Used BMW i8 Coupé 2014-2020 review

The BMW i8 was not your typical sports car. You can tell as much just by looking at it, with the low nose, bold colour combinations and wild buttresses providing a genuine wow factor.

What’s more, for a fairly out-there piece of design, the i8 is ageing extremely well. A mild facelift in 2018, which also introduced a convertible Roadster version, only added to the sense of drama of this undeniably wild-looking vehicle. It survived until 2020, when BMW switched its attention to the production of an all-new range of electric vehicles.

As much is true of the technology within, which of course is the other point that differentiates this machine from sports car rivals such as the Audi R8 and Porsche 911. That's because rather than a large petrol engine, the i8 uses a 228bhp, 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo, which is mounted behind the passenger compartment and drives the rear wheels. It is joined by a 129bhp electric motor that powers the front axle, making the i8 four-wheel drive. The gearbox is a six-speed automatic.

And, while the i8 isn’t alone in being a hybrid sports car, the Honda NSX goes without plug-in technology, while the Porsche 918 Spider and McLaren P1 supercars cost several times as much as this car.

Due to the extensive use of carbonfibre in its construction, the i8 is also light, allowing it to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.4sec.

Throw in a surprisingly meaty (albeit artificial) soundtrack from the three-cylinder engine and the i8 is genuinely exciting to drive. It handles well too, with very quick steering, a pointy front end and lots of grip, although ultimately the lack of feedback through the wheel stops it from being as much fun as its rivals from Audi and Porsche.

The ride is also firmer that you’ll find in an R8 or 911, and there’s a fair bit of road noise, but the i8 counters by being able to run silently on electric power for around 20 miles between charges.

Indeed, choose one of the updated and facelifted cars from 2018 onwards and its official range rises to 34 miles. Being a plug-in hybrid, it can run either in pure electric mode or with petrol engine and electric motor working together (or even with the petrol engine acting as a generator to charge the battery), which in turn results in potentially tiny running costs.

Like the 911, it also makes an effort to be practical, with its 2+2 seating layout. However, the two rear seats are tiny and very difficult to access, so don’t expect adults to want to use them. The front seats are also fairly difficult to get into due to the car’s low roof, butterfly doors and wide sills, but once you’re in, the i8 feels like a pretty special place to be, with swooping panels in chrome, leather and high-quality plastics, two large digital screens for the speedo and infotainment, and some terrific ambient lighting.

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The good news is you can pick up one of the early i8s for less than £40,000, this for a car with a reasonable mileage for the year and a full service history. Up the ante to between £40,000 to £45,000 for more 2015 or 2016 examples. Expect to spend between £45,000 and £55,000 on a good 2017 or 2018 car, and around £60,000 to £65,000 on a 2019 or 2020 one.

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MPG

Not so long ago, the idea of being able to buy a powerful sports car with fuel economy far in excess of what a diesel hatchback could achieve seemed like a fantasy. That all changed with the launch of the i8, which recorded an astonishing 134.5mpg on the older NEDC combined cycle. Later cars tested under the WLTP system recorded an official average of 128.4mpg.

The problem is that this test procedure produces wildly optimistic figures for plug-in hybrids, so unless you plan to charge the battery every 20 miles, the real-world economy will be more like 40mpg in daily use. Speaking of charging the battery, it takes about three hours from a domestic socket or two hours from a dedicated wallbox to go from flat to 80% capacity.

CO2 emissions

One definite benefit of the test results, however, is that i8’s CO2 emissions are rated at just 49g/km.

Road tax

If you buy an example registered before 1 April 2017, it doesn’t cost a penny to tax. Owners of cars registered after that date will attract the current flat rate of £170 per year, which applies to all hybrid cars. The luxury car tax for cars costing over £40,000 new applies from years two to six of the car's life. This is currently £390 a year.

Servicing

As far as servicing goes, i8 comes as standard with a Service Inclusive package that covers servicing costs for three years or 36,000 miles. It’s also worth knowing that although the i8 receives BMW’s standard three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, the battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

The i8 is offered with just one engine option and in one very well equipped standard specification, so deciding which example is right for you will depend as much on colour and optional extras as anything else.

All models feature climate control, a DAB radio, sat-nav, a head-up display, heated electric front seats and parking sensors, while among the options are a driving assistance package with a surround-view camera, keyless entry and an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system.

If you want a sports car that’ll be thrilling to drive, it’s hard not to conclude that either an Audi R8 or a Porsche 911 would be a more satisfying purchase than the i8. However, it is equally true that with its plug-in hybrid system and futuristic styling, the i8 offers something that neither the R8 nor 911 can compete with.

In the sense of it being an expensive car with an element of electric propulsion, the i8 might also be considered as a rival to the Tesla Model S, even though the latter is a fully electric five-seat hatchback.

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If you're interested in finding a used i8 head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.