For the majority of people, the car’s practicality is one of the most crucial factors to take into account when choosing a daily driver. Unbelievably, the BMW I8 is an extremely useful car.
Even though it doesn’t look like it, the BMW I8 has two back seats. Even though they might not be large enough for an adult or even a teenager, a small child could ride in the back seat in comfort and safety. Although getting out of the car to let the rear passengers out may not be convenient for the driver or another passenger, this is a feature of every coupe with a back seat and isn’t a significant concern. What’s significant is that, if dropping the kids off at school is part of your daily routine, the compact back seats make this a practical daily driver.
A surprising amount of cargo capacity is available in the I8. Opening the trunk hatch reveals a lot more space than you’d anticipate, and perhaps more than you’d find in many other exotic sports vehicles. For briefcases or a monthly grocery run, there is adequate room. The back seats are leather-wrapped pads woven into the carpet that runs around the back of the cabin, so if you need more room, you can use them as extra storage without having to worry about damaging the leather.
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Although the cargo and rear seats are cramped, the BMW i8 has specially designed luggage to maximize the available space.
Due to its low roofline and broad door sills, which you must elevate your foot over before sliding into the seat, the i8’s interior can be a little more challenging to enter than a more typical vehicle. The BMW i8’s interior is just as eye-catching as its outward design, so the difficult maneuvering is worthwhile.
The BMW i8’s rather large dimensions do not help with that. In comparison to an Audi R8 or a Porsche 911, it is wider and longer. Another issue is the back view, which is pretty poor.
The i8 has a small boot and back seats, making it clear that it wasn’t made to be a practical vehicle, but front passengers will be thrilled.
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Although the BMW i8 performs far better than you may anticipate in terms of space and comfort, this is not a car that was chosen with utilitarian considerations in mind.
However, getting into the car might occasionally be a challenge due to the i8’s oddly hinged doors, which aren’t the most practical. In fact, you might occasionally experience moderate worry after returning to your i8 and seeing someone has parked very near to it, unsure of whether you’ll be able to get inside. However, the drama they bring to the proceedings makes the cost well worth it.
Due to the hinge and how low the seats are placed, even when the car is sitting in an empty parking lot, getting in and out is a little more difficult than it would be with a standard car, but you’ll get used to it.
Once inside, the i8 appears surprisingly roomy from the front, especially if a light color is chosen for the leather trim. With a highly flexible yet always low-slung driving position and really comfy seats, this is a car that the driver will find very easy to get used to.
In reality, the i8 is a much more comfortable, relaxing motorway car than a Porsche 911 on the highway because to its supple suspension (out of Sport mode), minimal wind noise, and light steering.
Boot space, usability, and safety of the BMW i8 Coupe (2014–2020)
Even though the rear bench is more suitable for little children than for grownups due to legroom or lack thereof, the practicality of the vehicle, while being a sports car, is greater than you may assume. If you don’t have children, the back chairs may double as a convenient shelf for any smaller items of luggage, similar to the Porsche 911. This is helpful because the i8’s boot isn’t its strongest suit.
Can the performance hybrid from BMW provide the thrills of a traditional sports car?
BMW frequently compares the inside of the i8 to a Scandinavian living room. The word “worlds” is used to describe interior alternatives, which is smart marketing jargon for “we’ve done something different.”
The i8’s interior is introduced by dihedral doors, with high sills from the carbon fiber reinforced plastic tub making entry and exit a little challenging. Driver and passenger are separated by a sizable transmission tunnel, but oddly, despite its size, there is very little cubby or storage room. The back seats can be used, but only by younger passengers.
The i8’s start-up sound is one of the problems we’ve had with it throughout the years. For whatever reason, when you press the engine start button, BMW chose to use a low-res, scratchy sound sample. The motor is only present because it is so silent to highlight the fact that you have really switched on the automobile because it generally begins in pure electric mode. The issue is that the low-res noise ruins an otherwise excellent experience.
Even while the remainder of the interior is environmentally friendly, it doesn’t much improve upon, say, a top-of-the-line BMW 5-series. It simply doesn’t feel as unique as the car appears to be from the outside. Additionally, the materials utilized don’t feel as premium to the touch as the less eco-friendly materials you might find in other high-end German vehicles.
What’s the interior like?
The first difficulty is entering. Due to the high sill and wing doors (which are frameless on the roadster), you must duck in order to raise yourself over. Pockets or cupholders in the doors are also ruled out by the swing design and high sills. But hey, you don’t purchase this automobile if you can’t afford a little drama, right?
Additionally, visibility can be a problem. In tight turns or roundabouts, you are swaying in your seat while alternating between gazing out the side windows and the windscreen due to the screen pillars’ tendency to recline and close. The rear humps of the Roadster make diagonal reversing a nightmare. There are merely sensors, albeit good ones, and no rear camera.
Inside, it has a sports car-like feeling. You have great seats that are low and tight. The switchgear and control ergonomics are as sound as they must be for a BMW, and the materials are up to the high asking price. In addition, it is fashionable and cutting-edge, if not quite as futuristic as the exterior (for that, a joystick would likely be required in place of the steering wheel).
The back seats on the coupe are somewhat small. Even though they are larger than a 911’s plus-two jobs, you will only utilize them for luggage. Although little, the back boot is functional. The Roadster’s trunk is really smaller because you can’t fill it all the way up to the glass hatch, but because the back seats were removed, there is a special shelf just for two bags the size of an overhead locker.
This focus on detail produces fantastic cockpit aero. With the windows down, you can comfortably travel at 60 mph in the Roadster with no turbulence, and windows up, you can travel even further.
Within 15 seconds, the roof can lower or rise at up to 30 mph. When it’s on, the level of finesse is virtually on par with the Coupe.
Do BMW i8 vehicles have trunks?
Although small, the boot is located under the glass hatch at the back. Although you can put a few weekend bags inside, don’t plan on carrying about a lot of luggage unless you choose the custom Louis Vuitton luggage set from the options list.
For comparison, BMW claims a 154-liter boot, which is nearly half that of a Ford Fiesta and does not include folding back seats. In actuality, you can hardly fit a few days’ worth of shopping in the boot.
Is the BMW i8 cozy?
The BMW i8 features a dashboard with significantly more personality than the conventionally styled Audi R8, Porsche 911, and Porsche Panamera, despite the extreme futuristic design that may not be to everyone’s taste.
With an extremely low set seating position for the driver and passenger, the dashboard almost completely encircles the driver like the cockpit of a fighter jet. The dashboard is covered in numerous blue highlights, which is the color of the BMW ‘i’ electric car brand. You also get the brand’s iDrive system, which uses a rotary dial to handle things like the stereo and navigation system. The climate control and primary stereo panel are identical to those in other BMWs.
There are three driving modes available for the BMW i8: Eco Pro, Comfort, and Sport. The i8’s suspension is softened by Eco Pro and Comfort to create an incredibly comfortable ride. Sport tightens up the suspension to reduce body lean and increase cornering enjoyment in the vehicle.
Does the BMW i8 have five seats?
The BMW i8 is a cutting-edge supercar that shows hybrid vehicles don’t have to be dull. In order to give serious performance, a potent turbocharged petrol engine and a cutting-edge electric motor team up, plus some look-at-me style ensures that you’ll stand out wherever from Kensington High Street to a Green Party convention.
The i8 initially went on sale in 2014, but in 2018 it gained an upgraded electric powertrain and increased electric range. Even with the upward-hinging doors splayed wide open, the BMW’s outrageous appearance still looks more dramatic than cars like the Honda NSX and Audi R8.
Although the cabin is less theatrical, it nevertheless features a sophisticated minimalist design with plenty of soft materials and a digital driver’s display as standard instead of traditional dials.
The BMW i8 has four seats, which is unusual for supercars and helps to make it surprisingly simple to live with. The 154-liter boot may not have enough room for a set of golf clubs, but it is larger than the Audi’s load bay, and the front seats in the BMW provide plenty of room for taller passengers to sit comfortably.
The i8 is one of the quietest and greenest supercars available, but it’s definitely not a car for wimps – just look at those ridiculous doors!
The i8 is also more enjoyable to drive than the majority of conventional supercars, in part due to its unnervingly silent electric motor and reassuringly plush suspension. Driving in the city isn’t particularly challenging because of the reasonable visibility and the lack of bothersome wind or tyre noise at freeway speeds.
But when you switch to sport mode, things get a little rowdier. The i8’s speakers broadcast synthetic engine noises into the cabin as the three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine whirrs to life. The BMW i8 will sprint from 0-62mph in a still-pretty-blooming-exciting 4.4 seconds thanks to the quick shove from its electric powertrain, albeit it’s not quite as thrilling as hearing a 5.2-liter V10 screaming away behind you as in a R8. That outruns a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 in speed.
The i8’s extensive use of lightweight carbon fiber maximizes its electric-only range while also making it as maneuverable as feasible on a winding country road. You can travel up to 75 mph for about 30 miles and practically silently on a three-hour charge from a dedicated wall charger. When you run out of electrical power, the gasoline engine automatically kicks in to propel you forward while also recharging the batteries.
This means that, unlike many other electric vehicles, the BMW i8 will never cause you to experience range anxiety. The many safety features you receive as standard, such as automatic emergency braking, which applies the brakes if the vehicle detects an obstruction on the road ahead, also aid in relieving your concerns.
The i8 is a very accomplished sports hybrid and a worthy alternative to models like the more traditional Porsche 911 and the more expensive Honda NSX, even though it isn’t the most thrilling supercar to drive.