RE: BMW i8 | The Brave Pill
Discussion
Max_Torque said:
Luke. said:
Olivera said:
Not a fan of the i3 or i8 at all, with the former being a fugly wardrobe on wheels, and the latter being a 3 cylinder that embarrassingly pumps out fake sounds via external speakers.
I'm sure if you drove either your viewpoint would quickly change.My i3 is probably up there as one of my favourite cars.
It makes it even even more amusing when 'noddys car' zipps off and leaves their "superior" car for dead :-)
and over the last 1500 miles i've spent £16 on charging. The 320 would have gone through 3 tanks or £300 there abouts.Wadeski said:
But wasn't everyone saying this was going to happen to Priuses over a decade ago? The exact same doom and gloom. Yet they seem to be trundling around with hundreds of thousands of miles on them. They use them as taxis and police cars, ffs!
Nail, meet head. These scare stories never compare £5k bills for fixing minor things on an M3, for example.Kudos to PH for reminding us that BMW used to be an innovative car company. It pains me that instead of now anticipating perhaps the the third version of the i3 and i8 they excrete purposely unpleasant volumes with wheels to ensure that people in many places can be offended. If there were such a thing as automotive self-harm then there would be no finer proponent than BMW.
I don't know what to make of these. I like them when I see them which is not so uncommon since there is one in my area that gets road time.
They don't have a true competitor so they are a niche of one.
Cars that have doors that open like this should have supercar performance. These aren't close to that. I love Spykers and they don't have supercar performance, but they are quicker and older than the i8.
The lack of performance is why I don't think the i8 will have some great future appreciation, but the doors, buttresses, looks and 911 baby butt will always make them interesting.
They don't have a true competitor so they are a niche of one.
Cars that have doors that open like this should have supercar performance. These aren't close to that. I love Spykers and they don't have supercar performance, but they are quicker and older than the i8.
The lack of performance is why I don't think the i8 will have some great future appreciation, but the doors, buttresses, looks and 911 baby butt will always make them interesting.
lrdisco said:
I looked at these last year but went for an R8 V8 instead.
The V8 just won it for me.
I can understand that decision. On the one hand, you have the i8's carbon contraction and hybrid power train and on the other, the R8's aluminium body and fantastic V8.The V8 just won it for me.
Two very different ways of going about a similar idea and no wrong answer (in my opinion).
With the rear plate stuck on any-old-how would that not be an indicator as to the level of care which most probably hasn't been lavished upon it?
Something as seemingly innocuous as a skewed plate and then there's the question of the apparent lapse in servicing, for me, would have me reaching for an authoritative opinion on the entire shebang. I'd probably even propose that if the vendors are so convinced that it's the buy of the year, that they stand the risk of paying for an in-depth inspection, in the event that it failed badly.
Something as seemingly innocuous as a skewed plate and then there's the question of the apparent lapse in servicing, for me, would have me reaching for an authoritative opinion on the entire shebang. I'd probably even propose that if the vendors are so convinced that it's the buy of the year, that they stand the risk of paying for an in-depth inspection, in the event that it failed badly.
I have a 2015 i8, it's a great car to own, extremely good on fuel (easy 50mpg+ on motorway), very comfy long distance and enough room in the boot/back seats for luggage. On short trips you can squeeze a 3rd person in the back if they're under 6ft behind the passenger, not an option behind driver unless they're very short! In sport mode it makes a real difference, the car firms up and is good fun, my last car was a Lotus Evora and it's not as far off as you'd think. The doors open in much less room than you'd expect, if worst ever happened and someone parks too close you can open the windows from the fob and squeeze in that way, but I've never had to do it! Living in town a tank of fuel last for ages as most trips can be done in EV mode, it's genuinely useful and EVs suit town driving so much better than starting a big 6/8cylinder car for a short trip. I think it will be looked back on a car before its time, the basic layout is now what's coming through from Ferrari, Mclaren etc.
MrOrange said:
Not brave pill territory imho.
I bought mine new in March 2016 and, aside from being the cheapest car I’ve run in over 25 years, it’s so good at everything I need it for that I’m not rushing to change it. It’s not a sports or a track car, it’s an extremely capable, very comfortable GT cruiser that can, if required, pick up its skirt and sprint cross-country as quick as you’re ever likely to need.
It’s a proper 2+2, I’ve taken adults in the back but mostly the rear space is used for luggage etc. It still turns heads today and without a squeak or rattle it easily passes for “new”. Tech is just enough; full bluetooth and decent sat nav, HUD, LCD dash, funky interior lighting, all-round external cameras, remote App conditioning, “display key”, and a decent HK stereo.
It’s a lovely serene place to be, and ace at chewing up the A-road miles. It is wide, parking is trickier than it should be, but the dihedral doors only need 18” or so to fully open. Design I like, but not everyone else does, but lack of silly spoilers and dams give it an understated look, despite looking even now if its from the future. Can you tell I’m a fan?
Previous cars include: AM V8V, Cayman, C63, Elise, D4 S8, Celica GT4 and others so a right old mix. Its current stable mates are an ‘05 Outback shed, Panigale S and a CCM flat-tracker. It is the best car I have owned, and I plan to keep it for the foreseeable.
MONEY:
This is what we like to see on PH, a proper owner's review with costs explained...thanks MrOrange.I bought mine new in March 2016 and, aside from being the cheapest car I’ve run in over 25 years, it’s so good at everything I need it for that I’m not rushing to change it. It’s not a sports or a track car, it’s an extremely capable, very comfortable GT cruiser that can, if required, pick up its skirt and sprint cross-country as quick as you’re ever likely to need.
It’s a proper 2+2, I’ve taken adults in the back but mostly the rear space is used for luggage etc. It still turns heads today and without a squeak or rattle it easily passes for “new”. Tech is just enough; full bluetooth and decent sat nav, HUD, LCD dash, funky interior lighting, all-round external cameras, remote App conditioning, “display key”, and a decent HK stereo.
It’s a lovely serene place to be, and ace at chewing up the A-road miles. It is wide, parking is trickier than it should be, but the dihedral doors only need 18” or so to fully open. Design I like, but not everyone else does, but lack of silly spoilers and dams give it an understated look, despite looking even now if its from the future. Can you tell I’m a fan?
Previous cars include: AM V8V, Cayman, C63, Elise, D4 S8, Celica GT4 and others so a right old mix. Its current stable mates are an ‘05 Outback shed, Panigale S and a CCM flat-tracker. It is the best car I have owned, and I plan to keep it for the foreseeable.
MONEY:
- Annual service is usually a few hundred, including the annual MoT
- RFL is zero, insurance is under £400 (56 yrs old, clean license)
- Annual BMW warranty is £950
- Fuel cost is tiny (51 mpg av since new, 20k miles in total)
- One set of rear tyres, original fronts. Original everything else (except door struts, which are replaced every two years).
- Had two “return to dealer” moments, one was a recall for a HV check and one for the (TADT) fuel pressure release issue.
- I paid full list (£115k) minus 10k BMW contrib, minus £5k gov contrib, minus 100% first year WDA (my LLP) so upfront was (net) about £60k (balancing charges apply). Deal was IF 36 months then a balloon that I cleared.
- Depreciation: N/A as I haven’t sold it but it has been fully-depreciated for tax purposes.
- What’s it worth? No idea, but a low mileage, fully factory-warranted, 1-owner, (almost) fully specced car in protonic blue with unmarked turbine wheels and a white/very light grey unmarked interior is a rare thing I would guess.
Edited by MrOrange on Monday 2nd May 18:12
Edited by MrOrange on Monday 2nd May 18:15
These have a niche, I think, as I’m considering one. I fancy a mid-life crisis car, £40-50k, and in the frame is a 911, and R8, and one of these. The advantage of the i8 is that it’s a hybrid, and so a little more “socially acceptable” thanks to the green washing…
So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
DanL said:
These have a niche, I think, as I’m considering one. I fancy a mid-life crisis car, £40-50k, and in the frame is a 911, and R8, and one of these. The advantage of the i8 is that it’s a hybrid, and so a little more “socially acceptable” thanks to the green washing…
So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
Good luck with finding a nice 911 for under £50k, unless you're happy to play Russian roulette with RMS, DMS, bore scoring etc. etc. So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
shoestring7 said:
DanL said:
These have a niche, I think, as I’m considering one. I fancy a mid-life crisis car, £40-50k, and in the frame is a 911, and R8, and one of these. The advantage of the i8 is that it’s a hybrid, and so a little more “socially acceptable” thanks to the green washing…
So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
Good luck with finding a nice 911 for under £50k, unless you're happy to play Russian roulette with RMS, DMS, bore scoring etc. etc. So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
Mid-50’s would get me a 991 from Porsche though, albeit one without much in the way of options!shoestring7 said:
DanL said:
These have a niche, I think, as I’m considering one. I fancy a mid-life crisis car, £40-50k, and in the frame is a 911, and R8, and one of these. The advantage of the i8 is that it’s a hybrid, and so a little more “socially acceptable” thanks to the green washing…
So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
Good luck with finding a nice 911 for under £50k, unless you're happy to play Russian roulette with RMS, DMS, bore scoring etc. etc. So - the niche is something that looks quite sporty, goes fast enough (four and a half seconds to sixty is more than fine, and ballpark with the other two on the list), and won’t make the younger generation think I’m killing the planet. Plus the fun doors.
Lovely car but i can understand why BMW chose not to replace it, nor the I3.
From what I have understood, neither were great commercial successes - I think they targeted the right drivetrain, but the wrong market. Tesla have made a huge success by selling 4 door upmarket electric cars and SUV. That is where the demand is. There would appear to be little demand for GT/sports cars in this format ( and Tesla seem to be in no rush to launch the roadster ) and similarly in small city cars with limited range.
These cars have huge development costs associated with them, and I suspect BMW just could not make the business case stack up. All car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure at the moment, having to develop multiple drive trains ( petrol, PHEV, electric ) across multiple formats ( 4 door, cross over ) while coping with supply issues. Suspect they had bigger fish to fry....
From what I have understood, neither were great commercial successes - I think they targeted the right drivetrain, but the wrong market. Tesla have made a huge success by selling 4 door upmarket electric cars and SUV. That is where the demand is. There would appear to be little demand for GT/sports cars in this format ( and Tesla seem to be in no rush to launch the roadster ) and similarly in small city cars with limited range.
These cars have huge development costs associated with them, and I suspect BMW just could not make the business case stack up. All car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure at the moment, having to develop multiple drive trains ( petrol, PHEV, electric ) across multiple formats ( 4 door, cross over ) while coping with supply issues. Suspect they had bigger fish to fry....
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