I Saw an i8 Yesterday

It was an interesting experience, almost surreal. That knife-edge futuristic styling doesn't have the impact in pictures and on auto show floor that it does in the context of real life. The thing looks otherworldly when seen next to a dusty Camry on M-59. Such a cool car.

aw man. I thought you mean "inline-8"

God those finned Alfa intakes are sexy as all gittup...

I climbed around the I8 and I3 at the NAIS recently and have to agree with you that they are pretty wild. Wasn't sold on it until seeing them in person. Same for me as the new GT40 actually which really popped in person despite just being interesting in pictures.

Once they make it full electric like my i3 I swear that is my next car. It is so cool.

yeah it's pretty crazy looking, I remember the first time seeing it on the freeway. I get to see them pretty regularly (work across from BMW Designworks in CA)

It is definitely one I would pick up for my older car show days later in life.

I'm in for one if it depreciates like a Merc SL. Not in for one if it appreciates like a Z8.

Hoping for the former.

Take another look at the i8's rear-end. It looks like it 8 a current 911 and is pooping it out undigested.

oldsaw wrote: Take another look at the i8's rear-end. It looks like it 8 a current 911 and is pooping it out undigested.

How dare you make a comment like that without a visual.

They had one on the showroom floor when I was at our local BMW dealer recently. They had a $100k markup on it beyond the list price. It definitely doesn't look anything I've ever seen in real life, you need to see one person to know how curved the body is. Cool car for sure, but worth over $250k...not sure about that.

I saw one a week ago.. it definitely stops you dead in your tracks

You know what's funny is that i stopped really looking forward to the next NSX when i found out how great the i8 is.

I actually think the ~350hp/50mpg combo with a luxury bias is way more unique than the more speed-biased way that Acura went with the NSX.

I think the i8 is the first 12-second mid-engined AWD low-slung lambo-doored 'exotic' with neck-snapping presence that would ALSO make a very comfortable and highly efficient road trip car IN ADDITION to hauling ass and all its other typical 'exotic car' traits. I really think it's a totally new and one of a kind blend of attributes and is in a league of its own. I'm thoroughly impressed.

Isn't this the car that is really only getting 30mpg in the real world?

Swank Force One wrote: Isn't this the car that is really only getting 30mpg in the real world?

So it's an E46 M3 that looks like a spaceship and gets 50% more em-pee-gees than an E46 M3. I'd buy it!

If there was ever a mismatch of glorious car to terrible road, it's an i8 on M-59.

For those who haven't had the displeasure, M-59 is a long, sometimes divided, 4-lane highway with stoplights every half mile or so, full of potholes, with nothing to look at but miles of suburban sprawl and strip malls. Abandon all hope, ye who must drive here.

I'm going to have to disagree with all of you...

I will concede that it looks cool. but the thing only get 23 miles off of battery. After that you might as well be driving a prius. It does many thing well, but so does a prius. However, this thing is about 5x the price or a prius (more if you include the dealers markup).

I believe in 10 years that car will be considered a misguided effort.

Saw this one today. Sorry the picture is blurry, but I barely had a chance to snap this pic.

The I8 doesn't look too bad for a modern-futurey type car. Saw a couple I3's in Atlanta this week, now thats UGLY

In reply to Swank Force One:

Well, yes, in a similar way that a Volt gets 'only' 30-something mpg and somehow only gets refueled once or twice a year. But that would be an exception instead of the rule for i8 owners. I retract all 50-mpg insinuations.

I will concede that it looks cool. but the thing only get 23 miles off of battery. After that you might as well be driving a prius. It does many thing well, but so does a prius. However, this thing is about 5x the price or a prius (more if you include the dealers markup). I believe in 10 years that car will be considered a misguided effort.

Wait, you know you could say the same thing about a Porsche 918 Spyder, right? EV range isn't the raison d'etre of the i8, just as it isn't for the 918. In my opinion the only Prius reference that makes sense here is to say the Prius is the car that HAD to happen before we would ever have the Porsche 918, the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Mclaren P1, or, somewhere far down the price and performance range, the i8.

Honestly, the current hyper-exotics market has already shown that hybrid is THE cutting edge right now. The only way the i8 would turn out to be misguided would be if, looking back, it was decided that it was too heavy on luxury and too light on performance. But regardless, i'm happy it exists. It's the only new BMW i actually strongly like.