BMW i8 or Tesla Model S?

BMW i8 or Tesla Model S?

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white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,042 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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I love a V8/V10/V12 as much as the next guy and I'm not sure if these two cars are bedroom wall poster cars but of the new cars currently on sale, these are probably the two that I am most intrigued to drive.

Despite their "normal" cars being well above average in terms of handling and their motorsport/performance-car heritage, BMW have never really made a successful sports coupe/supercar but there have been some great attempts (I would love a white 840Ci/850CSi - very Miami Vice)!







This must be frustrating when Audi nailed it first time back in 2007!



Whether you like the looks or not, the i8 certainly has presence and with 4 seats, a semblance of practicality. BMW's mpg figures may be overstated but you still have the potential for sports car performance with supermini running costs too.



Tesla have also created an interesting machine. In accelerative terms, it's very fast and in one fell swoop, they have created a large saloon from scratch with as much cachet as a Jaguar or anything German. I expect this is the new "it" car in Hollywood circles. If this were to be run as a taxi/luxury private hire vehicle, the savings in running costs are potentially huge and with two boots, there's loads of luggage space too. All things being equal, why would you even bother buying a diesel over one? Unfortunately, the price is considerably more than your average 4-pot diesel though!



I would happily run either as a daily but probably the more exotic looks of the i8 over the handsome but slightly anonymous-looking Tesla would probably win out for me. I still have a slight issue with lack of "character" though. A Tesla beats a 4-pot diesel Jag/BMW/Mercedes/Audi no question but although the i8 is a fantastic daily proposition, do I want to own one more than something similarly priced with a "proper" engine (F-Type, V8V, Granturismo, R8, AMG GT etc). Sadly, the answer would have to be no.

cerb4.5lee

30,184 posts

179 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Neither cars interest me because the noise an engine makes rates very highly for me so the Tesla is out(although appreciate its mega quick at accelerating), I am a BMW fanboy but I don't really get the i8 but I applaud BMW for trying it.

I suppose if I was five years old both cars would have a massive appeal because obviously they are the future but having grown up listening to noisy V8 engines and the like these cars just end up leaving my flat.

Even if my numbers came up I wouldn't consider them and I feel sorry for the future pistonheaders as there wont be much to get excited about when it comes to cars.

Kleinfeld

45 posts

100 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Check out the Model S reaction videos on Youtube...I think it is the P85 edition that hits 60mph in 3.1 seconds flat...all in complete silence.

Imagine if that big screen goes tits up though...

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,042 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
quotequote all
cerb4.5lee said:
Neither cars interest me because the noise an engine makes rates very highly for me so the Tesla is out(although appreciate its mega quick at accelerating), I am a BMW fanboy but I don't really get the i8 but I applaud BMW for trying it.

I suppose if I was five years old both cars would have a massive appeal because obviously they are the future but having grown up listening to noisy V8 engines and the like these cars just end up leaving my flat.

Even if my numbers came up I wouldn't consider them and I feel sorry for the future pistonheaders as there wont be much to get excited about when it comes to cars.
I get that. The proliferation of very fast, efficient but ultimately soulless turbocharged 4-pot petrols and diesels in new cars already concerns me. I'm sure the new Golf R/Focus RS/A45 AMG are all fantastic cars but I have more "want" for their inferior, slower but more characterful predecessors (R32/5-pot Focus RS etc). I know the F30 M3 is a 6-pot but I want an E90 M3 badly. An F30 M3? A very quick car no doubt but not so much.

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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As a confirmed BMW fan, I'd have to say...

Tesla, full beans model, with the rear facing seats in the boot. I think I'd use the Insane mode until they took the car back from me for ridiculous abuse of the drivetrain warranty.

smile

TheWelshManc

976 posts

113 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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If I was in your position I would take the Tesla! The reason why is that the Tesla is like a sleeper car, it looks like a normal saloon. The BMW on the other hand looks all sporty and fast, and is all sporty and fast.

NordicCrankShaft

1,720 posts

114 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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The BMW all day long, whilst the Tesla is a good looking car and just extremely fast, every other car here is a Tesla so for me is no different to any other performance car. I acknowledge it's a bit of an engineering masterpiece but that's about it.

The BMW is rarer and looks fascinating, if back ton the future was made into a modern day movie this car would pull off as a Delorean replacement no problems.

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,042 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Yes. That makes sense. It's just a hypothetical though. I'm not buying either in the near future. wink One could also argue that the i8 allows you to drive something that looks more interesting and exotic than other vehicles that would cost similar money to run though but then if you paid 100k for a car, maybe that's not such an issue... At least the environmentally-conscious Hollywood celebs don't have to drive Priuses any more though!

Digitalize

2,850 posts

134 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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I'd probably choose a BMW over most of it's rivals, but in this debate, and assuming I could only have one car (well I won't be able to afford anything else!) it would have to be the Tesla, although I'd be tempted to wait for their next saloon.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Tesla for me.

I just don't see the point in the BMW - if I'm going to have a sporty car I want something light which for the moment means an internal combustion engine driving the wheels.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 25th November 16:30

Chris71

21,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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The way the Tesla bends physics is just incredible, but it feels like a big, heavy car. Haven't sampled the i8, but I suspect it's more satisfying to drive. It's certainly more interesting to look at.

But as commented above, the Tesla has a truly unique selling point, the i8 is a bit of a halfway house, which I gather isn't that far ahead of say, a 991, in real-world economy. On the upside, at least you can pull into any petrol station and fill up with enough fuel to get you home.

For me it'd be the i8, but the Tesla is arguably a bigger achievement.

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,042 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
Tesla for me.

I just don't see the point in the BMW - if I'm going to have a sporty car I want something light which for the moment means an internal combustion engine driving the wheels.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 25th November 16:30
I think it's about 1500kg. I know that's not Elise/Caterham light but compared to similar vehicles, is that really that heavy these days? My Civic weighs 1300kg.

fossilfuelled

293 posts

106 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Tesla all day. The i8 fails to live up to it's looks for me. Having driven it in dense traffic, countryside roads and fast a-roads it's neither fast enough, exciting enough or engaging enough to drive for how it looks. I've been passenger in a few Teslas and have sampled insane mode. It's out of this world fast, fun, and best of all, nobody knows or expects it. The i8 screams "look at me" but doesn't match up in performance.

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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I had a good nose around a Model S at the NEC a couple of weeks back.

Utterly, utterly, blown away by it. Fabulous thing. What a car, really! It looks brilliant, it's exceptionally roomy, it's full of brilliant little touches, it has two boots and it made me want to own an electric car for the first time.

Drawback? I couldn't shake off the notion that although I think it's a car of the future, that the technology still isn't ready yet. If the floor full of batteries goes tits up, where does that leave you? The range is still too short, and I'd happily trade some of the ludicrous performance for a longer range.

Me and the guys I was with worked out that if we'd driven up in a Tesla to see that Tesla, we wouldn't make it home again in the the £60,000 + car. My £700 Saab on the other hand, did.

It really is a beauty though. No idea about the BMW. Looks pig ugly to me.

Debaser

5,665 posts

260 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Interesting question. I prefer the drivetrain in the Tesla, but after spending time driving both it's obvious the i8 has been much more thoroughly developed.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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white_goodman said:
I think it's about 1500kg. I know that's not Elise/Caterham light but compared to similar vehicles, is that really that heavy these days? My Civic weighs 1300kg.
Yeah it's not massively heavy, especially considering what it is but it's a good 100kg more than an Evora or 911 and all the road tests I've read say that the difference feels more than that.

Dannbodge

2,160 posts

120 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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I love BMWs but for me it would be the tesla.
It's a beautiful looking car.

Chris71

21,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Dannbodge said:
I love BMWs but for me it would be the tesla.
It's a beautiful looking car.
Each to their own, but I think it looks a bit generic. Handsome, yes, but almost as if the brief was "don't scare off anyone who'd normally buy an Audi". To my eyes, the i8 is far more interesting to look at, whatever the pros and cons of the driving experience.

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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The i8 looks like an eight year old boys idea of a car: A half broken Transformer which is desperately seeking attention.

By contrast the Tesla saloons are more like Aston Martin - good looking, restrained, classy.

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Kitchski said:
I had a good nose around a Model S at the NEC a couple of weeks back.

Utterly, utterly, blown away by it. Fabulous thing. What a car, really! It looks brilliant, it's exceptionally roomy, it's full of brilliant little touches, it has two boots and it made me want to own an electric car for the first time.

Drawback? I couldn't shake off the notion that although I think it's a car of the future, that the technology still isn't ready yet. If the floor full of batteries goes tits up, where does that leave you? The range is still too short, and I'd happily trade some of the ludicrous performance for a longer range.

Me and the guys I was with worked out that if we'd driven up in a Tesla to see that Tesla, we wouldn't make it home again in the the £60,000 + car. My £700 Saab on the other hand, did.

It really is a beauty though. No idea about the BMW. Looks pig ugly to me.
As we said at the time, if this is the future of cars then I like it.