03-16-2017, 09:48 PM | #1 |
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Questions on Buying Demo Model
Featured on BIMMERPOST.com To begin, I have researched a lot of buying advice on the i8 (even down small details such as you only have 100 launch controls until you are required to take the i8 in to a BMW service dealer, although this may be changing), and so feel eerily familiar with the car despite not having driven it. My wife and I are both interested because the i8 ticks quite a few boxes of "future classic", e.g. wall poster styling, limited quantity, yada yada yada -- and the local prices are somewhat depressed since most people in Ozstraya with $300K AUD have other purchasing options, e.g. good 2nd hand Aston Martin DB9; so dealer demo ones, particularly over 1+ year old, have taken quite a depreciation hit. So we spotted an i8 at our local BMW dealer at a nicely depreciated price (i.e. we can afford it without renting out our kidneys), at the correct colour and spec. But... and there always is... as I was talking to the sales manager it transpires the car had been shown as an exhibition at some show or other during the weekend and the junior BMW carbon unit driving it back "hit a dip in the road" and "broke the drive shaft." I presume they mean the either or both of the output shafts coming out of the rear engine... but could be the output shafts from the front?? I didn't ask. :-( The details were sketchy, but they have a new drive shaft flown out from Germany and are flying someone in to check "what other damage there may be" -- ergo the car, apparently, is in pieces right now. I have been assured that they will "write it off" if there is too much structural damage. I said that my chief concerns would be the CF plastic body since, I imagine, replacing even a door is the cost of new Mazda 3 or such like. Second, I would be concerned that the steel underside housing the battery would be compromised. So. Gut tells me any "dip in the road" severe enough to break a drive shaft must have compromised the body and structure, and therefore "walk away" and wait for another one at that price point. But it's not like there's a huge i8 pool available. I think there's less than 60 in Australia. So if the specialist they fly in says the drive shaft replacement is all that's needed and the body+structure is sound, do I accept that? Another opportunity may not arise locally (although there is one being sold in another state at the same price and colour, but then you get the registration tax here plus transport plus going down to see it plus... plus..). Any and all advice welcome. Thank you in advance. Last edited by BanjoPaterson; 03-16-2017 at 11:03 PM.. |
03-17-2017, 02:17 AM | #2 |
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Too much to worry about there, if i bought it id be stressing about it in the back of my mind forever. Walk away.
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03-17-2017, 05:54 AM | #3 |
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03-17-2017, 09:17 AM | #4 |
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This raises broader concerns about a potential Achilles heel. Highly curious how a dip in the road resulted in broken driveshaft.
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03-17-2017, 11:31 AM | #5 |
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03-17-2017, 11:35 AM | #6 |
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03-17-2017, 03:48 PM | #7 |
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Agree. The i8 sometimes makes creaking and cracking noises - usually coming from the door locks. But in the case of that particular car, I'd be worried sh*tless that the noise means the shell has a crack somewhere. No fun.
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03-17-2017, 11:06 PM | #8 |
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I'm not that mechanically minded, but after I posted the question above a pod colleague of mine, who used to drive and maintain tanks (!) in the army, chipped in with: "Must've been a bl**dy big dip" before stating: "My two cents. They were driving too fast and hit the curb."
I think he's correct. I think the salesman used the term "dip in road" either without thinking or deliberately to stop me thinking just how fast and hard you'd have to hit something to break a drive shaft. Thank you all for the feedback. As much as it pains me, I think I may have to walk from this one, damn it. I sorta hoped against all odds, but the i8s in Oz aren't cheap and if I'm spending that amount of money, i.e. whilst I can afford it I can still feel the hole in the pocket, then it should be as pristine as possible. Dang dang dang dang dang. |
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03-18-2017, 04:14 PM | #9 |
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Note the VIN, if you get a chance. Might be interesting to see if this particular i8 surfaces again on eBay as "like new".
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03-18-2017, 04:15 PM | #10 |
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Demo model? No. More likely a salvage vehicle.
Run. As fast as you can. Away from that thing.
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03-18-2017, 05:08 PM | #11 |
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OP, walk away.
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03-19-2017, 02:05 AM | #12 |
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Demo vehicle must be some sort of abused vehicle . I had seen a Ford GT40 had its shaft broken when Jeremy Clarkson launched his car .I thought he was joking but it was real .A broken shaft can be caused by mishandling the car too . I see why i8 has restricted to 100 times as launch control .
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03-19-2017, 03:30 AM | #13 |
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I had my i8 up on a ramp last week and I've grounded her a few times, so I was kinda worried what I might find...all I saw was a minor scratch on the aluminium floor plate. It is well packacked underneath.
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03-19-2017, 05:11 AM | #14 |
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I would definitely walk away as you will never find the truth and always worry.
Unless you can get a full inspection done, but with so few i8s around finding an independent person with the right knowledge and experience is likely impossible. Have you considered importing one from a Japanese or U.K. dealer? The pound's value is very depressed at the moment and two year old cars are at about 40% depreciation. $300k AUD gives a budget of about £180k. 80K is top money for a year old, or less than year old UK car. Leaving you with £100k for import duty and shipping. There may be warranty implications as they may not honour the warranty on an imported car but I'd hope it was a world wide warranty. And you'd need to get the dash changed or coded in Km. Worth looking into importation costs and you may find there's an importation specialist who will take care of it all for a smallish premium? |
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03-19-2017, 10:46 AM | #15 |
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I heard on an event that the i8 automatically switched to Km when its satnav detects a relevant country. I've not taken mine abroad yet though.
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03-19-2017, 08:01 PM | #16 |
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Walk away.
Who knows what really happened.... and who know's what's going to happen! |
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03-19-2017, 09:59 PM | #17 |
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To all of you - thank you!
You've all confirmed -- as a unified voice -- the smartest move is to walk away from this deal and wait, which is what I'll do. I agree -- too much money for not enough reassurance. Also, despite the particular i8 my wife and I want (white with black and blue trim) being rare, they're still not impossible to find at the moment. So... until sometime in (not too distant) future I hope to be able to join your illustrious group as a newly minted i8 owner. Thank you! |
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03-20-2017, 09:41 AM | #18 |
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lol, was it a 'dip' or a ditch - or one followed by the other?
I'd walk away. Suspect the wheel(s) have hit a kerb hard and folded resulting in pulled or pushed driveshaft(s). The driveshafts are quite high up and buried in amongst other components - worry about possible unseen damage on gearboxes, regen brakes, steering rack, hubs, electronics/sensors etc.... a potential nightmare, what happens when you try to sell it? As someone above said, this isn't a demo car. In my book it's a repaired accident damaged vehicle (assuming they decide it's repairable)
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