BMW i8 FAQs

• Why did they stop the BMW i8?

  A number of reasons led to the downfall of the BMW i8, and at the top of the list, the significant price-point was a driving factor. Retailing between $318,900 and $348,900, plus on-road costs, this was a car that always had a limited target market. However, at the same time, the i8 didn't quite have the same out-and-out power as that of other cars in the same bracket, with the electric motor paired with a turbo-petrol 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine. With a 0-100 km/h sprint time of about 4.4 seconds, it was still quick by all means, but not the sort of supercar that you'd expect to pay at this price, and hence its limited appeal meant its viability wasn't an option.

• How many i8s are there in Australia?

  In its last years of production, the BMW i8 was a low volume unit that struggle to find traction. It was always intended to target a small market, however, compared with rivals like the Porsche 911, the model just didn't hit the mark with local new car buyers. In 2019 just 17 units of the BMW i8 were sold, while in the year prior, a total of 14 units were registered. That should give you an idea that there aren't many i8 vehicles out there across Australia, spotting one will be like stumbling on a gold mine.

• Does the BMW i8 take petrol?

  While the BMW i8 offered electric functionality, it was a plug-in hybrid vehicle that combined a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with an 11.6-kWh battery pack and two electric motors. So yes, the BMW i8 takes premium unleaded petrol, although it is the electric motor that generates the most fuel-efficient mileage for this vehicle.