Breaking up is hard to do. After spending the best part of 96 hours with my bum firmly wedged in the bucket seat of the Fiery Orange BMW i8, it was a very difficult to say goodbye and hand the keys back. I grew to love the audaciously orange exterior, the space-age interior, and the hybrid engine that could catapult me from 0-60mph in just over four seconds with ease. While there may be nothing like driving a supercar, there is definitely nothing like owning a supercar, even if it is just for the weekend.
I clocked up a good few miles in BMW’s most expensive production car over the four-day period, putting it properly to the test through sunshine, rain, frost and a very dense fog. Needless to say, this stunning testament to automobile engineering was a real pleasure to drive throughout. Navigating London’s congested roads at 8am was a breeze with the electric motor doing the majority of work for the car’s green credentials. While the BMW i8 is fairly wide, the myriad of on-board cameras and technology make negotiating the city’s notorious traffic very easy and I’d often forget that I was sat inside a £115,000 supercar.
The open road provided a different opportunity; a harmonious marriage between electricity and fossil fuels. With Sport mode engaged, the engine on the BMW i8 would roar into action. The right pedal then became a little more engaging with the tiniest tilt of my big toe unleashing a serious amount of torque. One nice touch is that the fully digital dashboard turns red; partly egging me on to push the throttle, but also a good reminder to take it a little easy when utilising the 228bhp MINI engine that is hurled forward by the electric motor. In short, the car adapted to any situation with ease and was actually fairly practical in all situations. We just won’t talk about the boot space.
Cosmetically, and I know this is a huge factor for most people, the car looks utterly jaw-dropping. While the stock white model may pass a pedestrian unnoticed, the optional Fiery Orange paint on the BMW i8 gives the lines in the bodywork a real edge. I particularly like the floating lid above the rear lights, the obscenely huge black wheels and, of course, the ‘butterfly’ doors that are a complete head-turner. Inside, a carbon fibre centre console keeps the car stylish as well as light.
Having the opportunity to own a bright orange BMW i8 for the weekend has really given me something to aim for in life; a car that I now dream of owning. While I’m not expecting my readers to all rush out and drop six figures on an impulse buy, I will say this; if you get the opportunity to drive this machine then I fully recommend you seize it. BMW have openly stated that they believe this to be the future of electric cars and I am praying that it is. It’s not often that you can profess to be the owner of a supercar and a member of Greenpeace at the same time.
