2017 BMW i8 review

The world first got a glimpse of the BMW i8 at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and the plug-in hybrid performance car hasn't changed much since then. The i8 was never meant to be a high-volume car, but demand was so high that in 2015 the company doubled their daily production numbers to twenty units to meet demand. Today there are fewer than 5,000 of them on the road, so consider yourself lucky if you see one. Consider yourself even luckier if you get to drive one.  

BMW's first foray into a performance hybrid sports car has all the trappings of a brutally fun ride: gorgeous exterior, three power sources and a chassis willing to dive into turns. However, it also comes with an exorbitant price tag and a powerplant that only kicks into fun long after the driver requests it.

A mid-mounted 1.5-liter three cylinder turbocharged engine puts 228 horsepower to the rear wheels, while two electric motors, one mounted near the engine, one living up front, throws power to the front. Combined, the powertrain kicks out 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels. Extra go-go juice is stored in a 7.1-kWh battery, good for 15 miles of all-electric range. Total driving range is 330 miles and the EPA gives the i8 an MPGe rating of 76 in hybrid mode or 28 miles per gallon combined using just the gasoline engine.

The good news here is that you never have to plug in the i8 or visit a public charging station if you don't want to. The gas engine can function as an on-board generator, while regenerative braking captures energy as well. However, you can recharge in two and a half hours from a level 2 charging station or four and a half hours from a standard 110-volt outlet.

Behind the wheel, the i8 is both ridiculously fun and a tad bit frustrating, all at the same time. As with many performance cars these days, there are multiple driving modes. Comfort is great for toddling around town or you can go all-electric in eDrive. Eco Pro allows for the gas engine to kick in, but limits electrical features like HVAC output to save as much juice as possible.