RE: BMW i8 | PH Carbituary

RE: BMW i8 | PH Carbituary

Author
Discussion

chelme

1,353 posts

171 months

Thursday 19th March 2020
quotequote all
Its a shame. Its the only contemporary BMW that looks good and from most accounts the concept and the tech could have been executed better...

GrahamPM

1,057 posts

232 months

Thursday 19th March 2020
quotequote all
I’ve had 2 - the first a Coupe which I ran as my daily for two years. Despite having two return to dealership breakdowns, overall great experience. Second & current, the Roadster which has been flawless for the last 20 months.
Still snaps heads and attention especially if two exiting at the same time - doors up.
Great cars and slagged off by ignorant diehards. BMW decimated future values by heavy discounts so thinking I’ll keep mine a while longer and hope for some stability in the values.
Recommended

Mr Tidy

22,382 posts

128 months

Thursday 19th March 2020
quotequote all
Sad in a way, but BMW seemed to lose interest in it as there was very little development done.

The first time I saw one I thought it looked fantastic, and still does IMHO.

But I would never have paid that sort of money for one (always assuming I could) with a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine - it was sh*t in a Mini Cooper so I doubt it would be any better in an i8, even with some piped sound!

I just wish they had made another version that was petrol only, with something like an S85 V10. That might have generated more demand which may have prolonged it's life, or at least generated higher sales.






Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Sad in a way, but BMW seemed to lose interest in it as there was very little development done.

The first time I saw one I thought it looked fantastic, and still does IMHO.

But I would never have paid that sort of money for one (always assuming I could) with a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine - it was sh*t in a Mini Cooper so I doubt it would be any better in an i8, even with some piped sound!

I just wish they had made another version that was petrol only, with something like an S85 V10. That might have generated more demand which may have prolonged it's life, or at least generated higher sales.

Great balanced view. This.


Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
BFleming said:
You tell me (something tells me you're going to). I've made an effort & put my 'garage' up there. Feel free to do the same.
Come on FW. What do you have?

anonymous-user

55 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Alfapapatango said:
I’ve heard that from others. Such a shame and in some ways like the I8 opportunity lost.
Mc owner so know about these things??.
Lotus we also have a type 25 which I’ll post if I can !
I feel sorry for people like you.

ravon

599 posts

283 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Loved mine so much I bought a second one after four years. Was lucky enough to get a very rare second generation Coupe with two thousand miles on the clock at £45K below list price . Memorable experiences in the original car include a lightening trip to Vienna and discovering that if you keep your foot on the throttle at the limited 155mph, the car hesitates a little and then goes on to 165 plus mph and following the Historic Monte Carlo Rally up in Alps on snow covered roads ( on winter tyres ), when just about every other spectator is in an SUV. Some very typical Pistonheads keyboard king comments here, rather sad in my view.

Mr Tidy

22,382 posts

128 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Alfapapatango said:
BFleming said:
You tell me (something tells me you're going to). I've made an effort & put my 'garage' up there. Feel free to do the same.
Come on FW. What do you have?
Never mind that - what do you have?

Or are you too shy/embarrassed? laugh

Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
had ham said:
I feel sorry for people like you.
Why so ? We

Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Never mind that - what do you have?

Or are you too shy/embarrassed? laugh
Gosh. Exactly that. This is such fun.

Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Never mind that - what do you have?

Or are you too shy/embarrassed? laugh
You must be very disappointed how things turned out. Try a bit more. A little more effort goes a long way. Mr Tidy.

Alfapapatango

69 posts

53 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Alfapapatango said:
You must be very disappointed how things turned out. Try a bit more. A little more effort goes a long way. Mr Tidy.
Ok . I lost a bet . Nobody really made a real effort to be really aggressive/rude. 8 of us here self isolating And I came bum last. 1am finish. You guys are so polite.

Gameface

16,565 posts

78 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
What an odd fella.

Esceptico

7,501 posts

110 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Gameface said:
What an odd fella.
Perhaps it’s a bot as the sentences are in English but they don’t seem to make any sense.

Gameface

16,565 posts

78 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Esceptico said:
Gameface said:
What an odd fella.
Perhaps it’s a bot as the sentences are in English but they don’t seem to make any sense.
Possibly. To what end though?

sidesauce

2,479 posts

219 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Gameface said:
What an odd fella.
Isn't he just?

Hungrymc

6,669 posts

138 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Sad in a way, but BMW seemed to lose interest in it as there was very little development done.

The first time I saw one I thought it looked fantastic, and still does IMHO.

But I would never have paid that sort of money for one (always assuming I could) with a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine - it was sh*t in a Mini Cooper so I doubt it would be any better in an i8, even with some piped sound!

I just wish they had made another version that was petrol only, with something like an S85 V10. That might have generated more demand which may have prolonged it's life, or at least generated higher sales.
I think the i8 was aimed at a very different target, it was a step towards a future sports / GT that was efficient and capable of zero tailpipe emissions in town etc. The efficiency wasn't just the power train, it's the carbon tub, thinner Tyres etc. it wasn't a direct competitor to R8s and 911s as it was giving people an option to move towards a more efficient sporty car.

As a concept, I think it has better legs than full EV (at the moment and for the near future while the EV infrastructure is weak). No range anxiety, some attributes of ICE, a genuinely good drive in a sporty GT sense.

Just because there are more traditional super car / sports cars that have more performance and drive better at 9/10ths doesn't make the i8 bad or pointless.

I imagine BMW pulled the plug as they're so expensive to make with the early tech carbon tub etc that they're ultimately hard to sell and make any money on..... Shame as it was a really interesting concept and a car that drove so much better than the spec sheet suggests.

Slippydiff

14,836 posts

224 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
RDMcG said:
I thought it was a gorgeous car but would love to have had the glass doors of the concept car.
Having had many BMWs I was eager to try it.

I found the interior underwhelming and the driving experience to be ok but not as exciting as I thought. Probably my inability to get over the artificial soundtrack.

It wAs a car that I thought would bring me back to BMW but in the end I passed. I also thought the narrow wheels seemed out of place on a sports car but just an appearance thing.


Better ?

Though as a GT Porsche owner you’ll most likely appreciate the Motorsport credentials of BBS’s finest :



Hardly in the spirit of what BMW were trying to achieve I know, but it really should have had the bi-turbo V8 from the M5/6 shoehorned in amidship and a stonkingly big electric motor between the front wheels ...

waftycranker

223 posts

61 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
I only know one person with one of these and he is an actual, bona fide con-man.

For that reason, and the ridiculous styling, small engine, the electric, and the cost (£120k!?!?! I always thought they were about £40k new), I’m out.

waftycranker

223 posts

61 months

Friday 20th March 2020
quotequote all
Would rather pay £10k for today’s shed than £5k for this.