Quote:
Originally Posted by phelot
Right for me, it's a very intriguing car. If the market dictates that this price is too high, then dealers will start discounting them.
To me it seems like a very sensible daily "exotic" car. Most of the performance of things like the 911 Turbo, R8 V10 and even the M5 cannot be fully realized at the street level. You're way past any legal limits by the time you "push" the car.
So for a car as a daily driver with exotic looks, this is up there. You get great gas mileage as well as having something exclusive.
In the end, it's not always about bargain performance which is why we aren't all driving around in a GTR. People value certain things differently and this is for people who value the rare combination of exotic and efficiency.
Overpriced, maybe, but to whom? Some people will pay for just exclusivity alone.
Anyways for me personally the price is pretty close to what it needs to be depending on which perspective you're coming from.
E9X M3 performance with exotic looks and better than Prius efficiency?
I'm not sure of any other car that can do that right now. And to some people, that's worth the premium.
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Exactly. I'm buying an i8 for what it is, not what it isn't. It isn't meant to be a snarling, road devouring, beast of a car. I've got a SLS AMG for that kind of thing. What it is, is the first hybrid I like and would be happy to drive. It's not a half-assed conversion of an existing car with a 10% increase in fuel economy. It's not an anemic, bland, and boring ground-up design hybrid either. I'm a pragmatic man. I understand that we can't keep making 6+ liter V-8/12s forever. I understand the future is coming and there's little we can do about it. The i8 is the first "affordable" car (the LaFerrari, McLaren P1, Porsche 918 dance around the $1million mark) that doesn't make me dread that future.
Everything I've heard from 1st hand exposure to is says it drives like a real driver's car, makes a great sound (reminds people of early 911s), and is the most futuristic looking car out there in person. I believe I saw where a couple of the top engineers at BMW M helped with it's development. It has the lowest center of gravity of any current BMW and they said they are on target for their goal of 1450kg (3200lbs). And for the time being, it appears to be the closest we'll get to a mid-engine M1 successor in terms of proportions for the near future. Anyone thinking that "only" 228hp and 236lb-ft from the gas engine means it's doomed to suck as a sports car needs to realize that's 143hp/ton. My E30 M3 is 137hp/ton, has a higher center of gravity than the i8 and 25 fewer years of suspension R/D, and is a BLAST to drive.
Couple that with what appears to be one of the rarest cars BMW has produced and I think they have a hit on their hands.