[Carac]

Originally Posted by tony20009

The thing that resonated most with me is the prospect that the way I'd drive an i8 might have me going to the gas station considerably more often than I do now. I don't have an i8, so I don't know, but the possibility that I could have to doesn't sit well with me for the i8 isn't a car I'd necessarily use to tool around town with. It's the sort of car I'd really want to get in a take a long road trip. Thirty-one mpg or not, having to stop twice as often as I do now (my 3er and 5er both get ~29-31 mpg on the highway) would annoy me. For the occasional trip to visit a local friend or do other "event" travel around my home town, it'd be fine.

All the best.

I get well over 400 miles a tank, so its not any more often than other cars I've owned.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Carac

I get well over 400 miles a tank, so its not any more often than other cars I've owned.

Good to know, and to be sure 400+ is at least comparable to the cars I have now on the highway. I have to say, however, that if I see estimates of 130 mpg, I'm expecting to get well over 700 miles a tank, not well over 400.

It's more a matter of how the estimates put forth by BMW/EPA set an expectation than it is about actual mpg obtained. I mean what would you think if you were given an estimate that is off by some ~45%? I know that if someone gave me a projection that was that far off, I'd say they might as well not have bothered. Indeed, I'd say that what's most important to know about estimates that bad is that the estimator's word can't be relied upon any more than one'd trust a rattlesnake not to bite. LOL

Of course, thankfully, the car has a fuel gauge.

All the best.

Originally Posted by JasH

I suspect that press/dealer cars had the small 7 gallon tanks that Jeremy had.

My car has the optional (free) large capacity tank, and I suspect all customer cars will have that.

Even 7 gallon was fine for my usage though.

That seems a far better and more realistic supposition than is the one BMW put forth about the fuel economy of the i8. <winks>

Of course, the impact of your being right or wrong is considerably less consequential than that of BMW's misjudging the car's fuel usage.

TY both for your replies.

All the best.

[dclowd9901]

Originally Posted by JasH

The point is you won't get 28/34mpg on your M5 if you drive it like Jeremy did with the i8.

I get 10-15mpg on my Lotus on track, yet can get over 35mpg on the motorway. Jeremy failed to state that a similarly performing sports car driven the way he drove, would have got about 20mpg, and perhaps less.

But that does not make a good punchline to the story.

Clarkson doesn't say these things because Clarkson doesn't believe these things are important to know. He believes, really and truly, that a car's gas mileage should reflect of how much it consumes when it is driven in the most fun way possible, and I'm honestly inclined to agree with him. Who gives a shit if you can baby a throttle, follow 18 wheelers, turn off all electrical and a/c and avoid hills for 800 miles between fillups. That's not a fun way to drive, even if it nets you higher MPGs.

As it stands, current MPG ratings are almost entirely pointless.

[ORIGIN M.]

It isss a bloody TV show. Sorry they did not show them curbing the tyer. Good eye, but beyond that it really pointless to make an issue out of really nothing. So the Prize goes to Clarkson, not you, as you'd hoped.

Originally Posted by scoopz

Am I going crazy or did somebody else spot the problem with his i8 in some of the shots? Here's a screen grab for those who missed it.

Turbine wheel spokes should point backwards above the centre and forwards below and should certainly match on the same side. In this screen shot it looks like they've taken the front right and put it on the front left so the spokes are the wrong way round?

I'm guessing they damaged the front left somehow, maybe even a puncture, so for the shot they had to swap the tyres over thinking nobody would notice....well I did....where's my prize?

[JasH]

Originally Posted by dclowd9901

Clarkson doesn't say these things because Clarkson doesn't believe these things are important to know. ....

As it stands, current MPG ratings are almost entirely pointless.

I agree, to a point. The (UK) government mpg tests are needed, but need to be more robust and "real world". They are consistent in methodology though.

BUT then the same applies to every other sports car Top Gear has ever tested i.e. they will not even be close to the government test figures if driven the way most of us will drive them.

Clarkson does not say this only because it spoils his punchline/bombshell ending.

[absoluteis350]

Originally Posted by drivethemachine

It was a classic Clarkson, I enjoyed it very much. This is his trademark journalistic style, it's more about personal opinion than hard facts.

Virtually all reviews are subjective rather than about hard facts. A hard fact is that a Tesla is a far better car (more practical, more refined, better tech, etc) and is faster.. the only thing the i8 has on it is styling, which again is subjective. It's just crazy that this is lost on many people.

[Tonymiabmw]

Originally Posted by JasH

Just for balance, I personally wouldn't look twice at an M3. I'd never buy one. Good car, but nothing special. Just like almost every BMW made today.

The i8 on the other hand is something revolutionary.

Your clueless then.

[JasH]

Originally Posted by Tonymiabmw

Your clueless then.

resorting to the insults.... the surest sign you have lost the debate.

In all probability I have far more of "a clue" about high performance cars than you have

[Tonymiabmw]

Originally Posted by JasH

resorting to the insults.... the surest sign you have lost the debate.

In all probability I have far more of "a clue" about high performance cars than you have

No I doubt you have driven more "high performance cars" than me. Just because you drive a Ferrari does not make you superior in your opinion. Ferraris are a dime a dozen where I live. I would never buy one...ever, but If your like most Ferrari drivers I know here(douches) It's probably the reason you think that you opinion matters more than anyone else's(typical Ferrari driver). Your opinion on the M3 is without any driving time behind the wheel. Your just making statements that have no merit or facts. I have driven both the M3 and i8. I'd take my M3 all day long.

[JasH]

No one mentioned Ferrari. Wow, huge chip on your shoulder or what, because I criticised the M3.

Never mind my Ferrari, my little Lotus would utterly destroy your precious M3...have it for breakfast and spit it out

M3... an ordinary family saloon, common as muck here, with dead steering and lots of power. Big deal. I'd lap your precious M3 1 lap in every 5

[MalibuBimmer]

All cars consist of compromises. The question is, what bundle of compromises works best for you?

On the i8 the compromises are pretty obvious -- light weight, small turbocharged ICE and unstressed electric motor, wrapped in a futuristic package like nothing else on the road, with a familiar BMW cabin. It's a paradigm shift of compromises, thinking outside the old box as to future sports cars.

The i8 is terrific, yes. But for 90% of the i8 owners around the world it won't be their only car. (Just like a Ferrari isn't an only car -- although for different reasons.)

The M3/M4 can be a driver's only car. Its compromises are geared more to every day driving.

So to say you'd take an M3/M4 over an i8, or that a Ferrari is better than either, is really to miss the whole point of the exercise.

Nevertheless, it's fun watching this rather off-the-wall discussion.

[M3 Adjuster]

Fight. Fight... Fight...

Oh wait. Sorry... I got all carried away and I felt like being a high schooler also For a second there.

[Tonymiabmw]

Originally Posted by JasH

No one mentioned Ferrari. Wow, huge chip on your shoulder or what, because I criticised the M3.

Never mind my Ferrari, my little Lotus would utterly destroy your precious M3...have it for breakfast and spit it out

M3... an ordinary family saloon, common as muck here, with dead steering and lots of power. Big deal. I'd lap your precious M3 1 lap in every 5

That's what it is a daily driver moron. I have an R8 GT that will easily keep up with your douche mobile. Obviously you don't understand design/functionality. Yet again you make statements about a car you haven't driven. Just more bullshit out your mouth....... You can reply at tea time buzz killington

[MalibuBimmer]

Tony and Jas need to get a room.

[sbike]

Originally Posted by jimbobjonesjay

Agreed. He should really have said that he drove it like he stole it and STILL got 31mpg out of it...when a 911 or R8 would have been half that...at best.

He drove over 200 miles on public roads, and none of the footage showed particularly aggressive driving. 31mph is pretty disappointing considering the cost, performance, etc.

Maybe your definition of drove it like he stole it is different than mine.

[JasH]

Originally Posted by Tonymiabmw

That's what it is a daily driver moron. I have an R8 GT that will easily keep up with your douche mobile. Obviously you don't understand design/functionality. Yet again you make statements about a car you haven't driven. Just more bullshit out your mouth....... You can reply at tea time buzz killington

More insults.... you really have run out of anything concrete to say haven't you. Typical internet keyboard warrior - throwing insults across an ocean

And you're the guy who came on to the i8 section boasting about how your boring ordinary M3 is better. HUGE chip on your shoulder. I have not seen a single i8 owner do this on the M3 section. Because frankly they couldn't care less about the M3.

And yes, I'd lap your R8 GT in my Lotus too You have a big mouth...and a foul one....nothing more.

R8 GT.... a car bought by wannabe Lambo owners, who can't afford one

You're all talk

Want proof? Here you go.... MUCH faster cars than your family saloon, and also your "wannabe Lambo" R8 on track with me in my Lotus:

[DCG]

Originally Posted by drivethemachine

It was a classic Clarkson, I enjoyed it very much. This is his trademark journalistic style, it's more about personal opinion than hard facts.

+1

Well said, and open minded too JC. I miss having BBC America at the moment to watch the "real" UK Top Gear.

I was waiting for a video comparison from him, well done. Thanks for posting. I would love to see a combo of the M4 and i8, that is what the i3 should have been. And spinning is not winning, xDrive is needed on the M3 & M4!

The BMW i Remote App looks and sound super cool!

[coincident]

You guys get pretty wild. Lots of mean spirited insults. We are talking about cars here- not radical Islamic terrorists burning people alive.

My opinion for whatever it is worth - I have owned and / or driven most of the high performance sports cars available. I currently own a Porsche 997.1 TT coupe and a 997.2 TTS Cab. I only offer this information by way of describing my frame of reference. I have driven the I8 and love the car. As far as aesthetics, ( we recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder) the car in Sophisto Grey is the most beautiful vehicle I have ever seen. It is breathtaking. The form following function approach was executed in such a manner as to create a car of unparalleled visual appeal. As for the driving dynamics, I have become a huge fan of performance cars utilizing hybrid technology.it represents the best of both worlds- gobs of torque with the electric motor providing instant acceleration with a hand off to a turbo gas engine taking over to continue to propel the car in its area of strength. The i8 executes this methodology efficiently and brilliantly. At its selling price, it is unrealistic to expect LaFerrari, 918, P1 performance, it is a marvel. But for a fraction of the price, it provides a true taste of what those hyper cars deliver.

As an all out sports car, it is not a 911, 458 conquerer. But as a wonderful, adept combination of comfort, superb driving dynamics and excitement, it is an amazing accomplishment. My enthusiasm for it is so intense, I ordered one with delivery due in May.

[jcpca356]

+2

Originally Posted by JasH

Just for balance, I personally wouldn't look twice at an M3. I'd never buy one. Good car, but nothing special. Just like almost every BMW made today.

The i8 on the other hand is something revolutionary.

[jcpca356]

You wouldn't gun it all the time. I have 600 miles on mine and i only filled it up once so far.

Originally Posted by tony20009

Had those thoughts too, but the truth is, I'd be more than satisfied with 31 mpg from combined city/suburban and highway driving. And after all, what other swoopy cars get mpg that's even close to that?

I am a bit disappointed that BMW have the temerity to suggest one might get 100+ mpg with the i8. I am because with both my non-hybrid BMWs I pretty well get what the EPA/BMW estimate is for the car:

• City/suburban driving -- I get exactly what is estimated
• Highway driving -- I get about a mile or two more per gallon than the estimate

Now could I possibly best the city estimate? Could I eke out another mpg on the highway? In both situations, I suspect I could, but I don't want to drive so timidly (?) to make that happen.


The thing that resonated most with me is the prospect that the way I'd drive an i8 might have me going to the gas station considerably more often than I do now. I don't have an i8, so I don't know, but the possibility that I could have to doesn't sit well with me for the i8 isn't a car I'd necessarily use to tool around town with. It's the sort of car I'd really want to get in a take a long road trip. Thirty-one mpg or not, having to stop twice as often as I do now (my 3er and 5er both get ~29-31 mpg on the highway) would annoy me. For the occasional trip to visit a local friend or do other "event" travel around my home town, it'd be fine.

All the best.

[jcpca356]

+1. I had all kinds of M3's (as daily drivers) but I tell ya, this i8 is special. I couldn't care less about the M3

Originally Posted by JasH

More insults.... you really have run out of anything concrete to say haven't you. Typical internet keyboard warrior - throwing insults across an ocean

And you're the guy who came on to the i8 section boasting about how your boring ordinary M3 is better. HUGE chip on your shoulder. I have not seen a single i8 owner do this on the M3 section. Because frankly they couldn't care less about the M3.

And yes, I'd lap your R8 GT in my Lotus too You have a big mouth...and a foul one....nothing more.

R8 GT.... a car bought by wannabe Lambo owners, who can't afford one

You're all talk

Want proof? Here you go.... MUCH faster cars than your family saloon, and also your "wannabe Lambo" R8 on track with me in my Lotus:

[jcpca356]

What, you a writer? ummm, that's why I bought one in addition to my 911 and Vantage! Well said sir

Originally Posted by coincident

You guys get pretty wild. Lots of mean spirited insults. We are talking about cars here- not radical Islamic terrorists burning people alive.

My opinion for whatever it is worth - I have owned and / or driven most of the high performance sports cars available. I currently own a Porsche 997.1 TT coupe and a 997.2 TTS Cab. I only offer this information by way of describing my frame of reference. I have driven the I8 and love the car. As far as aesthetics, ( we recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder) the car in Sophisto Grey is the most beautiful vehicle I have ever seen. It is breathtaking. The form following function approach was executed in such a manner as to create a car of unparalleled visual appeal. As for the driving dynamics, I have become a huge fan of performance cars utilizing hybrid technology.it represents the best of both worlds- gobs of torque with the electric motor providing instant acceleration with a hand off to a turbo gas engine taking over to continue to propel the car in its area of strength. The i8 executes this methodology efficiently and brilliantly. At its selling price, it is unrealistic to expect LaFerrari, 918, P1 performance, it is a marvel. But for a fraction of the price, it provides a true taste of what those hyper cars deliver.

As an all out sports car, it is not a 911, 458 conquerer. But as a wonderful, adept combination of comfort, superb driving dynamics and excitement, it is an amazing accomplishment. My enthusiasm for it is so intense, I ordered one with delivery due in May.