Back in 2014, the BMW i8 won the motor industry’s most prestigious award as it was crowned the Top Gear UK magazine Car of the Year.
We liked it a lot, and so it was with great sadness that we learnt production of both the coupe and roadster would stop in April this year.
So, with that in mind and the clock ticking furiously down, we decided to go back through the TG archives to find our favourite shots of the futuristic plug-in hybrid sportscar. Here goes…
(Click HERE to read about the i8 Roadster in Top Gear Singapore magazine's Cars of 2018)
STORY Greg Potts
When the i8 was new we were lucky enough to run one on our long-term test fleet. It really was, and still is, a fantastic looking car.
(Click HERE to read how the BMW i8 Coupe stacks up against the Lexus RCF)
The long-term i8 made the trip to Sweden for TG on ice in 2016, and even in this company it stood out. Flying buttresses for the win.
Clearly it wasn’t just us who were fascinated. Here’s Ollie Kew finding out what happens when you open a butterfly door on a car ferry.
The i8’s electric motor drove the front wheels, whilst its 1.5-litre three-cylinder powered the rears.
Combined, it made a more than acceptable 380hp, and thanks to the carbonfibre tub the coupe weighed just 1,535kg.
Then in 2016 came the Roadster. We took one to the South of France with the intention of finding some proper driving roads.
It was also very good. Perhaps not the best six-figure sportscar for going flat-out, but 0-100km/h was still in the mid-four-second range and the ride quality, cornering and general feel were fantastic.
An iconic shot from Top Gear UK magazine issue 260. No Photoshop here.
The Stig was excited about the i8 when it came down to the Red Bull Ring during TG’s 2016 Speed Week 2016.
Or not. As you can imagine, deciphering emotional cues from the suited one is a tad difficult.
Some say the i8 arrived ahead of its time, and there’s no doubt that the tech and knowhow will inform future BMW hybrids, but it almost feels as though BMW could launch the same car again today and we’d still fawn over it.
Alas, there’s now just one month of production left. All that remains here is for us to leave you with a game of ‘Spot the BMW i8’ – enjoy.
