BMW i8 coupe: quick and fun to drive

Price: £99,845

Pros: Sleek styling; Cheap to run; Superb peformance

Cons: Very small boot; Expensive to buy; Near-useless rear seats

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4.3/5, Carbuyer "The BMW i8 coupe looks like it's arrived from another planet and its performance and economy figures read like something out of science fiction, too. It's among the first of a new wave of sports cars combining super-fast performance with the kind of fuel economy that brings a new meaning to the word frugal. It's no surprise that the i8 looks so futuristic, because its shape has been honed to slip through the air as efficiently as possible. Everything about this

car

– even the way it looks – is all about high performance and fuel-saving. For all the clever bits you can see, there's even more that you can’t. BMW has pioneered a new way of creating carbon fibre – the same lightweight material that Formula 1 cars are built from – and when used in conjunction with other light materials such as aluminium, this means the i8 weighs less than rival cars such as the Audi R8 and Jaguar F-type, despite its heavy batteries. It's those batteries – and a pair of electric motors – that are at the heart of the BMW i8. They

drive

the front wheels and support the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine as you’ll find in a MINI hatchback. It produces significantly more power, of course."

5/5, Auto Express "The i8 is more of a precision tool than a tyre-smoking M model, and while a 911 may be sharper in bends, there's no better definition of a sports car for the modern world."

4/5 Telegraph "On the Pacific Coast Highway the warbling, growling three-pot starts and gives relaxed cruising and a decent turn of speed, although standing starts tail off after an initial heady electric-motor rush and the i8 never feels quite as fast as the 4.4sec 0-62mph claim."