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6 Love/Hate Facts About The BMW i8
The BMW i8 has divided car guys, more than the remake of the epic movie “Ghostbusters”. To understand it better, there are two simple steps to face: the first is not to think to be in front of a supercar which lacks the M-Sport badge (there is a valid reason for this, you know) , and the second point is to test drive it in person and make your own ideas.
No one is a better judge for ourselves when it comes to our tastes and our expectations, and so during the days immediately before and after our “Col de Turini Tour” I took the opportunity to put myself at the wheel of the futuristic i8 in various conditions in order to understand it as much as possible, for then evaluate it. The i8 is part of a new generation of BMWs, a new type of hybrid cars, a new way of seeing a sports car. Without going into technical details, we can consider it as a supercar, for the look and for the price, but suited to the life of every day, thanks to amazing fuel consumption and the incredible interior comfort. Surely a car that should be promoted, not just for what it is, but like every car it has points you love and points you hate. Do you usually see the glass half-empty or what?
The three key points that have made positive my experience at the wheel of the i8 are undoubtedly its LOOK, with lines, edges and cracks that make it unique, an authentic object able to turn the heads of passersby and other motorists. The key point may be represented by its fuel consumption, but I prefer to identify it with the DRIVING MODE- in fact, unlike other hybrids, in Eco Pro you’ll be driving on batteries alone, reaching even 120 kph, without necessarily call into cause the 3-cylinder petrol engine. Last point that makes you adore this engineering piece are the butterfly DOORS. An aspect that might seem marginal, but that really makes a car so flashy (and expensive) even more exclusive and amusing to drive.
From the half of the glass empty we have some aspects that have left me puzzled. Which ones? SOUND: okay that the petrol engine is just a 3-cylinder, but amplifying the noise with help from the stereo speakers, it is something questionable. Configure it to perfection and you’ll reach figures of about € 170,000 with no effort at all. At that altitude, competition is really fierce. HANDLING deserves a chapter on its own: as said do not expect to find yourself dealing with an M8, and noting as once in Sport, this BMW is also fast and responsive, I noticed a bit ‘too soft behavior, also referring to its suspension scheme. Finally, the tires have a large diameter, but the tread is very tight.
Words by Alex Marrone
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