i8 [Hot!] BMW i8 - test drives & reviews

[Sayyaaf]

^ how do you know t will age faster ?

I guess people said the same when they abandoned carburetors and migrated to fuel injectors. Both still co-exist. Same with direct injection. i8 is no different. It will progress like everything else.

 

[Sayyaaf]

If I remember correctly Scott said the engine bay can't accommodate anything larger so there's little change of an i8M/// addressing Betty's requirements.

Engineers are there to solve problems. Once they get the nod, believe me they can stick anything there. Even if space is not enough, they can elimiante rear seats/stroke&bore the hell out of that 1.5 ... etc

 

[DblPen]

Er....no. I don't think I'll be losing sleep over the i8.

BMW had me for ten years but sadly they lost me when they had nothing to offer when I was ready to move into super car territory. They still don't.

As good looking as the i8 is; As technologically advanced as the i8 is, BMW have solved a problem that IMHO didn't exist. An economical sports car? Who cares? An economical city car? GREAT!!

I want a powerful ICE with fabulous noise powering my pride and joy. Porsche can manage it with the 911. Audi can manage it with the R8 V10. Mercedes-Benz can manage it with the SLS and in a few months the AMG GT. These three hypercars, LaFerrari, 918 Spyder, P1, use batteries to enhance the driving experience but not dominate it. They still rely mainly on a NA V12, NA V8 and V8 twin-turbo. Why couldn't BMW offer a V8 twin-turbo or at least an I6? A three-cylinder?!! Sod that!

Whilst BMW are happy to fulfil every single niche with endless Gran Tourers and SUVs, they're still neglecting the top end of the spectrum. Maybe that will come in 2016 with this M Concept Scott has alluded to.

Maybe its just you that dont get i8? You mentioned all these cars and how i8 is nothing like them. Well theres nothing like i8, its in the class of its own and all i see is positives for that. I guess we will see if its successful in the future, but i doubt they will have problems selling it.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

If I remember correctly Scott said the engine bay can't accommodate anything larger so there's little change of an i8M/// addressing Betty's requirements.

I know he said that. It should have been engineered from the start to accommodate a V8.

^ how do you know t will age faster ?

Because battery technology is getting better every year at a shocking rate. In five years time the batteries in the i8 will be so ancient. Compare the original iPhone with the iPhone 5S. The tech in the i8 will seem archaic. It's the same as when the ICE was first invented. That technology matured long ago so improvements are glacial in comparison to battery tech.

i8 is no different. It will progress like everything else.

Er yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Imagine how out of date the next gen i8 is going make the original i8 seem.

 

[DblPen]

Why aging isnt problem for prius then?

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Maybe its just you that dont get i8?

That's exactly what I'm saying. I don't get the point of it. It's not a proper sports car. If it's speed you want there are faster cars out there. It's not cheap. Sure, fuel consumption is good but it's one of the most expensive cars BMW sells. So that wipes out ANY savings you make in fuel.

On the other hand, even though I wouldn't buy one, I'm beginning to see the relevance of the i3. THAT makes sense.

You mentioned all these cars and how i8 is nothing like them. Well theres nothing like i8, its in the class of its own and all i see is positives for that. I guess we will see if its successful in the future, but i doubt they will have problems selling it.

There are plenty of examples of one-of-a-kind cars. Doesn't mean they were good.

And the i8 will sell out because they're making so few of them.

If the CFRP tech wasn't eventually going to be passed down to the more mainstream models, do you think the i8 would have been built? The i8 is a high priced vehicle for early adopters keen to have the newest shiny thing, which also allows BMW to develop CFRP production on a mass scale. That's a great thing. I'm just not falling for the hype of the i8.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Why aging isnt problem for prius then?

Compare the latest Prius with the original Prius and you will know.

 

[DblPen]

Compare the latest Prius with the original Prius and you will know.

But original was produced in 1997. Did it aged more than any other car from 1997?

 

[klier]

But original was produced in 1997. Did it aged more than any other car from 1997?

Compare an E46 to F30 and you will know.
Or better yet, compare an E36 to an F30.

Plus, my iPhone 5s battery is dead every day. I don't see the quantum leaps.

 

[SCOTT27]

Having read some of the reviews it is clearly some do not understand the purpose of the i8.

It is not a Supercar per se, and for some this what they were expecting so their expectations were set too high.
If we were too put the i8 into context its a sports car in its next progressive form but its purpose has been identified by the question What if? We are still seeing and continue to see legislation on emissions and inevitable scenarios of when global issues will affect high performance cars. The i8 is BMW putting ourselves in that world now , a world that car manufacturers have to adapt to or die.

The i8 is all about combining high performance and efficiency and to see the media overlook that purpose because it is not a true rival for the Porsche 911 is disappointing. Its not a Porsche 911 rival unless you bring the price into the equation. You cannot really categorise the i8 because there is no where anything like it at this time.

Surprisingly to hear journalists imagine future comparisons to the latest hybrid hyper cars which is completely insane.
Then one American outlet advised me they done a comparison between the i3 and Tesla Model S which the Tesla won. Which is not only inevitable but mis-matched. The i3 is not a vehicle that can be compared to a Model S unless you know they are Electric?

Electric Mobility has to appeal to customers not only in technology , but also in design. Starting with a clean-sheet allows BMW to have the momentum on the market today. The BMWi3 and BMWi8 are not conventional cars , you do not have a choice as of electrification of other concepts from other manufacturers. Innovation is not just technology but also in design and construction. the i3 and i8 are concepts that have not just changed the image of electric mobility but they have turned what was impossible for many others into a reality but also challenges what is feasible with design and manufacturing.

If you say that in a few years i3 and i8 will be obsolete? Then yes that will happen because of progress , progress is inevitable. But as of now somebody had to be first and somebody had to take that risk and that was BMW. If Electric mobility is the future? Then it has to be very different , it has to appeal to future generations , it has to be progressive.
But this the early days so future BMWi cars will adapt to the changes in technology and convention.

Imagine elements of the BMW i8 design language on a sports sedan with rear hinged doors and proper seating for four and you get the next direction for the brand. That will be the litmus test.

 

[DblPen]

That's exactly what I'm saying. I don't get the point of it. It's not a proper sports car. If it's speed you want there are faster cars out there. It's not cheap. Sure, fuel consumption is good but it's one of the most expensive cars BMW sells. So that wipes out ANY savings you make in fuel.

On the other hand, even though I wouldn't buy one, I'm beginning to see the relevance of the i3. THAT makes sense.



There are plenty of examples of one-of-a-kind cars. Doesn't mean they were good.

And the i8 will sell out because they're making so few of them.

If the CFRP tech wasn't eventually going to be passed down to the more mainstream models, do you think the i8 would have been built? The i8 is a high priced vehicle for early adopters keen to have the newest shiny thing, which also allows BMW to develop CFRP production on a mass scale. That's a great thing. I'm just not falling for the hype of the i8.

I totally see the point of i8. I would love to have one. You can ride around silently in electric mode comfortably in a car from the future, you wouldnt have limited range, because theres also ICE behind you. Then, when you want, put it in sport and you can flex it for a bit or drive in a m3 speed. And you dont have to stop at gas stations all the time. Also if i had i8, i probably have enough money for a second car that is pure sports car.
Ofcourse its probably not for everyone, but i would totally buy it.

 

[klier]

It is not a Supercar per se

More like not at all

Some here want a super car from BMW (not BMW i) with a real engine and all the CF weight savings. Putting one together should be easy and cheaper than the complicated i8
It's a niche, dive into it. You're filling every other hole but this one.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Plus, my iPhone 5s battery is dead every day. I don't see the quantum leaps.

You don't? Your iPhone 5S battery is supporting far, far more processing power, a bigger screen, it's quicker, and it's lighter. To just say your battery still only lasts a day is ludicrous.

Anybody who has one ounce of common sense knows how quickly battery technology is improving every year.

 

[klier]

No I don't. The battery of every mobile device is it's Achilles heel. And the processing power comes from smaller chips that require less energy, not because the battery is suddenly becoming so much better.

Chips make the difference, sure as hell not the battery. Moore's Law is the cause.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Having read some of the reviews it is clearly some do not understand the purpose of the i8.

Or, people DO understand it. They just don't see the point of it?

We are still seeing and continue to see legislation on emissions and inevitable scenarios of when global issues will affect high performance cars. The i8 is BMW putting ourselves in that world now , a world that car manufacturers have to adapt to or die.

But we're not living in the future. Those emissions legislations are not with us yet. So I'm comparing the i8 with what else I can spend my money on NOW, and quite frankly, I see no reason to buy the i8 over say a Porsche 911.

The i8 is all about combining high performance and efficiency and to see the media overlook that purpose because it is not a true rival for the Porsche 911 is disappointing. Its not a Porsche 911 rival unless you bring the price into the equation.

Ha! ha!! I'm sure you WOULD like to ignore the price! Price is the single most important thing when buying a car. What somebody can afford.

That's like saying the LaFerrari is a far better can than a Alfa 4C, "as long as you don't bring the price into the equation".

Imagine elements of the BMW i8 design language on a sports sedan with rear hinged doors and proper seating for four and you get the next direction for the brand. That will be the litmus test.

I think that is EXACTLY what the i8 is good for. That doesn't mean I have to think it's a relevant solution.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

No I don't. The battery of every mobile device is it's Achilles heel. And the processing power comes from smaller chips that require less energy, not because the battery is suddenly becoming so much better.

@klier , are you seriously saying battery technology, specifically the battery technology which is used in cars, is not progressing at an extremely high rate? Are you honestly saying the battery in your iPhone 5S isn't any better than the battery in the original iPhone?

 

[SCOTT27]

More like not at all

Some here want a super car from BMW (not BMW i) with a real engine and all the CF weight savings. Putting one together should be easy and cheaper than the complicated i8
It's a niche, dive into it. You're filling every other hole but this one.

You will get one in due course. At this point of time it is about the i8.

But the lessons learned with the i8 and of course current and future progress could very likely see a car that will have more for the price but also more than relevant competitors.
The new 7er begins what was impossible is now a reality.

 

[klier]

Are you honestly saying the battery in your iPhone 5S isn't any better than the battery in the original iPhone?

Ok I am out again.
Have fun xxx

 

[Sunny]

Betty has a point, i8 technology will age faster, because electrical drivetrain is still very much a nascent tech and like all nascent tech, chances are it will evolve faster than a mature tech like ICEs. But having said that, things have to start somewhere. If everyone waits for the technology to mature, there will be almost no innovation. So in that sense, I guess kudos to BMW for being one of the early adopters and taking the risk.

In the same vein, on the consumer side too, the car will be, I suspect bought by early adopters and they usually do not concern themselves too much with obsolescence, because they know they will be in line for the i8.2 when the time comes.

 

[Deckhook]

No I don't. The battery of every mobile device is it's Achilles heel. And the processing power comes from smaller chips that require less energy, not because the battery is suddenly becoming so much better.

Chips make the difference, sure as hell not the battery. Moore's Law is the cause.

It would shock you the heat generated by these chips and everyone knows heat is another form of energy. I understand fully what Betty is saying here battery along with electric motor technology in this field is improving at an alarming rate just like the petrol engines did all those years ago when Nikolaus Otto invented it.