While BMW makes plenty of machinery to keep enthusiasts interested, its most enticing models are often based on more ordinary ones. That's what made the arrival of the i8 so captivating ...

We're not talking about the globetrotting explosion-fest it came wrapped up in, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; we're speaking of the BMW Vision ... albeit carrying the i8 moniker.

When the BMW i8 launched, it was met with a chorus from the automotive media: The car was nice and cool and all, but it could’ve really used more power to back up that styling. So BMW’s M ...