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      05-01-2014, 11:49 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by DINAN_GT View Post
I was hoping someone else would notice the GC too!

Excellent review (or should I say, sublime ). I always loved the way the i8 looked since the beginning and the way it truly stands out on the road. Although it's not a V10 600+hp supercar that every BMW fan really wanted, BMW's goal with the i8 was the show the true potential of an electric hybrid, and they did definitely achieve that with the i8. This car was a vision brought to life, and even though I sometimes wish it could have been BMW's entry into the supercar world, I'm glad where this landed anyways.
I think BMW will eventually make a supercar in 2016 650bhp most likely
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      05-01-2014, 11:50 AM   #46
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Originally Posted by Braap View Post
Show of hands; how many people want to shell out $150k+ for a 'supercar' that can barely 'dust a WRX' through the canyons?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm....

idiot are you actually stupid

Plus the i8 does 0to60 in 3.8 sec.
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      05-01-2014, 11:52 AM   #47
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Originally Posted by boulderado View Post
This car isn't about outright speed though, is it? It is the futuristic design inside out. It is the hybrid technology that helps you consume quarter of the gas that WRX consumes while still being able to dust it. It is the versatility of using in EV mode for 20 miles and the traction of the all wheel drive. Most importantly this is Bmw's first stab at this whole concept and a clean sheet design. Imagine what the 2nd or 3rd generation i8 would be like...

How many generations did it take Porsche to figure out to stop 911s from trying to kill its drivers through the canyons?
exactly. its not even an actual M supercar too people are just getting confused thinking its a straight performance car. idiots
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      05-01-2014, 12:28 PM   #48
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Wonderful it's still sad it's not truly born electric, or moreover ///M will not bring a fire breathing version
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      05-01-2014, 12:46 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by bimmin View Post
Even at $10/gallon you will never save any money with the i8 at $135k. Compared to say a $50k car thats about $85k in gas savings you'd have to make. $85,000/$10 = 8500 gallons * 135mpg = 1,147,500 miles.

Gas prices are not that important to anyone who can afford an i8. They are just making themselves feel good by buying a "green" car (which is fine). I'm not sure why you say the i8 is not for the US market. I assume more will be sold in this country than any other.
Not sure about the US, but over here a number of taxes are based on how green your car is. The savings on an i8 are significant in this regard. I think you could virtually lease a 3 series for the savings in company car tax alone! and believe me, people buying cars at this level may be able to afford the fuel, but I don't know anyone over here that doesn't begrudge paying as much as we do for it.
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      05-01-2014, 01:33 PM   #50
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While I like the styling, and exercise in composite chassis road cars; the i8 is simply a sports car for people who worry about what others think of their choice in automobiles. For that reason I look down at those whom choose to own it. It's the Ultimate Poser Machine.
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      05-01-2014, 01:50 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Braap View Post
Show of hands; how many people want to shell out $150k+ for a 'supercar' that can barely 'dust a WRX' through the canyons?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm....

But this isn't supposed to be a super car... The BMW i8 is supposed to be an advanced hybrid electric car with sporting capabilities with super car looks all the while still achieving exceptional economy. Not only that, the BMW i8 is supposed to pioneer the most sustainable manufacturing processes and most sustainable materials.

The $140K price is out of my own price range too and I understand it's not a car meant for me. This car is for those who value innovation and sustainability but at the same time doesn't want to sacrifice all of the fun.

Yes, a traditional BMW is supposed to be about handling, steering feel and power and Hoffmeister Kink and Halo rings. Which is why BMW created this BMW i sub brand with a completely different philosophy where the focus is on sustainability still retaining some of the handling and feel and power and gone are the Hoffmeister Kink (ala i3) and the Halo Rings (the whole BMW i range)

Last edited by kv12; 05-01-2014 at 01:55 PM..
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      05-01-2014, 03:54 PM   #52
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmin View Post
Even at $10/gallon you will never save any money with the i8 at $135k. Compared to say a $50k car thats about $85k in gas savings you'd have to make. $85,000/$10 = 8500 gallons * 135mpg = 1,147,500 miles.

Gas prices are not that important to anyone who can afford an i8. They are just making themselves feel good by buying a "green" car (which is fine). I'm not sure why you say the i8 is not for the US market. I assume more will be sold in this country than any other.

Regardless of what you may see in the news the US is actually full of environmentalists (and with a population of 314 million its also easy to find examples of the crazies who think global warming isn't real). I can't remember the last time I saw an M6 but I see several Teslas everyday. I also drive by a nice sign that someone hung up on my way to work that says "Wake up and smell the permafrost". We certainly have a long way to go but I believe the sentiment is there. Part of the problem is that the U.S. has had the good fortune of developing as an expansive, rich country, with plenty of extra space and cheap energy. Many of our cities were designed with cars in mind while most in Europe predate the car. There is nothing innately superior about Europe’s environmental consciousness, which certainly has its own blind spots. If all things were equal (such as space and resources) I don't think the US would be worse than Europe or other places.

PS, tell BP thanks for the millions of gallons of oil they spilled off our coast.
I'm not going to argue about the whole environmental side, but there's something to be said about the torque these cars provide. Got to ride in a Tesla once and it was a hell of a rush (in the straights anyway). No lag, boom just go.
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      05-01-2014, 05:50 PM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kv12 View Post
But this isn't supposed to be a super car... The BMW i8 is supposed to be an advanced hybrid electric car with sporting capabilities with super car looks all the while still achieving exceptional economy. Not only that, the BMW i8 is supposed to pioneer the most sustainable manufacturing processes and most sustainable materials.

The $140K price is out of my own price range too and I understand it's not a car meant for me. This car is for those who value innovation and sustainability but at the same time doesn't want to sacrifice all of the fun.

Yes, a traditional BMW is supposed to be about handling, steering feel and power and Hoffmeister Kink and Halo rings. Which is why BMW created this BMW i sub brand with a completely different philosophy where the focus is on sustainability still retaining some of the handling and feel and power and gone are the Hoffmeister Kink (ala i3) and the Halo Rings (the whole BMW i range)
I totally agree with you. The BMW "i" is just not a new model in the BMW model line. BMW "i" isn't just about cars, it's about innovation. It's about inspiring design, mobility services and taking on an entirely new understanding of driving, with sustainability at the very forefront, BMW i aims to take driving to a whole new dimension where efficiency and tailpipe emission-free vehicles are a standard way of life. A brand-new approach that is defined by renewable resources and innovative means of production that have the least possible impact on the environment. The BMW i8 checks all of there boxes. It brings in a whole new dimension to a sports coupe category. Efficiency, sustainability not only when you buy one, but from the very beginning, such as materiel used, production process..etc etc..
I mean just look at it this way. Passenger Cell made from Carbon-fiber and CFRP backed by all aluminum chassis, the integration between Hybrid and Conventional powertrain, modular battery, the design of the car...This is Hyper-Car territory...
Now the i8 looks like a bargain.
If BMW intended it to be a Track car, they would have handed it over to the M-division and named it the M8.
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      05-01-2014, 06:18 PM   #54
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In Bizzaro Land, where I live, the BMW i8 is just 7% more expensive than the new M4, priced about the same as a base 911 and over 20% cheaper than a 911 C4S. I wouldn't call the i8 a bargain, but I think you get a lot of tech for the price.
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      05-01-2014, 06:57 PM   #55
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I cannot help but think future versions of the i8 might have bit more power going to the rear. It is really quick to about 70mph but would be dwarfed after that. Remains to be seen how many will buy an i8 and how many buy a 320/328d and a 911. I know it'd be tough one for me.

I hope the M Supercar is a reality, be even better if they make it hybrid too.
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      05-01-2014, 07:40 PM   #56
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i think the only thing i8 does best to match its price tag is the use of carbon fiber. otherwise...if u r in the market for a hybrid sport car why not wait for the nsx or the next gen gtr?
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      05-01-2014, 08:23 PM   #57
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thats about the only thing I miss about cali. in n out burger. this car is jusy beautiful. ill probably shit myself when I see it in person
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      05-01-2014, 08:23 PM   #58
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thats about the only thing I miss about cali. in n out burger. this car is jusy beautiful. ill probably shit myself when I see it in person
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      05-01-2014, 08:27 PM   #59
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I've tried to like it... but just don't.

Yes, it's a major achievement because it was complex... but it's also complex to build a house upside down. Just because something is difficult to accomplish doesn't mean the result is rewarding, meaningful, or valued.

I'd sooner drive an all-electric sports car than a hybrid one. No matter how fantastically smart they get with trying to make the systems work in concert, some of Chris' comments are really telling regarding limitations - and most of them seem to be surrounding trying to make the systems predict what the driver wants and respond in-turn. In a sedan that may be fine. But in a sports car, where we tend to measure responsiveness of systems in fractions of seconds, it's unacceptable to have any amount of hesitation for a secondary system to engage, overcompensate, or fail to spool down in-time... much to what was explained here. It's the result of predicting what the driver will want and literally trying to spool-up/down the gasoline engine in the proper quantity. It's just never going to feel right.

I want a car with a single powerplant that just WORKS. Make it a combustion engine. Make it an electric motor. But don't make it BOTH and expect that they're going to seamlessly play well together in a sports car. Yes, yes... I know other high-end manufacturers are doing it. And I honestly think, like BMW pumping in artificial engine noise, it's an attempt to transition combustion engine folks to electric motors... a grand experiment, perhaps. But I'd sooner go all electric, honestly. You'd lose some wonderful noises... but you'd retain the composure and comprehensive design of a single powerplant.

And honestly, the i8 just fails to live up to the design of the Audi R8 for me. The R8 is a stunning supercar... and the i8 seems to be a quirky pseudo futuristic experiment that will likely age very, very poorly. After 6 years or so of production, the R8 still looks as beautiful, current, and timeless as it did when it was debuted. I don't think we'll be saying the same about the i8 in 6 years.

My 0.02 cents.
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      05-02-2014, 02:25 AM   #60
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Originally Posted by Mloyalty View Post
Bye bye Tesla...
No way. I am a BMW fanatic and I would take the 100% electric Tesla model S over this.

I think BMW got it wrong with Hybrid vs All electric drive with a decoupled backup combustion generator.
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      05-02-2014, 02:29 AM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass View Post
I've tried to like it... but just don't.

Yes, it's a major achievement because it was complex... but it's also complex to build a house upside down. Just because something is difficult to accomplish doesn't mean the result is rewarding, meaningful, or valued.

I'd sooner drive an all-electric sports car than a hybrid one. No matter how fantastically smart they get with trying to make the systems work in concert, some of Chris' comments are really telling regarding limitations - and most of them seem to be surrounding trying to make the systems predict what the driver wants and respond in-turn. In a sedan that may be fine. But in a sports car, where we tend to measure responsiveness of systems in fractions of seconds, it's unacceptable to have any amount of hesitation for a secondary system to engage, overcompensate, or fail to spool down in-time... much to what was explained here. It's the result of predicting what the driver will want and literally trying to spool-up/down the gasoline engine in the proper quantity. It's just never going to feel right.

I want a car with a single powerplant that just WORKS. Make it a combustion engine. Make it an electric motor. But don't make it BOTH and expect that they're going to seamlessly play well together in a sports car. Yes, yes... I know other high-end manufacturers are doing it. And I honestly think, like BMW pumping in artificial engine noise, it's an attempt to transition combustion engine folks to electric motors... a grand experiment, perhaps. But I'd sooner go all electric, honestly. You'd lose some wonderful noises... but you'd retain the composure and comprehensive design of a single powerplant.

And honestly, the i8 just fails to live up to the design of the Audi R8 for me. The R8 is a stunning supercar... and the i8 seems to be a quirky pseudo futuristic experiment that will likely age very, very poorly. After 6 years or so of production, the R8 still looks as beautiful, current, and timeless as it did when it was debuted. I don't think we'll be saying the same about the i8 in 6 years.

My 0.02 cents.
My thoughts exactly!

All electric drive with maybe an optional i/c engine just to recharge the batteries for range is the way to go.

No matter how hard they try as ezmaass put it so well they can't make the mating of two power trains so seemless that you wont notice when driving in a sporting fashion.

A Hybrid system too is just so so overly complex. Why go there? The fiska Karma and Tesla S (if you don't need too much range) are the better solution
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      05-02-2014, 03:35 AM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dazzler View Post
A Hybrid system too is just so so overly complex.
It doesn't have to be. Take the Panamera or 3/5-series Hybrid. An electric motor between the flywheel and the gearbox is easy to manage and can help both with outright power and fill in torque where the combustion engine need it. If you did that in a 911 C4S you could still retain the AWD system as is.

For turbocharged engines with a high output per litre I think adding an electric motor is essential to eliminate lag.

I get what you say about the ICE acting as a generator only, but in a sports car I think it's best to keep the battery pack light and electric power at a moderate 100-200 bhp. Until the batteries improve at least.
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      05-02-2014, 06:23 AM   #63
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Is it too hard to admit that the i8 is a statement/status car?
It makes a clear statement about the status of the individual behind the wheel.

Fun to enjoy and sexy, but still efficient.
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      05-02-2014, 07:50 AM   #64
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Pretty much what every other mag has said:

Decent car but:
-no steering feel/feedback
-steering is too light
-in an effort to be efficient, the (front) tires are undersized and you end up with understeer
-cautious chassis
-no throttle response in trying to correct hard cornering attitude

Even Harris concludes it is lacking as a sports car.

Please.. just give me a tesla for far less, with similar performance. Or just get a petrol car.

As OP stated: Status car and nothing more. (Not that this is a bad thing, it just needs to be said)

PS- Tesla roadster is faster, has a greater range, is more agile, and did all this way before the i8.

Last edited by absoluteis350; 05-02-2014 at 08:00 AM..
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      05-02-2014, 09:14 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by absoluteis350 View Post
Pretty much what every other mag has said:

Decent car but:
-no steering feel/feedback
-steering is too light
-in an effort to be efficient, the (front) tires are undersized and you end up with understeer
-cautious chassis

Even Harris concludes it is lacking as a sports car.

Please.. just give me a tesla for far less, with similar performance.

PS- Tesla roadster is faster, has a greater range, is more agile, and did all this way before the i8.
Couple of things. More than one publication said they were surprised how much feedback was coming through, that it was by far the most of any BMW electric steering rack. Also an equal number publications stated that the handling felt neutral as did understeer-biased. You are incorrectly paraphrasing Harris.

It's acceleration testing with R&T matches or beats the Tesla's 0-60 (depending on the publication).

You know how many other carbon fiber tubbed, AWD via electric/petrol combo, sports coupes I can think of? One, the Porsche 918 and it costs $845k. So keep hating on the "status symbol" (also, the OP didn't call it one).

The Tesla isn't faster. I don't know how 300 miles is more than "infinite miles" (relatively since all you have to do is keep gas in it and it maintains charge or completely recharges in 10 minutes via gas) but I could make a 1200 mile trip in 18 hours with 5-10 minute gas stops (something I just did in the SLS) in the i8. Or visit family 400 miles away without a few hours at one of the very few charging stations between us (no supercharger stations). There have been no direct comparisons to the Tesla's handling but I would bet a 3200lb coupe with the lowest center of gravity of any BMW ever would handle better than a 4600lb sedan.

Again, the only thing the i8 and Tesla have in common is that they have electric motors and even those are implemented differently. You can keep hating on the i8 for whatever reasons you want but as least give credit where credit is due instead of making up facts to reinforce your bias.
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      05-02-2014, 09:40 AM   #66
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Yea... Chris Harris drove a futuristic supercar that cost $140k...
But he wouldn't buy it, nor would I... with any amount of money. It just doesn't work... the whole design and what it signifies is a mix message. Is it a R8 killer, or a gimmick?

If the i8 is not a supercar, then why did BMW design it to look like a freaky Lambo. Nothing about the BMW i pulls me towards the brand, it is a mixed message with it's design.

Obviously, the i8 is a fix for people with fragile egos.
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