Contacts eighth degree

Surprisingly, Bavarian manufacturers finally built something resembling a supercar. By and large in its history, BMW has not released anything that could be called a supercar.«Bavarians» shut down the entire model niche very well expand and complement it through a number of its own inventions like the BMW X6. They have created a huge amount of «charged» cars sports series «M», which are recognized and loved all over the world. They have created a line of luxury sedans. But at the same time with all of their ambitions they never released a supercar!

The only car BMW Group, who could claim to be the supercar, BMW was the M1, available in four years from 1978 to 1981, but the trick is that the road version of the machine has a capacity of only 277 hp and a maximum speed of 260 km / h, and those cars that were built with a turbo engine capacity under 850 hp, produced exclusively for racing. So BMW M1 is still a sports car rather than a supercar.

All supercars, which developed the Bavarian company has remained at the level of concepts, and to be honest, I'd love to ask «Why?» Someone like Harald Krüger.

Therefore, the creation and production i8 became a phenomenon well-defined scale.Although it is not a supercar, but it is much closer to them than anything else, and the presence of hybrid technology and a completely futuristic design of the car has allocated the entire model range, and in addition we have suffered for several years ahead.

With all due respect to the peaceful Bavarian automobile industry as a whole, this car from the outset caused a very vivid emotions and the desire to get behind the wheel and break in it at least a few tens of kilometers.
Happiness came from not waiting.

The company «Caravan» in response to the timid question was not sent me with my ambitions, but on the contrary, has agreed to provide a car for a full test drive for a few days so that you can experience in full scale all its pros and cons. And it was very nice.

For the car I was driving with very mixed emotions. Burning curiosity on one side cooled some caution «contact to the eighth power»: it was not clear what to expect from this machine. But the reality was much more pleasant and easier to expectations.
The first acquaintance with the car passed around as if I had brought acquainted with the wild beasts, which are to be taken home. At first I do about it told then shown, and then offered to sit in the car, standing in the showroom, and then handed over the keys and documents of the test machine.

All right. Man with a fragile psyche, stranded in a car and start the engine, may think that the vertical take-off will start in a few seconds. So it is better to be safe.

I8 strikes. It is not so similar to everything else that we used to see on the streets, that the mere fact of its existence has engendered in me a faith in the future — about this, as I watched my favorite movies like «Minority Report», «I, Robot» and «Paycheck „. To say that paying attention to her on the streets — to say nothing. I watched as people just rolled up their heads when she passed by. And this despite the fact that I got to test the car in a fairly nondescript „cover“: the colors „wet asphalt“ with small blue accents. The same car that stands in the showroom, bright blue, the street can not accurately produce, so it is unearthly.

In all of this, the i8 is one of the most comfortable cars in which I have ever traveled.His only serious and very negative — embarkation and disembarkation. Even for a person with a good coordination of movements will take some time to find the right sequence of actions. And get into the car easier than to get out of it, and this is due to two factors: extremely low-slung and opening up the door a la the „gull wing“, which in the most unexpected moment and strive to be in the same place as your head.

But once you are «loaded» into, the rest is very simple and natural. Similarly, there is the engine start button, steering wheel, pedals and all other.

The cabin of the spacecraft, I'm sorry, the car interior itself is incredibly comfortable.Comfortable seats, which are completely unobtrusive hug your body. You almost do not feel them, but tight fit, with proper support for the back and sides. Comfortable steering wheel, comfortable joystick. interior decoration seems to be in the style of BMW, but it is softened by lines looks not so straightforward. But a bright blue border nameplate on the steering wheel and the same sky-blue seat belts added to the overall style.

I8 hybrid is based on plug-in hybrid technology, i.e. with the possibility of charging from an external source. The system consists of a 1.5 liter petrol turbo engine capacity of 231 hp and two electric. A first motor located on the front axle; its continuous power — 60 kW. The second electric motor 25 kW located close to the engine and is used to run it. As a result, the total capacity of the car is 362 hp and torque is 570 Nm and acceleration to 100 km / h comes in just 4.4 seconds. The complete dispersal dynamics of the «electric travel» is available when reserve at least 4–5 km.

Apart from the fact that the car can be recharged from virtually any electrical outlet, and it happens pretty quickly (I have fully discharged battery is fully charged in about 2 hours), it automatically uses regenerative energy, but it does so only in the «Sport» mode. In recovery mode, there is no comfort, as in «Eco» mode, as you know, the electric charge on the contrary spent. Reserve electric ship with a fully charged battery will last for approximately 25–27 km, are those numbers that showed me the onboard computer.

During the three days that the i8 I have visited, I could, of course, to drive in the urban cycle, and on the road, I tried all three modes and realized that in this car I'm ready to fall in love. Probably just did not have a little bit of time.

Like most all-wheel drive cars, it is very stable and can perhaps even be moved perpendicular to the flow — if necessary. In the city, it feels great, and the clearance of 11.7 cm it is sufficient that the driver did not come out every time to measure the height of the hand speed bump. It is understood that the borders should be afraid, but fanaticism in these areas is not necessary.

With me it really fascinated, because this is her resistance to adverse weather conditions. On the way to Moscow Raceway (no, we went there not to drive and to look at other people's race), I got into a heavy downpour, and visibility was reduced at times to a minimum a couple of meters. The rain quickly covered the New Riga decent layer of water, besides the constant shower poured from the wheels as the oncoming cars and free. The first timid meters convinced me that exchange rate stability is difficult to find an equal to this car. All the way along the wet road i8 allowed to keep a stable high speed without any problems: it is not possible to scour the track without losing stability when changing the depth or intensity of the flow of water under the wheels and generally behaved very calmly and confidently.

By the way, most of the time I still rode in comfort mode, because Connection recovery system at the time of movement in the extra-urban cycle irritates decent.

Naturally, the electric charge is ended me pretty quickly, and most of the way I had done at the expense of the internal combustion engine, which is parallel to the support even the minimum necessary to charge the batteries. For three days I drove about 300 km, and in all that time I spent a little less than the forecastle of gasoline, ie, about 12 liters (yes, the tank holds 30 liters). Those. announced 2 liters per 100 km with me, of course, did not work, but 4 liters per 100 km for such a car is a great figure.

My friends who knew about the test drive, dreamed of a ride or at least look at this car.In the courtyard of my house, it also caused a lot of noise. The process of charging a bunch of onlookers gathered. And this despite the fact that people have now become familiar already to the most unexpected and unusual cars.

And you know? I miss her. Maybe I'm a romantic or a dreamer, but three days were i8 for me is akin to a journey to Hollywood — the ability to touch something that is not present in everyday life. Contact i8-th degree.

The author expresses his gratitude to «Autodom» company for the opportunity to establish contact 8-th degree,
as well as Millennium Park for the opportunity to shoot.

Photo: Maria Melnikova