[paddyrx8]

Anyone who says this car is ugly or they don't want it are deluding themselves. You will be visiting the showroom just to get a look at it when it arrives and wishing you could have it.

The hairs on my neck stood up when I saw the concept in mission impossible 4.

[Interlagos-Bimmer]

I think it looks great!!!

When will a tuner drop a V10 in it and throw the battery out? :-)

[smashhell]

Originally Posted by ATS

Yes, the 918 is a hybrid. But with a 4.6 liter 570hp V8. A far cry from the 3 cylinder in the i8.

Also, electric supercars are the future??? Give me a break... have you heard about hydrogen?

Yeah the i8 doesn't have a 5.2L V8. But it doesn't cost a million dollar either.
I think it's really smart for BMW to put a small engine in the i8. To keep the car relatively affordable(Not a supercar or HyperCar price tag) While keeping the performance of a M3.

Because who is the competitor to the i8 anyway? No one. This is a new generation of cars and this is just a preview of things to come.

[sonicbimmer19]

When I saw concept vehicle pictures, I was not a fan at all. I didn't like that the car was too round and fat and the wheels were too ugly, even though I knew would be different in production version.

My opinion has changed completely and I learned never to judge a car based on concept/drawings. I have a feeling that as far as looks, this car will be one of the best looking cars when it comes out, even though a lot is still hidden behind camo.

This car gives BMW a legit "super" car as far as price. Now BMW fans that were looking for an edge with an exclusive car that were forced to get Audi R8 or even SLS because M6 just doesn't have the same presence, have a BMW car to buy.

I don't have the money to buy a $150-200k car, but I'm very happy for BMW fans that do and were forced to leave BMW for exclusive/super cars of other brands.

[ATS]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Never. Going. To. Happen.
Exhibit 1, Hindenburg.
Exhibit 2, it still takes more energy to crack hydrogen from the oxygen in water than the actual energy in the cracked hydrogen.

The old 7er Hydrogen had a massively insulated tank, but if you left it sitting for a week (think airports) the hydrogen would all evaporate. Distribution and storage is also a huge hurdle. Electric makes so much more sense, especially if something like the Tesla Supercharger system becomes more prevalent and standardized.

I should've explained myself better. Before we go into the hydrogen vs electric debate, I believe that I will not be around by the time one of those (or something else) becomes the full replacement of the fossil fuel powered engine. I'm 36 and if all goes well, I'm hoping to hang around for at least 40 more.

The gasoline engine still has a lot of room for improvement regarding its efficiency, and combined with various interpretations of hybrid systems will still be the default option for many years to come.

Regarding the hydrogen vs electric, I hope hydrogen wins. But who knows, maybe they both win and each becomes predominant for certain applications. If we are looking for something to replace the wonderful suck-squeeze-bang-blow powerplant, it will have to replace it in every possible vehicle that uses one today. Boats, farm vehicles, etc........

If I had the choice, I would prefer to have a hydrogen powered Ferrari than an electric one. But I would certainly prefer an electric lawn mower than a hydrogen powered one.

[ATS]

Originally Posted by smashhell

Yeah the i8 doesn't have a 5.2L V8. But it doesn't cost a million dollar either.
I think it's really smart for BMW to put a small engine in the i8. To keep the car relatively affordable(Not a supercar or HyperCar price tag) While keeping the performance of a M3.

Because who is the competitor to the i8 anyway? No one. This is a new generation of cars and this is just a preview of things to come.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like the i8. I think it's something that moves the goalposts in many aspects. As you said, nobody else has anything to compete against it, and if it means that the lessons learned from it end up causing the 2018 M3 (M4 whatever...) to be 500 pounds lighter, then nobody else would be able to compete with that either.

The problem would be if people are not ready to have a 3 cylinder hybrid powered supercar, and then BMW will be forced to build even more atrocities like the 3GT's, with their inevitable evolution into the 1GT, 2GT, 7GT (or even worse an M5GT), to compensate for the losses. Keep in mind that according to BMW, that's what the buying public is asking for...

[Pauldramos]

I'd buy an i car without hesitation.

[SlammedM6]

Originally Posted by smashhell

Yeah the i8 doesn't have a 5.2L V8. But it doesn't cost a million dollar either.
I think it's really smart for BMW to put a small engine in the i8. To keep the car relatively affordable(Not a supercar or HyperCar price tag) While keeping the performance of a M3.

Because who is the competitor to the i8 anyway? No one. This is a new generation of cars and this is just a preview of things to come.

I think your crazy if you think this will be cheaper then say an R8 or SLS...look at the F12 M6 it's base price is very close to that of an R8 V8. This i8 will easily be 130-150k

[sonicbimmer19]

Originally Posted by SlammedM6

I think your crazy if you think this will be cheaper then say an R8 or SLS...look at the F12 M6 it's base price is very close to that of an R8 V8. This i8 will easily be 130-150k

+1.

M6 Coupe is $106k and M6 Converitible is $113k.
I think i8 will be closer to $150k which would be about the same as R8 V10.

But, I believe if R8 was a BMW or MB car, they'd be much more expensive, V8 would be $150k and V10 would be $200k.
We all know R8 is a Gallardo and Audi is using it as marketing strategy

[smashhell]

Originally Posted by SlammedM6

I think your crazy if you think this will be cheaper then say an R8 or SLS...look at the F12 M6 it's base price is very close to that of an R8 V8. This i8 will easily be 130-150k

Did I say the i8 will be cheaper than R8 or SLS? I don't think so.
What I said was the i8 is cheap when comparing to the other hybrid supercar, the Porsche 918.
And like I said, there are really no competitor for the i8. Its not a car to go against R8 or SLS. BMW is building the M1/M10 for that.

[cipher5]

Originally Posted by Roki_014

i dot understand why are they coming up with these hybrid sports car, is it the price of fuel, i dont get it, if you got money to pay for a $100k car y do you care about fuel cost, plus if I am paying that much for a sports car I want it loud and fast, and fuel efficiency would be the last thing to worry about, I think hybrids thake the masculinity and "power" out of these so called "sports" cars/hybrids :

Its for the rich hippies out there.

[sebaflex]

This is quite ugly I must say. Looks like a baby R8 with accord headlights and the rear of an Alien space ship.

Barf.

[jimx]

i've just received a mail from bmw hinting to this: http://www.bmw-i.de/download/Reservi...mular_BMWi.pdf

with that you can already reserve a nonbinding production slot. someone interested?


edit: sorry german version only. there seems no international one is available at this time

[PSTM3]

ughhh those tail light

[Kiemyster]

I dont know why so many people hate this... From the first time this concept came out years ago i thought it was a great new radical/iconic design that BMW can use.... I am even more impressed with it after seeing it in person at the NYC display recently. I am glad to know BMW is going to dominate the electric market as they have invested alot into it.

And to the person who said he would have a hydrogen powered ferrari over an electric one, please explain... As far as I am concerned you would need a massive engine to produce a decent amount of power. and there are so many production problems with hydrogen powered vehicles.

[Nang Vann]

Nice!

[Angerman]

Don't like the rear. Why they have to have that fin over the taillights is beyond me

[cgaffney004]

I'm sorry, but the rear end on that sucks. Get rid of those stupid wing tips, what is this ? Back to the Future?? The front end is weak sauce. Smooth out the rear end... Don't give the side skirts that stupid indent in front of the rear wheels.. Makes that skinny rear tire look like a chicken wing. Give it a mid mount m5 motor.. Some 315's for rear tires.. Give it the M front bumper with a carbon fiber roof, a manual trans an call it a f***ing M1

[antzcrashing]

Originally Posted by SlammedM6

I think your crazy if you think this will be cheaper then say an R8 or SLS...look at the F12 M6 it's base price is very close to that of an R8 V8. This i8 will easily be 130-150k

there are people that would buy this over an R8, I know that may be hard to believe, but think about it, if you are 47 years old and have been wealthy since 26, you might even be bored of super racecars and be interested in a change. Or it might be that 5th car in the garage that has always been the unique one.

This car will be more rare and sold in less quantities than the R8 or similar gas car, BMW knows that - part of the reason for this car is not to make huge profits on each sale, it is to build excitement for the i3 and i5 which will be sold in much higher volume.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by antzcrashing

there are people that would buy this over an R8, I know that may be hard to believe, but think about it, if you are 47 years old and have been wealthy since 26, you might even be bored of super racecars and be interested in a change. Or it might be that 5th car in the garage that has always been the unique one.

This car will be more rare and sold in less quantities than the R8 or similar gas car, BMW knows that - part of the reason for this car is not to make huge profits on each sale, it is to build excitement for the i3 and i5 which will be sold in much higher volume.

So wrong. Where is then the true R8/SLS rival, that is to build excitement for the M3 and M5? I thought BMW did not want to build it because demand is low. For the price people would get a P-car or an F-car. Funnily though R8 sells so much, more than Gallardo probably.

[XYR03]

Originally Posted by xnfsx

IMHO, from experience, not having gas, one becomes limited to many things. For example, in NYC, after hurricane sandy passed, the tri-state was short of fuel. Many people were waiting online for gas and stocking up. If you had an electric car, this can be resolved short term. Maybe this answers some of you guys talking about gas affordability. Yet another issue is transitioning towards greener vehicles. Eventually, it will happen.

I agree with you on that face, but I think they also lost power for days.

[xnfsx]

Originally Posted by XYR03

I agree with you on that face, but I think they also lost power for days.

Some places not all though. Its was harder to find gas than electricity honestly. My friends came over to charge their stuff and went back home. But they stopped coming when their gas ran out