The i8 a sports car alright and, at the same time, it’s a whole different kind of sports car: less adrenaline-inducing perhaps, yet extremely capable and eco-friendly. Thus it won Top Gear’s 2014 Car of the Year award, fencing off some stiff competition.

TG’s editors commended the BMW hybrid sports car for its multi-dimensional character: “It is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future”, said the British publication’s Editor in Chief Charlie Turner.

“The i8 delivers – and then some”, he continued. “It’s the kind of car we should celebrate, a beautiful vision of the feature, delivered now. It is a resounding success and the whole team was unanimous in naming the BMW i8 as Top Gear magazine’s Car of the Year.”

With a carbon fiber chassis, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine at the back and an electric motor at the front, the i8 offers excellent performance while at the same time emitting less than 49g/km of CO2 on average.

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