Body | 2dr Coupe |
Wheelbase | 110.2 in |
Length | 184.9 in |
Width | 76.5 in |
Height | 50.8 in |
Curb Weight | 3455 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 11.1 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.7 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 61.1 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 32.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 51.5 in |
Cargo Volume | 4.7 ft3 |
2014 BMW i8 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
The Cadillac ELR's rear seat is very tight for the average adult, but a couple 5-9 or under can sit back there without outright discomfort. The BMW i8's rear seat is so tight and so vestigial that putting all but the shortest people back there borders on cruel and unusual punishment. I squeezed into the i8's back seat to photograph its instrument panel interior and almost couldn't get out. For those who want an adult-friendly rear seat, the Tesla Model S is far superior to either coupe. see full BMW i8 review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2014 BMW i8.
Trim | Base |
Standard Engine | turbocharged 1.3L I3 Plug-in Hybrid DOHC-4v 357 hp 420 lb-ft |
Standard Transmission | 6-speed manually-shiftable automatic |
Standard Drivetrain | AWD |
Standard Tires | 215/45WR20 tires (front) 245/40WR20 tires (rear) |
2014 BMW i8 Powertrain: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2014 | It turns out that even people who aren't driving enthusiasts get turned on by ultra-quick hybrids. The Cadillac ELR is hardly slow. It can get from a dead stop to 60 mph in about nine seconds with 157 electricity-fueled horsepower, and in about eight seconds with the gas engine chipping in to bump output to 181 (or even 217 in some scenarios). The BMW i8 is no quicker than the ELR when relying entirely on its front-mounted 129-horsepower electric motor. But, unlike the Cadillac's gas engine, which largely serves to charge the battery pack, the BMW's directly drives the wheels. Not only this, but while the i8's primary electric motor powers the front wheels through a two-speed automatic transmission, its gas engine drives the rear ones through a manually shiftable six-speed automatic. Four tires can transfer much more power to the pavement than two can. Plus the i8 packs enough thrust to take advantage of this additional traction. The BMW's gas engine, though only a 1.5-liter three-cylinder, is far stronger than the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder, 228 horsepower vs. 86. Credit turbocharging for much of the difference. Switch into sport mode to unleash a combined 357 horsepower, engage launch control, and the i8 can get to 60 about twice as quickly as the ELR. Very few cars are quicker (though the new 691-horsepower Tesla P85D is among them). Like the ELR, the BMW i8 drives most pleasantly in EV mode. Electric motors deliver their power so smoothly and instantaneously that they feel more powerful than they are. Bringing the gas engine on line nearly triples the amount of power, but it also greatly increases the amount of noise. BMW has electronically augmented the three-cylinder engine's inherent growl. The resulting sound isn't a bad one, but it's not the most thrilling or refined, and I couldn't escape the sense that much of it wasn't real. This is a minor niggle. At least as impressive as the i8's ultra-quick acceleration is how seamlessly the electric motor and gas engine complement each other. It must have taken a lot of fine-tuning to make such a complicated powertrain operate with at least as much refinement as a conventional gas engine. see full BMW i8 review |
None of our members have yet commented on the powertrain of the 2014 BMW i8.
None of our members have yet commented on the tires of the 2014 BMW i8.
Body | Trim | Base Price | Invoice | Destination |
2dr Coupe | Base | 135,700 | 125,025 | 950 |