Of course, the true and everlasting trademark of BMW company, twin kidney grille, has an outside lines in matte blue or matte gray color and it is a little bit modified in order to emphasize the new and contemporary form. There is a new, state of the art exterior lighting with LEDs at the front and on the rear of the car and in the models that are not meant for the US market, there are these so called “laser” headlamps emitting very strong bright light. I8 rolls on a standard 20 inch wheels with a 195/50 tires at the front and 215/45 at the back.

Once you get inside i8, you will feel the pure BMW design, only updated with a new feeling from which you can sense the future, equipped with all essential electronic gadgets, digital displays etcetera. One of those is the navigational system which is there to make a choice instead of you what route is the most efficient for you trip, based on a topography and other factors, cutting edge iDrive infotainment system, forward collision warning with pedestrian recognition and a rearview camera.

The construction of the passenger’s spot is carbon fiber with a reinforced plastic made – one of the factors for which the i8 weights only 3 300 pounds. And this would not be a real i-vehicle if it doesn’t have other eco friendly materials for building the cabin, like usage of some extract from olive leafs for processing the leather, then a mixture of wool and recycled plastic for the creation of headliners, floor mats and other smaller parts. And last but not least, car’s key is made from a ‘biopolymer’ derived from castor beans. If there ever was a eco friendly car, then this is it!

The core of the car’s construction is called “LifeDrive Architecture” which actually means that “Life” stands for the passenger cell and “Drive” for the chassis and drivetrain components. It is powered by a 1.5 liter 3 cylinder turbocharged engine that generates 228 HP and 236 pounds feet of torque. It runs via 6 speed automatic and a rear drive wheels transmission. But this is not the all of it.

There is also an i8-specific synchronous electric motor for the electric power that is producing 129 HP and 184 pounds feet of torque. This power goes to the front wheels via 2 speed automatic transmission. So it comes to a total of decent 360 HP and 420 pounds feet of torque which gives the car acceleration from 0 to 62 for just 4.3 seconds (which is a lot faster than many other “standard” vehicles). Future owners have a choice of 5 drive models: Eco Pro, Comfort in hybrid mode, Comfort in Eco Pro, Comfort in electric mode and Sport model.Go to the next page below to watch the rest of the photos…!