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BMW i8

Discussion in 'Electric Vehicles' started by Doug_G, Jul 23, 2013.

  1. Caligula

    Caligula Member

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    Miata.
     
  2. adiggs

    adiggs Active Member

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    Saw my first i8 in the wild today on the commute in to work. I was excited because it's probably an even more rare vehicle than the Roadster (are there 1500 deliveries in the US yet?). And I grant with no hesitation whatsoever that it's a good looking car.

    Whether a car is strictly speaking a hybrid or pure BEV, we're still talking some number of actual miles being electric. And I'm a fan of every electric mile. And the i8 certainly puts those electric miles into a nice looking package :)

    I wonder if the other folks in traffic around us realize how rare it'd be to see a Roadster and an i8 next to each other in traffic.
     
    • Like x 1
  3. UKM3

    UKM3 Member

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    I wish the i8's EV-only mode was louder. The whine of its electric drivetrain in this mode is truly spectacular. Of course, if only the puny battery were bigger too.
     
  4. jbcarioca

    jbcarioca Well-Known Member

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    Then too I wish the performance were better. As my i8-owner friend said after driving my P85D. "Wow!". Three weeks later he sold his i8, at a profit and is happily driving a P90D now. The i8 looks spectacular but is a serious underperformer. Actually reminds me of the Z1 I once owned. Long on looks, short on content.
     
    • Like x 3
  5. UKM3

    UKM3 Member

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    BMW had a chance to prove their intentions with the i8 but blew it big time. Just imagine if the hybrid drivetrain was electric only. Just imagine.

    Its also interesting to note how many of the founding BMW.i. team left for a mix of Tesla, Faraday Future, et al.
     
  6. jbcarioca

    jbcarioca Well-Known Member

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    That I do not know. Did several leave? Back when I knew BMW took very good care of their engineers working development. From carbon fiber to recyclable body panels, floor mats and upholstery to more traditional stuff BMW seems to have always experimented, through many of those were more style than substance.

    The descending doors on my Z1 were replaced a dozen or so times under warranty, several body pieces (recyclable plastics in 1989!) were replaced. Fir all that it still was worth more than I paid for it ten years later. They only made 3,000.

    The i8 is destined for a similar fate, though I'll wager the i3 will vanish just like the early M3 convertible (they bought mine back under Lemon law) and the first new generation 7 series.

    I do admire some things about the group, but quality control seems even less consistent than Tesla has shown, but without Tesla customer service quality.
     
  7. 30seconds

    30seconds Active Member

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  8. 30seconds

    30seconds Active Member

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    You had an e30 M3 convertible? wow, talk about rare
     
  9. jbcarioca

    jbcarioca Well-Known Member

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    Justifiably!! It was very fast, when it ran. IIRC, three transmissions, one short block, several front suspension complete rebuilds. All that in about 9 months when they could not find parts for a month and just bought it back!

    After that I still bought another BMW in Brazil. Failry few problems with that one but it's a garden variety X.
     
  10. Maximilien

    Maximilien Member

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    I can't believe this car still is not all electric, let alone 100 miles of electric range + PHEV.

    The small upgrade in battery for puny addition of electric range is laughable at best in 2018.
     
  11. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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    Eh. Obviously there’s minimal opportunity to upsize the battery. Their failure was the short sightedness in initial design, not the incremental improvement of that design.

    At the point, im just happy they’re keeping it in their lineup. The BEV transition is different for everyone.
     

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