17. BMW i8
As a company on the verge of bankruptcy a couple of times, BMW is well aware of the importance of looking at future trends. The most significant trends in the last couple of years are the hybrids and electric cars, so BMW started producing the “i” Series to offer hybrid drivetrains in most of its models. But the icing on the cake is the BMW i8 sports car.
The i8 makes a lasting impression with its design and futuristic technology. This is a hybrid-powered, mid-engined sports car with fantastic performance and looks, yet it is still environmentally-friendly. When they introduced it in 2014, the i8 was an immediate sales success. The company never anticipated such popularity, which caused waiting lists of at least one year long.
The i8 was something of a rolling experiment in new technology. Also, it paid homage to the BMW 507, M1 and 8 Series, as well as the all-exclusive and forward-thinking models of the past. The i8 shows that BMW’s spirit of exclusivity to present something new is still present.
Why is it important? The BMW i8 may not the first hybrid sports car ever, but it is the most beautiful with perfect engineering.