(Not) Driven: BMW i8

The sexier end of BMW's i car revolution offers PH a lift around a frozen lake

A 4am start, two separate flights, temperatures well below freezing and minutes rather than hours with the car. As invitations go, we've seen more appealing ones, especially when the small print includes the words 'passenger ride'. But despite the rising cynicism within (and believe me, we're well aware of the shortfall in meaningful appraisal when occupying the wrong seat of a car), sometimes the model in question justifies the supporting role.

Nope, sorry it's not right-hand drive...

Just like the Porsche 918 Spyder, the BMW i8 proves far enough away from general consumption that it too is a passenger ride worth enduring. BMW insists we're not here to talk numbers, but if ever a car's figures demand note then the i8 is it; sure the sub five-second 0-62mph time is impressive, and the (artificially capped) 155mph top speed expected, but it's the 100mpg economy and sub-70g/km CO2 emissions that grab our attention. The firm is also quick to point out that those lofty projections will only get better by the time the car has an official sticker price, sometime in 2014.

Gis a go!
No amount of hinting, pleading or looking at the steering wheel with puppy-dog eyes changes the fact we'll only be sitting in the passenger seat for the next 30 minutes though. Instead BMW has a regimented program that involves various sections of its Arjeplog cold-weather testing facility (where they even have chambers to lower the temperature of the car further) and a quick run into town, all the while driven by one of its engineers.

A frozen lake: good for skids but little else

And so we find ourselves struggling to steady our feet on the sheet ice of the test facility car park, marvelling at the elegant swing of the heavily disguised, but deceptively lightweight carbon fibre scissor-style door. Beneath the shut-line lies the telltale carbon fibre tub, a material that's come even further than us. The specially developed weave is pre-processed at BMW's new Moses Lake plant in the US. Powered exclusively by the Wannapum dam further down river, the extreme heat needed for its construction means it makes environmental (and financial) sense to use the clean energy there before shipping it to Europe for final finishing and 'i car' construction.

Carbon dating
They say it's not as pretty as traditional carbon fibre, and the two-dimensional weave certainly lacks the glossy depth of those trim pieces you're more likely to find inside a BMW, but its functional finish really appeals. Slipping across that wide sill, into the seat next to BMW Group suspension guru Jos Van As, we're immediately struck by how production ready this pre, pre, pre-production car's interior is.

Mass-produced carbon frame is innovative

What's not so ready for customers is the engine, not because of any lacklustre performance (far from it) but for aural drama. Van As lets slip he's a fan of the 1.5-litre three-cylinder's hum, but tells us the noise we're feasting on will be fine-tuned before the i8 goes on sale. Whether that is done actively or passively (using a sound generator ala the M5) has yet to be decided.

In Sport mode, with the rear-mounted engine and electric motor up front spinning both axles, the i8 accelerates quickly past the UK legal limit as its specially developed Bridgestone tyres bite hard into the snow. The demonstration of its abilities is rounded off by Jos showcasing a near 50/50 weight distribution as he power slides the car around the handling circuit, both for our and the photographer's benefit.

But it's not the delicate handling, accessible performance, or even the dramatic looks of this i8 that impresses, and nor is it this car's headline figures - it's the passion and enthusiasm displayed by the team behind it. Questions previously un-asked have demanded genuine ingenuity, and just 30 minutes in the passenger seat reveals that this is something running right through the very backbone of the BMW i8. Whether there'll be enough customers willing to blaze that same trail when it goes on sale next year remains to be seen though.

BMW i8 (all figures relate to the 'concept')
Engine: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder, turbocharged, petrol + 96kw electric motor
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 354
Torque (lb ft): 406
0-62mph: 4.6 sec
Top speed: 155mph (electronically limited)
Weight: 1,480kg
MPG: 104mpg
CO2: 66g/km
Price: N/A