Top Gear car review: BMW i8

WHAT WE SAY: 

It's made from carbon fibre. It puts out little carbon. One of the most important BMWs ever

WHAT IS IT?

The first and only BMW  supercar was the mighty M1. But it built that back in the 1970s; what on earth has it been doing in the meantime? Sitting back while Audi wins over a lucrative new set of customers with the R8, that’s what. Finally, we have a response. Which, would you believe, is also an ‘8’. But this is preceded by ‘i’ - i for electric. That’s right, BMW has made the world’s first and only petrol-electric hybrid supercar. 

It’s about as far from the usual BMW template as you can get. The engine is a tiny 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder, mounted transversely ahead of the rear wheels. Tiny, but mighty: it produces 231bhp. There’s a 131bhp electric motor up front and a big plug-in electric battery to give it serious potency. All this is packed into a carbon fibre tub and wrapped in stunning thermoplastic bodywork; it looks like a concept car that’s escaped from the motor show stage. Radical? You bet.

DRIVING

Put to rest any doubts you may have. It’s radical and other-worldly but the BMW i8 works like a charm as a sports car. You’d almost never believe it was an eco-chomping hybrid, doing an amazing impression of a 340bhp straight six rather than a little turbo triple. It doesn’t quite feel 911-fast, despite a 4.4-second 0-62mph time, because high-rev drama and violence is lacking. But it’s still ruddy quick, and traction is fantastic. 

Cornering is equally wonderful, despite the mish-mash of power sources and options for front and rear axles. It’s roll-free and very agile, while the steering is terrific. Consistency is high, which means so too is confidence, and it’s only on rare occasions that you feel a trace of understeer. 

ON THE INSIDE

There’s another surprise with the BMW i8 – the sheer usability of the interior. It’s a bit like the 911 in this respect, with reasonably commodious child-swallowing rear seats and a high-quality cabin that, for all its sweepingly futuristic design, still shows plenty of core BMW ergonomic sensibility. The boot under the rear hatch is pretty small, mind: you’ll probably end up using those rear seats for bags. 

A word on the gullwing-style doors: make sure you leave plenty of space alongside you, or else you’ll be swiping off door mirrors.

OWNING

All things considered, the post-grant list price of £96k is an absolute bargain. This is a supercar from the future that out-headturns a Ferrari and is more appealing to drive and own than an Audi R8. You can even drive it for 15 miles on electric power alone; the official figures are 113mpg and 49g/km CO2 making it the most tax-efficient supercar in the world too.