2019 BMW i8 Road Test and Review

Over the last five years, it looked like big-buck hybrid supercars were becoming a trend. Models were introduced by many automakers, including Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche, and buyers clamored for the sexy electrified sports cars. One comparatively affordable — yet obviously exotic — option is the 2019 BMW i8. 

First introduced back in 2014, the BMW i8 and more affordable i3, were among the automaker's first hybrids. Since their introduction, however, BMW has offered a wide range of electrified models for shoppers seeking a greener option. Today, BMW's hybrid portfolio includes the i3, 530e, and 745e, but the low-slung i8 remains its most expensive and exciting hybrid model.

Built in Germany, the 2019 BMW i8 is available in two body styles: a coupe and, for the first time, a convertible. Although both models look as if they would be two-seaters, the coupe actually has a small back seat, which can fit small children. Both are plug-in hybrids and run on a combination of gasoline and electricity.

Prices start at $148,495, including $995 for destination and handling, for the i8 Coupe and $164,295 for an i8 Roadster like our test vehicle. The competing Acura NSX, which is only available as a coupe, starts around $159,000. Both i8 models are powered by a 228-horsepower turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine mounted in the rear of the car and a newly upgraded 141-hp electric motor mounted under its front hood. There’s also a new larger 11.6-kWh battery pack mounted under the floor. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. Like the Acura NSX, every i8 features all-wheel drive.

With its new increase in battery capacity and its more powerful electric motor, total output of the i8’s powertrain climbs to 369 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. That's 7 more horsepower than previous generations. It might not sound like a lot for a supercar, but the BMW i8 coupe only weighs about 3500 lbs, so it’s impressively quick. BMW says it can hit 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. The i8 Roadster is a bit heavier, so it hits 60 in 4.4 seconds.

Just don’t drag race an Acura NSX, since it’s quite a bit quicker. The V6-powered Acura is packing more than 550 hp and can hit 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. It also has a top speed over 190 mph. Most Teslas will also out-accelerate the BMW, even the Performance versions of the Model 3 and the Model X, which is an SUV. And nothing is more embarrassing than getting your doors blown off by a well-to-do mom on her way to soccer practice.

Although the new i8 Roadster weighs 132 lbs more than the coupe, it still feels like a proper sports car from behind the wheel. With its responsive steering, all-wheel drive and large 20-inch wheel and tires, the BMW i8 is incredibly agile, offering true sports car handling and secure road-holding. It also cruises well on the highway. Some may find its ride to be a bit firm, especially in Sport mode, which also keeps the engine running for more immediate acceleration, although it’s comfortable enough for everyday driving.

In most situations, the i8's powertrain is extremely quiet except for the soothing whir of its electric motor. But put your foot down and its tiny turbocharged 1.5-liter engine joins the party to add power, and it announces its arrival with a thunderous roar. One quirk is the i8’s regenerative braking system. The brakes work well enough, but the pedal feels odd at first and smooth stops are difficult until you get used to it.

Because the i8’s battery pack still isn’t very large, the BMW doesn’t take very long to charge compared to some other EVs and plug-in hybrids. According to BMW, it takes 3 hours to fully charge an i8 on a 220-volt outlet and about 10 hours to charge when plugged into a standard 110-volt outlet.

During our test, we charged the sports car with a 110-volt wall outlet, just as you would your phone, plugging it in every night around 9 p.m. The next morning, the car was fully charged and ready to go. However, should we have forgotten to plug in the car the night before, we could have still driven it to work the next morning using the gasoline engine. This is one of the clear advantages of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) over an all-electric vehicle. Forget to charge an EV and you’re not going anywhere.

In eDrive mode, with its new larger battery pack fully charged, the 2019 i8's all-electric range has improved from 15 miles up to 18 miles. In our testing, driving the car for several days around Los Angeles, both on the freeways as well as the city streets, we achieved the 18-mile EV range several times. We were also able to stretch that range to 20 miles if we drove the i8 like a grandmother. With a full tank of gas (it holds 11 gallons) and a fully charged battery pack, the i8 has a total range of about 280 miles. Its combined MPGe rating from the EPA is 69. Because the competing Acura NSX is not a plug-in hybrid, it does not have an MPGe rating. Instead, its combined fuel economy rating is 21 mpg.  

To test its road-trip ability, we took the BMW i8 to Grandma’s house, a 300-mile drive from Los Angeles to La Quinta, California, and we accomplished it in a single day without any range anxiety. The highway drive was stress-free, and the i8 covered the distance averaging an incredible 29 mpg. In mixed driving, it averaged 25 mpg.

This is quite an expensive car, and a BMW, so you would expect its interior to have an overall feeling of quality. And it does. Mostly. There’s a bit too much plastic, but the i8’s interior design is attractive,  the cabin is well-built, and you can’t help being impressed by the precise panel fitment. It’s also a surprisingly conventional cabin of such a radical-looking car. There’s isn’t anything too unexpected, just a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, a standard BMW shifter, and a swoopy dashboard.

Visibility is hampered by the i8's low seating position and thick pillars. Its heated front seats are firm but comfortable, and the Roadster’s roof lowers itself with the push of a button in just 16 seconds. Plus, it can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 31 mph. It isn’t the easiest car to climb in and out of, but it is a supercar, so you have to make some sacrifices.

Trunk space is about what you would expect in a supercar: It’s small. There’s just 4.7 cubic feet of trunk space in the coupe and just 2.3-cubic feet in the Roadster. That’s just about enough room for a couple of small overnight bags. Pack light. For comparison, the trunk in the Acura NSX measures 4.4 cubic feet. Unfortunately, there isn’t a small cargo area under the BMW’s front hood like you get in some electric cars, but the Roadster does have a small shelf in place of the coupe's back seat. 

Interior storage is also quite limited. There’s a small center console bin, but there are no door pockets. The cupholders in the center console are also kind of small, and one of the two is back behind your elbow.

When the BMW i8 debuted five years ago, everyone said it looked like the future. It still does. It’s low, long, and wide. Also a little wacky. It looks like nothing else, turns heads like a supercar should, and it’s extremely aerodynamic, which helps its fuel efficiency. If you don’t find it to be attractive, you’re probably older than you’d care to admit. Millennials love the look of this car. It stops them in their tracks. Most take pictures of it with their phones and offer up a “cool car, mister.” The Roadster even looks good with its top up or down. (Better down.)

But the real eye candy of the BMW i8 is its doors. The pure theater of its doors. They don’t open out like conventional car doors, and they don’t open up like the doors of a Lamborghini Aventador. Gullwing like a DeLorean? Not quite. They’re hinged on the BMW’s A-pillar, so they open like the wings of a butterfly. They make you feel like a James Bond villain. Just watch your head; stand up too quickly and you’ll bonk it on the door.

BMW’s list of mid-engine sports cars is quite short. There was the M1 built from 1978 to 1981, and now there’s the i8. Like the M1, the i8 has been a technological showpiece for the company. We haven’t even mentioned its carbon fiber reinforced plastic body structure or its clever glass wind blocker, which rises from between its seats with the push of a button. Unfortunately, this sports car is still using an old version of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, and it’s feeling a bit dated. It’s also strange that such an expensive car is missing some ubiquitous safety technology like a blind-spot monitor.

But none of that really matters. The 2019 BMW i8 is one of the sexiest cars on the road. It’s also extremely rewarding to drive. If you desire a hybrid supercar, it’s a very compelling choice.