BMW Expects to Sell i8 to Many 35+ Year Old High Earning Tech Savvy American Men

[24601]

Originally Posted by Jason

Wenders says that the i8's target customers are high-earning, technology savvy males who are 35 years old and up.

I hit every target in demographic but I'm 33, aside from that, I would NOT buy this thing.

[THE JEDI]

WOW, some of you guys just really miss the point of this car...it's to help BMW meet the upcoming EPA MIles per gallon rules. If your not going to buy one don't be so critical of the car, give it a chance.......it's a HALO car and it shows BMW is sensitive to some of it's customers needs and yes even tech SAVY dude who look like Waldo like BMW's.....and they will buy it and rave ....I for one like the car it shows the company has heart.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by THE JEDI

WOW, some of you guys just really miss the point of this car...it's to help BMW meet the upcoming EPA MIles per gallon rules.

At the rate this car will sell, its impact on BMW's CAFE numbers will be negligible at best.

Originally Posted by THE JEDI

it's a HALO car and it shows BMW is sensitive to some of it's customers needs and yes even tech SAVY dude who look like Waldo like BMW's.....and they will buy it and rave ....I for one like the car it shows the company has heart.

The problem is that BMW is being very selective about which customers they are sensitive too. So yeah... I am going to whine until I get what I want just like the west coast liberals whined until they get what they wanted.

[hellrotm]

LOL at i3 and i8 owners having to borrow another car.

[alexmtl_135i]

Originally Posted by surlynkid

I was going to guess a $400K household, but when I see new M3 leases going to people that earn far less than it costs while living in an apartment, you never know. Financially dumb people are always creating the flyer on the statistical model for what they can afford.

This car will cost much less than a supercar to run and maintain. A 1.5L that will be in other BMW cars, electric engines that don't need maintenance, no huge tires... I really don't think you need to earn more than $150k to afford this thing, as you only have to swallow the base price once, and it should be much cheaper to run and maintain than an M3.

[cmk227]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

LOL at i3 and i8 owners having to borrow another car.

Something wrong with this picture and at what cost to the company just to promote green energy.

[Niko1414]

No thanks!

[Lorde]

Originally Posted by matt_335Ci

i wonder what BMW thinks "high-earning" is? $100k, $150k, $200k+ ?

Depends on your geographic location. $100k in NYC is not the same as in the Midwest.

[Diver]

35+, does that mean 60?

[ORIGIN M.]

I am not buying it.

Give this car to the M Division, and let them have their way with it.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

I am not buying it.

Give this car to the M Division, and let them have their way with it.

Then it will be be $200k+.

[ORIGIN M.]

LOL yes but then it might be worth serious consideration.

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Then it will be be $200k+.

[ron_jeremy]

The i series is an investment, the key thing is the carbon fiber tech, along side the drivetrain itself.
So maybe the I8 will not sell very well, but it's an experiment, and my guess it will sell alot better than some of you guys predict, remember X6?
But it seems those who cry after the 8 series, doesn't remember to well.
It was big and heavy, and thirsty.
And it came a the wrong time, the S engine for the 8 was allready made, but an M8 didn't happen!
Now FF 20 years, and the I8 is here, maybe they should put in the S55 in this beast along with the E drive?
Or just boost the potent M5 engine further into making a true beast as a M8.
It has the pressence becoming a true hero model for BMW, not just because of looks or tech, but also for the performance!

[M3 n X5M]

Perhaps, the technology of a cf monocoque in a mainstream production car is being missed in all these harsh criticisms. That is what marketing this car is all about, in my view. Add that to the concept of homologation. Now, you have the best platform to enter a car into the DTM or possibly LeMans series type of the future.

Hybrid competition will be lost on any of the M series autos we know, they are so heavy a not rigid, by comparison. Competing against the i8 platform will be the demise of all BMW's competitors, in the future hybrid rules of sports auto competitions given this platform's advancement. Only Porsche has a chance, and their car is significantly heavier. 200+ lbs will swap out the 3-cyl for a 6-cyl, 400-600 hp engine - for competition.

I see a winner in this innocent and feeble looking i8. The underpinnings are of a supercar. I remember reading of BMW toying with cf monocoque 10 yrs ago for a very low production. Now, it is in a mainstream product.

Low MPG is dead. The future is quiet, fast and lightweight. I hate that future, too. But a company has to make a living. Look at Kodak. No more film = no more Kodak. No more low mpg = ?

Take a careful look at the side shot of the stripped-down car. Is it not just like the supercars like mclaren or Koenigsegg make? The i8 will allow to bring a lot of tech into other future cars, for consumers and competition.

[zamboni]

Originally Posted by Fortyb

I still think this thing is ugly.. Bring the 8 series back in make it a hybrid.

Are you kidding me? By far this is the best coupe BMW ever produce.

[Matski]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

At the rate this car will sell, its impact on BMW's CAFE numbers will be negligible at best.

I don't think that CAFE is weighted by sales volumes in calculation, except for the fine for not meeting requirements is multiplied by the number of vehicles sold.

I could be wrong on that.

[gds52]

This is America, ppl ll buy this car irrespective of their income.

[eMvy]

They are not for me, but I love the i cars. The innovation will trickle down and it's already evident with the new M3/M4, albeit some items are still speculation.

These cars should be respected for reasons outside of being a visceral petrol whore.

[eMvy]

Originally Posted by 2011M3MD

Perhaps, the technology of a cf monocoque in a mainstream production car is being missed in all these harsh criticisms. That is what marketing this car is all about, in my view. Add that to the concept of homologation. Now, you have the best platform to enter a car into the DTM or possibly LeMans series type of the future.

Hybrid competition will be lost on any of the M series autos we know, they are so heavy a not rigid, by comparison. Competing against the i8 platform will be the demise of all BMW's competitors, in the future hybrid rules of sports auto competitions given this platform's advancement. Only Porsche has a chance, and their car is significantly heavier. 200+ lbs will swap out the 3-cyl for a 6-cyl, 400-600 hp engine - for competition.

I see a winner in this innocent and feeble looking i8. The underpinnings are of a supercar. I remember reading of BMW toying with cf monocoque 10 yrs ago for a very low production. Now, it is in a mainstream product.

Low MPG is dead. The future is quiet, fast and lightweight. I hate that future, too. But a company has to make a living. Look at Kodak. No more film = no more Kodak. No more low mpg = ?

Take a careful look at the side shot of the stripped-down car. Is it not just like the supercars like mclaren or Koenigsegg make? The i8 will allow to bring a lot of tech into other future cars, for consumers and competition.

Well said and Kodak was a great example to use. They could have owned the market that exists today, but they willingly let it go.

[THE JEDI]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

At the rate this car will sell, its impact on BMW's CAFE numbers will be negligible at best.


The problem is that BMW is being very selective about which customers they are sensitive too. So yeah... I am going to whine until I get what I want just like the west coast liberals whined until they get what they wanted.

Liberal huh..no need for name calling..even Libs like myself like BMW's

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Matski

I don't think that CAFE is weighted by sales volumes in calculation, except for the fine for not meeting requirements is multiplied by the number of vehicles sold.

I could be wrong on that.

It is.
http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/regulations.htm

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by THE JEDI

Liberal huh..no need for name calling..even Libs like myself like BMW's

I was halfway kidding on that part of the post. :P

BMW is being very selective on which customers they listen to though. Which is quite annoying when I am screaming at them to take my money for a small RWD roadster.