Bell tolls for BMW i8 production

[TurboHatchback]

I never understood the point of these. Supercars are all about looks, noise and drama, these were goppingly ugly and had a little three cylinder engine yet cost six figures.

[rjg48]

No thanks.

BMW haven't made a desirable large Coupe since the 6 Series.

Keep kidding yourselves prices are on the up.

[Wooda80]

Bencolem said:

“ the plummeting residual values would imply a certain lack of consumer confidence”

when the same £45,000 buys a similar vintage 911 (perceived to have strong residuals) is this statement really fair?

Bencolem said:

Similar vintage https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Given that the fairly basic 911 in your example would have been £80k at worst when new ( 991 non S manual was early £70s when new in 2014, plus something for options ) and the i8 would have been £95k at best before any options but after the government subsidy, and that the 911 is a year older than the i8 referred to in the article then yes, I think the statement is fair.

I'd concede that later i8s on the other hand, if bought using the considerable discounts that were available, may only drop from invoice price by amounts to a Porsche of a similar actual cost.

[gigglebug]

TurboHatchback said:

I never understood the point of these. Supercars are all about looks, noise and drama, these were goppingly ugly and had a little three cylinder engine yet cost six figures.

To be fair will anyone have paid six figures for one recently? Delivery mileage roadsters are under 80K now and I can see a brand new coupe for under 80K as well. Not that the price would have any baring on your other objections of course.

[Mafffew]

Never driven one mind you. But I quite like them, something a bit different.

[Lowtimer]

big_rob_sydney said:

The fuel economy headline figure quoted is 130 mpg.

Owners report real world figures of maybe 65 mpg.

We're not talking about a small difference here. This difference is potentially fraudulent. Look at the trouble VW got into for their defeat software. How can this be acceptable?

It is never fraudulent to comply with the legal requirements upon you.

Any marketing activity featuring a different MPG estimate other than the official consumption recorded on the official test cycle, is illegal. No matter how ludicrously unrealistic you, I or BMW may consider that official test cycle to be. Car manufacturers have zero discretion over this.

You may well think this is a stupid legal framework. But it is the one in effect.

[Deranged Rover]

Lets put this into perspective a little.

Mrs. DR is on her third company car - a Jag XE 2.0D R-Sport. Before that she had a BMW 320D M-Sport and a Mercedes C220CDi. These adhere to the rules her company has for cars, the budget she was allocated, plus her desire for economy as she gets no additional fuel allowance.

Now, her car is up for renewal next year but it looks like the company is going to be doing away with company cars - they're a US company with a presence all over the world and apparently the UK is the only one of their outposts that still gives company cars, and they can't understand this!

Consequently, she'll be given a car allowance but will be freed from the company-specified rules on what sort of car she can have - for example, mustn't be older than six months or have more than 5000 miles on it, must have four doors etc. Her requirements will therefore be:

- Preferably a sporty 2 door
- Comparable to the fuel economy that she's getting now (50-ish mpg)
- Low tax level would be nice
- She would like a bit more performance than the 2.0 turbodiesels she is used to.
- Purchase budget about £40k.

I'll give you three guesses as to what's top of her list...

[Kawasicki]

Deranged Rover said:

Lets put this into perspective a little.

Mrs. DR is on her third company car - a Jag XE 2.0D R-Sport. Before that she had a BMW 320D M-Sport and a Mercedes C220CDi. These adhere to the rules her company has for cars, the budget she was allocated, plus her desire for economy as she gets no additional fuel allowance.

Now, her car is up for renewal next year but it looks like the company is going to be doing away with company cars - they're a US company with a presence all over the world and apparently the UK is the only one of their outposts that still gives company cars, and they can't understand this!

Consequently, she'll be given a car allowance but will be freed from the company-specified rules on what sort of car she can have - for example, mustn't be older than six months or have more than 5000 miles on it, must have four doors etc. Her requirements will therefore be:

- Preferably a sporty 2 door
- Comparable to the fuel economy that she's getting now (50-ish mpg)
- Low tax level would be nice
- She would like a bit more performance than the 2.0 turbodiesels she is used to.
- Purchase budget about £40k.

I'll give you three guesses as to what's top of her list...

MX5
Fiat Abarth version of MX5
Chip tuned Audi TT

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Kawasicki said:

Deranged Rover said:

Lets put this into perspective a little.

Mrs. DR is on her third company car - a Jag XE 2.0D R-Sport. Before that she had a BMW 320D M-Sport and a Mercedes C220CDi. These adhere to the rules her company has for cars, the budget she was allocated, plus her desire for economy as she gets no additional fuel allowance.

Now, her car is up for renewal next year but it looks like the company is going to be doing away with company cars - they're a US company with a presence all over the world and apparently the UK is the only one of their outposts that still gives company cars, and they can't understand this!

Consequently, she'll be given a car allowance but will be freed from the company-specified rules on what sort of car she can have - for example, mustn't be older than six months or have more than 5000 miles on it, must have four doors etc. Her requirements will therefore be:

- Preferably a sporty 2 door
- Comparable to the fuel economy that she's getting now (50-ish mpg)
- Low tax level would be nice
- She would like a bit more performance than the 2.0 turbodiesels she is used to.
- Purchase budget about £40k.

I'll give you three guesses as to what's top of her list...

MX5
Fiat Abarth version of MX5
Chip tuned Audi TT

He said a bit more performance to the 2 litre diesels she's used to

[gigglebug]

Deranged Rover said:

- Preferably a sporty 2 door
- Comparable to the fuel economy that she's getting now (50-ish mpg)
- Low tax level would be nice
- She would like a bit more performance than the 2.0 turbodiesels she is used to.
- Purchase budget about £40k.

I'll give you three guesses as to what's top of her list...

Alpine
4C
I8...presumably.

[erics]

big_rob_sydney said:

gigglebug said:

big_rob_sydney said:

The fuel economy headline figure quoted is 130 mpg.

Owners report real world figures of maybe 65 mpg.

We're not talking about a small difference here. This difference is potentially fraudulent. Look at the trouble VW got into for their defeat software. How can this be acceptable?

For somebody who has spent nearly 14 years on a car enthusiasts forum and having access to all of the knowledge provided within it your appreciation and understanding of anything automotive is consistently and mind bogglingly poor.

Appreciation and understanding... is that a euphemism for "people can lie to you and you have to simply take it"? More so when spending £100k+ new?

Still, if your mind is boggled, maybe your mind isn't that strong to begin with. Shall I use smaller words for you in future?

Well i am one of those persons who forked out that kind of money when i bought my i8 brand new in 2015.

I could not care less about the Official Claimed Fuel Consumptions figures of 130mpg+. What matters is that in real life i often see 65mpg+ over 1000 miles+. It's very satisfying to have this kind of running costs in a car that can go that fast. In fact, at times it's quite hard to reconcile.

Irrespective of the fact that it is a hybrid, it's just a very, very good car. A reliable one at that. Very rounded package. What it loses to a 911 in absolute performance, it gains in versatility.

[Deranged Rover]

Kawasicki said:

MX5
Fiat Abarth version of MX5
Chip tuned Audi TT

gigglebug said:

Alpine
4C
I8...presumably.

I passed on your suggestions. Her responses are below:

MX5 - "Too slow; too small and oppressive inside" (our friend has one)
FIat Abarth - see above
Audi TT - "God no - I'd rather walk"
Alpine - "No. It's French"
4C - "No - Alfa reliability" (although admittedly it did get a thumbs-up for looks and performance)
i8 - "Did it really take six guesses for them to get this?"

[gigglebug]

Deranged Rover said:

Kawasicki said:

MX5
Fiat Abarth version of MX5
Chip tuned Audi TT

gigglebug said:

Alpine
4C
I8...presumably.

I passed on your suggestions. Her responses are below:

MX5 - "Too slow; too small and oppressive inside" (our friend has one)
FIat Abarth - see above
Audi TT - "God no - I'd rather walk"
Alpine - "No. It's French"
4C - "No - Alfa reliability" (although admittedly it did get a thumbs-up for looks and performance)
i8 - "Did it really take six guesses for them to get this?"

Ha ha! The comedy angle had already been taken so I had no choice but to go the sensible route.

[Plehti]

I bought mine last spring, one year almost in and I still love the car. Not as fast as my Lotus Evora used to be, but much more reliable, lower cost to maintain, great fun to drive. And yes I love the fact that it's hybrid and having carbon construction

Panu

[gigglebug]

sidesauce said:

big_rob_sydney said:

gigglebug said:

big_rob_sydney said:

The fuel economy headline figure quoted is 130 mpg.

Owners report real world figures of maybe 65 mpg.

We're not talking about a small difference here. This difference is potentially fraudulent. Look at the trouble VW got into for their defeat software. How can this be acceptable?

For somebody who has spent nearly 14 years on a car enthusiasts forum and having access to all of the knowledge provided within it your appreciation and understanding of anything automotive is consistently and mind bogglingly poor.

Appreciation and understanding... is that a euphemism for "people can lie to you and you have to simply take it"? More so when spending £100k+ new?

Still, if your mind is boggled, maybe your mind isn't that strong to begin with. Shall I use smaller words for you in future?

Why are you so defensive? My mind isn't boggled but evidently you're very sensitive as you don't like being called out for the statement(s) you made.

As another poster asked, what part of the economy figures are "potentially fraudulent"? BMW didn't invent the NEDC test rules which were what the i8 was judged by when it was launched; they had to abide by them, just like everyone else did!

Also, what does mentioning VW's defeat software for diesel engine co2 emissions have to do with a petrol engined hybrid vehicle made by an unrelated manufacturer?

Take your time. We'll all wait.

big_rob_sydney said:

another example of the famous British double-speak, which is deliberately vague on the one hand, yet tries to make a point on the other?

Or were you just drunk when you wrote this?

Big Rob; last seen spouting this st on another thread whilst failing to address his own deficiencies on this one. Sums the bloke up.

[AlexNJ89]

When this thread started, the cheapest on the market was £45k

They're now in the mid-£30k's

I just watched this, and the costs he incurred on the first year of ownership were eye-watering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC8YhlAHYHE

Those who don't have a warranty could be bankrupted

[shalmaneser]

AlexNJ89 said:

When this thread started, the cheapest on the market was £45k

They're now in the mid-£30k's

I just watched this, and the costs he incurred on the first year of ownership were eye-watering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC8YhlAHYHE

Those who don't have a warranty could be bankrupted

Those are scary numbers but that may as well just be titled 'second hand car servicing is expensive if you take your car to a main dealer'

If he knew how to swing a spanner he'd not even have to bother taking his car to the dealer for the majority of this stuff.

The iDrive module is ridiculously expensive but risk of failure is presumably is the same for any BMW of that age.

[AAGR]

Have BMW ever told us how many i8s were actually made ? Or have I missed an announcement ?