Car of the week – The BMW i8 AC Schnitzer

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  • The BMW i8 AC Schnitzer is a real eye-opener.

    I am a self-confessed performance car junkie. I like supercars, speed and an engine noise that makes the hairs on the back on your neck bristle with delight. So, when people talk to me about the future in a world increasingly obsessed with emissions and saving the planet, I admit to more than a little trepidation, particularly when the words “electric car” are used.

    I imagine this nightmare scenario in the next decade or so where supercars are extinct and we are all driving around in cute electric vehicles with zero emissions feeling worthy…and bored!

    I am all for clean engines and the Toyota Prius, particularly the latest model, is an amazing and very clever piece of hybrid technology but, with all due respect, it’s not the sort of car that is going to excite me.

    However, there is a car out there which has succeeded in plugging me into the future with confidence that everything is going to be fine after all – the BMW i8.

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    I had been looking forward to driving this machine for some time and when it was finally my turn to get behind the wheel, I was fortunate enough to be handed the fob (key sounds too old fashioned) to the AC Schnitzer version which has bigger wheels than the standard car, carbon-fibre front and rear spoilers and sideskirts, and sits closer to the ground because the suspension has been tweaked.

    Make no mistake, this car, with its super-futuristic design, shark nose, laser lights and butterfly doors which open upwards like wings, looks the business and its magnetism is unbelievable.

    Neighbours were quick to come over and take a look and wherever I took this car, it turned more heads than most auto exotica I have driven. One word of caution about those doors though – make sure you don’t park too close to other cars because they need a bit of room to open. It is made from carbon fibre and aluminium to save weight and every curve, overlap, and air channel you see on its gorgeous body is functional and designed to make the i8 incredibly aerodynamic and, crucially, super efficient.

    The interior is as futuristic as the exterior with lovely sweeping designs, ultra-modern instrument cluster, and an excellent infotainment system with a large touch-screen sitting on the centre of the dash. There’s lots of high-grade leather and luxury trim, is really comfortable and you really do feel as if you are sitting in something unique. It is a two-plus-two but the rear seats are not practical and are only useful for very young children or a little extra space to put small bags. So, it looks great but does it deliver the kind of performance to match its supercar appearance?

    The i8 is a plug-in hybrid and has a 1.5-litre, three cylinder combustion engine taken out of a Mini.

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    Thanks to BMW’s twin turbo technology, it actually delivers an incredible 231bhp which powers the back wheels.

    An electric motor with 102bhp powers the front wheels and combined, the two produce 362bhp which is enough to power this visionary vehicle from 0-100kmh in just 4.4 seconds. So, from an acceleration point of view there is nothing but good news, but what about the noise? That sort of speed demands a soundtrack and there is one. Okay, it’s an artificially enhanced noise, but it does the job.

    From a consumption point of view BMW say it will use just 2.5 litres of fuel per 100kms with extremely low emission levels.

    The i8 uses the petrol engine and energy created from deceleration and braking to charge the battery. You can also plug this car in at home using a special wall mounted charging unit supplied by BMW.

    Starting this car is a bit weird because there is no noise and when you move off it sort of glides along in a stealthy sort of way which is very cool. The petrol engine will kick in if you accelerate hard.

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    The push-button ignition has an e-drive button on it which, when you push it, leaves the car running on electric power alone and will travel for 37km before the battery is exhausted. In electric mode only the car has a top speed of 120kmh before the petrol engine intervenes when it can reach a maximum of 250kmh.

    There is also an Eco-Pro mode which enables the car to be driven with a combination of electric and petrol engine, Comfortmode, and Sport when you get the best peformance out of this car. It handles superbly, although I have to say that the electric power-steering was ultra-light and took some getting used to before I felt really confident going into corners at speed.

    After two days driving this car I was totally fascinated and hugely impressed. You could say this BMW is a real i-opener.

    It looks like a supercar, sprints like a supercar yet has the efficiency of a compact car. It sets new benchmarks for the future of motoring and might just save the supercar from extinction and for that reason alone, I love it.

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    I8-AC-Schnitzer-Ratings

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