Thursday 16th October 2014

BMW i8: Delivery Miles

Like the look of BMW's intriguing new-age hybrid sports car? You've got a long wait or a premium to endure...

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Well I've now joined Matt in a what's still a pretty exclusive club - I've driven the BMW i8 in right-hand drive form on UK roads. I admit, I've been desperate to get into the i8 - along with most of the rest of Britain, it seems.

Impulse Design Package adds to value/desirability

So does the i8 match the expectations of its big build up? It's certainly got the cool factor: those floating rear buttresses look sensational, and whatever colour I've seen it in, it has amazing presence on the road. The fact that it's a hybrid gives it a sprinkle of that hyper-hybrid magic from the likes of the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918, too.

But I must admit, I do feel a little crestfallen after my drive. The three-cylinder Mini engine - tuned though it is to 231hp, and joined by two electric motors to deliver 362hp in all - just doesn't feel special enough. The sound in the cabin is utterly synthetic, taking the modern artifice of 'acoustic enhancement' to new extremes. The i8 is very quick, though, and a great handler.

The i8 first arrived on UK soil in July, and now quite a few British customers find themselves behind the (right-hand) wheel of their car. In fact, the UK is comfortably the biggest market for the BMW's 'i' sub-brand.

Fashionable status means hefty premiums

And the i8 is certainly in big demand here. Officially, the i8 is sold out until September 2015, but go to a BMW dealer and you'll typically be told it's the end of 2015 before you'll get one. As a result, it's not surprising that I've been told you can't get an i8 for love nor money.

Well, it turns out enough money can indeed buy you an i8, if you're prepared to accept a used example. And how much is 'enough'? In the region of £140K for a car with delivery miles on the odometer.

Since the i8's list price is £99,895, that looks like a straight - and steep - 40 per cent premium. But actually the base UK price is £101,385 on the road, including the obligatory surround view option. And many buyers are going for the Pure Impulse Design package, consisting of upgraded alloy wheels, perforated grey full leather trim and blue seat belts - yours for £12,200 - as well as the Harmon/Kardon sound system at £895. So the actual premium is more like £25K - still hefty - but then this is the 'it' car of the moment.

Would you pay a £25K premium?

The above-mentioned spec is what this delivery-mileage i8 has, and it's priced at £139,911 (that price must be deliberate). Very similarly specced and priced at £139,995 is this one. And with the same Pure Impulse Design pack is this i8 but with a few more miles on the clock - 1,400 - and therefore priced at a slightly more accessible £127,490.

Such premium prices may well be attracting owners to sell, but I also hear that another factor may be that it's so tricky to get into, with very wide sills and awkward doors. And personally speaking, I find the i8's cabin lacking in a sense of occasion - surprisingly, the BMW i3's interior has more drama.

Speaking of the i3, have you tried finding one for sale? I've looked but couldn't locate a single secondhand one for up for grabs in the UK, even through BMW's Approved Used scheme. That's despite more than 1,000 of them having been registered here in the last 12 months. Seems like, in contrast to owners of i8s, i3 owners are hanging on to their cars...

[IMI A]

£140,000

Daft

[IMI A]

erics said:

a few points:

• the Tesla is a battery car and is seriously impaired by its range in real life and takes at least 2-3 hours to charge up. And you have to use a dedicated charging spot if you want a quick charge. Plus it looks totally bland and uninspiring.

• the day when I did test drive the i8, my main sportscar was an aston v12 vantage. I put it for sale the day I came back from driving the bmw. It was that good.

• I disagree with the tester's comments regarding the sound. It is very well done and you can elect not to have it at all when you are not in the mood. It is a very relaxing drive when you want it to be and a great, great car regardless of what powers it.

• it is staggeringly fast. The combination of electric and petrol engine gives it a stronger immediate and in gear acceleration than the v12v. In real life at least. The power is so accessible.

• Remember that its structure is made of carbon fibre and the amount of technology in the car is staggering. To me, it felt more special and more of an event than the Aston v12v I was driving at the time. At £100k, it is a bargain.

Each to their own, i put my deposit down 2 months ago and I strongly suggest to anyone to go and have a test drive and see for themselves..

Edited by erics on Thursday 16th October 12:40

Edited by erics on Thursday 16th October 12:53

Eric, Do you have an iPhone 6?

[IMI A]

erics said:

IMI A said:

Eric, Do you have an iPhone 6?

No, i do not.
Battery life is too poor. I stick to my trusty old blackberry.

Ha ha just checking! Can't believe a petrol head likes that thing!