There are very few automobiles which capture my attention, new or old, these days. My interest in automobiles has faded aside from a few select cars which i’m always chasing. i am, however, BLOWN AWAY by this car. the fact that it is a production car that looks like a concept. The fact that is totally a current car embedded with current technologies capturing the spirit of ‘new’ and ‘fresh’ without copying anything else before it. The fact that it’s the first hybrid sports car that is somewhat attainable (still expensive though…at $135k USA price). But most of all I love this car because it pushes and opens an envelope into the current times. No retro here. No celebration of the past. The BMW i8 is a celebration of the future.
If i had the money…i’d order this and drive it every day!!
Forget 0-60 times (4.4 seconds here), forget curb weight (3200+ pounds here), forget cost for a second, forget the badge, forget the insane aero design features— this car is a pioneer and a real innovation in this realm. It’s rare in these generic modern times of automotive engineering that we see a true beginning, but i have a feeling the i8 is the first of many coming in this realm.
(I don’t count cars like the Porsche 918, because of price and uber-exclusivity)
Live photos from Frankfurt (courtesy of greenCarReports)
promo photos from BMW in Black:
Videos:
IEDEI 
I think we finally have a spiritual successor to to the M1 here.
“blown away” – couldn’t agree more. i’ve seen the concept “vision efficient dynamics” in the bmw museum in munich, and the back was even more stunning. but to see the final version on the move is really a milestone moment.
You’ve really got to hand it to BMW, when I see that car I think “the future is now”. Just outstanding.