£25k BMW i8 | Spotted

Once the future of BMW, the i8 is now an intriguing part of its past - and available for Mini money

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 19 February 2026 / Loading comments

History is littered with cool, clever cars that were never wholeheartedly embraced by the buying public. Think Audi A2, original Honda Insight, first Mercedes A-Class and so on. It’s a list that the founding BMW i cars, the i3 and i8, certainly belong on. They sold, for sure, but the fact that neither were (or will) be directly replaced - which is unusual for BMW - would imply they weren’t the commercial success required to justify their sizeable engineering cost.

Both the city car and the sports car looked hugely ambitious more than a decade ago, with lightweight construction, futuristic design and electrification prominent. While now there are more small, innovative electric cars (not before time), there really has been nothing like the i8 in the years since its introduction. A Porsche 911 hybrid offers no EV range, PHEVs that do tend to use a large combustion engine (negating much mpg advantage) and still nothing looks quite as good as the car BMW launched in 2014. Probably nothing ever will.

The i8 wasn’t perfect, that’s in no doubt. Those expecting a traditionally BMW attitude to the handling were disappointed, without the pointy front end or adjustable rear that would characterise the M cars of the era. Those prone to boasting wouldn’t have much to shout about with a Mini engine under the bonnet either. And a carbon tub can be prone road roar. As well as being prohibitively expensive to fix.

Regardless, the i8 felt different - and felt super special, too. With some familiar BMW bits, sure, but with great grand touring abilities, the whizz of electric driving on offer and the sort of fuel consumption totally alien to this level of performance. The i8 wasn’t like any BMW before or since, or any comparable sports car. It was boldly, defiantly - and very likeably - its own thing. Anyone who has taken the plunge, at least as far as the PH Buying Guide goes, haven’t been plagued by too much trouble either. The i8 was as well-built and dependable as any other BMW of the time. Probably more so, in fact, as this car was tasked with launching an entirely new, electrified sub brand, and to serve as its flagship.

The discussion around exactly what the i8 did achieve will continue for a good while yet, especially as BMW fully leans into its new Neue Klasse era. In the meantime, prices continue to fall into ever more affordable territory: that 2020 guide put prices as from £37,000, or almost £60,000 off the original, before options RRP; now that’s £25,000, as evidenced by this 80,000-miler. And while there will be some with more desirable extras than others, there’s no such thing as a duff i8 spec - they all have the same powertrain, they all look spectacular, they’re all still going to attract supercar levels of attention for supermini money.

This one had £8,000 of boxes ticked when new, meaning it would have been more than £100,000 in 2015; it had a major service 4,000 miles ago, a minor one last month, and the MOT tester has only ever taken issues with the state of the tyres. All pretty encouraging. Those wanting a plug-in hybrid M car, or a 911 by BMW, will likely be disappointed. But those after a fast, capable GT that still looks a million bucks (while costing a whole lot less than that to buy and run) will still find an awful lot to like.

SPECIFICATION | BMW I8

Engine: 1,499cc 3-cyl turbo plus 7.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 362 (combustion engine 231@5,800rpm, electric motor 131@4,800rpm)
Torque (lb ft): 420 (combustion engine 236@3,700rpm, electric motor 184@0rpm)
MPG: 134.5 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 49g/km
First registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 80,000
Price new: £94,845 (2014, before options)
Yours for: £25,990