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Originally Posted by YWGT3
Depends on which 911 you're referencing. If you're comparing the i8 to my prior 997-911 Turbo, sure, the Turbo is much quicker. Whereas, I've been able to surpass the 911 4S, Carreras, and the Cayman GT4s (which I think is a far better track handling car than the 911s), with the i8 on the track.
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I meant any contemporary 911. The 997 came out in 2004. Certainly, yes, the i8 is faster than lots of old 911s. I'm sure it's faster than every 1960s 911, as well :P
Passing cars on tracks is proof of nothing about the car, only driver. I routinely pass GT3s, MacLarens, Corvettes, etc in my e46 M3. It is not anywhere near as fast as any of those cars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YWGT3
As to whether the i8 is just a GT, IMO, the i8 is a sports car. It just so happens to be engineered with a more forgiving ride, nearing the Porsche Taycan suspension territory. The i8 is pretty quick and is every bit of a sports car with respect to its nimble handling and mid-range torque when spirited driving comes into play, albeit even better with a proper set of wider profile tires and definitely a larger battery capacity, needed for the track.
IMO, there's more to a sports car than just 0-60 or quarter-mile times. If not, then the Tesla S should be thrown into the sports car fray. To view the i8 as strictly a GT would be undeserving for such an iconic BMW car.
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There is more to being a sports car then 0-60 for sure. It's about feedback (i8 steering is dead), engine dynamics (i8 engine dynamics are GT like, not sports car like-- sports cars are peaky), and involvement with the machine (i8 is only available with any automatic trans and all wheel drive, and you don't have a ton of control over how the machine does what it's doing (where it allocates power, etc)).
Quote:
Originally Posted by stressdoc
Honestly, I don't think one can argue the merits of the i8 if you have not driven one extensively. Clearly it is designed with more than 0-60 or Nordschleife times. It is more than 'GT or Sports car'. I would rather drive the i8 as a DD, and take a long trip, than in a 911 or 'vette, so in that sense it is more of a 'GT'.
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I COMPLETELY agree the i8 is a better DD. GT cars make great DDs. Sports cars, that are real sports cars (I'd say only the GT 911s still are) are inherently pretty terrible DDs-- and even worse for road trips. The very things that make the i8 not a sports car are exactly what allows it to be great for DD use or road trips. Always accessible power (torque), automatic shifting, nice NHV isolation, effortless speed-- these are all things that make for a pleasant daily/road trip car, but detract from a sports car experience.
I'm not trying to describe the i8 as a bad car- I think it's great at what it's great at. I'm trying to explain that the reason it gets so much hate is that it's not what it looks like, so it doesn't meet the expectations people have when they see it. It looks like a sports car/almost exotic, but drives like a GT car. It's like if people went in to see Avengers, but were shown gone with the wind. Gone with the wind isn't a bad movie, but if you went in expecting gone with the wind... it's not what you were expecting.
I'm not arguing
against the i8. I've been debating getting one for a long time (basically try to decide if it's ownable in the long term, as I don't really like to sell cars). But, if I do, its role in the fleet would be my DD/road trip car-- as that's where it excels.