i8 [Official] BMW i8 World Premiere

[klier]

And the price difference with the R8 is only since the 2nd generation R8 was launched. When the i8 was launched, the R8 V10 was much closer, and the R8 V8 was actually CHEAPER than the i8.

If we start talking about the price of old cars vs new cars I think the plot is lost.

New cars. On sale now. Or specifically mention otherwise.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

If we start talking about the price of old cars vs new cars I think the plot is lost.

New cars. On sale now. Or specifically mention otherwise.

No it's not lost. For the most part of the i8's life, the version of the R8 on sale has been the first generation. And anyway, I don't even think the i8 is a rival to the R8, and I've never said it is. I said the car COULD have been BMW's answer to the R8, had it been developed as a conventional sports car with the TT V8.

What I HAVE done is compare the i8 price wise to other performance cars, just to see what exotica your money can buy you. I've used the German prices:

BMW M4 Coupe €73,300
3.0 I6 431hp
0-100km/h 4.3 secs

Porsche 911 Carrera €96,605
3.0 F6 370hp
0-100km/h 4.6 secs

Mercedes-AMG GT €115,430
4.0 V8 462hp
0-100km/h 4.0 secs

BMW i8 €130,000
1.5 I3 362hp
0-100km/h 4.4 secs


Really?! €60,000 MORE than an M4?! And it's slower? On paper the i8 looks atrocious value! What it offers over the other cars is that it's new tech, so appeals to the early adopters. And that's a reason to buy it? Why not buy a TESLA if that's what people want? And as much as it offers a glimpse into the future, surely a sports car is as much about the lineage and the history? In which case the M3/M4 is iconic, as is the 911. I see absolutely no reason to buy the i8 except for the desire to be "cool" and and be an early adopter.

 

[SCOTT27]

BMW iNext will be as cutting edge and forward thinking as the i8 and i3 were and still are.
There will be nothing else quite like it as you will see when it rolls out in conceptual form next September.

The 7er model line is not complete as we are about to introduce the 750d which will come within a more acceptable tax brand over equivalent 750i for most countries. F01/F02 done well in that respect with 750d.
Then there is the 740e and of course the flagship M760Li.
The new 5er fresh from its introductory preview at Villa d'Este was well received.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

BMW iNext will be as cutting edge and forward thinking as the i8 and i3 were and still are.
There will be nothing else quite like it as you will see when it rolls out in conceptual form next September.

Maybe we can talk about this in five years time, you know, when it actually exists as a car people can BUY?

The 7er model line is not complete as we are about to introduce the 750d which will come within a more acceptable tax brand over equivalent 750i for most countries. F01/F02 done well in that respect with 750d.
Then there is the 740e and of course the flagship M760Li.
The new 5er fresh from its introductory preview at Villa d'Este was well received.

All very nice, but absolutely nothing to do with the i8.

 

[SCOTT27]

So Bimmer is up to date?

“Can you afford to wait until 2021 to unveil the BMW iNext and still be competitive?”
Daniela Bergdolt, vice chair of German shareholder protection association DSW, asked Krueger at the meeting.

“The 7-Series isn’t getting anywhere against the S-Class so far,” Ingo Speich, a fund manager at Union Investment, said at the meeting.

bloomberg.com


No hate against BMW, but just right now it looks like that Krueger looses his faith in BMW I, because iNext will due in 2021.
Yes klier, when the BMW I subbrand was launched there was zero competition from MB. But don't believe they will keep lagging behind in terms of electric vehicles.

BMWi is a relatively new brand of philosophy. Why is it that the media see just the cars? But do not see the entire picture?
The cars are but one of the priorities but there are many services, technology,infrastructure and manufacturing.
It was not just about the cars. The first phase was with the i3 and i8, development, production,infrastructure,mobility services but most importantly brand establishment. A new brand needs an establishing period it cannot just happen overnight. Now we move to the second phase with the updates to the i3 and the i8 models but also plan for the future.
This is something the media particular in the US do not get but there are comparisons and back to back tests.
No BMWi vehicle is a direct competitor to the current Tesla Model S. The i3 can be considered amongst other smaller EVs but the i8 has no direct rivals as of yet.

BMWi set to change everything in regards to EVs everybody still electrifies an existing concept, BMW developed everything from the ground up. The BMWi strategy revolutionised production and has brought CFRP use to volume capability.
Now we start to see BMWs other new models start to introduce weight saving materials in this case a "Carbon Core" implementing CFRP in the heavy load bearing aspects of the structure providing exceptional structural rigidity.

The BMWi philosophy is long term and does not just affect BMW. As there are additional areas of the transportation industry who are purchasing cost effective CFRP for their own purpose which allows the initial 3 Billion euro investment to be re cooperated in the long term.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

The BMWi strategy revolutionised production and has brought CFRP use to volume capability.

Why couldn't BMW have done that anyway? What does BMWi have to do with it?

 

[SCOTT27]

Why couldn't BMW have done that anyway? What does BMWi have to do with it?

Because you need to be dramatic when introducing an entirely new philosophy especially when everybody else is focused on simple electrification. The i3 and i8 are radical,fresh,innovative and cutting edge. An entirely individual substitute to BMWs own electrified models.
An Audi A3 E-Tron is an A3 model as is a B-Klasse EV.
Besides the next phase including the i8 Spyder and i8s will continue to show what can be achieved when you continue a less is more philosophy.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Because you need to be dramatic when introducing an entirely new philosophy especially when everybody else is focused on simple electrification. The i3 and i8 are radical,fresh,innovative and cutting edge. An entirely individual substitute to BMWs own electrified models.

Why couldn't BMW have introduced CFRP to volume production cars with a conventional sports car with a petrol engine? The i8 could have still looked like it does now. It would still have caused a stir, just like the R8 did.


All these replies only reiterate the issues I have with the i8. The whole point of the i8 seems to be a tool for introducing a new philosophy, a brand builder, and to be "dramatic". Since when are these reasons for a car enthusiast to buy a sports car?

 

[Rainer271]

Potential high-performance BMW i8 variant spied with extra cooling vents
May be packing an upgraded engine.

The BMW i8 may be in store for a more powerful engine, and these spy photos appear to show a prototype testing in Germany. A new rear engine cover, which is opaque and features prominent cooling vents, is the biggest clue this i8 packs something unusual inside.

Given that the BMW i8 prototype spotted here appears to have not only additional engine cooling but also enlarged AP Racing brakes, it’s not a stretch to imagine it has more horsepower on tap than the standard plug-in hybrid.

There are two possibilities as to what, exactly, this prototype portends. Reports suggest that the 2018 BMW i8 will be refreshed with a stronger powertrain, thanks to upgrades to the 1.5-liter turbocharged gas engine, the electric motors, and the car’s six-speed automatic transmission. That could reportedly boost output to as much as 420 horsepower.

A more interesting rumor says that BMW is planning a performance-focused variant that could be called the i8S. The most recent rumblings said that BMW was planning to use either a 320-hp 2.0-liter biturbo four-cylinder engine or a 480-hp biturbo 3.0-liter inline-six, along with an upgraded electric motor to drive the front wheels. That car was expected to debut this year, to coincide with BMW’s centenary celebrations.

We’ll still have to wait some time to see just how much more performance is being added to the BMW i8. Expect to see either the i8S or the refreshed standard i8 in the coming months.

Source: motor1

 

[braaf]

Could this not be a privately owned souped up i8. It doesn't exactly scream test car.

 

[Rainer271]

Could this not be a privately owned souped up i8. It doesn't exactly scream test car.

This possibility is not impossible.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

That isn't a test car.

 

[Padi]

But those rims Glad to see the i8 hasn't faced any ricing yet!

 

[SCOTT27]

If the plate was visible it could be checked to see if it is a BMW AG vehicle.
The thing is the refreshed i3 And i8 are not entirely visible to the naked eye.

 

[azeez samara]

I think that this is not a test car because in the third picture above you can read A..Racing so the car is a modified i8 .this is my thought!

 

[chonkoa]

Why couldn't BMW have done that anyway? What does BMWi have to do with it?

Because of their marketing department.
I am sure BMW would have given us the CS, M7, R8/911/AMG GT rival if they stop listening to the marketing geeks.

 

[Fido]

That isn't a test car.

Sure? The car came back from one BMW's techical center...

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Sure? The car came back from one BMW's techical center...

And? BMW employees do own BMW's themselves you know. Especially with the discounts available to them.

 

[Zafiro]

Saw my second I8 yesterday together with a M2, M4 convertible, M3 E92 and 1M. That protonblue(?) looks awesome. Too bad they came with bad gearboxes..

No photos unfortunaly.

 

[Rainer271]

Too bad they came with bad gearboxes..

Agent provocateur.