So What Will the BMW i8 Really Sound Like?

Unfortunately, not exactly like this.

One of the issues that has been preoccupying BMW enthusiasts prior to the launch of the beautiful i8 hybrid sports car is the question of sound. Sure, the car looks spectacular and has performance numbers worthy of a supercar, but can a three-cylinder 1.5-liter engine sourced from the Mini Cooper, supplemented by an electric motor, recreate the joy of a V8 scream? This video gives us a partial answer: this is the actual sound of the i8’s gas engine acceleration, no decibels added.

Why partial? Because the actual car will receive BMW’s Active Sound Design, a non-disableable accessory that will add synthetic sound inside the car and out, using a speaker on one of its exhaust pipes. With the natural sound of it, we really don’t see the point.