Over the last decade, electric vehicles have gone from concepts that seemed far-fetched to a reality that's quickly taking over our roads. Almost every major automaker has a fully electric or hybrid vehicle for sale in 2021, and customers have more options than ever. Being one of the most renowned automakers, BMW didn't want to be left behind, so it built one of the best hybrids ever — the awe-inspiring i8.
The i8 was not BMW's first-ever electrified vehicle — the 1972 1602 Elektro-Antrieb and the 2013 i3 came before it — but it's the one that showed that BMW was capable of competing with the likes of Tesla, Jaguar, and Porsche in the EV big leagues. Read on as we delve into ten interesting facts about the i8.
10 The i8 Is The Best-Selling Plug-In Electric Sports Car Ever
By March 2020, the i8's worldwide sales since its introduction totaled over 20,000 units, making it the world's best-selling plug-in electric sports car. Interestingly, BMW has sold more i8s than all other competitors in the electric sports car segment combined.
There are many reasons behind the i8's popularity. For starters, it's one of the most beautiful electrified sports cars ever built, especially with its butterfly doors open. The fact that it's BMW's flagship electrified car has also attracted gearheads who want to see how one of the most respected automotive brands plans to switch to EV production.
9 The i8's Design Is Based On The 2008 BMW M1 Homage Concept Car
In 2008, BMW unveiled the M1 Homage concept car in celebrations of the 30th anniversary of its first-ever mid-engined sports car — the 1978 M1. The concept car was essentially a futuristic take on the original M1's design. Although it didn't have the M1's pop-up headlights, it retained the trademark kidney grilles and the double badge on the back. It's no wonder why so many gearheads instantly fell in love with it.
BMW never put the M1 Homage concept into production, but it put its elegant design to good use in the i8 a few years later.
8 The i8 Uses The Same Engine As A Mini Cooper
BMW got everything right with the i8, except the engine. The i8 comes with the same 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine used in the Mini Cooper. The engine develops only 228 horses, and even though the electric motors add a bit more power, it's still not enough to compete with other sports cars in the i8's price range.
It's not all bad news, though. The i8 develops 152 horsepower per liter, which is more than any other BMW car. Credit goes to the i8's large turbo and other efficiency and combustion improvements.
7 The i8 Is Expensive
The base i8 cost over $135,000 when new, which was not worth it compared to what the customer was getting. Yes, the i8 had fantastic butterfly doors and other interesting features, but many experts argue that buyers could get better sports cars for less than its price, such as the Corvette C7 ZR-1, the Porsche 911, and more.
The main reason why the i8 ended up being so expensive was that it took years and billions of dollars to develop and produce. Even after selling more than 20,000 units, BMW still took a loss on the i8.
6 The i8 Is The World's First Production Vehicle Equipped With Chemically-Hardened Glass
Chemically hardened glass, or Gorilla Glass, is typically used to make smartphone screens since it's tough even when thin. This is the same reason why BMW decided to use it in the noise-reducing bulkhead between the i8's engine and passenger compartments.
The bulkhead is made of two layers of chemically-hardened glass sandwiching a sheet of acoustic-dampening plastic. Each glass sheet is only 0.7mm thick, which helps keep the vehicle's weight down while providing adequate protection. Regular glass that thin would fracture after a minor impact, but chemically-hardened glass should survive nicely.
5 The i8's Body Is Made Of Carbon Fiber, But You Wouldn't Know
The i8 makes use of the outstanding strength-to-weight properties of carbon fiber. However, it's hard to tell that the i8 has carbon fiber body panels just by looking at it since BMW came up with a new technique of molding carbon fiber panels that's cheaper and faster than traditional hand-laid methods.
Unlike traditional carbon fiber panels, the i8's panels have a matte finish with a subtle checkerboard pattern and a less obvious weave. The panels are not as sexy as the ones many gearheads are used to, but they allow BMW to use carbon fiber at a much lower cost than ever before.
4 The i8 Has One Of The Lowest Drag Coefficients
The i8 has a drag coefficient of 0.26, which is a lot better than most cars in its class. To achieve this incredible figure, BMW engineers had to optimize the i8's exterior fully.
The kidney grille is almost completely blanked off, the underbody is completely sealed, and the hood is low-slung. The front tires are relatively narrow for a sports car, and the sides of the car are optimized to minimize the effect of turbulence from the wheels. On top of that, the i8 has air ducts between the roof frame and rear lights to allow for more efficient airflow.
3 The i8 Is FWD, RWD, and AWD
The i8 can switch between FWD, RWD, and AWD depending on driving modes. When driving in purely electric mode, FWD is activated since the electric motor is connected to the front wheels only. On the other hand, the gas engine is connected to the rear wheels only, which means the car is RWD when driving in purely gas-powered mode.
When both the gas engine and electric motors are in use — which is how most i8 drivers prefer to drive 90 percent of the time — all four wheels are driven.
2 The i8 Has A Perfect 50/50 Weight Distribution
The i8 is built on a backbone-style chassis — which BMW calls the "energy tunnel." The chassis is the meatiest part of the car since it's comprised of the batteries, engine, electric motor, suspension, and all other vital components that make the i8 go, stop, and turn. This gives the i8 an incredibly low center of gravity, which is great for handling.
However, that's not the only reason why BMW decided to use a backbone-style chassis. Like other Bimmers, the i8's weight is distributed evenly between its front and rear axles, which makes for a more engaging driving experience.
1 The i8 Will Actually Seat Four
At first glance, the i8 looks like a normal two-door sports car with just two seats inside. However, BMW did manage to fit in a back seat for owners who may need the extra seats for family or friends.
Expectedly, there's not much space in the back seat. There's just too little headroom and legroom to accommodate an adult. The best course of action for any i8 owner is to fold the rear seatbacks and use the extra space to supplement the tiny five-cubic-foot trunk.