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      06-25-2015, 08:12 PM   #1
mr-karim
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Question Question to the owners of i8

Hello everyone, I'm about to trade my Gallardo for 2015 BMW i8.

I just have a few questions bothering me, please help:

1) So if you drove a lot in 1 day, and your electrical engine is out of power, does it mean you now using just the rear wheels of the car?

2) Continuing question #1, if your electrical engine out of power, does it mean all you have in terms of power is a 3 cylinder rwd motor, and honda civic has a chance to beat you in a drag race?

3) How is the car in terms of speed after 150km/hr? Does it feel like there is a big lack of power?

4) I haven't had a chance to check out the car closely, but does the interior of the car seem cheap?

5) Did you have any engine problems so far?

6) How attention grabbing is i8?

7) How many km can you drive on 1 tank and full charge? (realistically)

8) Is it a good investment? Apparently the price is keep going up for i8, but it might drop like a rocket if the new i8m comes out, or i8 becomes more available in quantity

9) What if someone park super close to your door? Gallardo can open just a little, giving me a chance to squeeze in, the doors on i8 go all the way up. Anyone had problems?

I appreciate any help. Thanks!
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      06-25-2015, 09:43 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
Hello everyone, I'm about to trade my Gallardo for 2015 BMW i8.

I just have a few questions bothering me, please help:

1) So if you drove a lot in 1 day, and your electrical engine is out of power, does it mean you now using just the rear wheels of the car?
Yes but you will not run out of electrical power. If you switch to sport and just drive the engine will charge itself. If you remain in sport it is very very unlikely you will not have electric power;

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
2) Continuing question #1, if your electrical engine out of power, does it mean all you have in terms of power is a 3 cylinder rwd motor, and honda civic has a chance to beat you in a drag race?
Even in ICE mode only the car is not that slow, you still have 220 horsepower.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
3) How is the car in terms of speed after 150km/hr? Does it feel like there is a big lack of power?
I can't divulge how fast I have gone but I have seen no power fade up to whatever I have dared to try on normal streets.


Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
4) I haven't had a chance to check out the car closely, but does the interior of the car seem cheap?
This is partly taste, but my opinion is absolutely not. It is very well done and seems understated but elegant. Which interior? I can only comment on PI.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
5) Did you have any engine problems so far?
2000 miles so far and no. But that's not enough miles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
6) How attention grabbing is i8?
Varies from very to extremely. Anything from people coming up to talk to you, to people who have almost rear ended or driven off the road trying to take pictures while driving. I am guessing depends somewhat on color.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
7) How many km can you drive on 1 tank and full charge? (realistically)
I drive extremely aggressively and so far am doing around 350 miles per tank. But this is almost 100% in sport and inefficient. You may be able to get much much more in eco.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
8) Is it a good investment? Apparently the price is keep going up for i8, but it might drop like a rocket if the new i8m comes out, or i8 becomes more available in quantity
In my opinion no car (with very few exceptions) should be viewed as in investment, rather how much are you willing to lose to enjoy the car. Anything else is gravy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
9) What if someone park super close to your door? Gallardo can open just a little, giving me a chance to squeeze in, the doors on i8 go all the way up. Anyone had problems?
It is very much like most other cars, in that the amount of space you need is around the same as the minimum you would need for a hinged door to get out.

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      06-25-2015, 11:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr-karim View Post
Hello everyone, I'm about to trade my Gallardo for 2015 BMW i8.

I just have a few questions bothering me, please help:

1) So if you drove a lot in 1 day, and your electrical engine is out of power, does it mean you now using just the rear wheels of the car?

2) Continuing question #1, if your electrical engine out of power, does it mean all you have in terms of power is a 3 cylinder rwd motor, and honda civic has a chance to beat you in a drag race?

3) How is the car in terms of speed after 150km/hr? Does it feel like there is a big lack of power?

4) I haven't had a chance to check out the car closely, but does the interior of the car seem cheap?

5) Did you have any engine problems so far?

6) How attention grabbing is i8?

7) How many km can you drive on 1 tank and full charge? (realistically)

8) Is it a good investment? Apparently the price is keep going up for i8, but it might drop like a rocket if the new i8m comes out, or i8 becomes more available in quantity

9) What if someone park super close to your door? Gallardo can open just a little, giving me a chance to squeeze in, the doors on i8 go all the way up. Anyone had problems?

I appreciate any help. Thanks!
1) I usually drive in sports mode (when both the engine and motors are running) which enables the i8 to regenerate up to 75% of its battery capacity. As an example, I started off with a 21 miles (33.8 km) of electrical charge for a 347 mile (558 km)trip and ended with 13 (21 km) electrical miles remaining in the batteries. It would be rather challenging to fully draw down the batteries while in sports mode. I haven't driven in strictly electric mode nor comfort mode to provide any anecdotal evidence to help you in this area. Although, I understand that the i8 regenerates electrical charge when the brakes are applied.

2) Never had the chance to square off with a civic with the front motor decommissioned. Probably would be a hilarious and humbling experience if that were to occur. However, the i8 seems to consistently nudge past my friend's 458 Italia on several (6 trials) quick starts to due the collaboration between the i8's front motor and rear engine. This is rather impressive since the 458 has been reported to achieve zero to sixty in the low 3 second range.

3) Ditto Epirali - no power fade.

4) The interior is modern and has clean lines. However, it does not exude the same quality and luxury that a Gallardo offers (the Gallardo interior has been one of my favorites). However, I do like the cockpit like feel of the i8 in comparison to other sports cars in the market.

5) In for a turbo replacement (technician found one of the turbos leaking oil). Also experienced some software glitches.

6) I picked the mephisto grey color in order to avoid attention which has been a total fail. Encounter lot's of thumbs up and photo/video shots while on the road. Have resorted to early morning refueling in order to avoid attracting crowds at the gas pump. Somehow the i8 seems to garner a lot more attention than when I drove the Gallardo or the Ferrari 430.

7) Haven't fully drawn down the gas and batteries to confirm the max distance to render any accurate conclusion.

8) Never had much luck in investing in cars and would therefore be the last one to offer any sound advice in that regard.

9) Familiar with tight parking in Vancouver B.C. and in Toronto. Based on my experience parking in tighter spots within San Francisco, the door clearance should not be a problem. As a matter of fact, you should try opening the i8's doors within a confined space or close to a parked vehicle at your dealership to see if there's an issue for yourself.

I was looking at several other sports cars before finally zeroing in on the i8. Looking back, I've had the most fun and enjoyment with this forward thinking and cutting edge sports car. Good luck on your decision.

Last edited by YWGT3; 07-05-2015 at 05:23 PM..
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      06-26-2015, 08:28 AM   #4
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Much better than Gallardo

1) So if you drove a lot in 1 day, and your electrical engine is out of power, does it mean you now using just the rear wheels of the car?

No. Gas engine continually charges elec. motor


2) Continuing question #1, if your electrical engine out of power, does it mean all you have in terms of power is a 3 cylinder rwd motor, and honda civic has a chance to beat you in a drag race?

see number 1


3) How is the car in terms of speed after 150km/hr? Does it feel like there is a big lack of power?

no lack of power see number 1


4) I haven't had a chance to check out the car closely, but does the interior of the car seem cheap?

Gallardo interior is a lot cheaper


5) Did you have any engine problems so far?

None. On my 2 past gallardos, lots. e gear pump, CEL, clutch, $$$$$


6) How attention grabbing is i8?

Much more than Gallardo


7) How many km can you drive on 1 tank and full charge? (realistically)

about 350 miles


8) Is it a good investment? Apparently the price is keep going up for i8, but it might drop like a rocket if the new i8m comes out, or i8 becomes more available in quantity

Much better investment than Gallardo for sure.


9) What if someone park super close to your door? Gallardo can open just a little, giving me a chance to squeeze in, the doors on i8 go all the way up. Anyone had problems?

I had problems with the gallardo doors because the end of the door was so sharp and the door itself was very thick. ingress/egress is much better than Gallardo
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      06-26-2015, 08:29 AM   #5
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I don't know anyone that calls themselves Mr. anything. So I'll just call you Karim lol
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      06-27-2015, 03:11 PM   #6
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Thanks guys! I'll try to get the i8 asap! Back to the team BMW
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      06-27-2015, 04:18 PM   #7
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I think the "cloud" of, what are these cars worth, can I even get one, obscured for some the reality that they are truly great cars.
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      06-27-2015, 05:32 PM   #8
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A little more clarification:

1) It depends on the setting. I have comfort in discharging,but sport recharges.

2) The car is not a supercar and you need all power to get 0-100 km/h in about 4 sec. If you drain the battery, you have a 1500kg light car with 231 bhp,quick,but not lightning fast. Then again it depends on the setting as mentioned above. In e-drive it just drains the battery until it is empty.

3) The Gallardo does 200km/h in about 12s,560-4 about 11s, the i8 about 14s, so there is a difference,but it doesnt feel slow. You dont get the feeling like in my Porsches that they seem to accelerate faster, the faster you go, but the accelration is stable and adequate. Havent noticed the big fade as is noticable in a Tesla P85D, where you think you aregoing to have a blackout first and then the acceleration fades quickly. Though you must undestand the philosophy behind this car is a compromise of sportiness and enviromentaly friendly. If they would have wanted a cannon,they would have placed 2 electric engines like in the Porsche 918 and a more powerful 2.0 liter engine in the car, but this car is quick, good looking and economical. It looks like a hypercar, but acts more like a sportscar GT. I like it, but I am not so eager to go to the track with it as a 911 turbo. Feg the first time I accelerated the car into a corner after break-in period I had immense grip,but at a certain speed you feel that your tyres will come of the rims,vs in a Porsche it tends to powerslide a little. Again,if they would have wanted a supercar for the track,the tyres would have been wider. After all this, I must say I love the car. That said, if they will bring a 911 Turbo Hybrid, I probably will hop back to Porsche.

4) The interior is nice, but not unique like the exterior. Lots of similarities with my X5 feg. buttons, idrive.


6) Horrible. People following me just to get pics, everywhere you go you have to take 5 mins to answer questions. I never thought it could be like this, on the upside,all are positive. Everybody loves how it looks,it just is a beautiful car.

7) Probably 500-600km, depends totally on your right foot.

8) Cars that are built more than 1000 units and cost less than 1million, are very rarely a good investment. I would say almost never.

9) You need some extra space, so I tend to park so that I control the space on the drivers side.

Last edited by kip1; 06-27-2015 at 05:43 PM..
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      06-27-2015, 11:45 PM   #9
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Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by kip1 View Post
A little more clarification:

1) It depends on the setting. I have comfort in discharging,but sport recharges.

2) The car is not a supercar and you need all power to get 0-100 km/h in about 4 sec. If you drain the battery, you have a 1500kg light car with 231 bhp,quick,but not lightning fast. Then again it depends on the setting as mentioned above. In e-drive it just drains the battery until it is empty.

3) The Gallardo does 200km/h in about 12s,560-4 about 11s, the i8 about 14s, so there is a difference,but it doesnt feel slow. You dont get the feeling like in my Porsches that they seem to accelerate faster, the faster you go, but the accelration is stable and adequate. Havent noticed the big fade as is noticable in a Tesla P85D, where you think you aregoing to have a blackout first and then the acceleration fades quickly. Though you must undestand the philosophy behind this car is a compromise of sportiness and enviromentaly friendly. If they would have wanted a cannon,they would have placed 2 electric engines like in the Porsche 918 and a more powerful 2.0 liter engine in the car, but this car is quick, good looking and economical. It looks like a hypercar, but acts more like a sportscar GT. I like it, but I am not so eager to go to the track with it as a 911 turbo. Feg the first time I accelerated the car into a corner after break-in period I had immense grip,but at a certain speed you feel that your tyres will come of the rims,vs in a Porsche it tends to powerslide a little. Again,if they would have wanted a supercar for the track,the tyres would have been wider. After all this, I must say I love the car. That said, if they will bring a 911 Turbo Hybrid, I probably will hop back to Porsche.

4) The interior is nice, but not unique like the exterior. Lots of similarities with my X5 feg. buttons, idrive.


6) Horrible. People following me just to get pics, everywhere you go you have to take 5 mins to answer questions. I never thought it could be like this, on the upside,all are positive. Everybody loves how it looks,it just is a beautiful car.

7) Probably 500-600km, depends totally on your right foot.

8) Cars that are built more than 1000 units and cost less than 1million, are very rarely a good investment. I would say almost never.

9) You need some extra space, so I tend to park so that I control the space on the drivers side.
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