Testing the BMW i8 Hybrid on the Hockenheimring

Sport Auto put their Test Editor, Christian Gebhardt, behind the wheel of a BMW i8, the three-cylinder hybrid sports car, and let him see what it could do on the Hockenheimring circuit in Germany. Putting the hybrid car, which generates a combined 362 hp, through its paces through the 17 turns of the 2.8-mile track turns out to be pretty impressive. Even the sound from the 231hp 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder is nothing to sneeze at (unless, of course, it’s been electronically augmented; we’re looking at you, BMW M3 and M4).

Gebhardt got behind the wheel of the i8 with a clear mission: determine whether or not this hybrid should be considered a true sports car, or is it just a a marketing gimmick. The car handles well, thanks in part to its curb weight of just 3,360 pounds and, with a 0-to-60 time of just 4.2 seconds it won’t leave you wanting at a stoplight.

You’ll have to check out the print edition of Sport Auto for his conclusions, but we’d say it looks and sounds like sports car in this video.