Followed one of these through Glasgow the other day - what a fantastic looking car!
Has all the looks of a concept car that has been allowed to go the whole way to production.
The one I saw was in this colour scheme
www.tomhartley.com/used/2014/bmw/i8/2014-bmw-i8-swadlincote-for-sale-bm64iii
I think I will add it to my lottery list alongside the Ranger Rover, the 911 and RS6 Avant.
Oh and the Beetle for the missus (no 911 jokes.....)
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Very advanced, but we aren't told anything about what it can do. So the suspicion must arise that it can't do much. It's an electric car for heaven's sake. Good acceleration from rest, and, er, that's about it to put it uncharitably.
Of course a lot of owners, perhaps most, pose more than they drive. I wouldn't pose with a fussy-nosed little product like that, but some would no doubt.
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Has it not also got a 1.5 litre super-duper petrol engine in it?
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>> Has it not also got a 1.5 litre super-duper petrol engine in it?
The website did say it had a 1.5litre engine, but it also said its motive power was 'electric'. What a rubbish lot of pr or ad men. Must be a hybrid... complex, some would say worst of both worlds.
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The two desirable hybrids - to me that is -- are this new BMW 5 series device, normal looking, very quick and apparently viable as a road car, and the more modest but by now thoroughly sorted Prius (and other Toyota and Toyota-derived hybrids),
Prius only does 40mpg though, unless the driver tries really hard. There are diesel and petrol cars that can do better more easily, without the potential expense of a hybrid drivetrain.
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A quick on board on the road review and it covers the various drive options.
www.spirebmw.co.uk/bmw-i/i8/bmw-i8-video-review
www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/i8
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I saw a few in August whilst in Munich. The thing I was most surprised by was the sound. Very V8 like!
So I asked at BMW World (or whatever it's called). I had thought it was from a sound generator. Apparently they have tuned the exhaust. Nothing artificial. But it did not sound like a 3-cylinder engine for sure.
And AC... there's a plug-in variant of the Prius. But also for the A3 Sportback. And soon the Golf GTE and Passat GTE.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sun 21 Dec 14 at 23:57
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>> there's a plug-in variant of the Prius. But also for the A3 Sportback. And soon the Golf GTE and Passat GTE
I know rtj, they get better all the time, genuine 50mpg or even better with a smart owner. i wish I could afford a few. But there are still a handful of non-hybrid cars that can do as well without the complexity and switchgear.
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and I saw one of the latest electric Smart cars on charge at Waitrose ( where else in suburbia ?)
www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/smart/10003560/Driven-Smart-ForTwo-Electric.html
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Tesla on a charging point in sleepy Oakham the other day! Re the Prius and real world fuel consumption I recall an edition of Top Gear where somebody drove a Prius 10 laps round the test track at a speed at which they were happy and Clarkson followed in a 5 litre V8 BMW and got a better fuel consumption.
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>> Very advanced, but we aren't told anything about what it can do. So the suspicion
>> must arise that it can't do much.
Well 0-60 in 4.4s ain't bad, with 135mpg allegedly. HJ gave it 5/5:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/i8-2014/
"A phenomenally good sports car that sets new rules for how performance should be delivered and how a driver's car can feel. "
Last edited by: Focusless on Mon 22 Dec 14 at 07:15
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"Well 0-60 in 4.4s ain't bad, with 135mpg allegedly."
But not at the same time, I imagine!
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If I had the option, I do not think I would buy one for one simple reason, for me, the steering wheel rim is far far too fat for my hands.
I found the same problem on the MKI Focus Ghia.
Oh the future problems when Lotto smiles on me ?
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Started seeing a few Teslas. They have opened up a shop in the shopping mall by work, and installed electric charge points in the car park. I imagine the ones I've seen are just being driven about by the sales staff.
Saw 2 i8's on the M4 a couple of weeks back - very striking
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BMW i8 - Wow - Armel Coussine
