[ericsi]

.... Strangely enough, the ride!

I think it is so well judged. I had 911 of all kinds (964rs, 996 gt3 mk2, turbo, turbo S, 993 c2s etc), and all of them bar 1 tried to break my back.

The most annoying trait of 911s was the huge rolling noise at cruising speed. That really did my head in.

The only 911 that rode so well was the 993. Beautiful supple chassis for the road. On twisty broken roads, you could just 'flow' withe road.

And the i8 is like this.

In a world of Nurburgring enhanced chassis set-ups, it's nice to have a car that is a real life proposition.

A car that you don't want to park after a one hour drive. A car that you want to travel in. A car that you want to explore and go exploring with.

I mentioned in another thread that i once tested a Bentley continental gt Speed. I had given my agreement to the dealer that i would buy the car. When i test drove it, i thought the i8 had MUCH better ride and handling characteristics.

I have two slight issues with the car: 1/ i would like to be able to drive it in sport with the softest suspension setting as UK roads can be really awfull. 2/ there is a slight delay in pick up when putting your foot down at a traffic light.

What's your favourite i8 trait?

[Nivarox]

I had some concerns before taking a test drive regarding suspension set up too.It even gave me an eery feeling having seen the run flat tires and to make matters worse I was recommended to test drive right after G11 7 Series.
In test drive, I had chosen all different mods and various speeds.Road surface wasn't perfect either and BMW attendant said they picked that route by design to demonstrate suspension supremacy of the cars even on the uneven surfaces.
I was surprised the way BMW i8 rode given it's super sport suspension settings and run flat 20 " tires. In Sport Mode I could feel the bumps but in comfort it never felt you were driving a sport car, not to mention seat comforts. These definitely help in long trips
The car is silent too, not that I'm talking about e drive but overall. Almost no wind noise and tire noise is disturbing my driving pleasure
My most favorite feature:
The design and technology under the chassis

[Longboarder]

I agree the ride is fantastic on the i8.

Not sure the comparison against your old 911's is really something people would consider these days. The 911 has come a long way since the air cooled era. People considering the i8 might also consider the 991. The 991 chassis is fantastic and results in a very quiet ride on the road even at freeway speeds despite the large contact patch and insanely potent engine (comparing to a 991 Turbo S).

I do find the i8 ride and handling to be phenomenal. The chassis, weight layout, long wheel base make me forget the there is skinny little tires on all fours. I'm still exploring the limits with both dsc on an off. Lots of intervention with dsc on and is sometimes a strange feeling and I think it has to do with the front battery drive.

[MalibuBimmer]

I've had a lot of BMWs (and a lot of Mercs). The best feature on all of them is the cabin. It's always fairly spacious and well laid out. It's very driver-centric. So I guess my favorite feature on all BMWs is the ergonomics. As for this i8, the suspension is very supple and the handling is pretty good for a big car. But I like being able to drive it in electric mode only and then crank it up in sport.

[ericsi]

Originally Posted by Longboarder

I agree the ride is fantastic on the i8.

Not sure the comparison against your old 911's is really something people would consider these days. The 911 has come a long way since the air cooled era. People considering the i8 might also consider the 991. The 991 chassis is fantastic and results in a very quiet ride on the road even at freeway speeds despite the large contact patch and insanely potent engine (comparing to a 991 Turbo S).

I do find the i8 ride and handling to be phenomenal. The chassis, weight layout, long wheel base make me forget the there is skinny little tires on all fours. I'm still exploring the limits with both dsc on an off. Lots of intervention with dsc on and is sometimes a strange feeling and I think it has to do with the front battery drive.

Curious to hear more comparison between the i8 and the 991 turbo S. That was the only other car i considered other than the i8.

[Longboarder]

Originally Posted by ericsi

Curious to hear more comparison between the i8 and the 991 turbo S. That was the only other car i considered other than the i8.

Really hard to compare. 991 is the ultimate performance machine especially when lightly modded with the huge aftermarket support. Although it can be easily daily driven as it's very comfortable.

I like the i8 a lot better for daily driving. The tech is cool and the chassis is superb. It's quiet and so I'm not looking for opportunities to mash the gas like I am with the 991.

[Aye-eight]

The i8's schizophrenia is the best thing for me. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Others use the hybrid approach to clean up the car a bit / improve the economics, that's it. This is hybrid done right: you choose if you want to be stealthy and clean, or rambunctious and fast. With the same car. Awesome.

[carholic]

The doors!

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by Aye-eight

The i8's schizophrenia is the best thing for me. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Others use the hybrid approach to clean up the car a bit / improve the economics, that's it. This is hybrid done right: you choose if you want to be stealthy and clean, or rambunctious and fast. With the same car. Awesome.

Multiple personality rather than schizophrenia is probably what you mean. Schizophrenia is disorganized thinking, an inability to perceive reality and a lack of emotional control, all of which make it impossible to function normally.

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

Multiple personality rather than schizophrenia is probably what you mean. Schizophrenia is disorganized thinking, an inability to perceive reality and a lack of emotional control, all of which make it impossible to function normally.

Fair enough. I had taken schizophrenia as a synonym for multiple personalities. Thanks for making that more clear. Don't want to imply that the i8 is unable to function normally.

[jcpca356]

i'm gonna have to go with the doors too

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by jcpca356

i'm gonna have to go with the doors too

They're my least favorite feature. But I'm 71. The high sill and low head room clearance require a two or three step procedure to get in and out. Too bad BMW didn't cut away more of the top and add it to the door so one doesn't have to compress the body so much to get in and out.

But, interestingly, getting out of the passenger side is easy for me. I'm not sure what that is from. I thought I'd be pretty good on the left side after riding horses for 40 years (left side on and off).

[NGR]

Doors are one of my favourites, I often have kids asking to open the doors and take photos next to the car!

Other favourites are the dual personalities, when people are staring (i.e. every time I drive the thing), I usually switch to e-drive and hum passed them sounding like a something out of Bladerunner - or - drop a gear on the paddles and make an old-fashioned noise.

Unlocking the car at night and seeing the blue light-up is also pretty damn cool, especially when the door opens and you can see the Tron-like lights on the doors.

We might not have flying cars yet, but the i8 looks like it should just lift off vertically - and fly back to the future!

[jcpca356]

I push down the sill with my elbow to when entering/exiting. It makes ingress/egress a lot easier for me.

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

They're my least favorite feature. But I'm 71. The high sill and low head room clearance require a two or three step procedure to get in and out. Too bad BMW didn't cut away more of the top and add it to the door so one doesn't have to compress the body so much to get in and out.

But, interestingly, getting out of the passenger side is easy for me. I'm not sure what that is from. I thought I'd be pretty good on the left side after riding horses for 40 years (left side on and off).

[jcpca356]

i8 at 71!

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

They're my least favorite feature. But I'm 71. The high sill and low head room clearance require a two or three step procedure to get in and out. Too bad BMW didn't cut away more of the top and add it to the door so one doesn't have to compress the body so much to get in and out.

But, interestingly, getting out of the passenger side is easy for me. I'm not sure what that is from. I thought I'd be pretty good on the left side after riding horses for 40 years (left side on and off).

[Amgeater2]

Is the SMART KEY that I never GOT lmao:thumb down

[skinrock]

Originally Posted by Amgeater2

Is the SMART KEY that I never GOT lmao:thumb down

Some missing features I can understand - US DOT laws seem to take forever to catch up. A key, though...why couldn't that be released here?

[fishpond]

Originally Posted by skinrock

Some missing features I can understand - US DOT laws seem to take forever to catch up. A key, though...why couldn't that be released here?

The doors and smart key are my favourites.... got my complimentary smart key recently and it is yet another awesome bit of tech to go with the i8.

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by jcpca356

i8 at 71!

I got my first -- a Bavaria -- at 26. At 27 I bought a 3.0CS. And I heard about a bunch of guys meeting at some restaurant near USC who were starting up a local BMW club. So I went. They all drove 1602s and 2002s. When they asked me what I drove and I told them, they treated me like crap. I left that day and have never participated in any BMWCCA events since. They were a bunch of reverse snobs.

[jcpca356]

Must be the usual "bmw snobs who can't afford exotics" crowd. Compensating for their lack of self worth. Don't mind them!

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

I got my first -- a Bavaria -- at 26. At 27 I bought a 3.0CS. And I heard about a bunch of guys meeting at some restaurant near USC who were starting up a local BMW club. So I went. They all drove 1602s and 2002s. When they asked me what I drove and I told them, they treated me like crap. I left that day and have never participated in any BMWCCA events since. They were a bunch of reverse snobs.

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by jcpca356

Must be the usual "bmw snobs who can't afford exotics" crowd. Compensating for their lack of self worth. Don't mind them!

Well, that was 44 years ago. And I haven't forgotten.

I did go on a road trip recently with a bunch of 3 owners and they couldn't have been nicer. I took the M4. But I obviously haven't forgotten the assholes I met back in the day.

[wanesso]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

Well, that was 44 years ago. And I haven't forgotten.

I did go on a road trip recently with a bunch of 3 owners and they couldn't have been nicer. I took the M4. But I obviously haven't forgotten the assholes I met back in the day.

Let it go man--those guys are not worth it! But re horses, did you ride with a hunt, show jump, or what? Been there too and figure horses improved my driving....