at home in the i8 in very short order. As I said, this is a very easy car to live with.

BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

You get two displays on the dashboard to keep an eye on things

That said, this isn’t a Micra… or even a BMW i3. Indeed, BMW was at pains to underline the sporting capabilities. Apparently, the i8 has the lowest centre of gravity of any BMW, the lowest coefficient of drag (0.26) of any BMW and the engine has the highest power output per litre of any BMW car. And don’t think you are stuck with an automatic boulevard cruiser. The petrol engine is actually hooked up to the rear wheels via a six-speed box which comes with flappy-paddle override controls.

As with most modern hybrids, the way the power is shunted around is close to infinitely variable. Under electric-only drive, the power goes through the front wheels but when both motors are working together, the i8 swaps seamlessly between four and rear-wheel drive. Left in Comfort mode, the driver is blithely unaware of what’s doing what, however, the driver can stick his oar in if he thinks he knows better.

BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

The Comfort Zone

The BMW i8 has three-and-a-half driving modes. Comfort is the default and in this mode the vehicle management system makes the calls in regards to which motor to use when and where. If you are suffering from environmental angst, you can choose eDrive in which mode the ‘leccy motor can propel the car for up to 23 miles (37km) and at speeds of up to 75mph (120kmph).

Usefully, you don’t have to concentrate on the dash to hold the maximum electric-only speed. Unless you push the throttle pedal very sharply, the car will simply run along on battery power at the maximum speed until the charge is so depleted it has to fire up the three-pot to keep you moving.

BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

Electric motor cooling duct

In Comfort and eDrive, you can also opt for EcoPro (that’s the half), which smooths the throttle response, changes the transmission profile and tinkers with the air conditioning or heating to maximise range and minimise consumption and emissions.

And then there is Sport – haha! Push the drive selector to the left to engage Sport and the instrument display turns red and flashes up the words Don’t Do Anything Stupid. Not really, it just turns red. In this mode, the petrol engine – made in the UK at BMW's Hams Hall plant incidentally – is permanently on. It’s audible even at idle and even more so under hard acceleration when the artificially amplified noise resembles a naturally aspirated V6 rather than a turbocharged 3.

BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

Sport mode... says it all really

Personally, I’m not a fan of amplified engine noises. I’d rather the i8 sounded like a Tie Fighter at full chat than an M3, but that’s just me. Driving in Sport mode is the only way you can put significant amounts of juice back into the battery, since the engine directly recharges it when you’re coasting or driving down hill or in any other way that means it doesn’t have devote all its energies to hurling you at the horizon.

How does the BMW i8 go? Well, it will hit 60mph (96kmph) in 4.4 seconds and press on to an electronically limited 155mph (249kmph). But those aren’t the most important things to say about performance. No, it’s the way in which the i8 surges from around 40mph to 100mph (from about 64kmph to 160kmph) that is truly impressive, especially if you are in Sport mode with the petrol engine already up and running.

BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

Fast enough for you? 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds

My Irish Times writer driving partner and I were caught out several times by the effortless and entirely undramatic acceleration that had us up to and over the three-figure mark in the blink of an eye.

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