Car Guy Tom Voelk reviews the new BMW i8 sport hybrid - KING5.com

I prefer BMW's view where hybrids look and perform like the i8. Sleek and sinewy,this car gets serious attention. If the BMW i8 is any indication the future is a safe one. The passenger cell is made of very light, very strong plastic re-enforced carbon fiber. A plug-in hybrid, charging the lithium-ion battery that runs down the spine gives i8 a claimed all-electric range of 22 miles or so. It doesn't have to be charged, but it's more efficient. You can drive solely on electric power up to 75 mph. A 129 horsepower electric motor under the hood drives the front wheels through a two-speed transmission. A tiny but ambitious 1. 5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine channels 228 horsepower through a six-speed gearbox to the back rubber. Controls operate like any current BMW, shift into sport mode and the gas engine kicks in immediately, ready for action, and there's plenty of it. Not quite the jump to light speed, but 0-60 streaks up in about 4 seconds. Driving the car fairly hard I averaged 36 miles per gallon on premium fuel. From dusk on, the cabin looks like a set from Tron. Source: www.king5.com