Car of the week – April 15 – BMW i8 AC Schnitzer

I am a self-confessed performance car junkie. I like supercars, speed and an engine noise that makes the hairs on the back on your neck bristle with delight. So, when people talk to me about the future in a world increasingly obsessed with emissions and saving the planet, I admit to more than a little trepidation, particularly when the words “electric car(with Car DVD)” are used. I imagine this nightmare scenario in the next decade or so where supercars are extinct and we are all driving around in cute electric vehicles with zero emissions feeling worthy…and bored! I am all for clean engines and the Toyota Prius, particularly the latest model, is an amazing and very clever piece of hybrid technology but, with all due respect, it’s not the sort of car that is going to excite me. However, there is a car out there which has succeeded in plugging me into the future with confidence that everything is going to be fine after all – the BMW i8. I had been looking forward to driving this machine for some time and when it was finally my turn to get behind the wheel, I was fortunate enough to be handed the fob (key sounds too old fashioned) to the AC Schnitzer version which has bigger wheels than the standard car, carbon-fibre front and rear spoilers and sideskirts, and sits closer to the ground because the suspension has been tweaked. Make no mistake, this car, with its super-futuristic design, shark nose, laser lights and butterfly doors which open upwards like wings, looks the business and its magnetism is unbelievable. What about install a Car Dvd Player？ Neighbours were quick to come over and take a look and wherever I took this car, it turned more heads than most auto exotica I have driven. One word of caution about those doors though – make sure you don’t park too close to other cars because they need a bit of room to open. It is made from carbon fibre and aluminium to save weight and every curve, overlap, and air channel you see on its gorgeous body is functional and designed to make the i8 incredibly aerodynamic and, crucially, super efficient. The interior is as futuristic as the exterior with lovely sweeping designs, ultra-modern instrument cluster, and an excellent infotainment system with a large touch-screen sitting on the centre of the dash. There’s lots of high-grade leather and luxury trim, is really comfortable and you really do feel as if you are sitting in something unique. It is a two-plus-two but the rear seats are not practical and are only useful for very young children or a little extra space to put small bags. So, it looks great but does it deliver the kind of performance to match its supercar appearance? The i8 is a plug-in hybrid and has a 1.5-litre, three cylinder combustion engine taken out of a Mini. If installing a BMW GPS navigation in your car, that would be great!