BMW i8

[DSLiverpool]

Buy one of these and sit on it for 20 years - worth a fortune? Will certainly need new batteries that by then will be £25 I suppose.

This reeks of future must have even if not a classic

[slippery]

TLandCruiser said:

the speaker under the seat to make it sound like it has a real engine, is just terrible imo.

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

[Blakewater]

Whether or not you like the styling of this particular car, the technology is probably what's going to keep high performance cars alive into the future

[slippery]

I can't be sure about the rear yet, but the front and side profiles, particularly in real life and not just photos, are stunning.

[Jimmm]

slippery said:

Ordered mine last week. Every car is a compromise in one way or another and they all divide opinion. I went for Sophisto Grey (what most on here are referring to as black), with Frozen Grey instead of blue accents, which deals with the 911 issue.

Sounds like a good combo. I bet it'll be rare to see one without the blue accent, I certainly haven't seen one in that colourway yet.

[Steve7777]

DonkeyApple said:

Jimmm said:

I thought it looked amazing until someone told me it looks like it's trying to give birth to a 991 911. Now I can't unsee it!

Great spot.

Really tickled me too. Imagine being the designer when someone points that out after launch.

[slippery]

Steve7777 said:

Really tickled me too. Imagine being the designer when someone points that out after launch.

Perhaps it was intentional.

[DonkeyApple]

McWigglebum4th said:

DonkeyApple said:

The i3 and i8 are the first EVs to have blue and white circular badges and the letters B, M and W on the back.

Very true

But it doesn't put me off

I still want a i3

Well you know my view on the i3. While batteries remain expensive, EVs only work at the premium end so I expect BMW to be able to get more personal sales than the others. I think the i3 is the pivotal product at this point in time for defining whether the niche stays as it is needing tax breaks and subsidies or whether it can start to stand on its own.

Starting to see quite a few round here but people round here like their EVs. I reckon we have more GWizs than the rest of London.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

LovelyTia said:

Saw one of these today on a drive out. What a thing of beauty and chatting to the owner he seemed to love it (also fair play to the owner for chatting to a random girl who was taking pictures and started questioning him)

I suspect the emboldened bit was a key factor.

[RowntreesCabana]

Loved the look of it when it first came out, but each time I've seen it since its getting uglier. Its now starting to look awful, like a BMW saloon with crappy body kit and the whole "giving birth to a 911" thing has just pushed it passed the point of no return. No thanks.

[epom]

Just curious to how any owners of these are getting on with them ? Are they as Amazing as we are led to believe ?

[CRA1G]

epom said:

Just curious to how any owners of these are getting on with them ? Are they as Amazing as we are led to believe ?

A simple answer YES..! fantastic car,great performance with so little to compare on the market the any thing else at the same price.! but I still enjoy driving my old 8 series..!

[RikonLondon]

Just wondering how everyone is getting on with these and what their thoughts are on the residuals?

[Jimmm]

I don't know anyone first hand, but around here (North Derbyshire) there seemed to be loads around for 6 months or so now I don't see them anymore either luck or everyone has ditched them for some reason.

[CRA1G]

Possibly stuck in multistory car parks and not been able to get out...! but no as iv said before never fails to please,fantastic car..!

[unpc]

I test drove one of these some months ago and it left me entirely cold. Didn't feel very quick and the demo was reading an average of 27mpg which isn't exactly earth shattering.

The various systems are very well integrated and it would be an easy car to live with but I think the styling is starting to date already. Futuristic designs always date the quickest IMO

[RikonLondon]

Thats interesting that you didn't like it, mostly the perception has been positive. My issue is that with any new technology it will depreciate quickly (e.g. 4k Telly's etc) and I will see a fair amount of depreciation in this for the next year before they start to level out.

I guess the other choice is to lease at circa £1k per month.

Edited by RikonLondon on Monday 21st September 13:35

[K2MDL]

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying an i8. Would like to hear from anyone who actually owns one and could either persuade me or otherwise! I drive a Porker 991 911 at the moment and didn't consider an i8 until I drove my Sons i3 the other day and was amazed at its performance. Had a test drive in an i8 but no where near long enough to make up my mind. Looking at a used one arounfnd £85k.

And replies either here or email welcome.

[Dr JonboyG]

K2MDL said:

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying an i8. Would like to hear from anyone who actually owns one and could either persuade me or otherwise! I drive a Porker 991 911 at the moment and didn't consider an i8 until I drove my Sons i3 the other day and was amazed at its performance. Had a test drive in an i8 but no where near long enough to make up my mind. Looking at a used one arounfnd £85k.

And replies either here or email welcome.

Don't own one but spent a very enjoyable week testing it earlier this year. Much easier to drive fast than a 911S because of the way it deploys power to the front wheels from the electric motor. Visually it's much more exciting and attracts a lot of attention every time you park. Aurally it's much less exciting athough the engine note is pleasant (some people will not like that it's artificial though).

The boot is smaller than a 911 (it's behind the internal combustion engine), but the back seats are more comfortable and slightly more usable. Infotainment system is miles better than Porsche's. The best bit is you can drive it like you stole it and it does 20mpg (24mpg in UK numbers). Do the same in a 911S and it's half that (I managed 9mpg).

[polar8]

Dr JonboyG said:

K2MDL said:

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying an i8. Would like to hear from anyone who actually owns one and could either persuade me or otherwise! I drive a Porker 991 911 at the moment and didn't consider an i8 until I drove my Sons i3 the other day and was amazed at its performance. Had a test drive in an i8 but no where near long enough to make up my mind. Looking at a used one arounfnd £85k.

And replies either here or email welcome.

Don't own one but spent a very enjoyable week testing it earlier this year. Much easier to drive fast than a 911S because of the way it deploys power to the front wheels from the electric motor. Visually it's much more exciting and attracts a lot of attention every time you park. Aurally it's much less exciting athough the engine note is pleasant (some people will not like that it's artificial though).

The boot is smaller than a 911 (it's behind the internal combustion engine), but the back seats are more comfortable and slightly more usable. Infotainment system is miles better than Porsche's. The best bit is you can drive it like you stole it and it does 20mpg (24mpg in UK numbers). Do the same in a 911S and it's half that (I managed 9mpg).

I drive an i8 daily, and had a 991S before. ^^ the previous post is accurate (apart from MPG - I'm getting c.30mpg without charging it and with hard driving). It's great fun, definitely worth considering as an alternative. They way it drives and the whole experience is enough to keep me interested and haven't looked back - plus all the benefits of owning one in London make it compelling for me. I'll PM you more comments