Sold the i8

Carac · 03-23-2015, 11:13 AM

Well, it was an epic cluster&#@$ 13 months between putting a deposit down on the announcement day at Frankfurt 2013 and delivery in Oct. 2014 followed by a pretty great 6 months of ownership, but I finally decided to sell the i8.

I'll be doing a writeup for Jalopnik soon but the basic gist was that I had almost got so fed up with the whole order process, lack of communication, missed estimated release dates, etc. I was almost ready to give up on the i8 completely in July last year. The following announcements of better-spec i8s, anniversary editions, lack of expected features, doubling production, etc. only made it worse.

Let's get it straight that everything about the car itself was amazing, everything around it was abysmal. The worst, BY FAR, was the attention and how oppressive and ridiculous it was. It was WAY rarer to walk out to no one around the car than it was to people constantly taking pictures, gathering around it, talking and waiting for me (the owner) to come back. I took it to a cars and coffee with 400-500 cars (including Aventadors, 458 Speciales, etc) and it had a crowd so thick you couldn't take pictures of the car. Cars would literally make circles around the car on the interstate to take pictures, even forcing me into other lanes to get better shots. People would step out in front of me and wave me down as I was leaving places to ask questions, if I could pull over to let them take pictures, if they could sit in it or take a ride. The gap in attention between my Fiesta and the SLS was smaller than the gap in attention between the SLS and the i8. If you are the least bit Introverted, YOU WILL BE MISERABLE IN AN i8. Then there's getting out, which makes getting out of my SLS feel as easy as falling out of a ladder, it was a pain to both hoist out, lean left, and duck basically turning egress into a controlled fall backwards.

Then there's residuals. With the way BMW appears to want to pimp out the i8 chassis and platform for other cars, the increase in production, etc. means that the uniqueness will evaporate quickly. And with their production goals, you will be more likely to see an i8 than a new M6 on the road. Seemed like a good time to get out while the getting was good. I'll probably be back to buy one near the end, maybe a i8s. By then hopefully I can order it with the black interior I wanted to begin with but was forced not to. The keyless entry they added 6-months into production. The displaykey they said would be available at launch. The conspicuously missing blindspot detection, adaptive cruise/collision avoidance, and a litany of other features it should have had from the start that they'll probably add via feature creep like Apple does. And with their build numbers, I might even get one for under sticker by then.

Again, the i8 is a great car, destined to be a landmark in design and engineering...but everything leading up to it launch and following has been an amazing mess.

I'm not sure but it might have been the highest mileage i8 in the country when I sold it, at least one of the highest at 5080 miles.

JasH · 03-23-2015, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carac

The worst, BY FAR, was the attention and how oppressive and ridiculous it was. It was WAY rarer to walk out to no one around the car than it was to people constantly taking pictures, gathering around it, talking and waiting for me (the owner) to come back.

It wasn't the car....just your magnetic personality

Honestly, I have not noticed one single person looking at my i8. True that.

btw, I agree about the missing features. BMW should be ashamed about that

JasH · 03-23-2015, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasH

Honestly, I have not noticed one single person looking at my i8. True that.

I should of course add that my (just delivered) i8 is still at the dealer and I have not seen the car myself yet either

Epirali · 03-23-2015, 12:52 PM

What are you waiting for! Go get it now!!!!!!

JasH · 03-23-2015, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epirali

What are you waiting for! Go get it now!!!!!!

It's not been prepared for collection yet. I'm scheduled to collect it 4 April, and have booked 2 weeks holiday to enjoy it

YungDro · 03-23-2015, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carac

And with their production goals, you will be more likely to see an i8 than a new M6 on the road. .

Not really..

Carac · 03-23-2015, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YungDro

Not really..

They are about to surpass a years worth of M6 sales in only 6 months of i8 sales...and that's before they get around to doubling production.

http://insideevs.com/bmw-may-increas...iting-periods/

Chalk that up as another reason. They started by introducing the i8 as a limited production halo car and talking it up as such, but when the demand materialized and didn't dissipate they knew they had a hit on their hands and decided to sell as many as they could make.

Again, it's a great car...but it could be a lot better with some minor improvements and additions.

Kutsuki · 03-23-2015, 04:06 PM

Carac, thank you for the informative post. As a buyer interested in purchasing an i8, this insight is invaluable.

Edit: I also agree with you about the statement on the M6. The two cars cost around the same. Why would you buy a M6 when you can get a better looking car like the i8. You'd also have to pay a gas guzzler tax just to get a wider car that some argue "looks like any other bmw". In that price bracket, if I wanted a gas guzzler, there are other amazing options such as R8s or Aston Martins which out perform and look better than the M6.

Pitkis · 03-23-2015, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carac

They started by introducing the i8 as a limited production halo car and talking it up as such, but when the demand materialized and didn't dissipate they knew they had a hit on their hands and decided to sell as many as they could make.

I've never seen an official announcement that production would be limited in any other way that output of production line & CF supply. And you can count that I have followed this case closely...

But it's quite clear that i8 was not a type of car that fits your life. Ok.

ChiTownM · 03-23-2015, 04:51 PM

Carac,

you have been very open on this board and I wish you best of luck. I too am a bit jaded with this entire experience but since I have an outstanding relationship with my dealer it all went well. I too am missing some of the features he mentions in his post which create slight buyers remorse. I have no issues getting in and out and on of the perks of this car is that it truly sits 4 people - drove around all weekend with the family who enjoys it (kids are teen and pre-teen) - so in that regard, it is a perfect vehicle for me. I also went on a beer run and the trunk does hold a considerable amount of 12 and 24 packs, might be important to know for some of you

Having said that, I am having a blast with the car and get not too much ongoing attention, maybe because I live in a big city? Time will tell what I will do with this car depending on the market. In the meantime, I will just enjoy the car as much as possible - except today, where it snowed here.

Good luck to you Carac! Pics of the new ride once you get it....

Carac · 03-23-2015, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitkis

But it's quite clear that i8 was not a type of car that fits your life. Ok.

As a car is was great, and worked perfectly for what I needed out of it...as a lightning rod for attention it was too much...and that's saying something for me. Plus I came close to driving it 5000 miles and 7 months for free so it was a pretty good deal. I would buy another in the future but it would need to be the way I want it, not how they tell me I can have it and it would need the features befitting a car so futuristic.

Again, the i8 is an amazing car and I enjoyed the whole time I had it, they just need to change a few things.

MalibuBimmer · 03-23-2015, 05:43 PM

Strange. In a little over 4 months I've only had 3 people ask me about the car. The most intensive questioning was from a couple who had a brand new B6 and I intentionally parked next to them. I gawked over their car, too.

So far I've had no intrusive attention and I hope to keep it that way. And no one has yet asked me what the "ZZZT" means on the license plate.

Carac · 03-23-2015, 06:11 PM

Oh forgot to mention the weird stuff.

Every once in a while I would get a warning that the rear glass door was open, I would go back and it was shut tight, not raised or protruding, in the same place it was when it registered as full closed. And when it gave the "door open" message, the door wouldn't open with either the remote or the switch in the car. I had to have someone jump and press down on the glass while simultaneously hitting the release button to get it to open.

One time it wouldn't fully release the gas cap. I had to drive a couple miles to another station and try again where it took a little over a minute. The release seemed to take longer if the fuel level was above 3/4ths or close to empty.

And you can't trust the "auto-shutoff" on gas pumps, on three occasions the gas overflowed spilling down the side of the car.

Oh, and the stereo gets REAL confused if you are streaming bluetooth music from your phone and decide to plug it in to charge. One time it wouldn't play music from either source so I had to plug my phone into the AUX to play music.

Other than that the car worked great.

jcpca356 · 03-24-2015, 08:44 AM

Maybe all the other options that are missing adds to weight? and BMW left it out to save weight? Like the seats with only the basic recline controls etc.

mystopolis · 03-24-2015, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carac

Oh forgot to mention the weird stuff.

Every once in a while I would get a warning that the rear glass door was open, I would go back and it was shut tight, not raised or protruding, in the same place it was when it registered as full closed. And when it gave the "door open" message, the door wouldn't open with either the remote or the switch in the car. I had to have someone jump and press down on the glass while simultaneously hitting the release button to get it to open.

One time it wouldn't fully release the gas cap. I had to drive a couple miles to another station and try again where it took a little over a minute. The release seemed to take longer if the fuel level was above 3/4ths or close to empty.

And you can't trust the "auto-shutoff" on gas pumps, on three occasions the gas overflowed spilling down the side of the car.

Oh, and the stereo gets REAL confused if you are streaming bluetooth music from your phone and decide to plug it in to charge. One time it wouldn't play music from either source so I had to plug my phone into the AUX to play music.

Other than that the car worked great.

I haven't even gotten the car yet and your scaring the hell out of me

Kutsuki · 03-24-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcpca356

Maybe all the other options that are missing adds to weight? and BMW left it out to save weight? Like the seats with only the basic recline controls etc.

I think saving weight isn't a good excuse for a lot of these missing features. I feel this car is designed so you can reasonably daily driver it.

Carac · 03-24-2015, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcpca356

Maybe all the other options that are missing adds to weight? and BMW left it out to save weight? Like the seats with only the basic recline controls etc.

The stereo camera for adaptive cruise is already there, it reads speed limit signs and warns about following distance at low speeds, they just didn't include the software for maintaining distance while cruising. And the sensors for blind spot detection are already there as well.

ericsi · 03-24-2015, 12:09 PM

I think there will never be as many i8s sold as 6 series.

In the uk, the demand is already slowing down and 'overs' is no longer the case.

It's not really a 4 seater and the boot is small.

It's outlandish looks won't work for everyone on a daily basis.

I think it will be a bit like the z8: the demand will slow down and they will stop making it.

Even the i8 spyder has supposedly been tined now

Use the technology developed there is other cars like it's already the case with the hybrid x5.

Carac · 03-24-2015, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericsi

I think there will never be as many i8s sold as 6 series.

I said M6s, and I should have clarified coupes only. And of course there will never be as many i8s as 6-series, there are hundreds of thousands of 6 series in the world.

I was saying that from late 2014 until now the i8 has been handily outselling the M6.

Epirali · 03-24-2015, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mystopolis

I haven't even gotten the car yet and your scaring the hell out of me

I have had none of these issues with mine built in Feb. And I guessing a lot of early issues are addressable with firmware updates.

Everything else: that's what warranties are for.

JasH · 03-24-2015, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carac

The stereo camera for adaptive cruise is already there, it reads speed limit signs and warns about following distance at low speeds, they just didn't include the software for maintaining distance while cruising. And the sensors for blind spot detection are already there as well.

I agree with that. BMW has no valid excuse to have omitted various software features

StuM · 03-24-2015, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mystopolis

I haven't even gotten the car yet and your scaring the hell out of me

...............

Don't worry. Most of us have had exactly ZERO problems or issues with our cars and continue to love them. Every drive is an adventure for you. Do you get a bit more attention; yes occasionally, but like many here, it's not that frequent or intrusive. At least here, in car crazy SoCal. Want to fly below the radar - buy a Tesla and worry about range.
Sit back, anticipate and enjoy. You'll love it.

03-23-2015, 11:13 AM	#1
Carac Captain 95 Rep 678 Posts Drives: E30M3, E39M5, SLSAMG, RRS SVR Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 Range Rover Sp ... [0.00] '03 BMW M5 [0.00] '88 BMW M3 [0.00] '84 Toyota Corolla ... [0.00] '14 Ford Fiesta ST [0.00] '12 Mercedes SLS AMG [9.83]	Sold the i8 Well, it was an epic cluster&#@$ 13 months between putting a deposit down on the announcement day at Frankfurt 2013 and delivery in Oct. 2014 followed by a pretty great 6 months of ownership, but I finally decided to sell the i8. I'll be doing a writeup for Jalopnik soon but the basic gist was that I had almost got so fed up with the whole order process, lack of communication, missed estimated release dates, etc. I was almost ready to give up on the i8 completely in July last year. The following announcements of better-spec i8s, anniversary editions, lack of expected features, doubling production, etc. only made it worse. Let's get it straight that everything about the car itself was amazing, everything around it was abysmal. The worst, BY FAR, was the attention and how oppressive and ridiculous it was. It was WAY rarer to walk out to no one around the car than it was to people constantly taking pictures, gathering around it, talking and waiting for me (the owner) to come back. I took it to a cars and coffee with 400-500 cars (including Aventadors, 458 Speciales, etc) and it had a crowd so thick you couldn't take pictures of the car. Cars would literally make circles around the car on the interstate to take pictures, even forcing me into other lanes to get better shots. People would step out in front of me and wave me down as I was leaving places to ask questions, if I could pull over to let them take pictures, if they could sit in it or take a ride. The gap in attention between my Fiesta and the SLS was smaller than the gap in attention between the SLS and the i8. If you are the least bit Introverted, YOU WILL BE MISERABLE IN AN i8. Then there's getting out, which makes getting out of my SLS feel as easy as falling out of a ladder, it was a pain to both hoist out, lean left, and duck basically turning egress into a controlled fall backwards. Then there's residuals. With the way BMW appears to want to pimp out the i8 chassis and platform for other cars, the increase in production, etc. means that the uniqueness will evaporate quickly. And with their production goals, you will be more likely to see an i8 than a new M6 on the road. Seemed like a good time to get out while the getting was good. I'll probably be back to buy one near the end, maybe a i8s. By then hopefully I can order it with the black interior I wanted to begin with but was forced not to. The keyless entry they added 6-months into production. The displaykey they said would be available at launch. The conspicuously missing blindspot detection, adaptive cruise/collision avoidance, and a litany of other features it should have had from the start that they'll probably add via feature creep like Apple does. And with their build numbers, I might even get one for under sticker by then. Again, the i8 is a great car, destined to be a landmark in design and engineering...but everything leading up to it launch and following has been an amazing mess. I'm not sure but it might have been the highest mileage i8 in the country when I sold it, at least one of the highest at 5080 miles. Last edited by Carac; 03-23-2015 at 11:19 AM..
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03-23-2015, 12:52 PM	#4
Epirali Lieutenant 198 Rep 578 Posts Drives: BMW e Copper i8 Roadster Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Maryland, USA iTrader: (0)	What are you waiting for! Go get it now!!!!!!
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03-23-2015, 04:06 PM	#8
Kutsuki Matcha Green 13 Rep 27 Posts Drives: 2011 335is coupe Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Baltimore, MD iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW 335is [9.00]	Carac, thank you for the informative post. As a buyer interested in purchasing an i8, this insight is invaluable. Edit: I also agree with you about the statement on the M6. The two cars cost around the same. Why would you buy a M6 when you can get a better looking car like the i8. You'd also have to pay a gas guzzler tax just to get a wider car that some argue "looks like any other bmw". In that price bracket, if I wanted a gas guzzler, there are other amazing options such as R8s or Aston Martins which out perform and look better than the M6. Last edited by Kutsuki; 03-23-2015 at 04:08 PM.. Reason: adding statement about the m6
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03-23-2015, 04:51 PM	#10
ChiTownM Lieutenant Colonel 1062 Rep 1,540 Posts Drives: M and i BMWs Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Carac, you have been very open on this board and I wish you best of luck. I too am a bit jaded with this entire experience but since I have an outstanding relationship with my dealer it all went well. I too am missing some of the features he mentions in his post which create slight buyers remorse. I have no issues getting in and out and on of the perks of this car is that it truly sits 4 people - drove around all weekend with the family who enjoys it (kids are teen and pre-teen) - so in that regard, it is a perfect vehicle for me. I also went on a beer run and the trunk does hold a considerable amount of 12 and 24 packs, might be important to know for some of you Having said that, I am having a blast with the car and get not too much ongoing attention, maybe because I live in a big city? Time will tell what I will do with this car depending on the market. In the meantime, I will just enjoy the car as much as possible - except today, where it snowed here. Good luck to you Carac! Pics of the new ride once you get it....
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03-23-2015, 05:43 PM	#12
MalibuBimmer Founder, Knights of the Roundel website 967 Rep 1,723 Posts Drives: 2015 M4 and 2018 AMG GT Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: The Santa Monica Mountains, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 Mercedes AMG GT [0.00] 2018 Audi Q3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M4 [10.00]	Strange. In a little over 4 months I've only had 3 people ask me about the car. The most intensive questioning was from a couple who had a brand new B6 and I intentionally parked next to them. I gawked over their car, too. So far I've had no intrusive attention and I hope to keep it that way. And no one has yet asked me what the "ZZZT" means on the license plate. __________________ Previously: 2014 i8; 2013 650i convertible; 2013 650i Gran Coupe; 2013 X1; 2010 550i GT; 2010 535 GT; 2010 Z4 3.5; 2008 535ixt; 2007 M6 convertible; 2006 650i convertible; 1996 Z3; 1980 633CSi; 1978 630CS; 1972 3.0CS; 1971 Bavaria. (1971; 1979-2005 & 2017 - ? -- the Mercedes years.)
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03-23-2015, 06:11 PM	#13
Carac Captain 95 Rep 678 Posts Drives: E30M3, E39M5, SLSAMG, RRS SVR Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 Range Rover Sp ... [0.00] '03 BMW M5 [0.00] '88 BMW M3 [0.00] '84 Toyota Corolla ... [0.00] '14 Ford Fiesta ST [0.00] '12 Mercedes SLS AMG [9.83]	Oh forgot to mention the weird stuff. Every once in a while I would get a warning that the rear glass door was open, I would go back and it was shut tight, not raised or protruding, in the same place it was when it registered as full closed. And when it gave the "door open" message, the door wouldn't open with either the remote or the switch in the car. I had to have someone jump and press down on the glass while simultaneously hitting the release button to get it to open. One time it wouldn't fully release the gas cap. I had to drive a couple miles to another station and try again where it took a little over a minute. The release seemed to take longer if the fuel level was above 3/4ths or close to empty. And you can't trust the "auto-shutoff" on gas pumps, on three occasions the gas overflowed spilling down the side of the car. Oh, and the stereo gets REAL confused if you are streaming bluetooth music from your phone and decide to plug it in to charge. One time it wouldn't play music from either source so I had to plug my phone into the AUX to play music. Other than that the car worked great.
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03-24-2015, 08:44 AM	#14
jcpca356 Lieutenant 164 Rep 465 Posts Drives: i8 Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Maybe all the other options that are missing adds to weight? and BMW left it out to save weight? Like the seats with only the basic recline controls etc. __________________ 2015 BMW i8, 2018 Triumph Bobber Black, 2005 Lotus Elise Widebody, 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, 2019 Tundra TRD, 2019 Trek Powerfly 5 (love it!)
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03-24-2015, 12:09 PM	#18
ericsi Lieutenant 124 Rep 407 Posts Drives: On my 2nd i8 already Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: London iTrader: (0)	I think there will never be as many i8s sold as 6 series. In the uk, the demand is already slowing down and 'overs' is no longer the case. It's not really a 4 seater and the boot is small. It's outlandish looks won't work for everyone on a daily basis. I think it will be a bit like the z8: the demand will slow down and they will stop making it. Even the i8 spyder has supposedly been tined now Use the technology developed there is other cars like it's already the case with the hybrid x5.
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