One thing’s certain about the new BMW i8 Coupé: it attracts plenty of attention. Since the futuristic-looking car’s initial release in 2015, the hype has not died down. The plug-in sports hybrid is now available in a Roadster for the first time, alongside a facelifted Coupé version, which TechCentral took out for a spin this week.
The 2018 i8 Coupé is a refresh of the original and features increased battery capacity for the electric motor — up dramatically from 20Ah to 34Ah. This takes the pure electric range from a claimed 30km to 55km on the Coupé (it’s 53km on the Roadster).
The output of the electric motor is 105kW, and combined with the 1.5l turbo-petrol engine’s 170kW, it delivers a maximum 275kW of power. This allows you to go from 0-100km/h in a blistering 4.4s on the Coupé, and 4.6s on the Roadster — with a top speed of 250km/h (electronically governed).
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