BMW i8 named Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year [w/video]

Thu, Nov 20 2014

The winner of Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year award was given this year for not just one technology, but for how a suite of technologies worked together to make one impressive vehicle.

The BMW i8 was named the winner Wednesday night at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles, just outside the Los Angeles Auto Show. Autoblog's editorial staff agreed that the i8, which drew crowds of attention during our testing days, represents a future of driving that we can't wait to see happen.

"I do believe that green vehicles solve a very fundamental problem, and if a car like the i8 can get a rich man with good knees (to get in and out of the car) to drive something with a plug instead of a 12-mpg sports car, then mission accomplished," says Sebastian Blanco, editor of AutoblogGreen and one of our judges.

The panel reviewed nearly 50 qualified submissions from readers, editorial staff and industry, the panel of judges named the following as finalists:

Dodge's SRT Performance Pages (read more here)
The Subaru Eyesight forward collision warning system (read more here)
The Performance Data Recorder in the 2015 Chevy Corvette (read more here)
The 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine from Ford (read more here)
Chrysler's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine (read more here)

Ultimately, we picked the car that excited us the most. The BMW i8 has a throaty exhaust note when accelerating. It's got carbon fiber, and a plug-in hybrid system that uses a small 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and an electric motor. It has through-the-road all-wheel drive, and in Europe it'll come with laser beams for headlights.

All that, and it's a massive eye catcher. People stop and stare when they see this car, for good reason. It's simply gorgeous. For a more in-depth look at our testing of the car, click here.

By Sharon Silke Carty