[AA123]

Hi All!

This is my first time posting on the forum, so please forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong section. I own a BMW i8 and I'm absolutely in love with it. I prefer not to keep it in the garage, so on the weekends, or days that I am not busy, I tend to take it out and drive for about 45 minutes to an hour just for fun. During the winter, the car isn't driven as I worry that it's very low and some roads aren't plowed that well (plus the salt would be annoying to the body). My question is about the engine. Since this is a hybrid, I am pretty sure that the engine is actually off, not running, when in Comfort Mode (unless you accelerate faster or maybe get up to a certain speed). That being said, do I have to let the engine warm up before I put it in Sport Mode and drive a bit faster? If I'm in Sport Mode, I love using the paddle shifters and getting up to 100+ speeds in short bursts (20 seconds at most). Is this bad for the car if I don't let the car sit in Sport Mode (just because engine is turned on) for awhile, or drive not so fast in Sport Mode? I know that driving hard will lead to shorter engine life, but this car was made to go fast. The reason I have so much anxiety over this car is because I was in an accident last year and the car was totaled (got rear ended by a guy going 50 mph-luckily insurance took care of it and got another i8 without any cost because it was the other driver's fault). Even when I have to drive somewhere that I don't know that well, I do get a bit anxious because of speed bumps, potholes, low roads, and simply just leaving the car parked on the street or near other cars/people who will key the car (I've had a car keyed before). Thanks for your feedback!