Thinking about buying an i8

[rodgling]

I'm thinking about buying an i8, budget around £40-50k. Having driven one (it was the convertible, but I guess it's very similar to drive) I found it to be a lot more fun than I expected, probably enough to tempt me away from a 911.

Are there any important options that I should look for (or avoid)? It looks like almost everything is standard so there's really nothing to choose between them - so it basically comes down to colour / condition / price? Do all of them have the HUD as standard? I quite liked having the tach in the HUD on the test drive.

Any other things to look out for (e.g. costly repairs that may need doing, common faults, etc)?

[BFleming]

If you drove the Roadster it was brand new, so not really representative of what an older coupe will be like. So find one of those & have a test drive - there are plenty of differences between the 2.
This is the 2014 price list / specification brochure. HUD was indeed standard: https://bmwcarclubgb.uk/files/BMW%20i8%20Price%20L...

Edited by BFleming on Friday 4th October 11:03

[Pioneer]

This year my wife replaced her 2017 M4CP Conv with a late 2016 i8. She loves it. I drove it not expecting much and yep, it's probably one of the most 'fun' BMWs to drive. Battery range is up on the newer ones but apart from that, not much difference between them. Amount of attention she gets in it is insane considering it didn't cost much more than the M4. Nice to have the full EV model also, esp. when stuck in traffic. When I drive it and then jump in one of mine afterwards they feel archaic. 360 cameras are handy for parking, not essential but it has a nasty blind spot each side. HUD is standard. HK etc were options ref. the stereo.

[rodgling]

Yes, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed driving it on the test drive. Combination of super-responsive throttle and very precise steering, I think. I'm sure it wouldn't be as good as a 911 when driven at 100%, but for the road where that's not really a factor, I liked it a lot.

[Aluminati]

Cars various at work, I8 amongst them. I wouldn’t choose any one of them over a 911.

[g3org3y]

^I don't know, that Focus at the back looks pretty nice.

[85Carrera]

Personally, I wouldn’t buy an EV new, let alone second hand (although I may consider leasing one), due to (a) battery degradation and (b) increased range in newer cars over the next few years hitting residuals.

Fully expect EV fanboy Rob dheadson to tell me I’m wrong within the next five minutes; he doesn’t like facts to get in the way of his incessant green agenda

[Aluminati]

g3org3y said:

^I don't know, that Focus at the back looks pretty nice.

That belongs to to riff raff in the scrappies George

[culminator]

The i8 is a great car. Bought one 2 years ago as an occasional driver and still love it. It's a spectacular combination of performance and userbility wrapped up in a genuinely dynamic package. There are faster and better handling cars for sure but not ones that are so easy to live with and cheaper to run.

I've had a lot of high performance cars and still reckon that the I8 is the best all round fun car I've had. Second hand, they're a bargain.

[Pioneer]

culminator said:

The i8 is a great car. Bought one 2 years ago as an occasional driver and still love it. It's a spectacular combination of performance and userbility wrapped up in a genuinely dynamic package. There are faster and better handling cars for sure but not ones that are so easy to live with and cheaper to run.

I've had a lot of high performance cars and still reckon that the I8 is the best all round fun car I've had. Second hand, they're a bargain.

This. I'm a Lambo chap and I actually have a more relaxed and fun drive in the wife's i8. Remember, people don't buy these because of the range or how much it's going to save them in fuel bills! That 100kw motor was just BMWs way of saying 6 years ago that a hybrid can look cool and go like the clappers with a 3cyl 1.5 lump! Beauty of these compared to something a bit more exotic is they are so EASY to drive, you don't have to worry about where to park them, you're not getting frowned upon by the green brigade, running costs are uber low, battery comes with the extended warranty etc. Prob. 75% of the supercar experience without all the stress.

[jjr1]

I bought my 16 plate in June and love it. Fab GT that covers miles effortlessly and has a really fun element to it because it feels so light and darty.

The big service is overly expensive at 1040 pounds but I knocked them down to 840 after a bit of haggling.

Really enjoying it and no regrets after selling my BMW M4 comp for it.

[rodgling]

Display key: is it any good, and can they be retrofitted?

I quite want one, they look fun on paper - but don't know if they are actually useful? I think they can be retrofitted so no big deal if the car I buy doesn't have one?

[Pioneer]

Can be used with 15 plate on I think. Useless though. We have 2 x BMWs with them and the keys sit inside never being used. App is much better

[bigsi]

Almost a year in to my i8 as a DD. Great car! Had 3 911's and love them, the i8 is a very different experience! Horses for courses.

[ilovephiladelphia]

rodgling said:

Display key: is it any good, and can they be retrofitted?

I quite want one, they look fun on paper - but don't know if they are actually useful? I think they can be retrofitted so no big deal if the car I buy doesn't have one?

I've had one, and apart from looking cool, not much use. The app on the phone provides much more information, and the DK is just too hefty to stuff into skinny jeans or hang from a keychain.