2020 BMW i8 Coupe Review, Pricing | i8 Coupe Models | CarBuzz

Although not approaching the intoxicating driving experience of a high-revving Lamborghini or Porsche, the i8 acquits itself brilliantly in most scenarios. The all-wheel-drive configuration provides excellent grip, even on the narrow fuel-saving tires, and in the corners, it stays flat and composed. Sitting low down and considering that the i8 isn’t massive, this allows for enjoyable darting around town and taking on faster sweeps with confidence. Is it a sports car in the vein of a Porsche 911? No, because the i8 actually feels a bit more GT-like and its ultimate limits are lower – reminders of the price one has to pay for all of that efficient hybrid tech.

It’s also never as communicative or consistent as the best sports cars, even when switching into Sport mode – when punching the throttle early on in a corner, the i8 isn’t the most predictable, sometimes provoked into gentle understeer, and sometimes eliciting more enjoyable oversteer.

On the comfort front, the i8 is better. It feels both stable and absorbent – longer trips are not going to be a chore in this car. It’s quite refined, too, although road noise does intrude (even more so in EV mode). The brakes are strong and reliably bring the i8 to a controlled stop, but as with other aspects of the i8, feedback through the pedal isn’t the best.