BMW i8.

[John]

So one of my colleagues got to borrow a BMW i8 for the weekend to try.

Knowing I am a petrol head - I was the first one he asked if I wanted come out for a jolly in it.

Now I see a couple of different i8s at different times now and again on my way to work and home.

So it is not a new car to me but getting up close and personal, I'm initially quite impressed by the looks.

I'm not a huge fan of the different coloured bits you can get, like on the R8, but as this one stands, I liked it.

I had a good poke around although I couldn't get the bonnet open to see what was inside, nor could I access anything at the back.

Drive?

Well I didn't drive it but as a passenger, the ride and seats were surprisingly comfortable. The car has motors and a 3 cylinder engine but you don't normally hear that - you hear a mildly-convincing V10 TT sort of sound instead. I see why but I don't like this. Car also has speakers pumping this sound out too.

Performance was very good - on a par with my E55 although it didn't quite feel as fast but then I don't know how hard the normally-loud pedal was pressed. It does go well though.

Very low car and handling was excellent as you would expect.

Only went out in it for about 40 minutes, but on the dual carriageway and little town roads, I was impressed.

But, at £100,000, not overly enamoured. If it was at the £70k mark, maybe but £100k is too much. Mind you, my CL was nearly £100k new and I don't think that was worth it either...

Nice car though:

 

[John]

Part deux:

 

[John]

Part trois:

 

[HB]

You know it's got a Toyota engine in it

 

[Red C220]

Do they hold their money?

I ask this question as I've recently been looking at a car that I wouldn't have ever considered buying due to it's price. But having since discovered that once at around 2-3 years old it kind of bottoms out in depreciation it can be bought for circa £150K and wouldn't be worth a great deal less (if any less at all) at 5 years old as long as you're not doing daft mileage.

The top and bottom of this is would cost less over the same period than the SL400 we bought.

It's changed the way I look at cars of this value as bizarrely they can end up cost less in the real world than a diesel E class purely due to the almost complete lack of depreciation.

 

[John]

I had no idea to be honest.

Doesn't surprise me - don't Mercedes use Renault engines these days in some of their cars?

 

[Deleted member 113659]

You know it's got a Toyota engine in it

Yep. But so did the Lotus Elise 111r but it's still a stonking car.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I had no idea to be honest.

Doesn't surprise me - don't Mercedes use Renault engines these days in some of their cars?

Yes John. I think the B Class has a Renault donkey.

 

[grober]

You know it's got a Toyota engine in it

Are you sure about that--------???????????
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_B38

Green Car Congress: BMW Group presents prototype of i8 plug-in hybrid; first use of new 3-cylinder engine

 

[John]

Do they hold their money?

I ask this question as I've recently been looking at a car that I wouldn't have ever considered buying due to it's price. But having since discovered that once at around 2-3 years old it kind of bottoms out in depreciation it can be bought for circa £150K and wouldn't be worth a great deal less (if any less at all) at 5 years old as long as you're not doing daft mileage.

The top and bottom of this is would cost less over the same period than the SL400 we bought.

It's changed the way I look at cars of this value as bizarrely they can end up cost less in the real world than a diesel E class purely due to the almost complete lack of depreciation.

Don't know but I understand the logic.

When I think of what my E55K depreciated in 5.5 years (£1k per year nigh on), I can see that theory working out.

 

[John]

My colleague knew it had a carbon fibre reinforced plastic cell.

Very impressive technically.

I did get a hear of the 3 cylinder engine when the car "forgot" to play the V10 TT sound track before turning off or it started itself to do something I think. Distinctively 3 cylinder!

 

[John Jones Jr]

The more I see of them the more I like them. The three pot (on paper) seems a bit off putting but still wouldn't say no. It would make a nice company car...I'll dream on.

 

[John]

The three pot (on paper) seems a bit off putting but still wouldn't say no.

Apart from that slip-up, I never heard it. It is drowned out by faux V10 TT!

 

[Lotiman]

You know it's got a Toyota engine in it

Nowt wrong with 'yota motors. Two of my cars have got them and very good they are too.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Apart from that slip-up, I never heard it. It is drowned out by faux V10 TT!

But you know, I think I'd prefer to hear the genuine engine noise (three pots can sound like mini straight sixes) rather than having a totally unrelated engine noise - it's all the hallmarks of the marketing department having no balls and insisting on adding another pretend seven cylinders. Anyway, I reckon if a car is good enough why is there a need for the phony soundtrack?

 

[John Jones Jr]

You know it's got a Toyota engine in it

I was under the impression it was an engine from BMW's new modular engine family with covered 3, 4 and 6 cylinder engines. All having the same stroke and bore and all cylinders having a 500cc displacement?

 

[John]

But you know, I think I'd prefer to hear the genuine engine noise (three pots can sound like mini straight sixes) rather than having a totally unrelated engine noise - it's all the hallmarks of the marketing department having no balls and insisting on adding another pretend seven cylinders. Anyway, I reckon if a car is good enough why is there a need for the phony soundtrack?

Yup, I agree with you. I said this to my colleague when we were out.

I think it is cheesy to have some made up sound.

As it is or not at all!

I don't mind the sound of a 3 cylinder.

You can't turn it off (easily). In battery-only mode, it goes off.

 

[rockits]

Do they hold their money?

I ask this question as I've recently been looking at a car that I wouldn't have ever considered buying due to it's price. But having since discovered that once at around 2-3 years old it kind of bottoms out in depreciation it can be bought for circa £150K and wouldn't be worth a great deal less (if any less at all) at 5 years old as long as you're not doing daft mileage.

The top and bottom of this is would cost less over the same period than the SL400 we bought.

It's changed the way I look at cars of this value as bizarrely they can end up cost less in the real world than a diesel E class purely due to the almost complete lack of depreciation.

I'd agree with that. It is about being creative in your thinking sometimes. Really really nice cars can be bought and run on the same budget or less than a new Mondeo or Focus often.

I tend to buy cars that have likely zero depreciation(appeciation is a welcome bonus!) but often big & lumpy to run. I would rather a tasty car to enjoy but pay cash out on running costs instead of depreciation.

 

[BTB 500]

I think it is cheesy to have some made up sound.

Everyone is at it these days

The engine sounds louder and more assertive too but, as AMG boss Tobias Moers confesses, has some help via the speakers.

Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4Matic: Driven | PistonHeads

 

[grober]

Having been up close and personal with my first i8 a couple of months back I was very impressed with the concept, the looks and the technology. That said I was slightly disappointed with what I can only describe as the slightly kit car finish of the body panels. Perhaps its simply being conditioned by the almost subliminal feel you get with steel or alloy bodied car lines compared to a composite body---Carbon fibre or otherwise but I think it might have been done better. Witness this history of the composites used in the Corvette and the video of the latest model.
Corvette Body Materials - Tracing the Evolution of Corvette's Use of Lightweight Materials - Vette Magazine

[YOUTUBE HD]xqHoTqva5cE[/YOUTUBE HD]