i8

Memorable afternoon. Spent it in the Berkshire countryside driving two of the rarer cars that BMW produce, the i3 and i8. If there has been a more beautiful car launched this year than this stunning i8, I haven't seen it.

It's utterly gorgeous and also environmentally friendly, at least in its modest fuel consumption. It is a plug-in hybrid with a petrol-electric power source, an aluminium chassis and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic body panels. From any angle, it is swoopy and voluptuous.

It has scissor-opening doors and is a 2+2 seater, with a 1.5 litre, three-cylinder turbo petrol engine behind the rear seats. It also has an electric motor and a lithium ion battery pack. Performance is electrifying, with an acceleration time to 62 mph in a sizzling 4.4 seconds.

Not bad with a combined fuel consumption of 135 mpg. To get anywhere near that, though, you need to do as much driving as possible within the 22 miles of electric-only range, and plug the car in to recharge the battery pack at least once a day.

Fancy one? You'll need patience and a big bank balance. There is a two year waiting list for the i8, even though the price is - ouch - £100,000.