In 2014, I was invited to spend few days with a brand-new BMW. At this point, there was a lot of conjecture that the car might be a supercar or an exotic sports car. That car ended up being the BMW i8, a hybrid sports car. It had supercar looks with plenty of supercar-like technology, including a carbon fiber tub. It looked spectacular, like something from the future. Our Pick of the Day is one of these amazing cars, a 2015 BMW i8 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in San Luis Obispo, California.
The i8 was unlike any car in its category. Instead of being powered by a V-8 or V-12 engine, the i8 was powered by a three- cylinder engine combined with a pair of electric motors. While not having as exotic a powertrain as the offerings from McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, the i8 was still quite quick, having a very respectable 0-60 time as little as 3.8 seconds and a (limited) top speed of 155 MPH.
The i8 also handled amazingly well, offering tremendous grip in a very balanced package. Part of my test was a long segment of Mulholland Drive, where the i8 handled the many turns and switchbacks with ease.
Another great thing about the i8 is the ease in learning the controls. Inside the space-age cockpit are all the standard BMW controls that make it as simple to figure out as any BMW of the era. In addition, the seats are some of the most comfortable in which I have ever sat. Collectively, these things make the i8 possibly the most easy-to-use car in the supercar segment. As an added bonus, the i8 has around 15 miles of range in pure electric mode, making it a car that is as good for commuting to work as it is on a racetrack.
The BMW i8 sits in an interesting place in the world of collector cars. Due to the drivetrain configuration, it has lagged behind other cars in its segment, despite offering similar performance. In addition, the eventual need to replace the high-voltage battery tends to make people nervous. This should not be the case as the cost to replace it is only around $6,500 and is then covered by a warranty. The result is that despite the i8 having a price of $151,000 when new, it can now be purchased for a third of that amount. In fact, this 20,350-mile example has an asking price of only $59,999. It is finished in Silver with black trim, with a black and grey leather interior with blue stitching. Other than a few slight scratches on the rocker trim, the car looks to be flawless.
All of this makes the i8 appear to be one of the best bargains in the world of supercars. Sure, the people with Ferraris and Lamborghinis may turn up their noses at your car (a three-cylinder?!), but you can be happy in the knowledge that your i8 is less expensive to fix, about as quick, and much less expensive to service than their cars yet still offers the same level of rarity and exclusivity. For me, the choice in this segment is easy — I would choose this 2015 BMW i8 over those other cars in a nanosecond.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
