[delete_account]

Any of you i8 upgraders care to report on your experiences with the newest i8?

Better performance? Any improvements to drivability?

[Jo-Sta07]

I doubt enough to notice

[evanevery]

I'm not an upgrader but there was some info posted here about an improvement to steering, suspension, chassis stiffness, and obviously power. The details are in this forum somewhere... ;-)

[delete_account]

I am eager for input from new Gen2 i8 owners that came from Gen1 cars with the 7.1 kWh battery.

Are the Gen2 cars with the higher-capacity 11.6 kWh batteries just a spec increase, with negligible impacts on eDrive mode or Sport mode?

How much more real-world range do you see when in eDrive mode?

Is there longer battery standby during hard driving in Sport mode?

What about traction control logic in eDrive mode? Still as "chattery" as every?

Or the delay for gear selection changes when switching between modes? (Front gearbox Hi-to-Low or Low-to-Hi.)

The higher-capacity battery ought to better withstand heat loads, so I wonder if the thermostatic thresholds have been increased to allow longer heavy-use periods.

[drlonline]

Originally Posted by atthelimit

I am eager for input from new Gen2 i8 owners that came from Gen1 cars with the 7.1 kWh battery.

Are the Gen2 cars with the higher-capacity 11.6 kWh batteries just a spec increase, with negligible impacts on eDrive mode or Sport mode?

How much more real-world range do you see when in eDrive mode?

Is there longer battery standby during hard driving in Sport mode?

What about traction control logic in eDrive mode? Still as "chattery" as every?

Or the delay for gear selection changes when switching between modes? (Front gearbox Hi-to-Low or Low-to-Hi.)

The higher-capacity battery ought to better withstand heat loads, so I wonder if the thermostatic thresholds have been increased to allow longer heavy-use periods.

I didn't come from a Gen1 car, so the only question I can answer is with regard to the eDrive range. I regularly get ~ 30 miles in everyday driving, and that includes some freeways at max speed (77 mph) as well as stop and go city driving. As I understand it, that is almost double what the Gen1 cars got. It was a pleasant surprise to get that much range given that the marketing materials for Gen2 indicated ~ 18 real world miles of range. When I asked about that at a recent Pure Impulse event, I was told they intentionally were much more conservative with their published eDrive range for Gen2 because of the negative reactions they got with the Gen1 cars when the actual range was so much less than the advertised 22 miles.

[evanevery]

Originally Posted by drlonline

I didn't come from a Gen1 car, so the only question I can answer is with regard to the eDrive range. I regularly get ~ 30 miles in everyday driving, and that includes some freeways at max speed (77 mph) as well as stop and go city driving. As I understand it, that is almost double what the Gen1 cars got. It was a pleasant surprise to get that much range given that the marketing materials for Gen2 indicated ~ 18 real world miles of range. When I asked about that at a recent Pure Impulse event, I was told they intentionally were much more conservative with their published eDrive range for Gen2 because of the negative reactions they got with the Gen1 cars when the actual range was so much less than the advertised 22 miles.

FYI: Although BMW officially lists the range to be "TBD", many sources were reporting the G2 range to be 30-33mi:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwin.../#e8f3c782c41f

[NGR]

Originally Posted by delete_account

Or the delay for gear selection changes when switching between modes? (Front gearbox Hi-to-Low or Low-to-Hi.)

The higher-capacity battery ought to better withstand heat loads, so I wonder if the thermostatic thresholds have been increased to allow longer heavy-use periods.

These two are the questions I'd like to see the answer to.

If the battery has improved, that will be impressive considering the large boost to capacity but in the same physical volume.

[wanesso]

Originally Posted by NGR

These two are the questions I'd like to see the answer to.

If the battery has improved, that will be impressive considering the large boost to capacity but in the same physical volume.

Interested in the ability to replace the Gen1 battery with the new one when the time comes, I am 'assuming' that will be possible without an issue and won't have to replace the entire car......

[JasH]

Originally Posted by delete_account

Any of you i8 upgraders care to report on your experiences with the newest i8?

Better performance? Any improvements to drivability?

Pros & cons. Overall differences are insignificant.

Pros:
Better e range
Better HUD

Cons:
More weight (offsets slight power hike)
Worse aero


Roadster also gains better seats.

No actual handling improvements, as suspension changes offset by added weight. Weight gain is noticeable on Roadster.

[evanevery]

Reportedly, there ARE handling improvements. Suspension and Steering have been upgraded. From: BMW i8 Roadster review: the hybrid supercar, refined (https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-re...review-2018/):

"...after driving the facelifted i8, we're confident its replacement is an altogether different beast."

"...tweaked suspension and weightier steering – and both should sharpen up the BMW’s handling."

"The underbody is more aerodynamic to aid the new airflow, and because it’s marginally more efficient, you’ll find the same solution on the new Coupe."

"The old Coupe’s slightly vague, fast steering has been replaced by a wheel that gives far more feedback than before, and BMW has changed the way the resistance comes in off-centre, too."

"The brakes are more intuitive..."

"...benefits from an augmented engine note..."

"...there is a handsome power increase on the electric side."

"It still looks great, but under the surface small changes make it a tighter, more intuitive and more rewarding car to push than its predecessor."