Launched almost exactly a month ago, the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid supercar is surely one of the quickest ways to get the attention of every living individual within a 15-feet visual radius. From its sci-fi looks, replete with blue Tron-like highlights around, to its butterfly doors, the second BMW i model is no shrinking violet.
Let your gaze trail back and one is sure to notice the 20-inch stylised alloy wheels, wrapped in run-flat 215/45 and 245/40 tyres, front to rear, respectively. Elsewhere, various drag-reducing styling cues make the i8 appear as if certain parts of the car have yet to be completed. No matter, it still looks the part.
Beneath the fancy bodywork, a TwinPower Turbo 1.5 litre three-cylinder petrol engine is featured – said mill pumps out a total of 231 hp and 320 Nm of torque. On any other regular car, the buck stops when we say that power gets sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission – not in the case of the BMW i8.
Augmenting the petrol mill is an electric motor that displaces 131 hp and 250 Nm of torque – effectively making the i8 an AWD car, power gets sent to the front axle. All in all, the BMW i8 is equipped with 362 hp at 5,800 rpm and 570 Nm of torque from 1,200 to 5,000 rpm, enough for a century sprint time of 4.4 seconds and a top whack of 250 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 47.6 km/l, CO2 emissions at 49 g/km.
On pure electric power alone, the BMW i8 is capable of traversing a distance of 35 km at a top speed of 120 km/h – full operational range is rated at roughly 500 km. Charging the i8 takes more or less three hours with a domestic power socket – that figure is reduced to two hours with the BMW i Wallbox.
Swing the doors up and away will reveal an interior swathed in ‘Spheric’ leather with contrasting BMW i Blue seat belts for all four seats – the i8 features 2+2 seating layout. Taking centre stage is a 10.25-inch HD screen featuring BMW’s Navigation system Professional with iDrive Touch Controller. A Driving Experience Control feature allows drivers to switch between several driving modes – Eco Pro being one of the five.
On the other hand, performance-minded neanderthals (like this writer) are more likely to be interested in the F80 BMW M3 Sedan. Launched in Malaysia way back in June 2014, the fabled nameplate has now been confined to the four-doored body after Munich decided to christen the two-door variant the BMW M4.
Looks wise, the M3 Sedan will either appear shouty to the introverted or subtle to eyes more tuned to the shapes of exotic supercars. Whichever way you cut it, the bold, twin-bar kidney grille and ballooned wheel arches certainly help to pile on the visual muscle. Quad tailpipes and 19-inch wheels that hide drilled discs further serve to amp up the stakes.
The BMW M3 Sedan is powered by a turbocharged S55 3.0 litre inline-six mill which puts out 431 hp at 7,000 rpm and 550 Nm of torque from 1,800-5,390 rpm. Paired to a seven-speed M DCT gearbox, the sedan rockets from 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. Keep the throttle pinned and you’ll hit an electronic wall at 250 km/h.
Prices for the BMW i8 begin at RM1,188,800 OTR sans insurance. Said price tag also includes the aforementioned i Wallbox without installation charges. Additional units will cost owners, give or take, an extra RM10k. The F80 BMW M3 goes for RM730,800 OTR without insurance. Both prices quoted are post-GST.
GALLERY: BMW i8
GALLERY: F80 BMW M3 Sedan
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
May i know how many units sold in Bolehand?
Low RV car. After 3 years, left value at RM 39k
Buyers of this kind of car dun give a damn on RV or whatever shiatty things you brag about
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!
Why is Sime Darby and BMW Malaysia not asking Najib to honour his promise to reduce car prices? How can a fuel saving car cost RM1.2 million? To save money for the rich?
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.
Why introduce a fuel saving car this expensive? and still expect the general rakyat also 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?
It’s time for all luxury carmakers submit list buyers to MACC.
People who buy cars with their name is easily traceable… doesn’t have to submit to macc. If macc cares to investigate, they can just pull the list out.
Lots of people work hard for their toy. Is premature to assume people have big toys got their money illegally.
OMG…I8 interior look like H.Civic interior…feel proud as Civic owner ….hahahah..
The difference: BMW uses real carbon fibre and not plastic that looks like carbon fibre… ;)
Civic is not luxury car
I’ve had the time to play around with the i8 in the BMW store in the UK, without any sales guys coming to stuff more information down your throat, so it was more of me discovering the car on my own – the best way to experience one.
By far, the i8 makes the entire M lineup look dated. From the drop dead gorgeous looks at night, to the interior which is really one of BMW’s best in recent times, to the drama, soul and passion it has.
If at all, the only other real competition it has is the 918 Spyder, but since that is out of production, well, it’s a 1 horse race. Though the 918 Spyder itself is a real piece of art and science.
Now in comparison to the i8 and the M3, I got the chance of playing around in the M3 before going to the i8, while the M3 definitely felt special compared to your standard 3/5/7 series, it was just like a step ahead only. Not a leap ahead. Didn’t get to drive it but I was pretty sure it was gonna be good, since the F30 3 series has a really good chassis to start with, so the F8x should be pretty good.
On the other hand, the i8 which I got into after that, now that felt like a step to the future. It really was amazing. Yeah the ingress and egress is not the best, and if you wear a skirt, I’d be careful when getting in and out. The interior while oozes quality does have a bit of claustrophobic feel to it. And forget about practicality and visibility either.
But after seeing the i8 perform on a track in real life, and hearing the engine sound under hard acceleration, it is really cool.
As Jeremy put it, the M3 is where we are now. The i8 is where we are going. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’d take the i8 over the M3 a well, considering how much I actually like the M3 and even the regular F30 3 series, cause of the balance.
I dont understand why anyone would thumb down your comment…duh…world full of morons…
As Proton supporter we never encourage Rakyat to by BMW or Volvo.
Proton same quality as BMW so done waste a shit to own a bmw just buy Proton !!!
Morons Rakyat !!!
You can’t please everyone in the world.
Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate as I say.
hi , i found two different price listed from your website for BMWi8 . MYR 1,188,800 and 1,118,800. so , which is the correct one ?
Hi nelsonnyew, the correct figure is RM1,188,800. Thanks for the spot and apologies for the typo. Cheers!
With this “i” all girls in this world will not resist… Even people mistress’s can’t ignore the existence !!!
Only the fit and the athletic girls can get in the car easily. The whale type will tersadai outside the gullwing door.
Owh the i8…managed to see it in the metal during BMW World and its a looker indeed and one of the more ‘affordable’ sports cars around. Can’t wait to see some of these on the roads especially at night.
On the other hand the M3…well wait for the LCI to be launched and get more discount on the pre LCI is all I can say hehe.
This one sure cannot sale here becos RV is s###. Brand new 1.18m, after one year cannot even get 100k. Better buy ipanties.
People who can afford to buy million ringgit cars dont worry about resale value. So what talking you?
Is not quite appropriate to talk about rv in this category of cars… even ferrari has poor rv then.. but people who desires it and has the mean will still buy them.
Those cars can just eat my smoke. 0-100 within 4s? Thats BS!
Bring your car to sepang track and I bet your car will lose. The i8 can go 45km per litre, I think yours only 8km/litre?
i8 uses 3 cylinders engine. The sound produced will be the same as Kancil 660.
M Tiga simply just FTW and F the track. Sum of German engineering in a 4 door super saloon.
sigh…. in bolehland only the filthy rich like those corrupted ass and illegal business baru dapat afford…. those get rich from honesty and hardwork wont buy
Agree with you that people work hard to earn their millions view value differently and probably think this is not value for money..
But their son will…. and that’s not corruption.
ur car is still useless if got 0-100 in 1 sec but running on d road with 70kmh speed limit.after 20min also cannot go upto 100.so who cares about 0-100 duration?
I prefer my m3 to be in Yas Marina Blue. Somehow it looks so desirable, probably the color that will make this generation m3 an ICON. Just like the dark blue for the r34 skyline GTR or the Rosso Corsa of Ferrari.
like a MYVI Ikon blue.
I’m sorry BMW don’t you think thats more middle class in Malaysia than the Elite? Just bring in the i3 for the upper middle class.
first pic. it looks like it can flap those wings and fly fly away…!!
I8 is a cheap car in overseas, come to Bolehland, slap duties and tax, become million dollar car.
My favourite was the merc SLS…
Now I might just want an i8…
Same gull wing… more tech
A basic 320i is sold for USD 30000 including tax in USA.
In Malaysia it is RM250000 , more than 8x the price in USA.
DO we earn 8x more than the Americans??
Do you work as hard as them or eat kuih lapis 7 times a day?
Obviously you never work with American before, they talk coxk sing song number 1. That’s all they know how to bullshixt
In the USA they need the money saved on cars to pay for the hospital bills.
Do you want to sell your house if somebody in your family need an operation?
just realized the “i am performance” wordplay in the title. good one.
the BMW i8 looks like a cartoon car.