2015 BMW i8

2015 BMW i8

Episode 3401
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

In the more than three decades that MotorWeek has been on the air we’ve seen electric cars grow from homemade curiosities, to mass production icons. But, the public appetite for pure EVs remains stymied over range and cost. Both problems that plug-in hybrids are better able to solve. Still, most PHEVs haven’t been very exciting to drive. But what about this plug-in…the BMW i8… This futuristic concept car brought to life certainly looks exciting. So let’s see if it drives that way.

Looking like it just drove off the set of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, comes BMW’s first take on an integrated plug-in hybrid, the 2015 BMW i8. It looks like nothing you’ve seen, yet somehow appears exactly what you’d expect an advanced hybrid from BMW to look like. 

Like everything else you see, the hybrid hardware is BMW’s own design and has both front and rear axle power sources that work both separate and together. 

Driving the rear wheels is a 1.5-liter turbo-I3. Yes folks, it has come to that, a 3-cylinder engine in a supercar. And, yes again, it’s the same engine used in the new MINI Cooper. Placed forward, with power for the front wheels is a more expected 96-kW electric motor that draws from a water-cooled 5.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack lying low in the chassis. 

Working in harmony, they produce 357-horsepower and 420 lb-ft. of torque. And much like a traditional hybrid, a high-voltage starter/generator attached to the gas engine does double duty by feeding power back into the batteries. BMW claims that when in Sport mode, every mile you drive adds one mile of EV-range. Talk about having your fun and economizing it too.

The battery can also be charged on 110 or 220-volt circuits. 

While the power distribution is constantly shuffled between the axles, you can plan on strictly EV operation only if you take it easy on the throttle at speeds up to 75 miles-per-hour. Step into it and you’ll hear the internal combustion party start behind you.

You can also manually engage EV-mode. The government rates the range at 15-miles. But much like the Chevrolet Volt, you’ve got about a 300 mile range on just gas after that. 

Amazingly, BMW was able to keep the i8 iLooking remarkably like the original concept car, even retaining the scissor-wing doors and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic passenger cell. With that and extensive use of other lightweight materials like magnesium and aluminum, the i8 weighs in at 3,285 lbs. 

Because of those doors, getting in and out can be a bit of a challenge, like many supercars; and yet another reminder that this car is much cooler than we are.

Once in, some found the seats very comfy, others not so much. But all agree the seating position is very low. Shorter drivers could not see over the nose which made tight maneuvers scary.

Navigation and most expected high-tech comfort and safety amenities are standard, and we applaud the use of familiar controls right off the BMW parts shelf. And that even includes the iDrive central controller. Also on the console are a simple electronic shifter, Driving Experience Control, and eDrive switch. 

Looking cool is one thing, but driving down the road the i8 is very cool as well. There’s plenty of engine noise electronically pumped into the cabin and it certainly doesn’t sound like a 3-cylinder. Engage Sport Mode and you’ll get a whole new level of responsiveness, both from the throttle and throughout the chassis. 

Transitions between gas and electric drive are fairly smooth, though there are times when getting real aggressive on the throttle results in the car taking a second to process where to send the power. But other than that, it’s a mostly seamless affair. Brakes are very touchy in the usual electric-drive manner. 

As for acceleration, with launch control engaged, we hit 60 in 4.4-seconds. There’s instant torque off the line and shifts from the 6-speed automatic transmission came in a hurry. Those shifts are very firm and quick, and had us thanking BMW for not succumbing to a CVT as we worked our way to the end of the ¼-mile in 12.9-seconds at a thrilling 110 miles-per-hour.  

The suspension is also a mix of something old and something new. The design is double-wishbone front and 5-link rear, but dynamic damping control and electric power steering are standard. Combined, they keep the i8 flatter than Kansas through the corners. 

Combined Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 28 MPG for gas-only driving; that’s about 20% lower than the Volt, with 76 MPGe for i8 gas-electric operation. We drive mostly in Sport mode and recorded 33.5. Our Euro-spec model prevented proper plug-in charging so we think owners will likely double our test figures.

We’ve certainly entered a new era of supercars. Lightweight, small-engine, electric-assist wonders that aim for high fuel economy just as much low 0-60 and lap times. And while the i8 is far from being the ultimate straight-line performer, its $135,700 price tag is only a fraction of the price of most other high performance plug-ins. 

So after driving BMW’s view of the future, we can absolutely say that the 2015 i8 will forever change the way you think about plug-in hybrids. And with cars like this, it’s clear that gasoline, electric, and high performance, can smoothly live together as one.

Specifications

  • Engine: 1.5-liter turbo-I3
  • Horsepower: 357
  • Torque: 420 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 4.4 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 12.9 seconds @ 110 mph
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance 1

2024 Audi RS 7 Performance

Up For Grand Touring Around A Racetrack

Episode 4329
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

In recent years, Audi has done an increasingly better job at merging luxury, high tech and sportiness equally into all of their vehicles, but that doesn’t mean they all have the same priorities. So, if you’re wondering what this car is all about… well, it’s right there in the name, the Audi RS 7 Performance!

First and foremost, the 2024 Audi RS 7 Performance is absolutely fantastic looking. A gorgeous car from all angles. But this posh performer is a lot more than just a visual treat. Under its silky skin lies a menacing sounding V8 that delivers insane amounts of power and, as we discovered, a gloriously intoxicating driving experience.

RS elements added to Audi’s S7 five-door coupe include new aero treatments with a matte gray finish and silver 21-inch Audi Sport wheels. Those silver wheels are wrapped with 275 Continental summer performance tires and allow for seeing plenty of the enormous brake rotors with black-painted calipers. Up front, there’s a wide grille inhaling all kinds of air and headlights with uniqueness that’s pure Audi. This five-door coupe with frameless door windows speaks a true hardtop design.

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Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, time to hit the corners of Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway, and it’s been quite some time since we’ve had anything here or on any road course that exhibited this much body roll. It didn’t matter what drive mode we had dialed in, it just liked to roll. You could sense that soft suspension in our acceleration runs too. Bystanders got a clear view of a lot of its hardware, thanks to major rear-end squatting as it exploded off the line. Those explosions resulted in a quick 3.7-second trip to 60 miles-per-hour and full quarter-mile runs of 11.9 seconds at 118 miles-per-hour. Fast indeed, though we’re sure both times would improve in warmer temps than our 40-degree test day.

Drive modes have been recalibrated and shifts by the eight-speed Tiptronic in Dynamic Mode are quick. Indeed, noticeably quicker and firmer than in the RS6 wagon we tested just a few months ago without the “performance” treatment. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

We’ve never experienced a car that can feel this soft yet was absolutely point-and-shoot through corners.

The driving force for that acceleration is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 cranking out an additional 30 horsepower from the standard RS 7 thanks to installing bigger turbos. That makes for a 621-horsepower rating, with an even more impressive boost in torque from 590 to 627 lb-ft. And Audi was kind enough to remove a little sound deadening material so we can appreciate it even more through the optional RS sport exhaust system.

For what is really a Grand Tourer built for blasting you away on luxurious adventures, the RS 7 performance is amazingly track capable. Steering is very direct with great feel, and all four wheels are engaged in the process. They’re connected to a new mechanical self-locking center differential that is not only capable of handling the additional power but is lighter and quicker to respond. Chassis software has been recalibrated to make it all work together seamlessly. There must be some serious engineering wizardry happening in the RS-tuned air suspension as we’ve never experienced a car that can feel this soft yet was absolutely point-and-shoot through corners. Brakes were truly phenomenal too; there was some significant nosedive happening, but no wandering or fading no matter how hard we worked them.

And yes, it’s hard to call this actual work, considering this work environment is far from hostile. Absolutely nothing has been compromised when it comes to delivering the luxury car experience you expect from a six-figure Audi. Whether it’s the fabulous real metal, leather, and detailed woven carbon-fiber materials or the fine stitch-work and the always impressive comprehensive digital gauge display, the RS 7 performance feels truly special inside.

2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Dash
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Shifter
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Seat
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Trunk
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Engine
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Dash2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Shifter2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Seat2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Trunk2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Engine

The front seats were supremely comfortable and were only mildly bolstered yet held us in place just fine out on the track. Plenty of room for rear seat passengers too, and there’s even a great 24.6 cubic-feet of cargo space with hatchback versatility. Less practical is all touchscreen all the time for just about every cockpit control.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 14 City, 22 Highway, and 17 Combined. That’s a below average Energy Impact Score of 17.5 barrels of yearly oil use with 8.8 tons of CO2 emissions.

Pricing starts at $129,490, and Audi knows they have a good thing going with the RS 7 performance; so much so, it’s now the only RS 7.

So, could they have just made the RS 7 better instead of tacking “performance” onto the name? Sure, but there’s just something about adding performance to a car name that draws people in. And when it backs it up by delivering more actual performance, well, that’s what we call a win-win. We’d be happy to run some victory laps in the 2024 Audi RS 7 Performance anytime.

Specifications

  • Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
  • Horsepower: 621
  • 0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds
  • EPA: 14 City | 22 Highway | 17 Combined
  • Transmission: 8-speed automatic
  • Torque: 627 lb-ft.
  • 1/4 Mile: 11.9 seconds at 118 mph
  • Starting Price: $129,490