BMW i8 - real life experience and buyers guide help
Discussion
i8s still look and from what I can see, are quite special cars and they seem to be very cheap to buy for what they offer but I was wondering if any owners here would share their experience or could advise what to look for when buying used.
I love the idea of the hybrid package with that little 3 cylinder engine. For a hybrid, it seems to be pretty light and imagine that can only be good for how it drives and overall economy whilst being reasonably quick.
Are there sources of technical assistance for owners who do their own spannering/laptopping and is there any work which needs the car to go to BMW?
It's only been out of production for about 4 years now so I imagine spares shouldn't be an issue.
I love the idea of the hybrid package with that little 3 cylinder engine. For a hybrid, it seems to be pretty light and imagine that can only be good for how it drives and overall economy whilst being reasonably quick.
Are there sources of technical assistance for owners who do their own spannering/laptopping and is there any work which needs the car to go to BMW?
It's only been out of production for about 4 years now so I imagine spares shouldn't be an issue.
The only experience I have was chasing an i8 on a clear motorway from Belgium into Luxembourg in my old e92 M3 competition back 2013 and all I can say is they are not slow! 3 pot or not, I had to spank the M3 to keep up (a respectable distance behind obvs).
They look great on the move, I've sat in one as well and with those doors and carbon tub they are an event to sit in.
steve_n said:
Thanks - I had read that but am hoping for more technical detail. The fact that there seems little discussion suggestions that there's little to speak of and they're pretty good cars.
No real horror stories of failed electrics or carbon fibre repairs needed which write off a vehicle, although some seem to have issues with cracking windscreens.
As for most things BMW, Bimmerpost is the source of most models if you want a owners community to ask questions of, link to the i8 sub forum there will be loads of info there
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/forumdisplay.ph...
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/forumdisplay.ph...
Wills2 said:
As for most things BMW, Bimmerpost is the source of most models if you want a owners community to ask questions of, link to the i8 sub forum there will be loads of info there
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/forumdisplay.ph...
Thanks - from my digging around so far, it does look like Bimmerpost is probably the best place I've found so far. I'm surprised there's not more about it on PH but PH is a very varied forum whereas what I'm looking for is more specialist. https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/forumdisplay.ph...
Considering it's not a very common car, I'm surprised to see so many for sale.
I've got a viewing booked later this week for a Roadster.
Pistom said:
Thanks - from my digging around so far, it does look like Bimmerpost is probably the best place I've found so far. I'm surprised there's not more about it on PH but PH is a very varied forum whereas what I'm looking for is more specialist.
Considering it's not a very common car, I'm surprised to see so many for sale.
I've got a viewing booked later this week for a Roadster.
Yes I've always used Bimmerpost for any of my 13 BMWs that I've had, such a wealth of knowledge and there is always someone who knows what you need to know. Considering it's not a very common car, I'm surprised to see so many for sale.
I've got a viewing booked later this week for a Roadster.
Plus the atmosphere is different on these brand specific boards less silly replies and trolling if I can put it that way.
steve_n said:
Pistom said:
The fact that there seems little discussion suggestions that there's little to speak of and they're pretty good cars.
I think it's more because there aren't that many around and not that many car enthusiasts bought them, so they don't get discussed on car forums. Billy_Whizzzz said:
Au contraire - https://www.the-intercooler.com/library/blog/man-m...
Thanks - some interesting comments and discussion there but the article itself reads like something from one of those budget airline inflight magazines and is about as long. Am I missing something? It feels like it should be covering in depth ownership but I can only see a few paragraphs even after subscribing.Billy_Whizzzz said:
Au contraire - https://www.the-intercooler.com/library/blog/man-m...
Meh. Those are journos, not owner's forums. Not a fan of Frankel and certainly not Prosser. Had my 2015 6 years and still love it. When I first started looking I was more concerned about the 3 pot and battery reliability. In reality those aspects have been robust and reliable - although I always pre start the 3 pot just to get oil circulating. The weak points of this car are the AC compressor, electric heater, door locks, front drive shafts and finding a mechanic other than the dealers where everything is multiples of £1000.
Some costs so far ;
AC compressor £2K,
4x discs &pads and a drive shaft £3K (other drive shaft done under warranty)
Service's £500 to £1000
Current faults are a weak door lock and leaking AC system.
It drives great and is quick enough.
Annoyances are : abrupt traction control when in Edrive, nasty blind spot on the A pillar, BMW auto wipers rubbish compared with VW, standard audio poor, and hard to reach AC controls.
Some costs so far ;
AC compressor £2K,
4x discs &pads and a drive shaft £3K (other drive shaft done under warranty)
Service's £500 to £1000
Current faults are a weak door lock and leaking AC system.
It drives great and is quick enough.
Annoyances are : abrupt traction control when in Edrive, nasty blind spot on the A pillar, BMW auto wipers rubbish compared with VW, standard audio poor, and hard to reach AC controls.
Thanks for that - having been to view a few, the AC, door locks, struts and front drive shafts etc seem to be a common issue.
The drive in e-drive mode isn't great but in AWD is pretty impressive.
I think the main thing driving prices down is - there's lots of them available compared to the number of buyers for this kind of car.
The drive in e-drive mode isn't great but in AWD is pretty impressive.
I think the main thing driving prices down is - there's lots of them available compared to the number of buyers for this kind of car.
DJMC said:
So you're saying it's got character!It is a few years since I had mine, and much as I enjoyed "dabbling in the future" the technology was clearly advanced, but will be a few generations behind whats now available in the market, due to the pace of development. Even at the time, the tech did feel that it had 'development potential' and compared to the Cayenne Hybrid (17kw/h) that I used shortly after, it was clearly technology from an early generation.
To drive, it is swift rather than fast but enjoyable nevertheless less. After owning M3s and 911s, it is not at that level of performance. It is however engaging and satisfying to drive. Be prepared that it attracts a lot of attention.... supercar levels of attention, and feels wider than it actually is while navigating car parks etc. I didn't like the attention it drew, but on one occasion I did receive a thumbs up from the community speed watch team...... I suspect not many cars that look this dramatic would generate that!
Outside, I think it still looks stunning and fresh. The inside was very cheap and pretty much standard BMW with plastics that were from the lower end of range. Not good enough for a car at the price when new, but possibly OK at the market rates for used cars. Quality wise, I was nervous about something going wrong, but it ran without fault.
Compared to other cars at the same price, it didn't add up. It was too cheap inside, lacked the performance and the boot was mostly occupied by the charge cables. The rears seats were useful for luggage, but this is not a practical GT car to compete with a 911. But nor is it a sports car for Sunday drive, and frankly it's too unwieldy for being a town car. It's a good car, but one without a purpose beyond being what it is.
I am certainly pleased that I enjoyed mine. Would I have another, no. However, if BMW launched a new version with up to date tech, then yes I would be interested.
To drive, it is swift rather than fast but enjoyable nevertheless less. After owning M3s and 911s, it is not at that level of performance. It is however engaging and satisfying to drive. Be prepared that it attracts a lot of attention.... supercar levels of attention, and feels wider than it actually is while navigating car parks etc. I didn't like the attention it drew, but on one occasion I did receive a thumbs up from the community speed watch team...... I suspect not many cars that look this dramatic would generate that!
Outside, I think it still looks stunning and fresh. The inside was very cheap and pretty much standard BMW with plastics that were from the lower end of range. Not good enough for a car at the price when new, but possibly OK at the market rates for used cars. Quality wise, I was nervous about something going wrong, but it ran without fault.
Compared to other cars at the same price, it didn't add up. It was too cheap inside, lacked the performance and the boot was mostly occupied by the charge cables. The rears seats were useful for luggage, but this is not a practical GT car to compete with a 911. But nor is it a sports car for Sunday drive, and frankly it's too unwieldy for being a town car. It's a good car, but one without a purpose beyond being what it is.
I am certainly pleased that I enjoyed mine. Would I have another, no. However, if BMW launched a new version with up to date tech, then yes I would be interested.
IMac said:
It is a few years since I had mine, and much as I enjoyed "dabbling in the future" the technology was clearly advanced, but will be a few generations behind whats now available in the market, due to the pace of development. Even at the time, the tech did feel that it had 'development potential' and compared to the Cayenne Hybrid (17kw/h) that I used shortly after, it was clearly technology from an early generation.
To drive, it is swift rather than fast but enjoyable nevertheless less. After owning M3s and 911s, it is not at that level of performance. It is however engaging and satisfying to drive. Be prepared that it attracts a lot of attention.... supercar levels of attention, and feels wider than it actually is while navigating car parks etc. I didn't like the attention it drew, but on one occasion I did receive a thumbs up from the community speed watch team...... I suspect not many cars that look this dramatic would generate that!
Outside, I think it still looks stunning and fresh. The inside was very cheap and pretty much standard BMW with plastics that were from the lower end of range. Not good enough for a car at the price when new, but possibly OK at the market rates for used cars. Quality wise, I was nervous about something going wrong, but it ran without fault.
Compared to other cars at the same price, it didn't add up. It was too cheap inside, lacked the performance and the boot was mostly occupied by the charge cables. The rears seats were useful for luggage, but this is not a practical GT car to compete with a 911. But nor is it a sports car for Sunday drive, and frankly it's too unwieldy for being a town car. It's a good car, but one without a purpose beyond being what it is.
I am certainly pleased that I enjoyed mine. Would I have another, no. However, if BMW launched a new version with up to date tech, then yes I would be interested.
what would you suggest for around the 30k mark instead?To drive, it is swift rather than fast but enjoyable nevertheless less. After owning M3s and 911s, it is not at that level of performance. It is however engaging and satisfying to drive. Be prepared that it attracts a lot of attention.... supercar levels of attention, and feels wider than it actually is while navigating car parks etc. I didn't like the attention it drew, but on one occasion I did receive a thumbs up from the community speed watch team...... I suspect not many cars that look this dramatic would generate that!
Outside, I think it still looks stunning and fresh. The inside was very cheap and pretty much standard BMW with plastics that were from the lower end of range. Not good enough for a car at the price when new, but possibly OK at the market rates for used cars. Quality wise, I was nervous about something going wrong, but it ran without fault.
Compared to other cars at the same price, it didn't add up. It was too cheap inside, lacked the performance and the boot was mostly occupied by the charge cables. The rears seats were useful for luggage, but this is not a practical GT car to compete with a 911. But nor is it a sports car for Sunday drive, and frankly it's too unwieldy for being a town car. It's a good car, but one without a purpose beyond being what it is.
I am certainly pleased that I enjoyed mine. Would I have another, no. However, if BMW launched a new version with up to date tech, then yes I would be interested.
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