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      02-02-2021, 04:45 PM   #1
HanLueX
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Looking for some pro i8 arguments

I spend most of my time in the F80 / E46 subdomains on this site but I just had a friend write up and article about the i8 and figured I'd test the waters over here.

His article is whether the i8 is worth the money now that they've depreciated a decent amount. Overall he's iffy on the car and I knew another friend who had one that ended up trading it in.

Basically I've heard enough negative stuff - so what are the positives? I personally think they look awesome, but beyond that, why did you buy yours?
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      02-02-2021, 05:13 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HanLueX View Post
I spend most of my time in the F80 / E46 subdomains on this site but I just had a friend write up and article about the i8 and figured I'd test the waters over here.

His article is whether the i8 is worth the money now that they've depreciated a decent amount. Overall he's iffy on the car and I knew another friend who had one that ended up trading it in.

Basically I've heard enough negative stuff - so what are the positives? I personally think they look awesome, but beyond that, why did you buy yours?
If you like attention from random people and don't want to pay for a super car, then i8 it's the car you want.
Personally I love the looks and I wouldn't pay more for a Lamborghini...
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      02-02-2021, 06:32 PM   #3
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I think that the article you referenced says it all.
It’s a great car for the money, fun to drive, gets great gas mileage, looks like a super car and performance is more than sufficient for the street. Slap on some slightly wider tires and the handling gets even better along with the looks.
And you can get it repaired at a BMW dealer versus at an exorbitant Lamborghini or Maserati shop.

Last edited by Coastali8; 02-02-2021 at 06:43 PM..
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      02-02-2021, 06:59 PM   #4
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Alright so first let me start by saying I went from a heavily modded M6 to a stock i8. Also I work at BMW and was an avid i8 hater just because the power-price ratio didn't make sense and I liked seeing big HP numbers and lot of noise and it just wasn't what I or people with similar thinking wanted it to be.

I WAS WRONG.

First off its a full carbon tub, the perfect blend of structural integrity mixed with a light weight ride. That right there is a lot of the original price point. Think about how much spoilers cost nowadays, make that a major portion of the car. 367hp is not fast when your driving 4400lbs M6 but its a lot of fun when your driving 3200lbs paper plane. The balance of the electric motor on the front wheels and the petrol engine over the rear allows for amazing handling, yes the steering is soft, lacks feedback but you can corner at Porsche standards. All wheel drive gets you going no matter the weather even on narrow tires which add to your fuel efficiency. The instant torque is always great, especially if your a city driver, its like your in a go kart. Styling I mean come on; the Exterior is different, good looking and doesn't look like BMW tried to make a ferrari or lambo; but rather went their own way while using aggressive lines that we associate with exotics. The doors is an obvious gimmick but works great with concept style body of the car. Fuel efficiency is unreal, I mean its a 40 liter tank and small distances can be electric only. Interior is simple but that is the trend in the current EV market so even if its not what you want, its not dated by any means. The ambient lighting is striking as the led strips on the door are wide. Color choices are meh but the blue looks great and you can code it so no harm no foul.
It was a showpiece for BMW, a hey look what we can do. Its quick, reliable and has the wow factor in looks. As far as used cars go, right now. It is not a bad buy, by any means. Its a car that excels in many areas, the major hate comes from it not being the same as everything else (loud, fast and obnoxious), they took a risk and based on today's market it seems worth it.
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      02-02-2021, 09:44 PM   #5
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The i8 is a light, nimble, grand touring vehicle, exuding supercar looks. IMO, its quick and scalpel-like performance is nothing to scoff at. Given a wider set of tires, it rewards you handsomely through the twisties. With its hybrid nature, the i8 was designed to provide higher fuel efficiency, all the while delivering spirited driving. Given its uniqueness, this is one sports car that I'm reluctant to give up.
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      02-03-2021, 01:58 AM   #6
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I bought mine because the Battery size increased to make is a full EV most of the time for me.
I bought mine, actually made the final decision, driving through the forest hills in silence with the roof down.
I bought mine because after 6 years and two Tesla MS I could not stand deterioration of product and service quality anymore and the constant absurd promises they could never keep.
I bought mine because it is the only sporty roadster with a Hybrid drive train.
I bought mine because it goes Frankfurt-Munich without refueling the 42 Liter tank, and not at Tesla speeds of 110 km/h.
I bought mine because it is beautiful.
I bought mine because I do get very good deals from BMW based on a company frame contract.
I bought mine because my wife approved 🤪

Reasons enough?

Last edited by Leto1701; 02-03-2021 at 02:45 AM..
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      02-03-2021, 07:06 AM   #7
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I bought mine because it feels totally different from anything else i drove before.

It is a unique concept without a real equivalent.

It looks good in my eyes.

It is adapted to the real world, very useable and very comfortable.

It is soft / soothing when you are not in the mood and fun / playful when you are in the mood.

It makes me feel special in a way that even my Aston v12v could not.

I has a very advanced construction and it is very well put together.

It has no range anxiety.

It is very economical to run.

I swapped my coupe for a roadster as they only made circa 3,000 of them.
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      02-03-2021, 01:29 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coastali8 View Post
And you can get it repaired at a BMW dealer versus at an exorbitant Lamborghini or Maserati shop.
That's an interesting point I hadn't heard before. Probably easier to find BMW people, although they might not be as versed with the hybrid...

Quote:
Originally Posted by FullThrottle View Post
Alright so first let me start by saying I went from a heavily modded M6 to a stock i8. Also I work at BMW and was an avid i8 hater just because the power-price ratio didn't make sense and I liked seeing big HP numbers and lot of noise and it just wasn't what I or people with similar thinking wanted it to be.

It was a showpiece for BMW, a hey look what we can do. Its quick, reliable and has the wow factor in looks. As far as used cars go, right now. It is not a bad buy, by any means. Its a car that excels in many areas, the major hate comes from it not being the same as everything else (loud, fast and obnoxious), they took a risk and based on today's market it seems worth it.
Wow - you are one of the first I've heard that is happy with the switch from an M model to the i8. Thats cool though, I'm glad you like. I think the power/weight ratio definitely can't be ignored, but I still heard the uptake was a bit slow

Quote:
Originally Posted by ericsi View Post
I bought mine because it feels totally different from anything else i drove before.

It is a unique concept without a real equivalent.
...
I swapped my coupe for a roadster as they only made circa 3,000 of them.
All good points! I haven't seen the roadster.. i'll have to check it out.

Thanks for all the feedback - it's nice to hear from some happy owners.
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      02-04-2021, 02:10 AM   #9
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[/QUOTE] Wow - you are one of the first I've heard that is happy with the switch from an M model to the i8. Thats cool though, I'm glad you like. I think the power/weight ratio definitely can't be ignored, but I still heard the uptake was a bit slow

Thanks for all the feedback - it's nice to hear from some happy owners.[/QUOTE]

Is that because you have been mostly following an M fanboy forum who's members are only interested in comparing the size of their urrrm 'engines'? i8 buyers tend to be a more sophisticated lot, and you cannot truly appreciate the i8 until you drive it (or get driven it it).

I love the fact that when driving through a city I can do so without poisoning myself or the people in the car next to me, and without it costing a penny in fuel, the complete opposite of any petrol car. Then when I get out onto the open road I can drive the wheels off it like any M car or Porsche. Then I can pull onto the motorway, put it into cruise control an have a quiet refined long distance cruise like a Jaguar. Then I can pull up onto my driveway, get out and look back at the car and its as stunning as any McLaren or Lambo out there. That's why I love my i8.
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      02-04-2021, 05:32 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HanLueX View Post
That's an interesting point I hadn't heard before. Probably easier to find BMW people, although they might not be as versed with the hybrid...



Wow - you are one of the first I've heard that is happy with the switch from an M model to the i8. Thats cool though, I'm glad you like. I think the power/weight ratio definitely can't be ignored, but I still heard the uptake was a bit slow



All good points! I haven't seen the roadster.. i'll have to check it out.

Thanks for all the feedback - it's nice to hear from some happy owners.
Btw. BMW Shops need to certify staff in high voltage, hybrid, etc. Not very popular in the beginning but you can expect them to have some people trained if they sell. At least here in Germany. Might be different elsewhere.
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      02-06-2021, 08:22 PM   #11
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I went from a F80 M3 to the i8. So much happier with the i8. I do prefer the steering and handling of the 2019-20 coupe model.
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      02-09-2021, 05:53 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxxsirrah View Post
Is that because you have been mostly following an M fanboy forum who's members are only interested in comparing the size of their urrrm 'engines'? i8 buyers tend to be a more sophisticated lot, and you cannot truly appreciate the i8 until you drive it (or get driven it it).
haha I mean I do like me a good M car, but I actually know a few i8 owners personally who didn't love it. It's not for everyone, especially at its MSRP when new.
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      02-09-2021, 05:54 PM   #13
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I went from a F80 M3 to the i8. So much happier with the i8. I do prefer the steering and handling of the 2019-20 coupe model.
Congrats on the switch
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      02-09-2021, 08:01 PM   #14
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Own e92 M3, e70 X5M (just sold) and M2 CS incoming (already driven before custom purchase). None of these cars come close to the dynamics of my i8, an effortless and underrated wicked fast and stable car .... steering is a bit light, improved traction with wider wheels and tires. Comparing the i8 to the M cars makes little sense, different dynamics and setup. Living with the i8 since 2014 has been fantastic and the vehicle is one of those BMWs that will probably be iconic in many years. It is very polarizing for certain. Depreciation is reality for all cars, including most M, AMG, RS, and even many Porsches.
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      02-22-2021, 08:40 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiTownM View Post
It is very polarizing for certain. Depreciation is reality for all cars, including most M, AMG, RS, and even many Porsches.
Glad you're liking it, I agree it's a bit of a stretch to compare the i8 to the M cars from a technical standpoint even though many do anyways.

I think the depreciation side is a bit different. Most of the cars you listed hold their value pretty well, but the i8 has struggled. Maybe once production is cut the values will come back. Who knows.

For now, just enjoy it
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      02-24-2021, 04:21 AM   #16
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Great car, that was well ahead of the competition.

BMW screwed it up as always, failing to develop it further and squandered their lead.

And as a volume manufacturer, flooded the market with them and had to discount them, damaging residuals. BMW had no concept of trying to make a desirable halo car.

Right now, I can't see me buying another BMW. They have made it easy not anyway, with their appalling grilles, marketing arrogance, and overweight cars.

i3 and i8 were an aberration for modern BMW, being so focused on light weight.
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      02-24-2021, 05:56 PM   #17
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I can only agree with the other commentators. I am primarily fascinated by how confidently the car behaves on the road in every situation. Even at 250 km/h on the Autobahn, like on rails.

I bought the car mainly because of the design and its technical uniqueness. I am an efficiency fan, brute power is no art if you don't have to look at efficiency. Personally, I don't find this particularly exciting anymore. I think the future belongs to intelligent technologies, those that generate a lot of output from as little input as possible.

Recently, I was very surprised when I used a new online tool from one of our leading technology institutes which allows to compare the carbon footprint of cars.In addition to consumption, the tool also takes, manufacturing, recycling, as well as production and transport of the drive energies (electricity, gasoline, hydrogen, etc.) into account.
Among others I compared the i8 and the Porsche Taycan 4S.
Over a lifetime of 200,000km (124,000mi), the i8 beats the Taycan, even there is mostly clean electrical energy in our country.

So this car seems to be far from being outdated. It's still an ingenious creation and concept that some people just don't understand or care of. But that doesn't matter. I have one and that’s what counts. The looks the car still gets are a nice addition.
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      02-25-2021, 03:02 PM   #18
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Even at 250 km/h on the Autobahn, like on rails.
....until you hit the (pathetic) brakes because some slow moving idiot has pulled in front of you

BMW got the brakes and tyre width very wrong on i8, with an excessive focus on efficiency.
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      02-26-2021, 02:15 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasH View Post
....until you hit the (pathetic) brakes because some slow moving idiot has pulled in front of you

BMW got the brakes and tyre width very wrong on i8, with an excessive focus on efficiency.
...which is an issue for some and the main feature setting the i8 appart for others...
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      02-26-2021, 10:59 AM   #20
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....until you hit the (pathetic) brakes because some slow moving idiot has pulled in front of you

BMW got the brakes and tyre width very wrong on i8, with an excessive focus on efficiency.
I drove that max speed only once on the Baltic Sea Autobahn which is not as crowded like f.e. the one from Munich to Berlin or Stuttgart to Frankfurt.

On this occasion I also experienced that with a conservative early breaking strategy you can gain a lot of energy thanks to regen effect. However I never ran out of electrical power during the whole section (~100 Mi), despite the high speed and the excessive use of E-Boost.
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      02-28-2021, 03:01 PM   #21
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Drive it in the middle of PA winter, put kids in the car and take them out for skiing.
You can not do that in 911.
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      03-01-2021, 01:18 PM   #22
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I think the reason the i8 gets flack in reviews is that it looks like a sports car/exotic.

If you go into it expecting a GT car, it's actually great. Plenty fast to be fun, a back seat for small children, can't rust, light weight, better handling than your average GT, economical, super comfortable, and stable at speed.

If you go in comparing it to a 911 or Corvette (or exotic), it's slow, not overly grippy, and not very feelsome.
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