RE: Finally - a BMW i8 Roadster worth talking about

[CG2020UK]

CJM909 said:

CG2020UK said:

Love the look but it’s a bit damp to drive.

Just buy an M2, M3, M4 or M5 they are just better in every way.

Innovative and brave from BMW but not really a drivers car and ultimately not really good at anything.

Rerelease it as full EV and it would be brilliant.

In what way are they all better then?

Having owned an M4 and currently an i8 there is literally no comparison in special feeling and how it generally feels to drive hence paying double the price at new. The M4 I had was hideously unreliable leaving me to sell it at 17k miles on the clock. x2 diff seal leaks, headlights full of water, idrive crashes, engine cut out leaving me stranded at traffic lights twice.

I've had no such issues with my i8. It's not just get one because it has better performance it's look at what suits you life style why's. For me the i8 is a 2nd/3rd car I use on the weekend and days off. It has something special about it where as M cars are still based on the original 4 series, 2 series etc. I8 is unique in its own right.

Well an M4 is more practical, lighter and quicker. I8 steering was too light and it’s not a corner car at all, a M4 would is far more engaging to drive. You’d take an M4 on track but not an I8 so less useable. Apart from looks which I do acknowledge are nice the I8 is seriously outgunned against the M cars.

While I get you have a bad opinion of the M4 they are popular enough now that the reliability is generally pretty well known and are solid cars.

Unfortunately I just can’t get away from the looks that can’t be backed up. Like these have been out for 10 years now so everyone knows they aren’t actually super cars.

Wouldn’t ridicule or tell someone they shouldn’t have bought an I8 as you say everyone's circumstances are different. Just wouldn’t be where I’d stick £40k in a world of F-types, M cars, TTRS, Alpines and Porsches.

[Harry H]

I always liked the look of these until someone pointed out that from the rear it looks like it's stting a 911.

Once seen...

Edited by Harry H on Thursday 18th April 09:50

[SpadeBrigade]

One of the best designs to come from BMW in modern times, looks fantastic. They should have stuck the M3 engine in it and called it a day.

[MattsCar]

I have never seen so much waffle in a car advert....

"Our 100-hour Pre-Sale Preparation Process:
This BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid has been subject to our innovative industry leading (up-to-100-hour) labour-intensive preparation process that is designed to satisfy even the most pedantic of enthusiasts. Our exacting standards have been met at each stage of our methodical process for this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster to be offered for sale by Automotive Addiction.
The first part of this process is our crucial pre-purchase inspections, this includes Deep-Dive Diagnostics, Mechanical Inspection & Road Test Analysis to ensure what lies beneath the paintwork is of the highest degree of integrity, followed by an in-depth inspection of all exterior and interior surfaces which includes the Paint Protection Film, Paintwork, Wheels, Glass, Tyres & Interior with a rigorous Paintwork Depth Analysis which identifies to us the originality of the paintwork.
Any maintenance identified by us during our inspections have been completed before moving onto our pre-sale professional detailing work.
60 hours of meticulous preparation from our highly-skilled in-house professional detailers with over 10-years of experience has been completed prior to advertisement in our bespoke detailing studio
This includes deep ‘wheels-off’ decontamination cleanse, multi-stage paint correction, brake disc centre refurbishment and deep interior cleanse to ensure this BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid is presented to you in the most optimal condition possible regardless of age or mileage.
This unique industry-leading process has been documented by us in the form of photo and video. We have included some images of the work carried out in the gallery for this advert, we have also included a small clip in the walkaround video for this car, however much more content of the work carried out can be supplied to any prospective buyers on request.
Automotive Addiction has grown out of our unrivalled passion for perfection in vehicle preparation and performance.
Please contact us without delay, for a full breakdown on the preparation we have carried out on this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster"

[C5_Steve]

200Plus Club said:

They look great when you see one at car meets, then sound absolutely dire as they roll away. Interesting and unusual car but never felt the need to consider owning one.

I've always liked the look of these and they've certainly held they're value really well. On the sound, up until yesterday, I don't think I'd ever heard the noise they make however I saw one pull out or a turning and accelerate shall we say vigorously down the road. Have to say, it sounded much better than I thought it would. Suspect it had an aftermarket exhaust but it certainly didn't sound like a 1.5ltr!

[jamesbilluk]

C5_Steve said:

I've always liked the look of these and they've certainly held they're value really well. On the sound, up until yesterday, I don't think I'd ever heard the noise they make however I saw one pull out or a turning and accelerate shall we say vigorously down the road. Have to say, it sounded much better than I thought it would. Suspect it had an aftermarket exhaust but it certainly didn't sound like a 1.5ltr!

They have a speaker next to the exhaust to help the sound I think..


Inside there's active sound as well, in sports mode.
https://youtu.be/7FrgUFm3Cak?si=-8TwDiyJIm4lxfN9

[C5_Steve]

jamesbilluk said:

They have a speaker next to the exhaust to help the sound I think..


Inside there's active sound as well, in sports mode.
https://youtu.be/7FrgUFm3Cak?si=-8TwDiyJIm4lxfN9

Ah I see, well it works in that case as it sounded very V6 like from the outside.

[swisstoni]

MattsCar said:

I have never seen so much waffle in a car advert....

"Our 100-hour Pre-Sale Preparation Process:
This BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid has been subject to our innovative industry leading (up-to-100-hour) labour-intensive preparation process that is designed to satisfy even the most pedantic of enthusiasts. Our exacting standards have been met at each stage of our methodical process for this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster to be offered for sale by Automotive Addiction.
The first part of this process is our crucial pre-purchase inspections, this includes Deep-Dive Diagnostics, Mechanical Inspection & Road Test Analysis to ensure what lies beneath the paintwork is of the highest degree of integrity, followed by an in-depth inspection of all exterior and interior surfaces which includes the Paint Protection Film, Paintwork, Wheels, Glass, Tyres & Interior with a rigorous Paintwork Depth Analysis which identifies to us the originality of the paintwork.
Any maintenance identified by us during our inspections have been completed before moving onto our pre-sale professional detailing work.
60 hours of meticulous preparation from our highly-skilled in-house professional detailers with over 10-years of experience has been completed prior to advertisement in our bespoke detailing studio
This includes deep ‘wheels-off’ decontamination cleanse, multi-stage paint correction, brake disc centre refurbishment and deep interior cleanse to ensure this BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid is presented to you in the most optimal condition possible regardless of age or mileage.
This unique industry-leading process has been documented by us in the form of photo and video. We have included some images of the work carried out in the gallery for this advert, we have also included a small clip in the walkaround video for this car, however much more content of the work carried out can be supplied to any prospective buyers on request.
Automotive Addiction has grown out of our unrivalled passion for perfection in vehicle preparation and performance.
Please contact us without delay, for a full breakdown on the preparation we have carried out on this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster"

What a load of wk.
But it’s fun to read though for how they’ve made a typical expensive car prep sound like a nut and bolt restoration.

[jamesbilluk]

C5_Steve said:

jamesbilluk said:

They have a speaker next to the exhaust to help the sound I think..


Inside there's active sound as well, in sports mode.
https://youtu.be/7FrgUFm3Cak?si=-8TwDiyJIm4lxfN9

Ah I see, well it works in that case as it sounded very V6 like from the outside.

Definitely, I always enjoyed the way it sounded to be honest!

[WPA]

Cannot see why you would pay a premium for this car when you get one that has been used and enjoyed.

Always liked the copper orange they offered on the roadster.

[iain123]

Had mine for 6 years and love it. You can’t look at it as a direct competitor to the R8 or 911 unless you start talking running costs and consumption. Don’t you think BMW could have put a massive engine in it with fat wheels? Its not designed to be a road weapon – it was originally going to be a diesel!

Mine regularly sees 50 to 60mpg with zero road tax. I use it daily as an affordable way to get to work that’s relaxingly silent in heavy traffic but fun to drive with lovely traction on those damp days. How many R8s do you see dailying – I cant say I ever seen one outside of a weekend?

(The highstress ICE is far more of a worry than battery longevity in the i8)

[cerb4.5lee]

WPA said:

Cannot see why you would pay a premium for this car when you get one that has been used and enjoyed.

Always liked the copper orange they offered on the roadster.

I think they look stunning, and they have a lot of theatre about them I reckon.

[Taz73]

Not sure about this when reasonable mileage cars seem a fair bit less, but these are great lookers, I'd imagine owners feel good factor with these is through the roof, I think they still turn heads now, and don't look out of date.
These, along with the i3, being discontinued never made sense to me, both could have been kept up to date with more modern battery tech and motors making both viable in today's market, I'd have thought. Both are great cars that wouldn't look out of place in a current line up.
I'm guessing their carbon composite make up makes them too expensive to manufacture compared to the boring SUVs they currently sell, but I don't recall news of them being sold at a loss, so they made money before and surely could still?

[JJJ.]

Never been in one, never mind drive one but I like them a lot. Still, unsure if I'd buy with my own hard earned, like to think I would if it suited my needs.

[stuart100]

cerb4.5lee said:

LMA37 said:

Corkys said:

Never liked these, front end lovely, rear half awful. And they put the wrong engine in it. It should have been a more impressive one than the 3 pot 1.5ltr.
Then the skinny tyres for economy, it’s a sports car!! Such a mixed bag of a car.
Not for me.

Need to rethink the combined power and especially torque make these extremely quick. Up to 100mph my friends GT3RS can't keep up. So the boring rhetoric of engine size is nonsense.

NA engines aren't much use below 100mph in fairness...well the NA S65 V8 4.0 in my old E92 M3 wasn't anyway. If you care about engines, then a 3 cylinder 1.5 engine isn't going to get your juices flowing for me.

The S65 is a wonderful engine and very useful upto 100 mph?

[cerb4.5lee]

stuart100 said:

The S65 is a wonderful engine and very useful upto 100 mph?

Yes it is alright up to 100mph as you say, but I always personally thought that it did its best work at a 100mph plus though. Even though my F82 M4 is 2 seconds quicker to a 100mph than the E92 M3 was, I still think that the M3 pulls harder than the M4 over a 100mph though for sure.

NA engines generally like to live at the redline, and because of that they can feel a touch limp at lower revs for me, and that was what I was trying to get at.

[Scott-R]

Taz73 said:

I’m guessing their carbon composite make up makes them too expensive to manufacture compared to the boring SUVs they currently sell, but I don't recall news of them being sold at a loss, so they made money before and surely could still?

David Twohig, chief engineer for the Renault Zoe and Alpine A110 among other cars, wrote about this on The Intercooler recently. He estimates BMW lost money hand over fist on them. Clearly, BMW took a punt on carbon fibre tubs. You can see BMWs progression in the use of carbon fibre from the E46 CSL roof, to the E9x M3 roof more generally, to production(albeit weird offshoot) i3 and i8, to the carbon core G11 7 and 8 series where BMW hit the buffers. The only cars left with any structural carbon are the iX (carbon pillars) and the moribund 8 series. The latest 7 dropped the carbon core completely

Ultimately, for EVs, the benefits of lightweight carbon fibre construction don’t currently stack up, and it remains a dead end for now. A real shame though, I’m biased as I own an i3, but if a car company said today that they were going to release a ground up EV, built on an aluminium skateboard chassis with a carbon tub on top, with two powertrains in a car just over 4m long it would sound modern today, but BMW were doing it over 10 years ago…

[thelostboy]

WPA said:

Cannot see why you would pay a premium for this car when you get one that has been used and enjoyed.

Always liked the copper orange they offered on the roadster.

I sold one in the orange, with the matching interior which I believe was quite an expensive option.

In that colour combo, it really makes a statement. I guess that's the point; the swooping looks, low profile and butterfly doors meant you got supercar attention without the running costs. You can also wave the green card, if that appeals.

I was surprised that even a couple of grey ones I also had still received a lot of attention. For me, I couldn't get on with the skinny front tyres, but the majority of people wouldn't notice, and I was impressed with the amount of grip the front end had.

Get a facelift with CarPlay and you still have a contempory car inside and out. Its brisk, economical and in roaster form makes you feel good driving it! Even with the coupe, it feels special as the carbon fibre is exposed inside. Good luck getting in and out though...

|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/49506/202404185216927[/url]

|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/49506/202404185219468[/url]

[Neill-l9qpf]

I remember looking at i8 3 years ago and being very tempted, there was loads on the second hand market and decent low-mileage one's were around £30k.

I regret not pulling the trigger because those same cars are still selling for more now with 60-80k miles that they were in '21 with 20-30k miles!

Could have had one on the drive for next to nothing for 3 years

[GreatScott2016]

swisstoni said:

MattsCar said:

I have never seen so much waffle in a car advert....

"Our 100-hour Pre-Sale Preparation Process:
This BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid has been subject to our innovative industry leading (up-to-100-hour) labour-intensive preparation process that is designed to satisfy even the most pedantic of enthusiasts. Our exacting standards have been met at each stage of our methodical process for this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster to be offered for sale by Automotive Addiction.
The first part of this process is our crucial pre-purchase inspections, this includes Deep-Dive Diagnostics, Mechanical Inspection & Road Test Analysis to ensure what lies beneath the paintwork is of the highest degree of integrity, followed by an in-depth inspection of all exterior and interior surfaces which includes the Paint Protection Film, Paintwork, Wheels, Glass, Tyres & Interior with a rigorous Paintwork Depth Analysis which identifies to us the originality of the paintwork.
Any maintenance identified by us during our inspections have been completed before moving onto our pre-sale professional detailing work.
60 hours of meticulous preparation from our highly-skilled in-house professional detailers with over 10-years of experience has been completed prior to advertisement in our bespoke detailing studio
This includes deep ‘wheels-off’ decontamination cleanse, multi-stage paint correction, brake disc centre refurbishment and deep interior cleanse to ensure this BMW i8 Roadster Hybrid is presented to you in the most optimal condition possible regardless of age or mileage.
This unique industry-leading process has been documented by us in the form of photo and video. We have included some images of the work carried out in the gallery for this advert, we have also included a small clip in the walkaround video for this car, however much more content of the work carried out can be supplied to any prospective buyers on request.
Automotive Addiction has grown out of our unrivalled passion for perfection in vehicle preparation and performance.
Please contact us without delay, for a full breakdown on the preparation we have carried out on this BMW i8 Plug In Hybrid Roadster"

What a load of wk.
But it’s fun to read though for how they’ve made a typical expensive car prep sound like a nut and bolt restoration.

Don’t know why you’re so anti? They do so much more than your average dealership. Granted, you pay a premium for this level of detailing but if you’re prepared to pay, then why not?