BMW i8 review
The BMW i8 is a futuristic plug-in hybrid sports car that looks like a concept car for the road, offering supercar performance with a conscience.
Author: The Cazoo editorial team
7th Jan 2026 – 8 mins read
If you want a sports car that turns heads like nothing else, the BMW i8 is in a class of its own. Launched in 2014, it was a truly groundbreaking car, combining a small petrol engine with a powerful electric motor to create a plug-in hybrid that could deliver thrilling performance and incredible efficiency. Its futuristic design, complete with dramatic butterfly doors, still looks stunning today. The i8 is built using advanced, lightweight materials like carbon fibre, just like a racing car. It offers the driver the best of both worlds: silent, all-electric driving for short journeys and the combined power of both motors for a true sports car experience. It’s a unique and special car that offers a glimpse into the future of performance motoring.
Pros
- Stunning, futuristic styling that turns heads
- Can run on pure electric power for short trips
- Generous level of standard equipment
Cons
- High purchase price, even on the used market
- It can be impractical for everyday life
- Official MPG figures are hard to achieve in the real world
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The futuristic theme continues inside the i8. The cabin wraps around the driver, with a sporty, high-tech feel. While it has the same excellent iDrive infotainment system as other BMWs of the era, it also gets its own unique digital dials and displays that show you what the hybrid system is doing.
The standard equipment list is huge, as you’d expect for a car that was so expensive when new. All models come with a head-up display, satellite navigation, DAB radio, a powerful sound system, and a 20GB hard drive for your music. It’s a cabin that feels as special as the car’s exterior looks.
Comfort
For a high-performance sports car, the i8 is surprisingly comfortable. The front seats are heated, electrically adjustable, and offer great support. The ride is firm, but it’s not so harsh that you couldn’t use the car for longer journeys. Two-zone air conditioning keeps the cabin at a perfect temperature. The biggest challenge to comfort is actually getting in and out. The butterfly doors look amazing but, combined with the high and wide sills of the carbon-fibre chassis, they can make access feel a little awkward.
Quality
The i8’s interior feels every bit the premium product. The materials are high-quality, with leather upholstery as standard, and everything feels solid and well put together. It has the same sense of robust quality you’d find in any top-of-the-range BMW, but with an added layer of sci-fi design that makes it feel unique. It’s a cabin that justifies the car’s high price tag.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
It might surprise you to learn that the i8 is technically a four-seater. However, it's best to think of it as a 2+2, where the rear seats are very small. They are extremely confined and best used for extra luggage storage rather than for carrying people, even children. For the driver and front passenger, however, there’s plenty of space to get comfortable. A convertible Roadster version was also introduced in 2018, which is a strict two-seater.
Boot space
Practicality is not the i8’s strong suit. The boot is located at the back of the car, behind the petrol engine, and it’s very small, offering just 154 litres of space. That’s enough for a couple of soft weekend bags, but not much else. Most owners end up using the small rear seats as a secondary luggage area for anything more than a short trip.
Versatility
The i8 is a sports car, not a family holdall. Its party piece is its hybrid powertrain, which gives it the versatility to be a silent electric vehicle for city driving or a loud, fast sports car on the open road. Being able to plug it in and charge the battery at home means you could complete your daily commute without using a drop of petrol, which is something few other cars with this level of performance can claim.
Driving
Driving experience
The driving experience in the i8 is unique. In its default mode, it will silently pull away using electric power, with the petrol engine kicking in when needed. You can choose to drive in pure electric mode for up to 23 miles at speeds of up to 75mph, which is perfect for city driving or quiet cruising.
Put the car into Sport mode, and both the petrol engine and electric motor work together to give you maximum performance. With power going to all four wheels, the acceleration is instant and very impressive. It feels light and agile in corners, offering a fun and engaging driving experience.
Performance
The i8’s hybrid system is made up of two parts. A 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (similar to the one found in a Mini) sends 228bhp to the rear wheels. This is paired with a 129bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels. When they work together, they produce a combined 357bhp, which is enough to propel the i8 from 0-60mph in just 4.2 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
On paper, the i8’s running costs look incredible. The official fuel economy figure is 134.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of just 49g/km. This means that when new, it was exempt from first-year road tax and the London Congestion Charge. However, to get anywhere near these figures in the real world, you need to drive on electric power as much as possible, which means keeping the battery fully charged and making mostly short journeys. On a long run, using the petrol engine, you can expect to see around 30-40mpg.
Value for money
When new, the i8 was a very expensive car, costing over £100,000. On the used market, it offers a huge amount of style and performance for the money, although it remains a premium-priced car. The good news is that it holds its value relatively well for a sports car, thanks to its unique looks, rarity, and tax-friendly emissions.
Reliability & Warranty
The i8 is a very complex car, but it uses proven BMW technology. The battery pack was over-specified for the car, so degradation shouldn’t be a major concern. However, because of its specialist components and carbon-fibre construction, repairs can be very expensive if something does go wrong. Insurance is also in the highest possible group (group 50), which is a significant cost to factor in.
Safety
Safety features
The BMW i8 has not been crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, which is common for low-volume, high-end sports cars. However, it is packed with safety technology and is built around an incredibly strong carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) safety cell, just like a modern racing car.
Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, a full suite of airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and a camera. It also features dynamic brake lights and a host of electronic aids to help keep the car stable and avoid collisions.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
BMW kept things very simple with the i8, offering just one, very high-spec trim level as standard. There were no different trim grades to choose from, although a few special edition models were released over the car's lifetime, such as the Protonic Frozen Black edition.
The standard specification is incredibly generous. It includes 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a head-up display, heated and electric leather seats, two-zone climate control, and the full BMW Professional navigation and infotainment system. There were very few options to choose from, with most being cosmetic touches like different wheels or paint colours.
Engines
There is only one powertrain option available for the i8. It’s a plug-in hybrid system that combines a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a 7.1kWh battery and an electric motor. The petrol engine drives the rear wheels, while the electric motor drives the front wheels, giving the i8 all-wheel-drive capability when both are working together. The system is managed by an automatic gearbox, which can also be controlled using paddles on the steering wheel.