The i8 is the highest selling hybrid sports car and has truly taken its class by storm. I recently got invited by BMW to drive the 2018 Coupé and it staggers me how great this car is. If you want something that catches the eye, is kind to the environment and also the perfect sports car, seriously consider this revolutionary multi-award winning vehicle.

Fresh and different to all other cars on the road

The production BMW i8, launched in 2013, was changed so little from the plug-in hybrid concept car – first shown at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt. It makes this BMW even more special as, due to the futuristic design, it hasn’t aged at all. It still looks fresh and different to all other cars on the road. Benoit Jacob, the i8 designer, was influenced by the 1978 BMW M1, drawn by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro (famous for DeLorean, Lotus Esprit, etc.) so the original DNA was there to build on.

One of the most striking features of the BMW i8 Coupé is the doors. They are of a Dihedral design and move forwards and upwards, so add a bit of drama to the car when you open them. The car I drove, by the way, was painted in a sophisticated individual Donington Grey. The interior of the i8 is familiar BMW, but also has that concept feel, like nothing else in the price range. Yes it’s a very low car to get in and out of, so do beware, but that’s an addition to the special feel.

The BMW i8 Coupé is built with an exceptional lightweight concept called LifeDrive architecture. It consists of the Drive module – an aluminium chassis – and the Life module – an ultralight passenger compartment made of high-strength carbon-fibre. BMW say that “Together they create sustainability and a perfect weight balance, delivering unmatched sportiness”; it also means the suspension on the BMW i8 is a little softer and soaks up all the bumps you find on a modern UK B-road.

The i8 is, in fact, perfect for the British roads with Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), which reduces wheel spin, and the BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system. The powertrain in the BMW i8 is a mid-engine set up with a 231hp TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder in-line petrol engine (six-speed transmission) driving the rear and a 143hp two-speed electric motor which drives the front wheels.

This means that the i8 can run for 34 miles on pure electric (ideal for town driving) or have a 374hp hybrid set up which allows for sporty driving without the miles per gallon issues. The 0-62mph figure for the Coupé is 4.4 secs and 4.6 secs for the Roadster (convertible); the mpg is a staggering 148.6 for the i8 Coupé (134.5 for the Roadster).

Truly redefining what the modern sports car is about

The BMW i8 truly redefines what the modern sports car is about; Munich has shown that you can still have a hybrid, but enjoy the sharpest of handling and performance. The BMW i8 starts from £112,735 for the Coupé and £124,735 for the Roadster.