There is no doubt that as a hybrid, BMW i8 is at the top of fairly quiet class. The car does over 60 real world mpg on the freeway and close to 35 in town. But the i8 is pitched as a sports hybrid, don’t forget. So to judge its sporting credentials we need a man who has driven pretty much every modern sports car there is. That’ll be Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe then.

So this is an in-depth review of BMW i8 with focus on its performance, which as you will see in a moment, is far from disappointing. Too bad they don’t test the i8 on the track, but hey, that would have been irrelevant anyway. No customer is going to track this car.

BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car has a revolutionary powertrain consisting of a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors. The petrol unit is built at the Hams Hall plant, which is a brand-new facility in the UK. Check out a few pictures from the facility and the powertrain in question: