£25k BMW i8 | Spotted
Once the future of BMW, the i8 is now an intriguing part of its past - and available for Mini money
History is littered with cool, clever cars that were never wholeheartedly embraced by the buying public. Think Audi A2, original Honda Insight, first Mercedes A-Class and so on. It’s a list that the founding BMW i cars, the i3 and i8, certainly belong on. They sold, for sure, but the fact that neither were (or will) be directly replaced - which is unusual for BMW - would imply they weren’t the commercial success required to justify their sizeable engineering cost.
Both the city car and the sports car looked hugely ambitious more than a decade ago, with lightweight construction, futuristic design and electrification prominent. While now there are more small, innovative electric cars (not before time), there really has been nothing like the i8 in the years since its introduction. A Porsche 911 hybrid offers no EV range, PHEVs that do tend to use a large combustion engine (negating much mpg advantage) and still nothing looks quite as good as the car BMW launched in 2014. Probably nothing ever will.
The i8 wasn’t perfect, that’s in no doubt. Those expecting a traditionally BMW attitude to the handling were disappointed, without the pointy front end or adjustable rear that would characterise the M cars of the era. Those prone to boasting wouldn’t have much to shout about with a Mini engine under the bonnet either. And a carbon tub can be prone road roar. As well as being prohibitively expensive to fix.
Regardless, the i8 felt different - and felt super special, too. With some familiar BMW bits, sure, but with great grand touring abilities, the whizz of electric driving on offer and the sort of fuel consumption totally alien to this level of performance. The i8 wasn’t like any BMW before or since, or any comparable sports car. It was boldly, defiantly - and very likeably - its own thing. Anyone who has taken the plunge, at least as far as the PH Buying Guide goes, haven’t been plagued by too much trouble either. The i8 was as well-built and dependable as any other BMW of the time. Probably more so, in fact, as this car was tasked with launching an entirely new, electrified sub brand, and to serve as its flagship.
The discussion around exactly what the i8 did achieve will continue for a good while yet, especially as BMW fully leans into its new Neue Klasse era. In the meantime, prices continue to fall into ever more affordable territory: that 2020 guide put prices as from £37,000, or almost £60,000 off the original, before options RRP; now that’s £25,000, as evidenced by this 80,000-miler. And while there will be some with more desirable extras than others, there’s no such thing as a duff i8 spec - they all have the same powertrain, they all look spectacular, they’re all still going to attract supercar levels of attention for supermini money.
This one had £8,000 of boxes ticked when new, meaning it would have been more than £100,000 in 2015; it had a major service 4,000 miles ago, a minor one last month, and the MOT tester has only ever taken issues with the state of the tyres. All pretty encouraging. Those wanting a plug-in hybrid M car, or a 911 by BMW, will likely be disappointed. But those after a fast, capable GT that still looks a million bucks (while costing a whole lot less than that to buy and run) will still find an awful lot to like.
SPECIFICATION | BMW I8
Engine: 1,499cc 3-cyl turbo plus 7.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 362 (combustion engine 231@5,800rpm, electric motor 131@4,800rpm)
Torque (lb ft): 420 (combustion engine 236@3,700rpm, electric motor 184@0rpm)
MPG: 134.5 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 49g/km
First registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 80,000
Price new: £94,845 (2014, before options)
Yours for: £25,990
Massively misunderstood. It's not a sports car to drive on its door handles, it's an eye catching GT for daily use. The only thing it was missing was adaptive cruise (and CarPlay which was easy enough to fit after market). The electric mode is relaxing for stop-start traffic and you could run most short (<15mile) journeys in electric only mode if you plugged it in.
Storage is limited, but you have the (tiny) back seats. Only reason I sold it was a child on the way, otherwise I wouldn't t have replaced it. Pregnant partner wasn't overly happy dropping over the sill into the low front seats either.
Can't recommend them enough - £25k is a bargain. Always a great experience flicking the doors up and dropping into the cabin - it feels special. From what I hear from owners is that like mine they are are very reliable.
You're right though - as a sportscar, they're somewhat compromised, but as a GT they make a lot more sense. More comparable to an old 6 series than a cayman or evora rival.
How is the usable storage space? Could you fit a two man tent in somewhere and take it down to le mans, for example?
You're right though - as a sportscar, they're somewhat compromised, but as a GT they make a lot more sense. More comparable to an old 6 series than a cayman or evora rival.
How is the usable storage space? Could you fit a two man tent in somewhere and take it down to le mans, for example?
I used Seasuckers to put my bike on the roof.
Feels faster than 360bhp because of the torque from 0rpm. The equivalent 911 you need to wind up a bit.
You can also tune the 3 cylinder engine a bit with Mini specialists if you want more power.
Great car - fabulous inside, and really striking and (still) futuristic outside. It's not classically beautiful, but it's a very well resolved design, and I love it. I can understand those who do not.
Anyone know how much more power can be teased out of the Mini engine? Does it need more power?
Mine in that amazing metallic orange please!
Replacement cost is the scary part. A new BMW i8 battery pack was historically quoted at £15,000–£20,000+ from BMW directly. However, the aftermarket is developing — some specialists (e.g. EV remanufacturers) can rebuild or replace individual cells for considerably less, potentially £5,000–£8,000, though availability varies and this is still a niche area.
But there's not enough storage space for my life, something I found disappointing considering its size.
And a previous Prince engine experience made me nervous about having a car with anything Mini in it. The B38 seems to have a better reliability record than the prince, so I was wrong on that.
They still look epic, especially in Roadster form. Must have the Turbine wheels though
Replacement cost is the scary part. A new BMW i8 battery pack was historically quoted at £15,000 £20,000+ from BMW directly. However, the aftermarket is developing some specialists (e.g. EV remanufacturers) can rebuild or replace individual cells for considerably less, potentially £5,000 £8,000, though availability varies and this is still a niche area.
I really do not get it.
It would be very very hard to get one in Europe for about 40k .
There is one for 42k with 230.000km!
I wanted one some years ago, but went with Audi R8 instead. You know, 3cylinder engine is, um, not for me. And somehow fake noise generator is somehow OK now on these?
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