The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid supercar has been launched at the 2015 BMW World Malaysia exhibition. The 2+2 coupe is the second model to be introduced into the BMW i family following the launch of the i3 city car. Aesthetics wise, the BMW i8 features a futuristic, function-led design language that’s completely unique to any other models in the BMW range.
Under the bonnet, a turbocharged 1.5 litre three-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo tech is featured. In its current state of tune, the mill produces a total of 231 hp and 320 Nm of torque – all that power gets sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. Further augmenting the drivetrain is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that juices up the electric motor.
Said electric motor produces a total of 131 hp and 250 Nm of torque with the power going to the front wheels, effectively making the BMW i8 an all-wheel drive car. In total, the BMW i8 packs 362 hp at 5,800 rpm and 570 Nm of torque from 1,200 to 5,000 rpm. The 0-100 km/h sprint gets done and dusted in 4.4 seconds while top speed has been quoted at 250 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 47.6 km/l, CO2 emissions at 49 g/km.
A fully-electric operational range of 35 km with a top speed of 120 km/h is touted while total range with the petrol engine is said to be in the region of 500 km. The Driving Experience Control feature allows the driver to cycle between driving modes, with Eco Pro being one of the five choices. Charging the battery itself takes three hours with a domestic power socket or two with the BMW i Wallbox.
The Life Module passenger cell is made out of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) while the drive systems and battery are packed into the aluminium Drive module as part of the marque’s i LifeDrive architecture. All this translates to a kerb weight of just 1,490 kg.
On the surface, the BMW i8 sports 20-inch alloy wheels with a staggered (run-flat) tyre combination of 215/45 and 245/40, front to rear. Also included are full LED headlamps while butterfly doors are part and parcel of the i8 for the full supercar effect. Swing open said doors and a full ‘Spheric’ leather interior with BMW i Blue seat belts are the first things to greet the occupants.
Taking centre stage is a 10.25-inch high-definition screen with Navigation system Professional with iDrive Touch Controller. Drivers can stream their own tunes via Bluetooth, AUX and USB connectivity while the 600W Harman Kardon surround sound system with 16 speakers ensures everything sounds as crisp as it should be.
Driver assistance features include BMW Head-Up Display, cruise control with brake function, Park Distance Control (PDC) and a Driving Assistant system with top and side view capability courtesy of mounted cameras. Other conveniences include a dual-zone automatic air-conditioning system, electric seat adjustment and automatic wipers and lights.
On the safety front, airbags are included for the driver and front passenger along with supplementary side airbags mounted in the backrest of the front seats. Additionally, curtain airbags that run the entire length of the side windows are included. Elsewhere, a tyre pressure monitoring system, dynamic braking lights, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Isofix anchors are standard.
The BMW i8 is priced from RM1,188,800 OTR without insurance, inclusive of GST. The price also includes the BMW i Wallbox Pure charging station sans installation charges, which should be somewhere in the hundreds depending on the premise. Additional units of the Wallbox will cost about RM10k.
As with most BMWs, warranty is two years/unlimited mileage, and you also get three years/60,000 km BSRI free service and repair. The i8’s battery has an eight year/100,000 km mileage, whichever comes first.
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i8 is so sexy, with that price I would rather pick an i8 instead of Ferrari or Lamborghini
I’m drooling! I wish that I can have that to drive to work everyday.
In US, this is priced at $135,700, which translates to about RM500k. 500k goes to protect Proton. The rakyat have to go for “BMW of Asia” instead of the real BMW. Now you know why people “like” Proton so much. Terima kasih Proton
kesian la sama you, x habis habis salahkan proton, I pun bukan sokong proton, tp kenyataan you sentiasa salahkan proton nampak sangat x membaca. Harga mahal sebab cukai, mungkin satu masa dulu di sebabkan nak protect proton, proton pun kena cukai, sekarang kalau proton tiada pun adakah kerajaan akan turunkan cukai? mesti tidak. sebab apa? bukan sebab proton tetapi sebab kerajaan x mau hilang revenue dari cukai kereta, so x payah la ulang cakap proton bersalah
It’s a sad reality with some people. Letting their emotions take over rational thinking…
Main hentam aje. Kena marah dgn boss pun salahkan Proton. Kena bebel dengan bini pun salahkan Proton. Malas baca buku pun salahkan Proton. Sigh…
You x nampak Proton macais yang tak henti-henti hentam P2 dan UMW? Kesian la sama you mau tolong company yang menyusahkan rakyat ni. Don’t be naif
P2 and UMW always sell moving coffins, even after many many generation of models still dun have improvement on safety. Tech wise tak perlu cakaplah museum level 4 gears and ancient engines. Even Honda use 5 gears or CVT now.
Milking rakyat hard earned money for the sake of revenue, tak rasa bersalah kah?
Proton macais like to bash other cars but don’t know that Proton’s own best seller is a moving coffin. What an irony! Haha
As we really thankful to Master DrM, as AP system on were we can buy this car by really cheap price.
Thanks DrM we bumi AP system owner can’t live without you.
Why is Sime Darby and BMW Malaysia not asking Najib to honour his promise to reduce car prices? How can reduction of 1 to 2% help Malaysians when there is a 6% GST on cost of living?
Before the election, Najib promised the rakyat that if we voted for BN, he would reduce car prices by 30%. He assured and promised every single rakyat that we could trust BN in keeping their promises and BN NEVER mungkir janji.
Now, 2 years have passed. Car prices have gone up actually. VW for example increased all their car prices by up to RM10k before the GST.
So, why BMW not asking Najib and the BN Government to honour their promise to the rakyat? After all BMW Malaysia is GLC
Just like the NAP, here, BN still try to play the blur game. MITI should just instruct all companies to abide by MITI regulations, after all, MITI controls all car companies and all car companies are ultimately GLC and they should abide by their masters ie the Government.
Anyway, getting back to Najib’s promise, it is high time MAA, MAI and MITI ask Najib to honour his promise to the rakyat of reducing car prices by up to 30%. Already we Malaysians are overpaying our cars by 3x the value of the car. for example, a 10 airbag Toyota Camry 2.5 in the US is US$22,000. Here, we pay RM180,000 for a 2 airbag Toyota Camry.
How is a reduction of few hundred ringgit here help the rakyat who is already paying super high car prices and also going to bear the high cost of living with the 6% GST?
Sime Darby which owns BMW Malaysia is owned by the Government. Where is the 30% your boss Najib promised?
Why would someone buy a car that ONLY gives 2 years warranty.
BMW Malaysia is the ONLY company not just in Malaysia but the entire world to give its cars only 2 years warranty.
All other cars in Malaysia have upped their warranty to 5 years. Even BMW’s rival Mercedes have upped their warranty to 4 years.
Do you know why BMW only gives a mere 2 years warranty? Very simple. Just right after the 2nd year, as seen in forums and BMW groups postings, and facebook postings, major parts will fail. Most common part is the gearbox. Be prepared to fork out about RM80,000 for a new gearbox.
That is why if you buy BMW, make sure you are a multimillionaire. If you are just a high earner earning RM20,000 a month, please don’t bother with BMW even if you can afford the repayments. You will be paying through your nose for parts after the warranty expires. That is why you see so many 1 year old BMWs for sale in the 2nd hand market.
Remember, unless you are a multi millionaire, please be careful when buying a BMW in Malaysia.
To those sour grapes BMW salesman who will say I am a Mercedes salesman, don’t be jealous. I am not. I am a BMW owner fighting for the rights of all BMW owners in Malaysia for longer warranty. You BMW salesman should be telling your management to give longer warranty to us BMW owners.
Facebook and forums don’t lie. Go and see for yourself what happens after the 2nd year and read all the forums. The saying Banyak Masuk Workshop is not a myth. Even the company themselves so scared to give you more than 2 years warranty so that alone speaks volume!
ok ok you are not merc salesman but a nincompoop.
With my commission from camry, I can get this low RV car by cash.
Prius C top speed (only battery) 77km/h. i8 top speed (only battery) 120km/h. Prius C 1.5 4 cylinder while i8 1.5 3 cylinder only.
43km/h more and 1 cylinder less,the i8 can buy 12.5x Prius C.
You want the hybrid to save money or burn money? your call, lol.
Your son proton better, lower consumption.
Are you out of your mind????? They are too far category away to even compare.
i8 can be charged at power point, prius c cannot. i8 is a supercar with a 3 cylinder TURBO, hey, TURBO. Heck, i8 electric motor alone produces 131hp, way more than prius c both systems combined.
Can you stop? Prius c compared to Supercar?
Why so expensive? I thought it’s about 500k. Is it because of Proton?
cukai eksais lorh
Bukan cukai saja lorr..this car is not a mass volume car lorr.. even they CKD it the price also will not cheap. Not to mention the material n tech to built this car is not like the mass produce Prius lorr..
So good ordering now, is so cheap since GST 6 % help to reduced the freaking price.
Thanks DrM for supporting us by AP systems to bumi !!!
did you know the AP benefit only 1% of bumis.and the other 99% bumis suffer the same damn problem.so,stop bitching about how bumis are so privileged and stuff.
Butthurt just you can’t be the 1%?
To bad that you can’t be one of us. Go praise DrM more maybe he will consider to give you his share !!!
My master DrM will help bolehland to be global !!!
Er, i don’t think you can get a new Ferrari or Lamborghini with ‘only’ RM 1.2 million. Besides, the main competitor for the i8 will be sports cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera 4. Ferrari and Lamborghini are supercars, a rung above sports cars.
The road tax is same as Myvi?
For a once-in-a-lifetime vehicle, most people will still choose a sport brand for a sporty vehicles.
S-class for saloon,
X6 for SUV
RR for offroader
Brandnew Alphard for MPV
Beetle for antique
Porsche for sportscar.
OMG finally !! How about i3 ?
And this, is what I call a hybrid.
What a piece of art, and the amount of tech that has gone into this car… Damn.
Fun fact. Technically the i8 is the first plug in hybrid car that is officially on sale in Malaysia. Unless you consider the 918 spotted running around the roads in Malaysia but that didn’t really have any official launch (so far).
Btw, Sam Loo, still selling your Prius hybrid ah?
I’m having a real hard time to link your brilliant fact(s) with the Prius’ sales..
I mean, are you trying to point to the poor sales of Prius now, or..? Cuz if you are, I think that ain’t a good point to make.
Cuz honestly, how many i8’s you think will sell?
Thanks
Its more of how dreary the Prius is compared to the i8. Both are hybrids, just that one is hopelessly slow and boring.
@Sudanano No doubt this car has a lot of technical features and it look sexy too.
Let me ask you a typical question people will ask when buying a hybrid:
I buy a Vios RM88k, save RM1.1mil from this i8. Can pump petrol for next 50 years already. Why should I buy this i8??!! In fact, the i8’s car insurance itself is more than my vios total fuel money in a year. So what’s the point??
Those who buy this car, doesn’t bother how fuel saving it is. They only care about the car exterior and the status.
Those who want to save fuel save money, won’t even give a shit on this.
Get my point?
If you really have to do look at it that way, then it’s likely you can’t afford the i8 anyway. Stick with your Vios. It is by all means a sensible choice.
It’s like, why buy a Rolex when a Casio does the job just fine? (p/s: just an analogy, nothing to do with current wristwatch issue whatsoever)
I can buy cheap 2nd hand saga for RM5k. It’s a lot lot lot lot lot lot lot ot lot lot lot lot lot lot more frugal than Vios, so?
“Those who buy this car, doesn’t bother how fuel saving it is. They only care about the car exterior and the status.”
This is the first time you said something right out of thousands comments here in PT. That’s why nobody would buy a tin kosong UMW Toyota for status. :lol
Why not?
If you have 1.1 million around, why not?
If your argument holds true, then why is is that BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi can still survive. Not to mention the recon industry.
Imagine this, in Malaysia, although luxury cars are expensive as… we (and Singapore) are actually one of the strongest make in Asia for these kinds of cars. Just look at the number of BMW, Mercs and Porsches we see running around. Even compared to the AU market, we still beat them considering our prices and the size of our population.
@Sudanano
1. Don’t forget a lot of BMW/Mercedes/Audi on the road are bought second handed. They are cheap to buy (cheaper than new Vios), expensive to maintain. Thus for super rich, or rich-wannabe like i said.
2. Don’t forget how much margin by selling 1 C class.
Those luxury car brands of course can survive, but doesn’t means they are suitable to most of us.
People buy hybrid is to save cost, so this i8 is not a real hybrid.
Those who buy this hybrid, simply for its outlook and status. Who care if it is a V8 6L engine or a 1.5L 3 cylinder engine in it? No owner would care.
Stupid feller. Vios is expensive to buy and expensive to maintain just like camry. Under warranty u need to service at cut throat UMW centre averaging 500 each service. That is why even you buy a saga for your son and a second hand camry so tht you dont have to face the cut throat service centre
Vios insurance COST more than my 2nd hand kapcai. Only stupid ppl will buy it. My kapcai is wayyy faster and more frugal
What engine you letal, orang kaya still buy. bodoh. lol
You forgotten about Nissan Leaf
FUUHHHHH my next car, gonna sold my civic
CKD this & sell @ RM118,800 :D
If it had come last year , the allocated models would have been snapped up even before launch….
unfortunately, the whole world’s dealers allocation of I8s was sold out for 2014…..
It will break down in no time…. bcoz its a BMW afterall…
RM 1 million plus super exotic car but same road tax like my City… RM 90. Something is not right about that….
i am a bit confused. why 2 series active tourer and i8 just launched, and yet the info listed on carbase is ‘no longer on sale’?
the price…..
that price….
the price is actually quite reasonable… since they also include the charging station.
This or 7 series?
all the money and the interior feels like the one in the f30 320i
RM1188k for BMW hybrid? buy Proton Hybrid better. Proton now same good as BMW!!
Yuck, the interior. BMW has never heard of symmetry?
Maybe they learn it from Proton Waja designer. :p
Wow….
I dont have to visit the fuel station for at least 2 month.
Now I’m eager to see how BMW Malaysia will price the i3 here but I remember them saying these i models will not be launched here due to lack of infrastructure in the country? I guess money talks…
why bother these are similar to Proton.. proton can make i8000 fnr super hybrid ,,,,
Slap a BYD China Automobile emblem on that BMW and everyone just looks away.
What? China also produce hybrid-electric vehicle!
Proton please copy this! I know u can do better than BMW
Haha idiots will later comment ‘wah RM1.2m car only 1.5L engine? Vios also 1.5L lor’
i wonder if there will be any grey imports?
great performance at an affordable roadtax
Affordable roadtax but not affordable Gomen tax
And it’s only sub-100k pound in the UK… I wonder how BMW Malaysia comes up with this pricing.
This has the best interior of any BMWs in recent memory. Looks like the exciting design for BMW is coming from the i series. Imagine driving what loks like a concept car, but on the road.
But the price is an eye opener. Oh well, at least road tax is “only” RM90. So save money there and at the fuel pumps. Though your electricity bill will suffer. Anyways, how fast does the car need to charge from zero to full battery on good ‘ol TNB power?
My dream car, and I know I’ll never get to drive it let alone own it.
Why create a hybrid car to “save the environment” which NOBODY CANNOT AFFORD!?
It’s affordable in the US, not here to protect you know who
Why create a hybrid car which is meant to “save the environment” which NOBODY CAN AFFORD!?
With that kind of price. U dont need to go to the petrol station EVER!!! Your driver would
At first i thought i saw rm188,000.
I’ll buy this car when it becomes a used car. Probably in 2030…
PR will rage as road tax same as low cc car. Comparison lobster and sardine come into play.
This car will Bring More Women (BMW).
Yoshiki X-Japan have this damn hot car
RM500k price become RM100k… still want gst from Malaysian
In a thread about BMW i8, people are talking about Proton. Which to show how most people here are actually in love with Proton’s car.
:P
confirm will break down, even regular bmw’s has poor reliability, imagine this..
Semua tau bash saja, wasting time in this place dengki sama orang
U know what? I was there last night and let me tell you i have placed an order for this car. ETA in June.
If you see this car with number plate 14 (my initials) that would be me. Just wave to me, I will wave back for sure.
Proton Persona is better. :-P
With that price, I’ll take 911 carrera 4 GTS.
so cheap..already order 5
I want but how i don’t know
I want buy Lamborghini veneno ready stock??
how much down payment want to put.i8
Too much tax that’s why dubai people can afford supercar . They use supercar just to go buying at grocery. What I know that dubai doesn’t have tax to their citizens. But for foreigner i don’t know.