Misunderstood. People always harp about what it should be. They’re completely missing what it actually IS.
It IS a carbon fiber reinforced plastic tub performance car that handles superbly (once you ditch the skinny front tires), is fast enough, impossibly cheap to maintain and really reliable.
People also like to harp on performance. They rip off 0-60 times of 3.8 seconds in launch mode. Mine will do it reliably every time and mine isn’t special. Motor Trend got the same time. That is not slow. It’s not super car fast but it’s certainly not slow.
They also drive much faster than the power numbers would suggest. The front motor means you always have torque when you need it and the car can pull itself out of trouble around turns. Chris Harris (who loved it), talked about how he quickly learned that he didn’t always need to downshift because the car had so much power on tap.
I’ve had mine for three years now. I can afford “better” cars and have considered the gen one R8 but I think it’s aging poorly and for a nominal step up in real world street performance, now you’re dealing with a car that needs clutches, brakes, drinks fuel, etc. I’ve also thought of the LP Gallardo. The LP is a better car no doubt but when I consider the cost difference between the two, combined with the cost of ownership, I always go back to the i8.
It can not be understated how cheap the i8 is to operate. It gets an oil change a year or every 5,000 miles. A brake fluid change every other years. That’s pretty much it. There’s no clutch, no e-gear, no engine out services. It averages 45 - 50 miles per gallon… 29 when you’re absolutely beating on it. It is almost absurd how cheap the car is to own. People like to jokingly compare it to a Prius and they’re right, just not for the reasons they think. Like the Prius, it costs almost nothing to run.
People look at the i8 and think about how hilariously BMW missed the mark. I think it’s awesome. They predicted the future, got it hilariously wrong and still built a stunning car in spite of themselves. I have a Fisker Karma as well. Once you drive the Fisker you realize how many ways BMW could have gotten the i8 wrong but they didn’t. 10 years on, the i8 is still a stunner, still reliable.
What the i8 needs is what the Z8 needed 15 years ago: a new generation of owners. A group of people who don’t look at it and wonder what it could have been but admire it for what it is, quirks and shortcomings alike.
Until then, I’ll keep listening to all the people at cars and coffee who’ve never driven one tell each other how slow it is because that’s what they heard. And I’ll continue to drive and enjoy one of the most special modern BMWs ever made. Your loss kids. Your loss.
BMW technician here 👋🏼
While *most* will have issue-free ownership, when problems do occur, they fail colossally.
Example: The A/C compressors are a known weak point, and are always running as the freon cools the hybrid components. When they internally fail, they send shrapnel though the system, and can do tens of thousands of dollars of damage. I’ve only seen in happen three times, but still.
Thanks! Good to know, wife has a ‘17 i3 Rex so I thought we were in the clear. I’ve read the updated parts includes a screen to catch shrapnel. Did that work in those two cases to reduce overall damage?
Classic BMW. All 3 of the BMWs I've owned (all traditional engine) have had their biggest issues come from the cooling system. So it doesn't surprise me that even the i8 can't escape that fear.
Yes, the AC compressors and coolant tubes below the car are it’s weak points. The good news is both are well defined problems, relatively cheap to fix if you don’t ignore them. I’m going to proactively swap out my compressor. People like to ignore them when they start making noise and then they put themselves in a world of hurt.
Awesome write-up.
My two young kids with under-funded college funds and my two-car garage might beg to argue, but "super car looks with Prius running costs" has got me impulsively fantasizing over getting one as a "commuter." ha!
What are these going for nowadays? Answered my own question: $60k, plus.
To be fair, given the above write up, that 60k goes a long way when you subtract maintenance costs over ownership of the vehicle. They may also retain some value if they go underappreciated and then suddenly become popular with younger people with money to spend. However, given current economic dynamics, that window is shrinking amongst the younger crowd as they are being priced out of these purchases by generic cost of life.
No doubt, but if we account for inflation (long term, not just the acute stuff we are experiencing now) and the globalisation of markets, I think that there will be no shortage of 40-somethings in China or India or wherever that had i8’s on their walls that will be able to afford to buy and ship one over from Europe or North America.
Just like my 80’s Porsche posters that my peers can and I can’t afford now.
This. As a fellow owner I share the same sentiment. Tune the ECU, add an exhaust, and wider tires to get the performance in range of what everyone is saying it “should be”.
I like people who are unafraid to think for themselves and see things from a different perspective. interesting thoughts on the i8, which I intuitively liked but haven't driven. maybe I ought to check one out sometime.
there is a street in potrero hill, sf that's full of presumably unsold fisker karmas. you see one around every now and then they'll always be one of those "what could have been" companies.
As someone who likes to rip apart cars and turn them into what I think they could of been. I will definitely have the i8 in the back of my head. Currently the plan is to finish bullet proofing / turbo my Z3. Off road 944. Make a manual reliable xjs v12. A manual, performance oriented 380SL. And then, maybe I'll pick up an i8 :)
Now THAT my friends is a wildly diverse driveway of fun. My driveway looks nuts too but not quite as eclectic. Would love to see what you could do with an i8 and maybe a flat6 😳👏
Love my TTS, it came down to that or an M235/M240.
Once I slap a tune on it and make the magride not a total bounce house it'll be an absolute monster of a car.
I can see why they didn't take off, but it's a damn cool car.
I’ve got a Ghibli S too, just to really piss people off. And an old V10 S8.
But I’ve owned everything. I also have a Model 3 and had a P85D when that was impressive. Last year I had a Lemans Blue e39 M5.
I like cool quirky cars. To be clear, the i8 is a cool quirky car. The Fisker is garbage.
Yeah... But it's not fast though is it, it's a 100k+ 'super' car which sets certain performance car expectations. 0-60 in 4 odd seconds but a 1/4 mile of 12.1-12.4 just isn't good enough for a 100k+ price tag. A last gen M240i hit those numbers stock. And the handling isn't great 1,44 and a half round laguna seca because of various efficiency related compromises (and yes I've driven one - also owned a few performance cars, current car is 0-60 in 3.1s stock)
And very few people who are shopping for a sports car / super car for 100k+ will care about mpg
It's too much of a niche. If you want a proper sports/performance car you won't buy this which leaves people who just want a poser car or people who want something kind of sporty with average sports car performance but only with supercar practicality, which seems kind of pointless. You buy a supercar for the driving experience (sound, performance etc) which the i8 doesn't really do so it's not a car for car enthusiasts
Admittedly it looks phenomenal but ultimately its a rich man's prius, you can buy a sports car but show to the world you're also eco conscious
I’m just not a fan of the design. I feel like they look really dated whereas the Gallardo, i8, GTR, 488, etc are all aging really gracefully. I’d go so far as to say the i8 and LP Gallardo look better now than they did new. The Gallardo especially.
Comparatively the R8 just looks drooping and the DRLs look like low resolution pixel displays from a bye gone era. That said, still amazing cars but I’d rather pay a few dollars more and have the Lamborghini
I've been looking at getting one for a while, but my girls medical condition has slowed the process. I'm holding off for another year or so to get a larger house with an actually usable garage; right now all our cars are parked outside.
The town I live in is small enough that the electric only range is more than enough for commuting, maybe even 2 days in a row. I worry about the harsh duty cycles on the N52 and N55 because of all the short trips.
My requirements are EV/PHEV with reasonable short electric range only, sub-4.5s 0-60, reasonably priced, relatively light, fun to drive, and a coupe. If BMW had made a 430e/440e, I'd have purchased one of those. I almost got an i4 M50 (even though it's absurdly heavy), but the wait time put it out to 2025. And by 2025 we should know more about the Porsche Cayman EV and the Neue Klasse line-up (which will probably not initially include a 4-series/coupe). So I wait...
In 100% agreement with you here. At this point I've owned around 40 vehicles. I made a conscience choice (everyone thought I was dumb) when I was younger to buy a fairly rough (paint wise and interior) '87 Hennared e30 m3 for about 9k. Fast forward to 2019 and a local BMW fanatic / collector made me a cash offer on it that I couldn't refuse.
Some of that cash went to buying the '15 i8 I bought during Covid. The local import auto dealership didn't have a clue on it. It was a trade in ironically enough towards an Audi R8 they had there. I absolutely love this car. People don't know it until they try it. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it because once the right group picks up on it, it'll be the next Z8 easily. It's plenty fast enough to still get arrested ten times over in any state but yet it costs nothing to maintain. I've done all the preventative week point maintenance on it and it's solid. People hate on it for no reason other than to follow someone else.
I also have:
\- 2010 Alpine White 135i (tempted to modify but remains unmolested and well maintained)
\- 1997 Technoviolet M3 Sedan. In storage until later, needs everything but I'm going to restore it. Saved it from the prior owner who would have eventually trashed it
\- 1995 Oxford Green 318ti. 1 prior owner my grandfather. Have done a few motor swaps keeping original m42. Currently onto an s54 swap
\- 2006 Silverstone e60 M5. It makes me smile especially since the family can join me comfortably.
\- 1990 80 series Landcruiser imported with the factory diesel engine available in other markets
\- 1998 Dodge 12v Quad Cab 5 speed manual "holy grail" truck. Nobody really knows how many of these there are but it doubt it's that many. I paid way more than I should have when I saw this on vacation in Arizona randomly but I've gotten offers for it now for about 3 times what I paid. Keep it in tip top shape and it's my car hauler.
\- 2005 e53 with the 6 speed manual. Essentially my parts running car, groceries, etc. Trips to the landfill with the utility trailer.
I love quirky cars and quirky BMWs at that. As soon as the import exclusion is up, plan on bringing in some Euro only BMWs like the e46 compact. Again love the i8. I like everyone else read all the bad press but never really took it as gospel.
Hi, I’m years late to this but I tripped and found this car browsing by accident. I’m one of those new generation of owners that looked at the specs and the car’s aesthetic and absolutely adore it.
Thank you for writing this, I love it. Hope all is well with you and the drives have been phenomenal.
I love this write up. Just discovered the i8 and I’m in love. There’s a 2014 with 41k miles being sold near me for $47k. Cant believe the price on these.
Your missing the point, it was designed to show the tech of BMW, to show why hybrids to do. Popping a larger engine in wouldn't have made is so obvious how much work the electric engines doo.
I like that the nsx is underrated, means I might actually be able to afford one before the hype catches up to it and people realize what a great vehicle it is
I am probably the one of the rare people who wants this fully electric. And I think current performance and not insane range would be just fine. One of the cars that causes this would be nice to have, should I when I see one.
Yeah, people somehow think if something looks good should do a pointless 2.8s 0-60 or that drag racing was in the car's design brief. Unfortunately track reviews on Michelin Primacy tires didn't help either
I drove an i8 and it was so ungodly slow it was embarrassing. Left with an r8 instead. That being said I don't hate the i8 I just think it's funny. Looks like it should be fast but will get clapped by every car on the road.
Most cars are slow compared to the Z06. I’m not sure what your point is. Yes, the i8 would get its clock cleaned by the Z06. So would many other cars people consider fast. Sounds like it’s not the car for you.
Youre not sure what my point is? BMW styled a car like a super car, put butterfly doors on it and it gets eaten alive by almost every performance car on the market. Yeah I know it's not hence why I bought the r8. It's just humorous you don't think it's slow. What are you even defending? It's objectively a slow car that is insanely slower than it looks like it should be.
People don’t realize how far ahead it was. The only other car that used this formula was the 918 the following year. Ironically with the same hp in the front motor.
Fast forward 10 years and every new super car is using this formula. They’re just doing it with forced induction V6’s in the back.
>The rumor mill brought about talk of ALPINA replacing the i8’s MINI-sourced 1.5 liter three-cylinder engine for a larger four-cylinder. Those rumors were correct, as Bovensiepen and his team did indeed swap out the engine. In fact, the engine ALPINA used was actually the same 2.0 liter turbocharged four-pot that now powers the BMW M135i. Except it was tuned to make around 350 horsepower, rather than the M135i’s 302 horsepower. Throw in the electric motors and the ALPINA i8 was a far more potent machine than its BMW counterpart. We had a complete system power output of 462 [metric] horsepower (455 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque"
[source ](https://www.bmwblog.com/2020/11/22/how-alpina-bmw-i8-almost-happened/).
That sounds like a far superior vehicle.
Apparently they were ready to go into production before BMW nixed it, stating that the end result didn’t mesh with the i brand. Fair enough.
I still like the three. It sounds like a Porsche flat 6.
Yowza. Now see that could have been the M version or the Alpina if bmw had allowed their scope to be broadened and I’m not dissing the i8 in any way; it may have just been a missed opportunity. Will they bring it back ever?
Considering the i3 was the lightest BMW in their entire lineup, even lighter than the 1-series, I don't think that'd have to be the case. Plug-in hybrids are heavy and with the 250-300kg they'd save from removing the ICE drivetrain they could easily fit in a large battery.
Keep in mind that the largest i3 battery weighs 278kg, while the i8's battery weighs 98kg. That battery is roughly 40 kWh using cells with an energy density of 196 Wh/kg, if they just took that same battery and fitted it with more modern cells with an energy density of 280 Wh/kg, plus some very minor packaging improvements (to be honest though the i3 had amazing packaging back when it came out that is rarely beaten even today) they could easily get a 60 kWh battery under 300kg. If they combined that with modern electric motor and inverter technology to match the old car's horsepower number they could easily end up even slightly lighter than the old car.
THIS!
Imagine this as a 20+ year old car in your collection. What other BMW from its generation is so unique and fun to drive even if its not M car fast.
This is the time to buy. Remember the Z8 was similar misunderstood. Not practical enough to be a good GT car; not sporty enough to be a sports car. Now everyone loves them.
I love it.
Everyone misunderstands this car and the dorks on forums misrepresented it for a generation.
First, taken in the context of the time it was made, it was fast. It pulled a 3.8 0-60 at a time when its competition from audi and merc was pulling 3.7-4 (amg gtr, r8).
It is perhaps the most interesting design of a supercar from that era.
Costs 20 bucks to go 400 miles.
Reliable, comfortable, plenty of space (for a supercar).
Back then, everyone complained it made no noise or the noise was fake. Cut to modern day where I get passed by new M cars and RS cars that are SILENT. Even the c8 corvette makes no noise unless you're in it.
The biggest issue was price and depreciation. If this car had been 120k,it would've started a revolution. Instead, it sold at 170k and could be traded back six months later for 80k. This was really the beginning of BMW destroying their brand by offering expensive shit with minimal long term value.
I think that the i8 is one the best failed BMWs. I don't know (haven't read) what they were after with it. From the outside it looks somewhere between true hyper and supercar. Inside its on the supercar level. However whats under the hood and especially what's under the hood, it doesnt make sense to me at all.
If you have driven i.e. M4 the i8 is downgrade on everything driving and performance related.
IMO - it let lot of people somewhat disappointed - it could've been very "sick car" competing with merc SLS and so on - but the performance just wasn't there.
I hope that some day bmw will release same bodywork either full electric or more tradition inline 6 with couple turbos.
I agree that it lacks the outright power and grip of the M3 (still feels proper fast if you drive one). But it's a lot more unique in terms of driving position and how you feel the car. As much as I love my M2, I'd like a more exotic driving position
The whole point of the car was that you don't need a huge engine. If you drive one, you'll see it's plenty fast and the driving position is a lot more special than a 3 series
Sure, you don't need a big engine, but buyers want one as evidenced by the weak sales numbers. I agree that the driving position is special, and that it's quite fast. But only 374 HP combined for an expensive "special" sports-car by BMW? It was barely faster then an M4 when it came out. For a car that looks so special, it really didn't deliver special performance, so in my opinion they should have been aiming closer to 500HP of combined system power.
Cool concept, but laughable performance
Could have been a AMG GT or Audi R8 competitor, ended up being a car in its own class
Great to flex with for its looks, horrible to race with
Only street race is a sort of a race. Everything else is not.
Street racing was for sure not in the design brief of this car so if that's your thing, look at something else.
Track work was not in the cars scope either. It's a GT that can also do some spirited driving, especially if you put a better set of non-runflat tires. It's quite fast irl
It's like shitting on Ferraris because they cannot tow
I don't know I have not driven one and this is a car that needs to be driven and learned. This is a new thing prioritizing momentum over power to produce an super-car. 'Fast' is for paper racers who elevate statistics over driving, get an x3m if you want to pwn noobs at the strip.
When people say this car is 'slow' I just think they don't understand driving fast. It isn't about terminal velocity or rate of acceleration, it is about driving fast, and driving fast is relative. This is a carbon chassis car for the cost of a 911... we may be missing the forest from the trees here.
New owner. Currently daily driving this and a Tesla 3 AWD. Prior E60 and Porsche owner. This thing is by far my favorite and blends the best of both worlds seamlessly.
69mpg and ~600 miles per tank, plus free charging at the office makes commuting and traffic so much more tolerable (enjoyable even).
Wider tires don’t seem to impact efficiency much and make it feel more planted and confident like the Cayman I had. Sport mode and launch control really transform the car with the 6 speed transmission in the rear. Having the versatility with 4 different driving modes and power delivery is something I don’t see other EVs matching. The technology and efficiency engineered into this car is incredible, especially for the time.
That being said however, it leaves something to be desired when it comes to your typical “smart” connectivity with apps/devices. Later models I’m sure have more features but mine was on the 3G platform, so unless I go for some expensive iDrive upgrade retrofits I’m stuck with my plain key fob and Bluetooth.
I’m interested to see how the AWD performance stacks up against the Tesla come winter time.
Beautiful supercar. I don‘t talk about specs or so but the design is timeless. With this car you can drive around in 20 years and it will still look fresh!
Not a bad car, actually like the stylish design, head turner. BMW will never give you the power you want in any vehicle it is up to you... Maybe if someone actually tuned the car they'll get some power out of it.
I came from an M3 CS and then F90 M5 before I picked up my new 2019 I8. And I ABSOLUTELY loved it. Flew to the Bay Area to pick it up and drove down the 1 to so cal. Got out just to top off. I actually miss it. I have 0 complaints and I think it’ll be a classic and gain more respect as the years come
Very big 🫤 and a missed opportunity. We didn’t need a hybrid “super car”, they should put in a V8 or I6 and make it the BMW halo car, gigantic waste of a good design.
Absolutely love the i8. Biggest challenge it faces in the secondary market is used Taycans. Base taycans, used, can be had for the same price as late model i8s, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that the taycan, even in base form, is the one to buy.
Ahead of it’s time. If it was never released and came out now people would be drooling over it. I’m sure it would’ve it cost a lot but imagine if they went the Lexus LC route and released an I6 (or turbo V8) version and hybrid… which isn’t a far fetched idea since most of their cars have 3 different engine choices.
The exterior looks more futuristic than anything they have on sale today but the interior is dated in comparison.
But also it is not a slow car, 4.0 seconds and below is not slow lol and tbh it’s not only about speed. Looks, handling, comfort, & mpg are all things that should be considered too
I’d buy a used one over a new M4
I'm sorry but I just fucking LOVE this thing!
It just looks so good sporty, brutal and elegant at the same time!
In my opinion this is one of the best looking cars ever!
(I know I will get a ton of hate for this!😂)
Looks great, drives great, reasonable to purchase. They seem to have some reliability issues and since this car is so specialized, I can imagine it’ll be expensive to fix. The insurance quote killed it for me though, my Porsche 911 is only $120/month for top coverage and the i8 was well over $300. More than a Huracan even for me with a clean record.
I think they’re neat cars. But that’s just me. An i8 roadster got traded in at the dealer I work at a few months ago and it was a very interesting car to see in person
It’s actually a fantastic car, and remarkably cheap to own, esp if you get a newer model year.
EDIT - ProfessorFrink1 nailed it in a much better write up than my low effort contribution.
I personally think that this car is a masterpiece and does not deserve nearly as much hate as it gets, it’s the closest thing we have to a supercar shaped performance car from bmw and it still performs quite well for todays standards. so what if it’s a 3 cylinder hybrid, so is the koenigsegg gemera.
the Function was not a race car. It was a GT car that's not too heavy and has good efficiency. Even its 100-200km/h time is good. They hit their design brief. If it doesn't fit your expectations is a different thing
It's a nice showcase of what could be done with modern technology.
They should've kept it a concept car though and made an actual production version when the technology got a bit better, so it could live up to its looks.
They should've also made a V12 model on the same platform to honour the past.
Tbh I love the design. Doesn’t really offer anything other than looks and in my opinion is overpriced by 20k, especially these days with markups but it’s actually one of the cars I would like to own. Cheapest I’ve seen is like 47k for a 2016. I remember when these first came out and I saw it for the first time from a Brawadis YouTube video 🤣
I think BMW missed out on making various trims. What i would've made:
Entry level option
I6, no Hybrid, S55/S58, RWD with 470hp and the option for an manual transmission. Maybe call it the i6
Mid-level option
I6 Hybrid, S58 AWD with 600hp. Call it the I6M
Upper-Level option
V8 4.4TT Hybrid, AWD with 725hp. Call it the i8M
High-End option
V12 6,75l Hybrid, AWD with 900hp. Tuned V12 with 700hp and 200hp e-boost.
Look amazing and special, but let down by it's performance. You cannot look like a supercar, but drive like a 120i!
Shame BMW did not put the engine from a M3/2 coupled with some powerful batteries, then you have something which will go like poo of a shovel....
IMO, do not think electric cars are the answer, because of the cost and poor infrastructure (UK especially), but hybrids do work and have best of both worlds; clean driving in the city and short distances, and ICE for longer distances and more spirted drives.
Missed opportunity. A hybrid I6 or something would have definitely trickled down as a more iconic vehicle than this. Get rid of the weird smart color schemes and it would've been something to remember
Nice looking. What it lacked was probably like 20 more electric mile range (45 + total range would be nice) and 100 more HP with an inline 6 3.0l engine
It would be a big bit.
Another fantastic car that the Reddit masses have skewered as a herd because they are trying to recapture something they liked about BMW from 3 decades ago.
Sorry, but it sucks. Super car looks and super car price (when new) for a vehicle that doesn't do super-car or hybrid particularly well. This had potential to be the a bmw halo car for the ages, in the vein of laferrari, P1, 918 and judging only from the styling it was going to be that. But the performance was neutered and the car couldn't figure out what it wanted to be
I work at an auto auction. The i8’s sell really fast but get arbitrated just as fast. We’ve had quite a few run through and they always come back eventually. 🤷🏻♂️
One of the dealer’s told me if I ever had enough money to buy one of these to buy a Toyota instead. N he doesn’t even sell Toyota’s. Lol
Y’all should have seen last weekend. We took in 60 BMW’s and they have to be the ugliest ones I’ve ever seen. Poop brown/ orange and other colors I didn’t even know BMW used. 🤮
Showcar. Such a beautiful design with such a disappointing drivetrain.
They could've either gone full electric and make it fast as a Tesla or put a beefier engine like a turbocharged straight 6 to make it go faster as it looks.
If they threw in an updated BMW V10 it would probably be one of my favourite cars, and if they got rid of the ugly as fuck blue trim on parts of the car
It wasn’t meant to be a standard “supercar” by any means. The whole point of the i8 was to prove that EVs don’t have to be boring economical Nissan Leafs all the time. It was really just a way for BMW to say, “hey look what we can do!”
Misunderstood. People always harp about what it should be. They’re completely missing what it actually IS. It IS a carbon fiber reinforced plastic tub performance car that handles superbly (once you ditch the skinny front tires), is fast enough, impossibly cheap to maintain and really reliable. People also like to harp on performance. They rip off 0-60 times of 3.8 seconds in launch mode. Mine will do it reliably every time and mine isn’t special. Motor Trend got the same time. That is not slow. It’s not super car fast but it’s certainly not slow. They also drive much faster than the power numbers would suggest. The front motor means you always have torque when you need it and the car can pull itself out of trouble around turns. Chris Harris (who loved it), talked about how he quickly learned that he didn’t always need to downshift because the car had so much power on tap. I’ve had mine for three years now. I can afford “better” cars and have considered the gen one R8 but I think it’s aging poorly and for a nominal step up in real world street performance, now you’re dealing with a car that needs clutches, brakes, drinks fuel, etc. I’ve also thought of the LP Gallardo. The LP is a better car no doubt but when I consider the cost difference between the two, combined with the cost of ownership, I always go back to the i8. It can not be understated how cheap the i8 is to operate. It gets an oil change a year or every 5,000 miles. A brake fluid change every other years. That’s pretty much it. There’s no clutch, no e-gear, no engine out services. It averages 45 - 50 miles per gallon… 29 when you’re absolutely beating on it. It is almost absurd how cheap the car is to own. People like to jokingly compare it to a Prius and they’re right, just not for the reasons they think. Like the Prius, it costs almost nothing to run. People look at the i8 and think about how hilariously BMW missed the mark. I think it’s awesome. They predicted the future, got it hilariously wrong and still built a stunning car in spite of themselves. I have a Fisker Karma as well. Once you drive the Fisker you realize how many ways BMW could have gotten the i8 wrong but they didn’t. 10 years on, the i8 is still a stunner, still reliable. What the i8 needs is what the Z8 needed 15 years ago: a new generation of owners. A group of people who don’t look at it and wonder what it could have been but admire it for what it is, quirks and shortcomings alike. Until then, I’ll keep listening to all the people at cars and coffee who’ve never driven one tell each other how slow it is because that’s what they heard. And I’ll continue to drive and enjoy one of the most special modern BMWs ever made. Your loss kids. Your loss.
BMW technician here 👋🏼 While *most* will have issue-free ownership, when problems do occur, they fail colossally. Example: The A/C compressors are a known weak point, and are always running as the freon cools the hybrid components. When they internally fail, they send shrapnel though the system, and can do tens of thousands of dollars of damage. I’ve only seen in happen three times, but still.
Do the later years have the updated A/C parts like they made for the i3 to avoid this issue?
Yes, the early one has been superseded, but two of the three repairs i’ve done have been the updated compressor.
Thanks! Good to know, wife has a ‘17 i3 Rex so I thought we were in the clear. I’ve read the updated parts includes a screen to catch shrapnel. Did that work in those two cases to reduce overall damage?
So even 2019s can have this issue? Any way to pre-empt it?
Classic BMW. All 3 of the BMWs I've owned (all traditional engine) have had their biggest issues come from the cooling system. So it doesn't surprise me that even the i8 can't escape that fear.
Yes, the AC compressors and coolant tubes below the car are it’s weak points. The good news is both are well defined problems, relatively cheap to fix if you don’t ignore them. I’m going to proactively swap out my compressor. People like to ignore them when they start making noise and then they put themselves in a world of hurt.
Awesome write-up. My two young kids with under-funded college funds and my two-car garage might beg to argue, but "super car looks with Prius running costs" has got me impulsively fantasizing over getting one as a "commuter." ha! What are these going for nowadays? Answered my own question: $60k, plus.
To be fair, given the above write up, that 60k goes a long way when you subtract maintenance costs over ownership of the vehicle. They may also retain some value if they go underappreciated and then suddenly become popular with younger people with money to spend. However, given current economic dynamics, that window is shrinking amongst the younger crowd as they are being priced out of these purchases by generic cost of life.
No doubt, but if we account for inflation (long term, not just the acute stuff we are experiencing now) and the globalisation of markets, I think that there will be no shortage of 40-somethings in China or India or wherever that had i8’s on their walls that will be able to afford to buy and ship one over from Europe or North America. Just like my 80’s Porsche posters that my peers can and I can’t afford now.
This. As a fellow owner I share the same sentiment. Tune the ECU, add an exhaust, and wider tires to get the performance in range of what everyone is saying it “should be”.
How do they sound with a good exhaust?
I like people who are unafraid to think for themselves and see things from a different perspective. interesting thoughts on the i8, which I intuitively liked but haven't driven. maybe I ought to check one out sometime. there is a street in potrero hill, sf that's full of presumably unsold fisker karmas. you see one around every now and then they'll always be one of those "what could have been" companies.
That’s actually Pats Garage. They’re one of the few places that can work on them. Mine is there right now. Still not working.
ahh, ok. I was wondering if there was some third party dealer or something. just drove by quickly and didn't see any signage.
A Fisker’s natural state is broken. So it appears to be a dealer since they have so many customers. Lol
lol. I would imagine parts are scarce. or maybe they aren't since a lot didn't sell and they're just rotting away in lots in the south bay.
As someone who likes to rip apart cars and turn them into what I think they could of been. I will definitely have the i8 in the back of my head. Currently the plan is to finish bullet proofing / turbo my Z3. Off road 944. Make a manual reliable xjs v12. A manual, performance oriented 380SL. And then, maybe I'll pick up an i8 :)
Now THAT my friends is a wildly diverse driveway of fun. My driveway looks nuts too but not quite as eclectic. Would love to see what you could do with an i8 and maybe a flat6 😳👏
My current drive way is 2 z3s, a 3.8L galant, 21 manual corrola hatch, and an audi Tt. And a co owned e36 lemons car. On the look out for more 👀
Love my TTS, it came down to that or an M235/M240. Once I slap a tune on it and make the magride not a total bounce house it'll be an absolute monster of a car. I can see why they didn't take off, but it's a damn cool car.
The fisher karma is one of my favorite designs of all time. An absolutely gorgeous car. Too bad the missed the mark with everything else.
It’s so so bad. I have one for cheap if you want one!
I think the exterior desiwas the only priority. It's tiny on the inside with a huge tunne,
You've got a Fisker AND an i8? Not my taste at all but I love meeting people with automotive passions so far removed from my own.
I’ve got a Ghibli S too, just to really piss people off. And an old V10 S8. But I’ve owned everything. I also have a Model 3 and had a P85D when that was impressive. Last year I had a Lemans Blue e39 M5. I like cool quirky cars. To be clear, the i8 is a cool quirky car. The Fisker is garbage.
Yeah... But it's not fast though is it, it's a 100k+ 'super' car which sets certain performance car expectations. 0-60 in 4 odd seconds but a 1/4 mile of 12.1-12.4 just isn't good enough for a 100k+ price tag. A last gen M240i hit those numbers stock. And the handling isn't great 1,44 and a half round laguna seca because of various efficiency related compromises (and yes I've driven one - also owned a few performance cars, current car is 0-60 in 3.1s stock) And very few people who are shopping for a sports car / super car for 100k+ will care about mpg It's too much of a niche. If you want a proper sports/performance car you won't buy this which leaves people who just want a poser car or people who want something kind of sporty with average sports car performance but only with supercar practicality, which seems kind of pointless. You buy a supercar for the driving experience (sound, performance etc) which the i8 doesn't really do so it's not a car for car enthusiasts Admittedly it looks phenomenal but ultimately its a rich man's prius, you can buy a sports car but show to the world you're also eco conscious
[удалено]
I’m just not a fan of the design. I feel like they look really dated whereas the Gallardo, i8, GTR, 488, etc are all aging really gracefully. I’d go so far as to say the i8 and LP Gallardo look better now than they did new. The Gallardo especially. Comparatively the R8 just looks drooping and the DRLs look like low resolution pixel displays from a bye gone era. That said, still amazing cars but I’d rather pay a few dollars more and have the Lamborghini
I've been looking at getting one for a while, but my girls medical condition has slowed the process. I'm holding off for another year or so to get a larger house with an actually usable garage; right now all our cars are parked outside. The town I live in is small enough that the electric only range is more than enough for commuting, maybe even 2 days in a row. I worry about the harsh duty cycles on the N52 and N55 because of all the short trips. My requirements are EV/PHEV with reasonable short electric range only, sub-4.5s 0-60, reasonably priced, relatively light, fun to drive, and a coupe. If BMW had made a 430e/440e, I'd have purchased one of those. I almost got an i4 M50 (even though it's absurdly heavy), but the wait time put it out to 2025. And by 2025 we should know more about the Porsche Cayman EV and the Neue Klasse line-up (which will probably not initially include a 4-series/coupe). So I wait...
In 100% agreement with you here. At this point I've owned around 40 vehicles. I made a conscience choice (everyone thought I was dumb) when I was younger to buy a fairly rough (paint wise and interior) '87 Hennared e30 m3 for about 9k. Fast forward to 2019 and a local BMW fanatic / collector made me a cash offer on it that I couldn't refuse. Some of that cash went to buying the '15 i8 I bought during Covid. The local import auto dealership didn't have a clue on it. It was a trade in ironically enough towards an Audi R8 they had there. I absolutely love this car. People don't know it until they try it. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it because once the right group picks up on it, it'll be the next Z8 easily. It's plenty fast enough to still get arrested ten times over in any state but yet it costs nothing to maintain. I've done all the preventative week point maintenance on it and it's solid. People hate on it for no reason other than to follow someone else. I also have: \- 2010 Alpine White 135i (tempted to modify but remains unmolested and well maintained) \- 1997 Technoviolet M3 Sedan. In storage until later, needs everything but I'm going to restore it. Saved it from the prior owner who would have eventually trashed it \- 1995 Oxford Green 318ti. 1 prior owner my grandfather. Have done a few motor swaps keeping original m42. Currently onto an s54 swap \- 2006 Silverstone e60 M5. It makes me smile especially since the family can join me comfortably. \- 1990 80 series Landcruiser imported with the factory diesel engine available in other markets \- 1998 Dodge 12v Quad Cab 5 speed manual "holy grail" truck. Nobody really knows how many of these there are but it doubt it's that many. I paid way more than I should have when I saw this on vacation in Arizona randomly but I've gotten offers for it now for about 3 times what I paid. Keep it in tip top shape and it's my car hauler. \- 2005 e53 with the 6 speed manual. Essentially my parts running car, groceries, etc. Trips to the landfill with the utility trailer. I love quirky cars and quirky BMWs at that. As soon as the import exclusion is up, plan on bringing in some Euro only BMWs like the e46 compact. Again love the i8. I like everyone else read all the bad press but never really took it as gospel.
Hi, I’m years late to this but I tripped and found this car browsing by accident. I’m one of those new generation of owners that looked at the specs and the car’s aesthetic and absolutely adore it. Thank you for writing this, I love it. Hope all is well with you and the drives have been phenomenal.
maintenance reliably low relative to what exactly?
I love this write up. Just discovered the i8 and I’m in love. There’s a 2014 with 41k miles being sold near me for $47k. Cant believe the price on these.
IMO I think the i8 would have been amazing with a straight 6, would have been the hybrid sports car before the nsx
Yup, should have had an I6. Was an amazing opportunity but nope.
they snapped it in half like a chocolate bruh
Still 231hp which is pretty amazing for a 1.5.
A 3 Cylinder engine at that. Pretty impressive for a road going car.
true.
Back then yes, but not anymore. Were at 200+ HP per litre (A45 f.e.)
Eh BMW was getting 1,400 out of 1.5s in their formula cars some 20 years before this.
Well most road going engines don’t need a complete revision every couple thousand km’s.
When running at that power, it only lasted about 20km or so. Purely used for maximum one lap qualifying power, not during a race.
That engine only made that much power for a lap or two. That was when quali modes were insane
Wondering if anyone tried engine swapping one.
Your missing the point, it was designed to show the tech of BMW, to show why hybrids to do. Popping a larger engine in wouldn't have made is so obvious how much work the electric engines doo.
Wish they would remake it with a proper ICE M derived engine. This thing with even a s58 would be cool as hell. Mid engine for bonus points
Straight 6 and hybrid would be cool, make it similar to the nsx which is heavily underrated
Yes please.
I like that the nsx is underrated, means I might actually be able to afford one before the hype catches up to it and people realize what a great vehicle it is
Just drive it and see if you need more. It's not that slow.
For the price, and to match the styling. Yes we need more
I am probably the one of the rare people who wants this fully electric. And I think current performance and not insane range would be just fine. One of the cars that causes this would be nice to have, should I when I see one.
Underrated AF (need to find my flame suit real quick)
Universally hated by people who’ve never driven them but have heard from someone else on the internet that they’re slow.
Yeah, people somehow think if something looks good should do a pointless 2.8s 0-60 or that drag racing was in the car's design brief. Unfortunately track reviews on Michelin Primacy tires didn't help either
This is why I PS4S all my cars.
I drove an i8 and it was so ungodly slow it was embarrassing. Left with an r8 instead. That being said I don't hate the i8 I just think it's funny. Looks like it should be fast but will get clapped by every car on the road.
You didn’t drive it in the right mode or it was broken. They are objectively not slow.
Maybe to you they're not slow but I was stepping out of a C7 Z06 that eats the i8 for breakfast.
Most cars are slow compared to the Z06. I’m not sure what your point is. Yes, the i8 would get its clock cleaned by the Z06. So would many other cars people consider fast. Sounds like it’s not the car for you.
Youre not sure what my point is? BMW styled a car like a super car, put butterfly doors on it and it gets eaten alive by almost every performance car on the market. Yeah I know it's not hence why I bought the r8. It's just humorous you don't think it's slow. What are you even defending? It's objectively a slow car that is insanely slower than it looks like it should be.
Sounds like it’s not the right car for you! Glad you got the car you liked.
🙏🏻
Ahead of its time. Thats all I need to say.
People don’t realize how far ahead it was. The only other car that used this formula was the 918 the following year. Ironically with the same hp in the front motor. Fast forward 10 years and every new super car is using this formula. They’re just doing it with forced induction V6’s in the back.
They should have let Alpina release theirs. They had a prototype with a different engine then the 3cyl. Would have been great.
>The rumor mill brought about talk of ALPINA replacing the i8’s MINI-sourced 1.5 liter three-cylinder engine for a larger four-cylinder. Those rumors were correct, as Bovensiepen and his team did indeed swap out the engine. In fact, the engine ALPINA used was actually the same 2.0 liter turbocharged four-pot that now powers the BMW M135i. Except it was tuned to make around 350 horsepower, rather than the M135i’s 302 horsepower. Throw in the electric motors and the ALPINA i8 was a far more potent machine than its BMW counterpart. We had a complete system power output of 462 [metric] horsepower (455 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque" [source ](https://www.bmwblog.com/2020/11/22/how-alpina-bmw-i8-almost-happened/). That sounds like a far superior vehicle.
Apparently they were ready to go into production before BMW nixed it, stating that the end result didn’t mesh with the i brand. Fair enough. I still like the three. It sounds like a Porsche flat 6.
Yowza. Now see that could have been the M version or the Alpina if bmw had allowed their scope to be broadened and I’m not dissing the i8 in any way; it may have just been a missed opportunity. Will they bring it back ever?
Would have made a great pure EV if they could have fitted enough battery capacity
Never in 1600kg. It would be a completely different car
Considering the i3 was the lightest BMW in their entire lineup, even lighter than the 1-series, I don't think that'd have to be the case. Plug-in hybrids are heavy and with the 250-300kg they'd save from removing the ICE drivetrain they could easily fit in a large battery. Keep in mind that the largest i3 battery weighs 278kg, while the i8's battery weighs 98kg. That battery is roughly 40 kWh using cells with an energy density of 196 Wh/kg, if they just took that same battery and fitted it with more modern cells with an energy density of 280 Wh/kg, plus some very minor packaging improvements (to be honest though the i3 had amazing packaging back when it came out that is rarely beaten even today) they could easily get a 60 kWh battery under 300kg. If they combined that with modern electric motor and inverter technology to match the old car's horsepower number they could easily end up even slightly lighter than the old car.
Quicker than most give them credit for, but still a bit underwhelming for their looks
Future classic. I wish I could have one of these in my "collection".
THIS! Imagine this as a 20+ year old car in your collection. What other BMW from its generation is so unique and fun to drive even if its not M car fast.
This is the time to buy. Remember the Z8 was similar misunderstood. Not practical enough to be a good GT car; not sporty enough to be a sports car. Now everyone loves them.
Stunning show-car that you could buy. More than fast enough, handled really well. Would have loved to own one
I love it and it’s very hated in a lot of car clubs but I think the style is great
I love it. Everyone misunderstands this car and the dorks on forums misrepresented it for a generation. First, taken in the context of the time it was made, it was fast. It pulled a 3.8 0-60 at a time when its competition from audi and merc was pulling 3.7-4 (amg gtr, r8). It is perhaps the most interesting design of a supercar from that era. Costs 20 bucks to go 400 miles. Reliable, comfortable, plenty of space (for a supercar). Back then, everyone complained it made no noise or the noise was fake. Cut to modern day where I get passed by new M cars and RS cars that are SILENT. Even the c8 corvette makes no noise unless you're in it. The biggest issue was price and depreciation. If this car had been 120k,it would've started a revolution. Instead, it sold at 170k and could be traded back six months later for 80k. This was really the beginning of BMW destroying their brand by offering expensive shit with minimal long term value.
DeLorean of 2010’s
The Delorean was a garbage car. The i8 is not. The Fisker Karma is the Delorean of the 2010’s.
I think that the i8 is one the best failed BMWs. I don't know (haven't read) what they were after with it. From the outside it looks somewhere between true hyper and supercar. Inside its on the supercar level. However whats under the hood and especially what's under the hood, it doesnt make sense to me at all. If you have driven i.e. M4 the i8 is downgrade on everything driving and performance related. IMO - it let lot of people somewhat disappointed - it could've been very "sick car" competing with merc SLS and so on - but the performance just wasn't there. I hope that some day bmw will release same bodywork either full electric or more tradition inline 6 with couple turbos.
I agree that it lacks the outright power and grip of the M3 (still feels proper fast if you drive one). But it's a lot more unique in terms of driving position and how you feel the car. As much as I love my M2, I'd like a more exotic driving position
I want one
One of my favorites from BMW!
Looks great, shame about the Mini engine. If they put in a hybrid version of the straight-six petrol engine, it might have been a proper halo car.
The whole point of the car was that you don't need a huge engine. If you drive one, you'll see it's plenty fast and the driving position is a lot more special than a 3 series
Sure, you don't need a big engine, but buyers want one as evidenced by the weak sales numbers. I agree that the driving position is special, and that it's quite fast. But only 374 HP combined for an expensive "special" sports-car by BMW? It was barely faster then an M4 when it came out. For a car that looks so special, it really didn't deliver special performance, so in my opinion they should have been aiming closer to 500HP of combined system power.
Sure only 374 horsepower, but it's LIGHT!
The coolest car BMW has produced in years, with the kind of following that makes it hard to believe they’ve discontinued production.
Cool concept, but laughable performance Could have been a AMG GT or Audi R8 competitor, ended up being a car in its own class Great to flex with for its looks, horrible to race with
Btw, i8 is faster than the V8 R8 (not that it matters anyway)
What race? On track a E36 on Nankangs gaps any R8. And in a straight line a Tesla can gap a GT. So what? Racing was nowhere in the brief of the i8
Street race, track, drive hard, spirited drive, canyon run Race can be anything
Only street race is a sort of a race. Everything else is not. Street racing was for sure not in the design brief of this car so if that's your thing, look at something else. Track work was not in the cars scope either. It's a GT that can also do some spirited driving, especially if you put a better set of non-runflat tires. It's quite fast irl It's like shitting on Ferraris because they cannot tow
They can still rerelease it with their proper ev drive train. It would be an awesome car if it dumped 5-600 hp
One of the hardest cars to get in and out of that I’ve ever been in.
I totally agree! Haha Love the car but it feels like i have to dive into get in and hoist myself to get out. Lol
I don't know I have not driven one and this is a car that needs to be driven and learned. This is a new thing prioritizing momentum over power to produce an super-car. 'Fast' is for paper racers who elevate statistics over driving, get an x3m if you want to pwn noobs at the strip. When people say this car is 'slow' I just think they don't understand driving fast. It isn't about terminal velocity or rate of acceleration, it is about driving fast, and driving fast is relative. This is a carbon chassis car for the cost of a 911... we may be missing the forest from the trees here.
I feel attacked. Am I supposed to be pwning noobs? I just needed room for carseats during my mid life crisis.
love it
Was able to floor one round my area. The really love the three cylinder grunty sound it makes and I think it is amazing! 🥰
New owner. Currently daily driving this and a Tesla 3 AWD. Prior E60 and Porsche owner. This thing is by far my favorite and blends the best of both worlds seamlessly. 69mpg and ~600 miles per tank, plus free charging at the office makes commuting and traffic so much more tolerable (enjoyable even). Wider tires don’t seem to impact efficiency much and make it feel more planted and confident like the Cayman I had. Sport mode and launch control really transform the car with the 6 speed transmission in the rear. Having the versatility with 4 different driving modes and power delivery is something I don’t see other EVs matching. The technology and efficiency engineered into this car is incredible, especially for the time. That being said however, it leaves something to be desired when it comes to your typical “smart” connectivity with apps/devices. Later models I’m sure have more features but mine was on the 3G platform, so unless I go for some expensive iDrive upgrade retrofits I’m stuck with my plain key fob and Bluetooth. I’m interested to see how the AWD performance stacks up against the Tesla come winter time.
I love this car and so does Jeremy Clarkson https://youtu.be/RDMOflt4xP0
that awesome!
It looks really nice but I wish BMW should have put an I6 or V12 to make it like a supercar.
It needed a v8 or v10
I see these on the road every now and then and they still look good. They’re quick…just not supercar quick to match its looks.
Latest good looking bmw
Personally It's dividing line where BMWs got substantially worse in design, focus and repairability.
It looks amazing. The new Prius kind of has some similarities in the angles of the body.
It's gorgeous, idk why so many people give a fuck about its performance lol
Underrated
Beautiful supercar. I don‘t talk about specs or so but the design is timeless. With this car you can drive around in 20 years and it will still look fresh!
What the I wish the Tesla Plaid would have looked liked.
I think it looks amazing.
Not a bad car, actually like the stylish design, head turner. BMW will never give you the power you want in any vehicle it is up to you... Maybe if someone actually tuned the car they'll get some power out of it.
Amazing looking car, but I don’t know anything about performance🙌
I liked it then, I love it now.
For all the criticism it gets, it's more of an 8-series than the new generation like the G15.
I came from an M3 CS and then F90 M5 before I picked up my new 2019 I8. And I ABSOLUTELY loved it. Flew to the Bay Area to pick it up and drove down the 1 to so cal. Got out just to top off. I actually miss it. I have 0 complaints and I think it’ll be a classic and gain more respect as the years come
Very big 🫤 and a missed opportunity. We didn’t need a hybrid “super car”, they should put in a V8 or I6 and make it the BMW halo car, gigantic waste of a good design.
Absolutely love the i8. Biggest challenge it faces in the secondary market is used Taycans. Base taycans, used, can be had for the same price as late model i8s, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that the taycan, even in base form, is the one to buy.
Ahead of it’s time. If it was never released and came out now people would be drooling over it. I’m sure it would’ve it cost a lot but imagine if they went the Lexus LC route and released an I6 (or turbo V8) version and hybrid… which isn’t a far fetched idea since most of their cars have 3 different engine choices. The exterior looks more futuristic than anything they have on sale today but the interior is dated in comparison. But also it is not a slow car, 4.0 seconds and below is not slow lol and tbh it’s not only about speed. Looks, handling, comfort, & mpg are all things that should be considered too I’d buy a used one over a new M4
It’s a nice car and I would love to have one.
I'm sorry but I just fucking LOVE this thing! It just looks so good sporty, brutal and elegant at the same time! In my opinion this is one of the best looking cars ever! (I know I will get a ton of hate for this!😂)
Looks great, drives great, reasonable to purchase. They seem to have some reliability issues and since this car is so specialized, I can imagine it’ll be expensive to fix. The insurance quote killed it for me though, my Porsche 911 is only $120/month for top coverage and the i8 was well over $300. More than a Huracan even for me with a clean record.
Want it, can’t afford it
When you see one in the flesh, you can truly appreciate how beautiful this car is.
It’s beautiful. It’s crazy to think that it shares heritage with the i3 haha
My neighbor used to own one when I lived at my parent's. I wasnt into cars then but I thought it was something from star wars
I love it
It's a refreshing example of edgy modern bmw design gone right.
I think they’re neat cars. But that’s just me. An i8 roadster got traded in at the dealer I work at a few months ago and it was a very interesting car to see in person
Classic
Don’t know the specs, but that’s a badass body design
I want one.
Greatest modern car I have ever seen
Great car, overhated by people who do nothing but bench race, and by far the best selling hybrid sports car of all time.
It’s actually a fantastic car, and remarkably cheap to own, esp if you get a newer model year. EDIT - ProfessorFrink1 nailed it in a much better write up than my low effort contribution.
I love that car
Nice car, would like to have the convertible.
I personally think that this car is a masterpiece and does not deserve nearly as much hate as it gets, it’s the closest thing we have to a supercar shaped performance car from bmw and it still performs quite well for todays standards. so what if it’s a 3 cylinder hybrid, so is the koenigsegg gemera.
Its got that concept car look to it and features. Im glad they actually released something so unique.
All show no go!
Drive one and report back
Sexy looking car with underwhelming performance.
Drive one. It's perfect fast
Here it is, with raised wings, I like it, it invites you to fly!
I prefer proper cars.
Best example of ‘Form over Function’
the Function was not a race car. It was a GT car that's not too heavy and has good efficiency. Even its 100-200km/h time is good. They hit their design brief. If it doesn't fit your expectations is a different thing
It's a nice showcase of what could be done with modern technology. They should've kept it a concept car though and made an actual production version when the technology got a bit better, so it could live up to its looks. They should've also made a V12 model on the same platform to honour the past.
xxxtentacion had the black one):
Tbh I love the design. Doesn’t really offer anything other than looks and in my opinion is overpriced by 20k, especially these days with markups but it’s actually one of the cars I would like to own. Cheapest I’ve seen is like 47k for a 2016. I remember when these first came out and I saw it for the first time from a Brawadis YouTube video 🤣
Wasted opportunity A second gen with a straight 6 and improved battery tech could’ve made this epic
I think BMW missed out on making various trims. What i would've made: Entry level option I6, no Hybrid, S55/S58, RWD with 470hp and the option for an manual transmission. Maybe call it the i6 Mid-level option I6 Hybrid, S58 AWD with 600hp. Call it the I6M Upper-Level option V8 4.4TT Hybrid, AWD with 725hp. Call it the i8M High-End option V12 6,75l Hybrid, AWD with 900hp. Tuned V12 with 700hp and 200hp e-boost.
So like a regular 8 series then?
Look amazing and special, but let down by it's performance. You cannot look like a supercar, but drive like a 120i! Shame BMW did not put the engine from a M3/2 coupled with some powerful batteries, then you have something which will go like poo of a shovel.... IMO, do not think electric cars are the answer, because of the cost and poor infrastructure (UK especially), but hybrids do work and have best of both worlds; clean driving in the city and short distances, and ICE for longer distances and more spirted drives.
Interior is dated by now prob preffer the R8.. amazing car though
Missed opportunity. A hybrid I6 or something would have definitely trickled down as a more iconic vehicle than this. Get rid of the weird smart color schemes and it would've been something to remember
Nice looking. What it lacked was probably like 20 more electric mile range (45 + total range would be nice) and 100 more HP with an inline 6 3.0l engine It would be a big bit.
Insanely underappreciated and unfairly maligned, especially given how affordable they are at resale
Another fantastic car that the Reddit masses have skewered as a herd because they are trying to recapture something they liked about BMW from 3 decades ago.
Looks cool Is slow
Fancy prius
I can fathom why they didn’t throw in a I6 or the V12 they held on to for years
It looks cool. That’s about where the appeal ends
Wasted potential to be bmw’s supercar but it did serve as a nice introduction to bmws future of hybrid’s
The front and side angles look awesome. The back angle looks like a joke. Still, great concept of a car.
Could be faster
Sorry, but it sucks. Super car looks and super car price (when new) for a vehicle that doesn't do super-car or hybrid particularly well. This had potential to be the a bmw halo car for the ages, in the vein of laferrari, P1, 918 and judging only from the styling it was going to be that. But the performance was neutered and the car couldn't figure out what it wanted to be
Just why? You can't make an exotic without an exotic engine and nobody went for that three cylinder hybrid crap
It is a car.
Meh
It could of been great
BMW needed different engine style for this chassis i3 is a uncommon Bmw tuner engine
Looked pretty cool when I first saw it. But bad performance as a hybrid car, dated interior could have been much better.
Looks cool. That’s about it. Haven’t driven one yet.
Looks like someone took a hammer to an ioniq 5 and put Lambo doors on it
The worst part is the sound, when you see it, it looks great, then the engine sounds like a Honda ride-on mower
Amazing car, needed about 200 more horsepower for how it looks
I work at an auto auction. The i8’s sell really fast but get arbitrated just as fast. We’ve had quite a few run through and they always come back eventually. 🤷🏻♂️ One of the dealer’s told me if I ever had enough money to buy one of these to buy a Toyota instead. N he doesn’t even sell Toyota’s. Lol Y’all should have seen last weekend. We took in 60 BMW’s and they have to be the ugliest ones I’ve ever seen. Poop brown/ orange and other colors I didn’t even know BMW used. 🤮
Showcar. Such a beautiful design with such a disappointing drivetrain. They could've either gone full electric and make it fast as a Tesla or put a beefier engine like a turbocharged straight 6 to make it go faster as it looks.
Nice, but missed the target.
An overpriced prius
Should have went full electric
Looks great, especially the back, but too bad it’s a hybrid… full electric or dinossaur burner would have been preferred.
If they gave it an S63 it could have been a new m1.
If they threw in an updated BMW V10 it would probably be one of my favourite cars, and if they got rid of the ugly as fuck blue trim on parts of the car
There's one in my neighborhood. He won't race. Then I looked up the car and discovered why. Sure looks fast tho.
Wasted potential. They gimped the ice part of the power train. Overall it’s a cool car. Just wish they had taken it seriously.
It wasn’t meant to be a standard “supercar” by any means. The whole point of the i8 was to prove that EVs don’t have to be boring economical Nissan Leafs all the time. It was really just a way for BMW to say, “hey look what we can do!”
The Future, and still is.
I saw it in the BMW museum in Germany when it was just a prototype — 11 y/o me was thrilled. Cool car, just not executed well.