BMW i3 and i8 Will be Available for Online Ordering

Jason · 07-26-2012, 11:36 AM

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW i3 and i8 Will be Available for Online Ordering

21
COMMENTS

With the BMW i3 electric city car and i8 electric hybrid sports car, BMW is ready to test online sales for the first time, according to Bloomberg.

As an inexpensive way to reach more buyers and recoup the cars' development costs, BMW will sell the i3 and i8 directly over the internet for the first time. The i3 and i8 will also be sold in showrooms, but their initial retail rollout (including the first i-showroom in London) will be among a limited showroom network.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet. Retail outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material. BMW has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, says Ian Robertson, the BMW sales chief.

Further details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are still in the planning process says BMW, but sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, as expected.

The i3 hits the market next year and is expected to start well north of $40000. The i8 will launch in 2014 to the price of over $125,000 (as BMW recently confirmed).

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2014 BMW i3 Review Video

Video: BMW i3 Drives LA

A Member's BMW i3 Test Drive at LA Auto Show : Pics and Impressions

JoeyBananaz18 · 07-26-2012, 11:50 AM

I don't know why, but I was anticipating the i3 to be significantly less and the i8 to be significantly more.

Yodaime · 07-26-2012, 11:59 AM

I'm ready to order my i8!!!!! You guys better make DIFFUZORS and EXHAUST for it NAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO!

SoCali E36 · 07-26-2012, 12:26 PM

Meh...

Teemo Panda · 07-26-2012, 12:36 PM

Wow the i3 so expensive ~_~

e85sbm · 07-26-2012, 12:53 PM

I too am a bit surprised by the cost on the i3. I was expecting it to start around $40k.

GOLFFRR · 07-26-2012, 12:55 PM

interesting. I really like the i8, I want to see one in person

ATSR · 07-26-2012, 02:10 PM

As others have said, more than 40K for the i3 is completely ridiculous.

ddk632 · 07-26-2012, 10:26 PM

Sign me up for an i8. I love this car!

Any indication as to when ordering will be available, or is it too soon? I guess it's back to hitting 'refresh' on bmwusa.com for the next year or so

shanfarrar · 07-26-2012, 11:24 PM

I love this car!

watrob · 07-26-2012, 11:30 PM

Trading my wife's California in on a i8, due in Australia in 2014.

roadmax · 07-27-2012, 02:44 AM

Realistic and more reasonable prices for i3 should be 15-20 K depending on options and for i8 no higher than 70-80 K
BMW will face competition in this segment that they will either have to rethink the pricing practices or cancel production.

red-sauerkraut · 07-27-2012, 02:44 AM

Which one?

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanfarrar

I love this car!

Tallest · 07-27-2012, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadmax

Realistic and more reasonable prices for i3 should be 15-20 K

Let me stop you right there. PRobably that just covers the drivetrain.

Until these kind of cars are mass produced (and I doubt full electric is the way to go anyway) these cars are expensive toys.

Mitsukehh · 07-27-2012, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teemo Panda

Wow the i3 so expensive ~_~

I was expecting it to be around $30,000. And eww xD AP Teemo is annoying to play against!

: hahahaha

stealth.pilot · 07-27-2012, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitsukehh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teemo Panda

Wow the i3 so expensive ~_~

I was expecting it to be around $30,000. And eww xD AP Teemo is annoying to play against!

: hahahaha

The price probably doesn't account for Federal incentives. Remember that the Volt and Leaf are also over 40k. Leaf SL is $37k before options.

The federal tax credit of $7500 plus additional state credits can bring the price down by another $10k.

pseto · 07-27-2012, 09:13 AM

these are limited production cars, these will ABSOLUTELY be marked up by the dealers that get them. i wouldn't be surprised if the i3 was $60k+ and i8 more than $200k out the door.

whoever gets one better hope to get one online

mapezzul · 07-27-2012, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadmax

Realistic and more reasonable prices for i3 should be 15-20 K depending on options and for i8 no higher than 70-80 K
BMW will face competition in this segment that they will either have to rethink the pricing practices or cancel production.

Huh? You do realize that his uses a carbon fiber passenger cell and is a luxury electric vehicle right? It was designed from the ground up to be electric it is not a repackaged petrol car. A volt is in the same price range and doesn't even come close in luxury.

What luxury car could ever be in that price range let alone an electric one? The battery pack alone is probably that amount of money...

I personally want one with a ReX system which will be able to go about 700 miles or more on a tank- that is awesome. BMW has already spent 3 Billion on R&D for these cars and they are going to be 3-5 years ahead of the competition easily. None of the other brands outside Tesla and Fisker which are new to cars in general have a product. Audi stopped developing the A2 E-Tron all together and a production version of the E-tron R8 recently erupted into flames during testing.

Time will tell but I think they will hit their 30k units with no issues.

mapezzul · 07-27-2012, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

The price probably doesn't account for Federal incentives. Remember that the Volt and Leaf are also over 40k. Leaf SL is $37k before options.

The federal tax credit of $7500 plus additional state credits can bring the price down by another $10k.

Awesome point! Not to mention the i3 is much more upmarket in terms of luxury. It may actually be a "value" compared to the others. The US will get a ReX option as well.

ATSR · 07-27-2012, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pseto

these are limited production cars, these will ABSOLUTELY be marked up by the dealers that get them. i wouldn't be surprised if the i3 was $60k+ and i8 more than $200k out the door.

whoever gets one better hope to get one online

How can the dealers mark up the price if you can buy them online?

pseto · 07-27-2012, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATS

How can the dealers mark up the price if you can buy them online?

you have to wait for a car bought online. a car in the showroom will go to the person with the biggest wallet

spellbmw · 07-27-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by e85sbm

I too am a bit surprised by the cost on the i3. I was expecting it to start around $40k.

+1

07-26-2012, 11:36 AM	#1
Jason Administrator 12666 Rep 17,855 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	BMW i3 and i8 Will be Available for Online Ordering BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW i3 and i8 Will be Available for Online Ordering 21 COMMENTS Tweet With the BMW i3 electric city car and i8 electric hybrid sports car, BMW is ready to test online sales for the first time, according to Bloomberg. As an inexpensive way to reach more buyers and recoup the cars' development costs, BMW will sell the i3 and i8 directly over the internet for the first time. The i3 and i8 will also be sold in showrooms, but their initial retail rollout (including the first i-showroom in London) will be among a limited showroom network. The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet. Retail outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material. BMW has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, says Ian Robertson, the BMW sales chief. Further details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are still in the planning process says BMW, but sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, as expected. The i3 hits the market next year and is expected to start well north of $40000. The i8 will launch in 2014 to the price of over $125,000 (as BMW recently confirmed). OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE 2014 BMW i3 Review Video Video: BMW i3 Drives LA A Member's BMW i3 Test Drive at LA Auto Show : Pics and Impressions
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07-26-2012, 11:50 AM	#2
JoeyBananaz18 Brigadier General 62 Rep 3,811 Posts Drives: metrocard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Whitestone, NY iTrader: (3)	I don't know why, but I was anticipating the i3 to be significantly less and the i8 to be significantly more. __________________ 7/18/09- I pick up my baby- 2009 E92 335i Xdrive, Space Gray over Coral Red. Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, M-Sport Pkg, 193Ms, Gloss Black grills, Custom Gloss Black Mirrors, Performance shift and E-brake boot, M3 spoiler, Euro fog switch, gloss black interior tim, Coco-Mats (red/black), H&R coilovers, 19'' Alufelgen SF-71s......
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07-26-2012, 12:26 PM	#4
SoCali E36 OOOOWEEEEE! 85 Rep 3,101 Posts Drives: 1997 E36 M3 Sedan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Where the road takes me... iTrader: (10)	Meh... __________________ Last edited by SoCali E36; 07-26-2012 at 12:41 PM.
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07-26-2012, 12:36 PM	#5
Teemo Panda Bimmerpost Plasti Dip Guru 27 Rep 1,177 Posts Drives: E53, E46-M3, E70, F25-X3 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New Jersey (NJ) iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW X3 [2.83]	Wow the i3 so expensive ~_~ __________________
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07-26-2012, 12:53 PM	#6
e85sbm Snow Wizard 19 Rep 414 Posts Drives: F10 & E89 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Calgary, Canada iTrader: (2)	I too am a bit surprised by the cost on the i3. I was expecting it to start around $40k.
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07-26-2012, 12:55 PM	#7
GOLFFRR 2092 Rep 21,285 Posts Drives: Golf Cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solvang, CA/Camarillo, CA iTrader: (4)	interesting. I really like the i8, I want to see one in person __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, PM ME FIRST WE CAN HOOK YOU UP! David Aviles: bmwdavid@icloud.com - Cell:202-262-2900 If you have any issues getting a hold of David PLEASE PM me, I'm available everyday till 645pm!
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07-26-2012, 02:10 PM	#8
ATSR Captain 18 Rep 853 Posts Drives: 997.2 Carrera Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	As others have said, more than 40K for the i3 is completely ridiculous.
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07-26-2012, 10:26 PM	#9
ddk632 Anonymous Internet User #42 107 Rep 2,052 Posts Drives: 2008 E93 M3 6MT FTW!!! Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E93 BMW M3 [0.00]	Sign me up for an i8. I love this car! Any indication as to when ordering will be available, or is it too soon? I guess it's back to hitting 'refresh' on bmwusa.com for the next year or so
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07-26-2012, 11:24 PM	#10
shanfarrar New Member 0 Rep 7 Posts Drives: bmw Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: bus iTrader: (0)	I love this car! __________________
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07-26-2012, 11:30 PM	#11
watrob Lieutenant Colonel 67 Rep 1,567 Posts Drives: MY2013 X5M 50d - White Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Brisbane - Australia iTrader: (0)	Trading my wife's California in on a i8, due in Australia in 2014. __________________ X5 F15 M50d White, 20"rims, Yellow Calipers, Ceramic Pads. Better off saying what it does not have and that's a B&O Audio System, otherwise all option boxes are ticked.
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07-27-2012, 02:44 AM	#12
roadmax Private First Class 2 Rep 138 Posts Drives: M3 Coupe Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (3)	Realistic and more reasonable prices for i3 should be 15-20 K depending on options and for i8 no higher than 70-80 K BMW will face competition in this segment that they will either have to rethink the pricing practices or cancel production.
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07-27-2012, 09:13 AM	#17
pseto Major General 127 Rep 6,948 Posts Drives: M3 E92 ZCP, M Roadster, X5 4.4 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Columbia, MD iTrader: (4)	these are limited production cars, these will ABSOLUTELY be marked up by the dealers that get them. i wouldn't be surprised if the i3 was $60k+ and i8 more than $200k out the door. whoever gets one better hope to get one online __________________ Paul Seto - BMW Car Club of America National Capital Chapter (MD/DC/NoVA), President & Social Chairman Become a BMW CCA member & reference my member# 339225 Join our NCC Facebook Page
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