BMW i3s I01 vs BMW 218i F44: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the i3s hits 100 km/h in 6.81 s versus 8.62 s for the 218i. The instant torque of 270 Nm from the electric motor makes the difference. At this point, the i3s leads by 1.81 s and sits roughly 13 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the i3s is doing 124 km/h against 113 km/h for the 218i. The gap is 0.83 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the i3s crosses the line in 15.05 s versus 16.35 s. The 1.30 s gap represents roughly 50 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the gap narrows. The i3s maxes out at 160 km/h while the 218i keeps accelerating towards 215 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap is down to 1.59 s from 1.30 s at 400 metres.

At 1,000 metres, the i3s finishes in 28.59 s versus 29.76 s, with just 1.17 s to spare. The 218i fails to fully close the launch gap.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the i3s is capped at 160 km/h, the 218i at 215 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 13.97 seconds. The 1.81 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.