BMW i8 owner's review after 5k miles
Discussion
As I'm now 5k miles into my i8 ownership I thought I'd share my thoughts with you.
First, a little background, I'm probably not what you would expect of an i8 owner - in that I'm a huge fan of noisy v8s, enjoy driving sideways in my M3 rally car and generally prefer old school cars...
After four happy years I was finally looking to replace my C63 AMG coupe everyday car. Previous daily drivers have included a Vantage, several XKRs, an M3 and even an SLK55. The i8 was not an obvious choice...particularly as I'm a technophobe! In fact I'm such a numptie I don't even know how to post a photo from my iPad on here
If someone more talented can post a picture of a Protonic Dark Silver i8 with white interior and carbon trim, that's what mine looks like...
So, what's the i8 like? In a word, brilliant! Before I get onto why, I'll list the few things that I find less appealing. In no particular order - the battery only range is realistically only 18 miles in my experience, the windscreen pillars and wing mirrors combined can give a large blind spot at some junctions and I find it very hard to reverse unless using the camera. On occasion I also wish it had a drift mode... with extreme provocation it can take up some attitude on the road, but in my experience it is more smudging the rear tyres across the road rather than a proper, satisfying drift. And finally, whilst the doors are part of the car's appeal, ingress and egress can sometimes be a bit of a faff...
So, what do I like? This is a longer list...
The driving experience is unique and quite different to anything I've driven before. The car is the best dual purpose car I've owned, extremely comfortable and quiet one minute and with a quick flick into sports mode a surprisingly fast and entertaining one. The three cylinder engine even sounds good, even if the noise is enhanced, with little pops on downshifts and an entertaining roar to the redline.
The handling is almost surreal, with its lightweight carbon construction and very low center of gravity thanks to the low slung batteries down the car's spine. It is incredible how much grip it generates on such narrow tyres and I much prefer the feel of both the steering wheel and handling balance to the standard M4 and M3 I've driven. To my mind the car feels more in tune with the road, flows better and is less heavy handed - a scalpel compared to a lump hammer.
I have been lucky enough to own various supercars including Ferraris, McLaren and Aston, but the i8 attracts at least as much attention - and all of it positive. The variety of people expressing an interest is also very diverse - including plenty of baffled middle aged women and grandmas telling me it is their grandson's favourite car! Not all clients are quite so impressed...turning up to a client meeting in any car with gull wing doors is always going to raise a few eye brows - more so than the Vantage in fact.
I'm a big fan of the interior, the styling is more mainstream than the exterior, but very high quality and I really recommend the naked, textured carbon trim option. I also really like the bright highlight LEDs around the interior which can be varied in color and brightness. Sat nav, Bluetooth and HK stereo are as good as in any other BMW I've tried. A few passengers have expected the doors to close at the push of a button, but they are easy to manage. Getting over the high sill is something of an acquired skill, but adds to the car experience- so long as you are average size, weight and flexibility (try looking up fat man getting out i8 if you want a giggle!)
The ability to preheat or cool the car from your phone or the posey second key is also useful and saves valuable battery power - assuming the car is plugged in.
I could go on, but my final positives relate to running costs. Ok, it is an expensive car - mine with almost every option listed at £120k - but running costs help with the man maths! No road tax, no servicing and I'm averaging 48mpg which is very good for a car that can reach 60 in 4 seconds and entertain at the same time (whilst looking far more interesting than the admittedly faster and more practical Tesla) BMW also came up with a very good deal on finance which makes the monthly finance rate comparable to other less expensive cars.
Some criticise the i8's electrical range, but at least with a petrol engine too, you can keep going. In addition the car does regenerate electrical range as you drive, quite quickly if you drive in sport mode. I plug mine into a standard socket overnight at home which gives an 18 mile range by breakfast. I also stick the car into full electric mode whenever I get close to home so I always get there with an empty battery! Which reminds me of the final positive I'll mention - the turbine option. This gives the car a turbine like whine when in electric mode to warn pedestrians of your approach. Ok, not the same as a v8 burble, but surprisingly entertaining in its own way....
So, would I recommend an i8? Absolutely.
If anyone has any questions feel free to get in touch. I now have contacts at BMW, so if you are interested in buying one, please get in touch
First, a little background, I'm probably not what you would expect of an i8 owner - in that I'm a huge fan of noisy v8s, enjoy driving sideways in my M3 rally car and generally prefer old school cars...
After four happy years I was finally looking to replace my C63 AMG coupe everyday car. Previous daily drivers have included a Vantage, several XKRs, an M3 and even an SLK55. The i8 was not an obvious choice...particularly as I'm a technophobe! In fact I'm such a numptie I don't even know how to post a photo from my iPad on here
If someone more talented can post a picture of a Protonic Dark Silver i8 with white interior and carbon trim, that's what mine looks like...
So, what's the i8 like? In a word, brilliant! Before I get onto why, I'll list the few things that I find less appealing. In no particular order - the battery only range is realistically only 18 miles in my experience, the windscreen pillars and wing mirrors combined can give a large blind spot at some junctions and I find it very hard to reverse unless using the camera. On occasion I also wish it had a drift mode... with extreme provocation it can take up some attitude on the road, but in my experience it is more smudging the rear tyres across the road rather than a proper, satisfying drift. And finally, whilst the doors are part of the car's appeal, ingress and egress can sometimes be a bit of a faff...
So, what do I like? This is a longer list...
The driving experience is unique and quite different to anything I've driven before. The car is the best dual purpose car I've owned, extremely comfortable and quiet one minute and with a quick flick into sports mode a surprisingly fast and entertaining one. The three cylinder engine even sounds good, even if the noise is enhanced, with little pops on downshifts and an entertaining roar to the redline.
The handling is almost surreal, with its lightweight carbon construction and very low center of gravity thanks to the low slung batteries down the car's spine. It is incredible how much grip it generates on such narrow tyres and I much prefer the feel of both the steering wheel and handling balance to the standard M4 and M3 I've driven. To my mind the car feels more in tune with the road, flows better and is less heavy handed - a scalpel compared to a lump hammer.
I have been lucky enough to own various supercars including Ferraris, McLaren and Aston, but the i8 attracts at least as much attention - and all of it positive. The variety of people expressing an interest is also very diverse - including plenty of baffled middle aged women and grandmas telling me it is their grandson's favourite car! Not all clients are quite so impressed...turning up to a client meeting in any car with gull wing doors is always going to raise a few eye brows - more so than the Vantage in fact.
I'm a big fan of the interior, the styling is more mainstream than the exterior, but very high quality and I really recommend the naked, textured carbon trim option. I also really like the bright highlight LEDs around the interior which can be varied in color and brightness. Sat nav, Bluetooth and HK stereo are as good as in any other BMW I've tried. A few passengers have expected the doors to close at the push of a button, but they are easy to manage. Getting over the high sill is something of an acquired skill, but adds to the car experience- so long as you are average size, weight and flexibility (try looking up fat man getting out i8 if you want a giggle!)
The ability to preheat or cool the car from your phone or the posey second key is also useful and saves valuable battery power - assuming the car is plugged in.
I could go on, but my final positives relate to running costs. Ok, it is an expensive car - mine with almost every option listed at £120k - but running costs help with the man maths! No road tax, no servicing and I'm averaging 48mpg which is very good for a car that can reach 60 in 4 seconds and entertain at the same time (whilst looking far more interesting than the admittedly faster and more practical Tesla) BMW also came up with a very good deal on finance which makes the monthly finance rate comparable to other less expensive cars.
Some criticise the i8's electrical range, but at least with a petrol engine too, you can keep going. In addition the car does regenerate electrical range as you drive, quite quickly if you drive in sport mode. I plug mine into a standard socket overnight at home which gives an 18 mile range by breakfast. I also stick the car into full electric mode whenever I get close to home so I always get there with an empty battery! Which reminds me of the final positive I'll mention - the turbine option. This gives the car a turbine like whine when in electric mode to warn pedestrians of your approach. Ok, not the same as a v8 burble, but surprisingly entertaining in its own way....
So, would I recommend an i8? Absolutely.
If anyone has any questions feel free to get in touch. I now have contacts at BMW, so if you are interested in buying one, please get in touch
bad company said:
Nice piece on an interesting car. I always fancied one but wondered if was right as an every day driver for me. I’m okay with charging etc., but I’m concerned about those doors opening in my garage and car parks. Any parking problems?
Thanks. The doors aren't really any issue from a space point of view, they easily open in most spaces, the only thing you have to be careful of is catching a neighbouring car's wing mirror - especially SUVs where the mirrors are high and stick out a long way. No issue in single garages. My McLaren 12c on the other hand is really tricky! If someone can explain how I can upload a photo from my iPad I'll be able to show how close you can park to a neighbouring car. You quickly get a feel for what you can get away with...Hungrymc said:
Any further update OP (or anyone else) ? I'm very tempted by an i8 and have enjoyed brief test drives. I'm just a bit nervous as to if it will be as enjoyable as some of the competition, but I think its just a slightly different type of enjoyment.
Would appreciate any further updates.
Hi Hungry, I’ll give an update below and also send you a pm. If anyone else is seriously interested in buying one please get in touch - my i8 isn’t for sale, but I have contacts at BMW who may be able to help you...Would appreciate any further updates.
I thought I’d post another i8 update as requested. I have been using the car regularly throughout the winter and am making the most of the pre heating function from the key (although can be done from a phone App too) I thought it would be a gimmick, but it is great getting into a warm car and not needing to de ice it. The car also preheats using electricity to help preserve your range. The car is parked 100m from my house but the range isn’t an issue.
The charge point I often use near my office was out of action for a few weeks meaning my average mpg over 7k miles dropped from 48.2 to 48, but still very impressive and more than I expected.
When covered in grime the car is better at being discreet, but after a valet the other day I am again amazed at the public’s positive reaction. There still aren’t many i8s about - especially at this time of year. In fact whereas I used to see several a week in the Southampton and Bournemouth area, writing this reminds me I haven’t seen another for ages!
I took a couple of clients out for lunch in it the other day, fortunately the 60 year old wife was bendy and game for a laugh - she was wearing a skirt and we were all in hysterics trying to get her into the back. Far easier if you’re not wearing a tight skirt! The back seats are best for children or short journeys - better than a 911, but not by much.
The interior is still immaculate and very solid, no squeaks or rattles. Only issue is that one rear light has condensation in it, will get it sorted under warranty when my diary allows.
Still really enjoying the car and every passenger has been more impressed by it than they expected to be.
I’d encourage any sceptical petrolhead to take a decent test drive. If you are seriously interested please get in touch as I have BMW contacts who may be able to help...
The charge point I often use near my office was out of action for a few weeks meaning my average mpg over 7k miles dropped from 48.2 to 48, but still very impressive and more than I expected.
When covered in grime the car is better at being discreet, but after a valet the other day I am again amazed at the public’s positive reaction. There still aren’t many i8s about - especially at this time of year. In fact whereas I used to see several a week in the Southampton and Bournemouth area, writing this reminds me I haven’t seen another for ages!
I took a couple of clients out for lunch in it the other day, fortunately the 60 year old wife was bendy and game for a laugh - she was wearing a skirt and we were all in hysterics trying to get her into the back. Far easier if you’re not wearing a tight skirt! The back seats are best for children or short journeys - better than a 911, but not by much.
The interior is still immaculate and very solid, no squeaks or rattles. Only issue is that one rear light has condensation in it, will get it sorted under warranty when my diary allows.
Still really enjoying the car and every passenger has been more impressed by it than they expected to be.
I’d encourage any sceptical petrolhead to take a decent test drive. If you are seriously interested please get in touch as I have BMW contacts who may be able to help...
Glad you enjoyed the test drive! Whether an i8 or R8 will suit you better is hard to know. As you haven’t owned a supercar before, the R8 would arguably tick that box...but as you say, you’ll probably find you don’t use it that often. This is less of an issue if the car is appreciating in value, but gets you down if it isn’t!
Of course an i8 isn’t immune from depreciation- unless you lease a new one as I did. If you have two children the i8 will definitely get more use - especially if they are between 4-12 years. Any younger and you won’t have room for baby stuff, any bigger and they’ll complain unless they are in the front...
You are more likely to push the i8 on the road than the R8 in my opinion. The i8 is very forgiving but still a hell of a lot of fun to pedal hard. The R8 has the potential to bite harder if you overcook it.
The i8 is a better dual purpose car, super comfy (as is the R8 to be fair), but very relaxing when you want it to be. If you found you used your Lotus a lot, I’m sure an R8 would be just as usable. If the Lotus was a garage queen then an i8 may be a better bet. Fun everyday, rather than just at weekends!
Of course an i8 isn’t immune from depreciation- unless you lease a new one as I did. If you have two children the i8 will definitely get more use - especially if they are between 4-12 years. Any younger and you won’t have room for baby stuff, any bigger and they’ll complain unless they are in the front...
You are more likely to push the i8 on the road than the R8 in my opinion. The i8 is very forgiving but still a hell of a lot of fun to pedal hard. The R8 has the potential to bite harder if you overcook it.
The i8 is a better dual purpose car, super comfy (as is the R8 to be fair), but very relaxing when you want it to be. If you found you used your Lotus a lot, I’m sure an R8 would be just as usable. If the Lotus was a garage queen then an i8 may be a better bet. Fun everyday, rather than just at weekends!
red997 said:
I've had an i8 recently on an extended loan.
I'd concur with most of the reviews on here.
However, I decided it isn't for me.
what made me decide ?
jumping back into my 991 GT3
That, and I was surprised as to how little storage it actually has.
shame, as the drive was pretty good, but just not for me.
I agree the lack of storage is a bit of an issue, but I use the boot and back seats - and often the passenger seat too! The i8 is nothing like a 991 GT3, both excel in different ways, glad you were able to see which suited you best I'd concur with most of the reviews on here.
However, I decided it isn't for me.
what made me decide ?
jumping back into my 991 GT3
That, and I was surprised as to how little storage it actually has.
shame, as the drive was pretty good, but just not for me.
johnphiladelphia said:
Oh wow! Great review!
I’ve had a Porsche Macan for the last two years, and a Mercedes CLS prior to that (both diesels), and now thinking of selling the Macan and going for an i8.
I’ve always dreamt of one, and life’s too short otherwise.
Almost a year on from the OP, how is the car now? I’m really interested as to how you’ve found it long term. I’m going to declare myself really silly and just state that I’ll be buying the car and parking it on the street in front of my terraced house when not using it. I’ve got my dads old Jag S type for daily shopping and things, and I usually scoot 100 miles or so to see them at the weekends, and that’s what I’ll save this car for.
How long does the battery hold charge for, and do I *need* to charge it or does it regenerate well enough by itself with some aggressive braking? Have you had to incur the warranty for anything?
Before anyone flames me, I just want the car as I love the looks, it’s pretty iconic, and everyone who’s driven it says they would choose it over a 911. Also I think the 2014/15 models will probably be worth a bit in the future and I can’t see them dropping much below £50K in the future!
Thanks in advance for any of your thoughts!
Happy to give an update. I’ve now had the car for 18 months and ironically just had it back from some warranty work after a break down. The issue was that the fuel tank needs to be depressurized before filling (no idea why, but just involves pressing a button on the dash). On this occasion the tank wouldn’t depressurize, so I was about to run out of petrol and electricity. I called a friend who suggested calling BMW assist. I did and they could instantly see where I was. They pointed out there is an emergency release in the boot, but it wasn’t connected on my car! After about 1.5 hours a transporter arrived for my car and BMW booked me a taxi to take me home, delivering a very high spec X5 the following morning. Very good service.I’ve had a Porsche Macan for the last two years, and a Mercedes CLS prior to that (both diesels), and now thinking of selling the Macan and going for an i8.
I’ve always dreamt of one, and life’s too short otherwise.
Almost a year on from the OP, how is the car now? I’m really interested as to how you’ve found it long term. I’m going to declare myself really silly and just state that I’ll be buying the car and parking it on the street in front of my terraced house when not using it. I’ve got my dads old Jag S type for daily shopping and things, and I usually scoot 100 miles or so to see them at the weekends, and that’s what I’ll save this car for.
How long does the battery hold charge for, and do I *need* to charge it or does it regenerate well enough by itself with some aggressive braking? Have you had to incur the warranty for anything?
Before anyone flames me, I just want the car as I love the looks, it’s pretty iconic, and everyone who’s driven it says they would choose it over a 911. Also I think the 2014/15 models will probably be worth a bit in the future and I can’t see them dropping much below £50K in the future!
Thanks in advance for any of your thoughts!
Whilst the car was having this issue fixed I finally got around to having one of the rear lights replaced as it was full of condensation. It seems the car just needed a new data download to fix the fuel problem.
I still think the car is great, a very good multi purpose car, fun to drive and very different to anything else I’ve owned or driven. There are at least three i8s within a few miles of my house, which is quite surprising as I live in the countryside. In spite of this the car still generates a lot of interest. I agree it is a future classic -but think it will be quite a few years before we start seeing any appreciation.
I think the car works best if you are able to charge it overnight at home, I’m averaging almost exactly 50mpg in mixed driving and generally now only charging at home. Charging using a standard socket the car shows between 14-18 miles of full electric driving after an ove4night charge, which gets me halfway to the office. I tend to put it in full electric mode in town or if I’m heading home with some juice to use up!
If holding a steady speed on the motorway the electric reserve builds slowly in normal mode but quite rapidly in sport whatever the driving conditions.
It really isnt possible to accommodate an adult in the rear seats for long, even on a short run I tend to move my seat much further forward than ideal to give rear seat passengers half a chance. Ok for very occasional use but not ideal if a regular requirement in my view!
Happy to answer any other questions
I think it would be a very good idea and with hindsight a much better plan than me buying mine new and not qualifying for tax relief! I would just recommend that you take out a BMW extended warranty - if you buy from them I think you'll get a minimum of a year's warranty anyway. Even though the value of the car has halved, the repair costs haven't... Mine has generally been very reliable, but I know others have had issues and with all that technology it may be pricey to repair. Let us know if you go for it 
culminator said:
Go for it!
It's a stunning car, highly capable and more future proof than most high performance cars. Had mine a year and loved every drive. I sold my 250bhp Caterham to get it and don't regret it for a second.
Don't forget that 2015 cars are VED exempt too, so that helps out with overall running costs if that's a concern. I've averaged 50 MPG plus since I got mine and apart from the well known fuel cap issue, I've not had any problems.
I'm sensing a lot more interest in these cars now and don't foresee them falling much below £50k .
Out of interest, I'm averaging 50mpg too and have just had the fuel cap issue too - assuming you mean it refusing to open? I don't understand why it needs to depressurize, can anyone explain? In case it happens to anyone else, there is an emergency release under a panel in the boot on the right hand side - although mine wasn't connected! If any existing owners have yet to have the issue I would recommend contacting BMW and asking for a download which is what it took to fix mine... (a 2017 Protonic dark grey if interested!) It's a stunning car, highly capable and more future proof than most high performance cars. Had mine a year and loved every drive. I sold my 250bhp Caterham to get it and don't regret it for a second.
Don't forget that 2015 cars are VED exempt too, so that helps out with overall running costs if that's a concern. I've averaged 50 MPG plus since I got mine and apart from the well known fuel cap issue, I've not had any problems.
I'm sensing a lot more interest in these cars now and don't foresee them falling much below £50k .
Toltec said:
Dragging this back into view...
I've been doing a bit of research on these and was wondering what experience with insurance is like. I did the usual check and they come out at over double what a 911 or any other performance car would.
Aha, adding a tracker drops it over £400, makes no difference on a 911 though.
I think the amount I pay is roughly equivalent to my other performance cars - it has got a Tracker, but then most £100k plus new cars need one in my experience. Seems to have very low running costs compared to equivalent cars too, so this would certainly help offset any slightly higher insurance. Over my first 10k miles in an i8 I averaged 50mpg. Over the winter months I'm down to 45mpg, probably due to heated seats etc...I've been doing a bit of research on these and was wondering what experience with insurance is like. I did the usual check and they come out at over double what a 911 or any other performance car would.
Aha, adding a tracker drops it over £400, makes no difference on a 911 though.
Edited by Toltec on Wednesday 23 January 14:43
I still think its a great car by the way!
I waved goodbye to my i8 just before lockdown and had a deposit on an i8 roadster - thanks to Covid I decided to lose the deposit and the car...
Photo above thanks to the very talented Andrew Whyte.
I agree with all the points Pioneer makes, I only had to crawl into the car once thanks to someone blocking me in - not bad in 30k miles. As he mentions, you do have to be careful of 4x4 mirrors which can catch the door. My struts didn’t need replacing in 3 years, worked perfectly. Incredibly cheap to run too, both fuel economy and servicing. Only issue I had was a sticking fuel cap, BMW assist were very good.
I have very happy memories of mine and every passenger was gobsmacked by its turn of speed, it could be pedalled very, very fast. I intended to buy an M3 or M6 when BMW invited me to drive the i8 and in my view it was superior to both as a fun daily driver.
A couples more photos of my i8 for Mr Orange, photos taken by Andrew Whyte who is happy to take stunning photos of any car in central southern UK, his speciality is to shoot in the dead of night, the results are stunning. He has photographed many of my cars and his charges are very reasonable...
Well, I lost £1k when I pulled my deposit on a roadster due to Covid. Even though it was a secondhand car and in dealer stock, the BMW main dealer refused to return my deposit which was disappointing- particularly having bought my original
i8 coupe brand new.
The biggest difference between the two is the lack of tear seats in the roadster. They aren’t the best for transporting people anyway (think 911 style) but do make the car significantly more usable by increasing storage for shopping etc. The boot on the i8 can also get hot, so storing shopping inside the car has benefits.
Roadster has slightly better range than early coupes too. Otherwise, same brilliant package!
i8 coupe brand new.
The biggest difference between the two is the lack of tear seats in the roadster. They aren’t the best for transporting people anyway (think 911 style) but do make the car significantly more usable by increasing storage for shopping etc. The boot on the i8 can also get hot, so storing shopping inside the car has benefits.
Roadster has slightly better range than early coupes too. Otherwise, same brilliant package!
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