...and who's getting an i8?

[johnnyreggae]

AndyDubbya said:

Worryingly, not according to this bloke: http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t...

I wonder if he ordered through a smaller idealer - if so their allocation is so small (possibly one car per quarter) that just one cancellation could see an improvement of several months in delivery

[bertie]

johnnyreggae said:

AndyDubbya said:

Worryingly, not according to this bloke: http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t...

I wonder if he ordered through a smaller idealer - if so their allocation is so small (possibly one car per quarter) that just one cancellation could see an improvement of several months in delivery

I think the i8 will drop back to not much better than normal rates of BMW depreciation. In pretty short order.

The premium market is going to be very short lived, BMW are just not used to managing it lin the way companies like Ferrari are.

There are a big percentage of people who are buying because it's the new thing and it want loose any money, that would not normally but up for the depreciation on a £100k car.

All IMHO of course.

[erics]

Disagree, there's been pretty special bmw's in the past and they faired well over the years.

In fact i like it when people slate the i8... Go buy another supercar, mp4, 430, 458, r8, 991.. Much better for my books

[mr_tony]

Ok so back on topic.



Went and drove the i8 today.
Found t a great drive, genuinely impressed and it felt enjoyably quick. Did feel like the front tyres were maybe incapable of being leaned on too hard especially on cold damp Tarmac, but shove was more than adequate.

Theatre there is spades in the doors and the shape and overall I am smitten, however I tried putting a maxi cosi tobi (that I use for my 3yo in the bavk of the FF) in the i8 and it just is too tall to even go into the seat in the back. Tried the official bmw seat option but that didn't fit either..

So for me it's looking like the i8 will have to wait.

Will borrow an i3 soon but also ran into something else that got me interested which I might go for.

And in the meantime I'll test a Tesla tomorrow....

[bertie]

mr_tony said:

Ok so back on topic.



Went and drove the i8 today.
Found t a great drive, genuinely impressed and it felt enjoyably quick. Did feel like the front tyres were maybe incapable of being leaned on too hard especially on cold damp Tarmac, but shove was more than adequate.

Theatre there is spades in the doors and the shape and overall I am smitten, however I tried putting a maxi cosi tobi (that I use for my 3yo in the bavk of the FF) in the i8 and it just is too tall to even go into the seat in the back. Tried the official bmw seat option but that didn't fit either..

So for me it's looking like the i8 will have to wait.

Will borrow an i3 soon but also ran into something else that got me interested which I might go for.

And in the meantime I'll test a Tesla tomorrow....

I found the same, the i8 was impressive but really it's a 2 seater with no boot, the FF is miles more practical.

You wait until you try a Tesla, that's even more impressive, especially the dual motor.

[slippery]

bertie said:

I found the same, the i8 was impressive but really it's a 2 seater with no boot, the FF is miles more practical.

You wait until you try a Tesla, that's even more impressive, especially the dual motor.

I cancelled my i8 and went with a Tesla P85D. If I'm spending that much money, I like the idea of the monumental shove that P85D delivers in day to day situations and I felt that the i8 performance was only adequate. You'll have to buy on the strength of a P85+ test drive though, as there are no P85Ds in the UK.

[bertie]

slippery said:

bertie said:

I found the same, the i8 was impressive but really it's a 2 seater with no boot, the FF is miles more practical.

You wait until you try a Tesla, that's even more impressive, especially the dual motor.

I cancelled my i8 and went with a Tesla P85D. If I'm spending that much money, I like the idea of the monumental shove that P85D delivers in day to day situations and I felt that the i8 performance was only adequate. You'll have to buy on the strength of a P85+ test drive though, as there are no P85Ds in the UK.

They are astonishing, really impressive although Im not 100% sold on the touch screen, too much taking eyes off the road required to operate it for my liking.

[slippery]

bertie said:

They are astonishing, really impressive although Im not 100% sold on the touch screen, too much taking eyes off the road required to operate it for my liking.

I wasn't sold on the touch screen or the interior as a whole, but it seems very user friendly and by specifying extended leather, next generation seats (by Recaro) and Executive Rear Seating, I think it will be more than passable.

[bertie]

slippery said:

I wasn't sold on the touch screen or the interior as a whole, but it seems very user friendly and by specifying extended leather, next generation seats (by Recaro) and Executive Rear Seating, I think it will be more than passable.

And it'll come with the hardware for autopilot too, then one morning you'll get in and it will have been activated by an overnight update over air

[mr_tony]

Biggest drawback for me is the size of the Tesla - I'm not sure I want to thread it down B roads. We will see when I drive it later. The Tesla isn't good looking like the i8...

Will be loaning an i3 for a few days soon too, but beginning to wonder if it's too early to go electric and maybe I just need a good analog daily driver.

If I can make the i8 work at the end of this year once my son is in a booster seat rather than a full car seat then maybe it's worth putting in an order in the summer..

Edited by mr_tony on Tuesday 10th February 07:25

[Jon1967x]

mr_tony said:

Biggest drawback for me is the size of the Tesla - I'm not sure I want to thread it down B roads. We will see when I drive it later. The Tesla isn't good looking like the i8...

The tesla is actually about 7cm narrower than an I8, it's longer but then you can use the rear seats and carry a fair bit of luggage.

[bertie]

mr_tony said:

Biggest drawback for me is the size of the Tesla - I'm not sure I want to thread it down B roads. We will see when I drive it later. The Tesla isn't good looking like the i8...

Will be loaning an i3 for a few days soon too, but beginning to wonder if it's too early to go electric and maybe I just need a good analog daily driver.

If I can make the i8 work at the end of this year once my son is in a booster seat rather than a full car seat then maybe it's worth putting in an order in the summer..

Edited by mr_tony on Tuesday 10th February 07:25

I think the i3 is a fantastic thing, in a lot of ways more impressive than the i8 and certainly far more practical.

Seems a great choice to me, but from your comments I sense something is putting you off one?

[Shilvers]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but Top Gear this Sunday will hopefully be a good watch if they take it seriously:

Jeremy Clarkson tests the new BMW M4 at the track before switching to another BMW, the space-age, hybrid-powered i8, for a revealing trip up the A1 to Whitby. When he gets there, and fuelled by a portion of fish and chips, Clarkson must decide which of the two he would rather take for the drive home.

[CRA1G]

Shilvers said:

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but Top Gear this Sunday will hopefully be a good watch if they take it seriously:

Jeremy Clarkson tests the new BMW M4 at the track before switching to another BMW, the space-age, hybrid-powered i8, for a revealing trip up the A1 to Whitby. When he gets there, and fuelled by a portion of fish and chips, Clarkson must decide which of the two he would rather take for the drive home.

That should be interesting..... I hope it is the i8..... I haven't even sat in one never mind driven one yet and I'm picking mine up in three weeks time.....

[slippery]

Top Gear declared the i8 their Car of The Year, so I would be surprised if he chooses the M4.

[mr_tony]

bertie said:

I think the i3 is a fantastic thing, in a lot of ways more impressive than the i8 and certainly far more practical.

Seems a great choice to me, but from your comments I sense something is putting you off one?

35k is about the same cost as a s/h 1M. Perhaps one of the last great BMWs with a 6pot. I can't get an i3 on company car scheme so I get no tax advantage so will buy used. 35k for a s/h i3 vs 35k for a s/h 1M is a head scratcher...

Edited by mr_tony on Tuesday 10th February 10:03

[bertie]

mr_tony said:

35k is about the same cost as a s/h 1M. Perhaps one of the last great BMWs with a 6pot. I can't get an i3 on company car scheme so I get no tax advantage so will buy used. 35k for a s/h i3 vs 35k for a s/h 1M is a head scratcher...

Edited by mr_tony on Tuesday 10th February 10:03

So can you get an i8 on company car scheme?

How about a M135i or M235i?

I absolutely love our M135i, fantastic 6 pot engine and 8 speed box combo, really comfy and very practical.
Even my wife says it's the one she doesn't want to see go.

[mr_tony]

If I was running my own company I'd probably justify an i8

The i3 is great.

I drive the p85 Tesla this morning - really quite an incredible thing. Tech wise it makes the i8 seem old hat already! Ok it doesn't look quite as futuristic but in terms of the driving experience it's quite stunning..

[Ali2202]

Cancelled my order this morning chaps.

Upcoming Spyder, mooted increase in engine size and the questions over depreciation of version 1 were just too strong to ignore. Might get back in on a Spyder next year but it's the old 911's and snotter Disco 3 for now.

[bertie]

mr_tony said:

If I was running my own company I'd probably justify an i8

The i3 is great.

I drive the p85 Tesla this morning - really quite an incredible thing. Tech wise it makes the i8 seem old hat already! Ok it doesn't look quite as futuristic but in terms of the driving experience it's quite stunning..

I thought you'd like the Tesla
I've only driven the S but the dual motors looks even more spectacular!