Used 2020 BMW i8

The 2020 BMW i8 is for enlightened thrill-seekers. Drivers who still want the whole experience to be entertaining and involving, yet understand the negative messages various performance cars emit and would like to keep all adverse emissions as low as possible. The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid, but not the usual kind with a line of slow-moving traffic stuck behind it.

Unconventional in the way it’s built and the materials deployed, the i8 is the only exotic car with a 3-cylinder engine, sipping gasoline instead of gulping it down. It comes in fixed-roof coupe form or as a soft-top Roadster, whose powered roof performs its task in less than 16 seconds, even while moving at up to 31 mph.

Each version retains a futurist look, but the actual future for the i8 is not so exciting. BMW will discontinue it after this year.

The thing that makes the 2020 i8 feel even faster than a stopwatch might convey is the way the acceleration kicks in quickly (electric motors have a wonderful way of providing almost all their thrust from standstill), then keeps surging and surging.

This all happens, though, without the growling exhaust notes of a V8. It can be super-hushed when using just the battery power that can still propel the i8 to 75 mph.

BMW’s profound expertise is evident in the i8’s handling, which is dynamic and super-responsive without being harsh. The i8’s electrically assisted steering impressed most of our editors to the point where some said they preferred it over a much-loved (and much-missed) traditional hydraulic setup.

It’s the blue light surrounding the steering wheel’s BMW badge that catches the eye and reminds the driver that an i8 isn’t like other cars. It’s interesting how much of BMW’s interior design language can adapt and apply to something as exceptional as this. Such as the shape of the gearshift lever, vents and switches.

Although the i8 launched in 2014, the cabin still looks like a BMW from the future. Many materials used inside are reusable. The Coupe’s front seats are perfectly comfortable. In the quest to save weight, though, there isn’t much range of adjustment. There are a couple of small rear seats in this model, but they’re really only suitable for children. Or better yet, weekend bags. The Roadster is a 2-seater.

Those scissor doors might seem like a mere design extravagance, and their visual impact is certainly considerable, but there’s thought behind the theater. They make B-pillars unnecessary, providing cleaner lines that help with the aerodynamics. Other high-style features like the V-shaped hood vent and split rear wing are also beautifully functional.

Both the Coupe and Roadster share the same wide, low stance rolling on 20-inch alloy wheels. And the CFRP body can be shaped according to the designer’s (and aerodynamicist’s) wishes in a way that metal can’t, making an i8 exceptional even among exotic cars.

LIGHTWEIGHT BODY
By using a composite shell of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) that’s half the weight of steel yet equally as strong, along with an aluminum frame, BMW was able to fine-tune weight distribution, offset the bulk of the lithium-ion battery pack and keep the center of gravity low. Yet the structure stills holds up reassuringly well in crash testing.

TORQUE-VECTORING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
The standard all-wheel-drive system helps with straight-line acceleration and contributes to the car’s remarkable agility. It sends power to whatever wheel or wheels have the best grip, providing superior traction over any road condition.

For something that aspires to lightness, the 2020 i8 comes well-stocked with standard features, like an adaptive suspension, rain-sensing wipers, front/rear parking sensors, heated seats, perforated leather upholstery, ambient LED cabin lighting, digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and an 8.8-inch infotainment display.

The navigation system uses topography and traffic information to choose the most efficient route, and a smartphone app provides remote control of climate control, locks and other functions. The Roadster adds a power-folding soft top.

Safety features include six airbags, BMW Assist with 24/7 emergency services, full-color head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system.

Any new i8 buyer is probably going to be something of a tech-head. Let the cavemen drive their old-school muscle cars. With that in mind, the optional Icon Adaptive LED headlights with Laserlight might seem like an intriguing way to spend $6,300.

The icon part refers to their distinctive look. The adaptive part allows the beams to shine away from ongoing cars but onto things like road signs. And the Laserlight thing doesn’t zap that slow Prius in front, but the high beams are produced by laser light going through a set of mirrors.

Among the few other options are Tera World and Tera World Copper packages offering specific interior color schemes, plus aerodynamic additions and a dual-voltage (120/240 volts) BMW TurboCord. The Ultimate Sophisto package is limited to 200 units globally.

Not exactly under the hood, but behind the seats of the BMW i8 is a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine, while up front is an electric motor powered by a battery pack that has its own liquid cooling system. A 6-speed automatic transmission (with shift paddles mounted under the steering wheel) sends the combined energy to all four wheels.

The i8 can run solely on electric power for 18 miles and is recharged in about three hours using a Level 2 (220-volt) charger, or 2.5 hours with a DC Fast Charger. The EPA has a method of calculating a miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) that includes the drivetrain running in electric mode only.

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 + AC synchronous electric motor/generator
11.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
369 net horsepower
420 net lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27 mpg combined; 69 MPGe combined city/highway