BMW i8

[louv]

I tried the i8 as I really liked the design and wanted to like the car. I took it to the Autobahn to 250, but I could not get over the impression/fact that "it has no engine". They should have put a large engine and large wheels on the thing, and it would have sold many more units, I think.

@louv: Why did you leave Maui, if I may ask? Isn't that supposed to be paradise?

Cheers,
Henrik

A large engine and large wheels would make it a completely different vehicle. Heavy. (A v8 weight vs a 1.5l 3cyl). Bigger. (The 3-cyl barely fits). The more I owned it, the more I loved the “compromises” of the design.

My living in Maui was always a “temporary” thing. Unknown number of months while I was waiting for an overseas assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières. I ended up getting assigned to a Recovery Hospital in the Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp in Mafraq, Jordan. I’m not a doctor, I managed all of the non-medical parts of the hospital (security, transportation, supply chain, HR, finance, etc.)

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[Tay Tay]

A large engine and large wheels would make it a completely different vehicle. Heavy. (A v8 weight vs a 1.5l 3cyl). Bigger. (The 3-cyl barely fits).

Sorry, but a LaFerrari weighs the same as a US i8 and has a V12. That’s the other thing about BMW - they invested a lot in carbon fiber yet their cars are still heavy. Obviously LaFerrari is much more expensive but I’m not asking for a V12, even an I6 would’ve made people happy.
TBC I used to love BMW and my e93 M3 was one of my favorite cars. But they have stopped caring about customer feedback. Yes some people liked the i8 same as some people liked Saab, but the market as a whole has spoken.

 

[epirali]

Sorry, but a LaFerrari weighs the same as a US i8 and has a V12. That’s the other thing about BMW - they invested a lot in carbon fiber yet their cars are still heavy. Obviously LaFerrari is much more expensive but I’m not asking for a a V12, even an I6 would’ve made people happy.
TBC I used to love BMW and my e93 M3 was one of my favorite cars. But they have stopped caring about customer feedback. Yes some people liked the i8 same as some people liked Saab, but the market as a whole has spoken.

You may be absolutely correct about BMW. I am also not a “natural” BMW customer. I only became one because of the i8 and the i3 (well I did have the M Roadster but honestly I ended up selling it very few miles). The i8 was a demonstration car, it was really not meant to be produced. I think it ended up in what was supposed to be limited production because it received so much acclaim and attention. At one point BMW even switched production from i3 (which didn’t sell as it was supposed to) to the i8 due to demand.

So I do not believe it was a failure. It may just not been what some people wanted it to be, a super car.

 

[louv]

Sorry, but a LaFerrari weighs the same as a US i8 and has a V12. That’s the other thing about BMW - they invested a lot in carbon fiber yet their cars are still heavy. Obviously LaFerrari is much more expensive but I’m not asking for a a V12, even an I6 would’ve made people happy.

LOL. You are comparing a $150,000 car to a $1.5 million dollar car? Not really fair.

I’m not defending BMW’s overall business decisions. I disagree with many directions they go.

 

[Kingske]

LOL. You are comparing a $150,000 car to a $1.5 million dollar car? Not really fair.

I’m not defending BMW’s overall business decisions. I disagree with many directions they go.

Agree. I had eight BMW's and each of those was less "special" than the previous one. Still good cars and maybe even more reliable than before, but also more bland driving dynamics and more forgettable styling. Unfortunately, because I would really want to keep on loving the brand.

 

[tigerbalm]

but also more bland driving dynamics and more forgettable styling

I thought it was the "ultimate driving machine?" (context: I've just realised I've never driven a BMW!)

 

[Tay Tay]

I thought it was the "ultimate driving machine?" (context: I've just realised I've never driven a BMW!)

They stopped using that slogan in 2013 I believe.

 

[vdr]

I love my i8 Roadster. To me it checks nearly all the boxes; it’s quick enough, relatively nimble and the exhaust note, though simulated, is fairly decent in Sports mode.

It does find itself lacking a few things however, a heated steering wheel would be appreciated as would some lane changing alert system and, above all else, the quality of the interior materials is severely insufficient in a vehicle at this price point. Much too much plastic and switchgear that simply feels subpar relative to other vehicles but it really was/is a masterful combination of technology particularly the way the AWD system works in concert with the battery and engine. I do agree that a few more HP and a better quality of interior finish would have made this car nearly perfect.....for me at least.

I now have a 4s on order with a purported delivery in late August. I’ve specc’d the Porsche with the Premium and Performance Packages so I’m hopeful that this model Taycan is sufficient and the performance doesn’t make me miss my i8 which is what this car will be replacing.

V-

 

[Torv]

If getting in and out of the Taycan feels difficult, the i8 requires the skill set of a Cirque de Soleil contortionist.

 

[RDSChicago]

Parked up in a carpark beside a white I8 today. I had originally specced a Jaguar Ipace HSE before opting for the 4S and had also been wistful / thinking about an I8.

Sitting in my Carmine Red 4S today I had absolutely no regrets about getting the Taycan.
Has anyone had an I8 and then a Taycan?

This past week, I was seriously considering trading in my 2019 i8 Roadster for a 2021 Taycan 4S with only 600 miles on the odometer. The trade in value offered was so low that I just couldn’t get myself to part with it. Since there haven’t been any responses to this thread in almost 1.5 years, I would love to hear more thoughts from current or former i8 owners as to comparisons between the i8 and Taycan and why you did or didn’t keep the i8. What intrigued me about the Taycan is its looks, being all electric, the retro orange racing stripes the owner installed on this Taycan, having a car where my golf clubs could ride in the trunk instead of shotgun in the passenger seat, and, of course, the performance. But I love my i8 with only 9,500 miles on it and couldn’t see taking a 50% depreciation hit on a car that at least to me is gorgeous, handles wonderfully and still exhilarates me every time I drive it. Am I making a mistake not stepping into the Taycan? Why? Why not?

 

[B61]

What a coincidence.
Yesterday, I’ve seen i8 in real, exactly the same colours as yours.
Looks that was brand new…owner drives it very slow, as he would be affraid of speed.
It looks amazing, i’d love to have it, but it’s a hybrid…and i’m not going back to ICE.

edit: @RDSChicago :if i’d already have i8, i would not sell it to buy Taycan …yet (having in mind experiences with Taycan only).

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