Almost a decade after it first debuted, the BMW i8 continues to surprise. It’s a plug-in hybrid sports car with a small internal combustion engine and a 0-60 time of less than five seconds. It’s fast enough to rival many of the fastest M performance cars on the road today. And yet it is also a four-seater suited for daily commutes and trips to the grocery store. It has a unique, gullwinged design and is as dramatic as it is practical. It also is more relaxing to drive than your average supercar, thanks to its eerily quiet electric motor and comfortable suspension. Plus, the rear seats are spacious enough to accommodate two adult-sized passengers.

It’s hard to find another sports car that bmw specs offers as much capability and utility as the i8. It has a low center of gravity, stiff carbon-fiber frame, and 50/50 weight distribution that makes it feel incredibly balanced on the road. And even though it’s a front-wheel-drive car, the i8’s Intelligent all-wheel-drive system constantly adjusts torque between the front and rear axles for maximum grip. This is particularly helpful when accelerating out of tight corners or driving on rain-soaked roads.

The i8’s impressive acceleration comes from its advanced powertrain, which uses a 129-horsepower electric motor to power the front wheels and a 220-hp, 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine to power the rear. The combined output is 357 hp, which is more than enough to propel the i8 coupe and roadster to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

What is more impressive than the i8’s acceleration figures, however, is how quickly it gets up to speed. With the 184lb-ft of instant torque served up by the electric motor, it can rocket forward with surprising ferocity, masking its relatively heavy weight and compensating for the gas engine’s turbo lag.

Once it’s up to speed, the i8 remains in its element on twisty backroads and briskly passes slower traffic on country lanes. Its quick steering, sharp front end, and impressive grip make it a lot of fun to drive, although the lack of direct feedback through the wheel does hold it back from being as exciting as its rivals from Audi and Porsche.

The i8 also can be driven in a range of modes that affect how the battery and engine work together. Eco Pro maximizes efficiency and energy recovery; Comfort mode allows the car to run on battery power until it reaches 37 mph; and Sport mode is pure adrenaline with an electric e-Boost function, more athletic steering, and a quicker shift-speed.