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      04-02-2014, 08:04 AM   #1
Carac
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The Unusual Launch of the BMW i8

Yesterday the new M3's and M4's configuration pages went live on bmwusa.com, which most people didn't think was weird...but I did. Those cars were announced almost three months to the day after the i8 (which was announced almost 4 years to the day since it debuted at Frankfurt as the Vision EfficientDynamics) and we still don't have the ability to configure an i8 on the US page or any country's page for that matter, including Germany.

Stranger still, i8 production is set to begin any day now and no final dealer order guide or cars in the order bank have appeared yet. Up to this point, it has sounded like they're going to build a batch of i8s in the middle of i3 production, take a break, and then make the second larger batch once the rush dies down. Now given that they expect July US deliveries of the first batch, all orders would need to finalized at MINIMUM 4-6 weeks before delivery and likely WAY sooner than that to provide a buffer for indecisive or hard to reach clients, sourcing the right parts, tweaking supply chain, etc. I'm more accustomed to 4-6 MONTHS between an order and delivery when it comes to limited-production cars (which is why I expected order details for the i8 to show up in November/December last year, but here we are four+ months later and still nothing). I'm sure they would like a month or two of buffer time between orders and production...which would mean right now, by the end of April AT THE LATEST.

Either this is part of some grand plan to keep the i8 as mysterious as possible or there have been weird things going on behind the scenes. I don't mind waiting or delays as long as I'm not misled into thinking something is happening sooner than they know it will be. That and the fact there are camo'd prototypes still running while the factory is supposed to be spooling up is head scratching as well. The silence garners much more apprehension than mystique. I'm sure my sales guy is also wondering why he has nothing to tell me during the monthly email updates I've been getting since Sept.

Maybe they just want to make sure everything is perfect the first go around (anyone that experienced the X5 launch and E46 M3 launch know that the first year was not usually the best year to buy) so they aren't saying anything until they're sure. It's just a weird feeling to have seen a car that's been in development for so long feel like it's coming in hot.

And all of this is because I'm genuinely excited about the i8 and are eagerly awaiting its arrival. But BMW is making it hard to find any concrete info for people that are waiting to buy one. At this point I know WAY more about cars like the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1. I even know pricing, options, and delivery dates for the McLaren 650S that was announced 6 weeks ago. I really hope they inform those of us with orders or at least the dealerships about sales. If you exclude the press releases and videos about tech, the only solid if we've gotten from BMW was an announcement of production and starting price in September last year and an announcement that production would begin in April.

This could all be moot if I get a call to finalize my order or the configuration page shows up soon. But this situation is getting to be as unique as the i8 itself.

Last edited by Carac; 04-02-2014 at 04:47 PM..
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      04-02-2014, 01:27 PM   #2
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Same with dealer allocation details. I am not first on the list but would like to know if I have a 1 year or 2 year wait in front of me......and I have a fantastic relationship with my dealership and the GM.

Fingers crossed.
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      04-02-2014, 03:52 PM   #3
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@Carac, agreed it is weird. Not even a second picture of the i8 key has shown up yet! With the recent event in Vegas surely there will be some more info, but still nothing. I know it was discussed that the info was to be held back from that event, along with any articles and such; it seems BMW is tightly controlling any info about the i8 at this point. If they're experiencing issues with the car, along with all the building up of it, I think delaying it until they get things sorted (whatever that may be) is a good strategy. It would be nice to hear something along those lines, as you state.

Keep us posted.

@ChiTownM, I've seen several posts here and elsewhere talk about a dealer who is purportedly getting 8 i8 allocations the first year. I am skeptical. Beyond that, what I've heard is every dealer gets basically 1 allocation for the first year, and not all dealers in the US are even getting an allocation.

So, if you are not first on the list, you're not getting a first year car. Likely a year 2 car. If you're more than 3rd or 4th, expect a year 3 car. There's a guy on Bimmerfest that mentioned he's down for a year 3 car, but didn't say how far down the list he was.

An article posted here earlier mentioned annual production of 5000 i8's worldwide; if more than 1500 of them make it to the US in years 2+, then I wouldn't expect any dealer to have more than 2-4 allocations per year after the first year of low supply.

I also think, like the Z8, there will not be a very long run of the i8. Maybe 3-4 years.
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      04-02-2014, 04:34 PM   #4
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Carac, ChiTownM and ddk632, I too am anxiously awaiting any news on the i8 production, having put down a deposit and being first on my dealer's list. I'm starting to feel like a father awaiting the delivery of his first child that is overdue.

I was half expecting someone to pull a cruel joke on April Fools day announcing that that they had received word from their dealer that the car was now available for ordering. Something tells me that once production info starts flowing, a lot will be released at the same time. Still waiting to read those reviews from the Las Vegas event of several weeks ago.
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      04-02-2014, 04:53 PM   #5
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Ha!

I thought about photoshopping an i8 into my driveway and a photo of me ridiculously happy standing next to the car, but felt it would be too wrong on too many levels with what's going on with the i8 launch...

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      04-02-2014, 05:52 PM   #6
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I had a short chat with my local dealer the other day, expressing interest in the i8. He had visited the production facilities, and it was a long way from an i3-like assembly line. Basically there were "4 guys pushing cars around". I am guessing the i8 will be mostly hand built for a while.

I didn't ask how long ago this was, so for all I know things are different now. But even though I expect production numbers to be low initially, it sounds very odd that some customers have been told or is guessing that they won't receive a car until year 3.
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      04-12-2014, 09:28 AM   #7
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Stopped by another local dealer today (the one that wanted a $5k non-refundable deposit to be 8th in line) and asked if they had heard anything. Says they still have no specifics, order guide, etc. Also said that their higher end cars can take anywhere 8-12 weeks from a allocation being made available to having it show up if they place it the day it shows up. Says he's surprised they don't have an order guide since they already have one for the M3/M4 and orders are going in, but it won't be here until the fall. His 2 cents was that if a guide doesn't show in 2 weeks, they probably won't see one until after the announced July ETA. Maybe something will happen at the NY Auto Show next week in regards to news.

My new car purchase trigger finger is itching and I just want someone from BMW to say "No. Really. July." I can wait on a sure thing.

Last edited by Carac; 04-12-2014 at 11:14 AM..
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      04-12-2014, 01:50 PM   #8
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Thanks for the update. Hopefully there'll be some news before July.
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      04-12-2014, 04:01 PM   #9
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Obviously different markets might have different launch dates, build slots, etc. But the official i8 launch events at UK dealerships are scheduled for 19th July.
Selected UK customers are being invited to see the car this forthcoming week. So I'll be seeing the car for the first time in real life this Wednesday
First UK (customer) production cars are to arrive in Q4 this year.
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      04-12-2014, 04:40 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tilum View Post
So I'll be seeing the car for the first time in real life this Wednesday First UK (customer) production cars are to arrive in Q4 this year.
Looks like I might see you there, either going on Monday or Wednesday... Been quoted very end of december as preliminary delivery date so Q4 ties in with what I have been told. What color are you thinking at the moment? I've specked white but still not 100% decided between white, grey and silver.
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      04-12-2014, 05:49 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peggsy View Post
Looks like I might see you there, either going on Monday or Wednesday... Been quoted very end of december as preliminary delivery date so Q4 ties in with what I have been told. What color are you thinking at the moment? I've specked white but still not 100% decided between white, grey and silver.
TBH I was being deliberately vague wrt the delivery date. BMW bulletin says that the first customer cars will be delivered "Q4 2014 (e.g. December)", so yep, expect first (UK) cars in December (at the earliest)!

From the pictures, it looks amazing in white, especially in the 'centrefold' (pages 7 & 8) of the UK brochure!

I'm going with Sophisto Grey with iBlue accents, seen as I prefer my cars in black (and the Sophisto Grey is as close to black as you can order on the i8). It was supposed to be a cost option, but they've now made it the standard colour (so that's saved me a few quid LOL).

As for the wheels, I've come to the conclusion that i Turbine spokes suit the i8 best (IMHO), as although the i W-spoke wheels look cool on most of the press pics of the Sophisto Grey cars, the spokes are very angular, which is not in keeping with the i8's fluid lines.
What wheels are you leaning towards?

T
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      04-12-2014, 07:34 PM   #12
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Hey you guys make sure to take and post some photos of the event!

Fwiw, I've seen the white i8 in person and it's gorgeous... I saw the i8 live 3 separate times, in 2 US states.. But it was the same car they were shipping around so I've only seen the white one!

Honestly though, I think no matter the combo, this car is going to look great.
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      04-13-2014, 06:06 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tilum View Post
TBH I was being deliberately vague wrt the delivery date. BMW bulletin says that the first customer cars will be delivered "Q4 2014 (e.g. December)", so yep, expect first (UK) cars in December (at the earliest)!

From the pictures, it looks amazing in white, especially in the 'centrefold' (pages 7 & 8) of the UK brochure!

I'm going with Sophisto Grey with iBlue accents, seen as I prefer my cars in black (and the Sophisto Grey is as close to black as you can order on the i8). It was supposed to be a cost option, but they've now made it the standard colour (so that's saved me a few quid LOL).

As for the wheels, I've come to the conclusion that i Turbine spokes suit the i8 best (IMHO), as although the i W-spoke wheels look cool on most of the press pics of the Sophisto Grey cars, the spokes are very angular, which is not in keeping with the i8's fluid lines.
What wheels are you leaning towards?

T
I haven't seen a recent UK brochure yet (other than the January one which was apparently not meant to be posted online and has since been removed). My dad prefers the black colour too and will be coming up to the event.

Wheels wise, I like both the W spokes and the turbines but went for the Ws as they look a bit more aggressive and unique. I have seen the silver UK car at Park Lane and it has the 'flat' wheels which I really dislike. The gray UK car has the Ws so will be my first chance to see them in real life.

If you haven't yet seen pictures of the interior (I would assume you have), the blue lights/accents look amazing in real life and really give the car a futuristic, tron like look.

Have you heard anything about the UK availability of laser lights? They were not an option when I was specking it in the system but online (http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicle...om/design.html) says available from Nov 2014 (before our deliveries).

Last edited by Peggsy; 04-13-2014 at 06:08 AM.. Reason: ..
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      04-13-2014, 01:50 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tilum View Post
I'm going with Sophisto Grey with iBlue accents, seen as I prefer my cars in black (and the Sophisto Grey is as close to black as you can order on the i8). It was supposed to be a cost option, but they've now made it the standard colour (so that's saved me a few quid LOL).

T
Good choice. It's nice to hear that they may be reevaluating the pricing and options in other countries to be more in line with the US' "everything is standard" approach we've been hearing about. It gives them a more unified marketing message (it also reduces costs via scale). That's one of the only things that makes sense with the dearth of info we've been getting about options and packaging...because those things were in flux until now.

Last edited by Carac; 04-13-2014 at 02:00 PM..
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      04-13-2014, 03:49 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
Hey you guys make sure to take and post some photos of the event! ...Honestly though, I think no matter the combo, this car is going to look great.
Agreed David, the i8 is going to be a real head-turner regardless of which of the (four) colours someone chooses. I think the white looks stunning, but somehow I just don't suit a white car LOL. As long as there's not a photo embargo (like at the Lamborghini Huracán preview event I went to a couple of months ago!) then yep, I'll be taking plenty of pics.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac View Post
Good choice. It's nice to hear that they may be reevaluating the pricing and options in other countries to be more in line with the US' "everything is standard" approach we've been hearing about. It gives them a more unified marketing message (it also reduces costs via scale). That's one of the only things that makes sense with the dearth of info we've been getting about options and packaging...because those things were in flux until now.
Yep, as per the US' ordering options of the i8, in the UK most of the spec is standard, with very few options available e.g. only 4 body colours, 4 internal trims to choose from, and only 3 wheel designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peggsy View Post
I haven't seen a recent UK brochure yet (other than the January one which was apparently not meant to be posted online and has since been removed). My dad prefers the black colour too and will be coming up to the event.

Wheels wise, I like both the W spokes and the turbines but went for the Ws as they look a bit more aggressive and unique. I have seen the silver UK car at Park Lane and it has the 'flat' wheels which I really dislike. The gray UK car has the Ws so will be my first chance to see them in real life.

If you haven't yet seen pictures of the interior (I would assume you have), the blue lights/accents look amazing in real life and really give the car a futuristic, tron like look.

Have you heard anything about the UK availability of laser lights? They were not an option when I was specking it in the system but online (http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicle...om/design.html) says available from Nov 2014 (before our deliveries).
Hi Peggsy,

Did you not manage to get a hard copy of the January brochure / price list? My local dealer gave one to me after I saw (and downloaded) the electronic version which was posted on here.

Your dad's coming to the event as well... how did you manage to blag that?!? LOL.
The dealership I'm dealing with is only allowed to bring 3 guests (2 other clients that have ordered the car, and myself). Would be great to bring a +1, but there are strictly limited places to this preview.

As per the "Q4 delivery date", I didn't want to quote something which may have been supposed to be 'kept quiet'. But seen as it's on the BMW.com website... I can confirm that at last Wednesday's BMW briefing, BMW said that Laser Lights will be available to spec on cars from Nov-14. So as long as your spec hasn't been frozen by then, you should still be able to amend the spec to add them (if you're prepared to foot the no-doubt expensive optional cost!). My car is estimated to be a November build, so I will assess the Laser Light situation prior to spec freeze.
As for your link, that's interesting, as I had been regularly checking for any updates on the following BMW.co.uk page (which doesn't mention any status wrt laser lights):- http://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/new-vehic...13/design.html

Regarding the wheels, I too like my cars to look aggressive, and I agree the Ws give the car an edgy appearance. TBH the wheel design is is one of the few things I'm not 100% certain about Just to clarify, the design I'm leaning towards atm are the i Turbine spoke 625 design (not the i Turbine spoke 444 design which I'm guessing you were referring to as the "flat wheels" which you really disliked(?))

Hopefully see you on Wednesday.

Cheers,
T
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      04-13-2014, 06:22 PM   #16
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I think the Geneva show last month was the first time they had put together the 625-style turbines with Sophisto Grey. I think they compliment the curves of the car well.





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      04-14-2014, 02:16 PM   #17
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The other thing that seems odd to me about the current lack of information on the i8 has to do with the mid-March launch event in Las Vegas. Scott26 confirmed this was for media only and was a launch event, but I haven't heard or seen boo about it since then. I keep hoping we'll see some review articles emanating from it, but now I'm starting to wonder if it even occurred.
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      04-14-2014, 03:33 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drlonline View Post
The other thing that seems odd to me about the current lack of information on the i8 has to do with the mid-March launch event in Las Vegas. Scott26 confirmed this was for media only and was a launch event, but I haven't heard or seen boo about it since then. I keep hoping we'll see some review articles emanating from it, but now I'm starting to wonder if it even occurred.
I had assumed the press event is where Bimmerpost got it's cameraphone video of the i8 acceleration, but who knows. I know that news outlets that don't honor embargoes were not invited. Ironically, The people that did go can't tell you they did, unless it didn't happen...in which case there's nothing to say about it.
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      04-14-2014, 03:42 PM   #19
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It didn't happen.
The i8 was not there.
I did not write this.



Throw us a bone, BMW!!! Just a small, carbon fiber reinforced plastic bone, is that too much to ask?
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      04-14-2014, 04:23 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac
Yesterday the new M3's and M4's configuration pages went live on bmwusa.com, which most people didn't think was weird...but I did. Those cars were announced almost three months to the day after the i8 (which was announced almost 4 years to the day since it debuted at Frankfurt as the Vision EfficientDynamics) and we still don't have the ability to configure an i8 on the US page or any country's page for that matter, including Germany.

Stranger still, i8 production is set to begin any day now and no final dealer order guide or cars in the order bank have appeared yet. Up to this point, it has sounded like they're going to build a batch of i8s in the middle of i3 production, take a break, and then make the second larger batch once the rush dies down. Now given that they expect July US deliveries of the first batch, all orders would need to finalized at MINIMUM 4-6 weeks before delivery and likely WAY sooner than that to provide a buffer for indecisive or hard to reach clients, sourcing the right parts, tweaking supply chain, etc. I'm more accustomed to 4-6 MONTHS between an order and delivery when it comes to limited-production cars (which is why I expected order details for the i8 to show up in November/December last year, but here we are four+ months later and still nothing). I'm sure they would like a month or two of buffer time between orders and production...which would mean right now, by the end of April AT THE LATEST.

Either this is part of some grand plan to keep the i8 as mysterious as possible or there have been weird things going on behind the scenes. I don't mind waiting or delays as long as I'm not misled into thinking something is happening sooner than they know it will be. That and the fact there are camo'd prototypes still running while the factory is supposed to be spooling up is head scratching as well. The silence garners much more apprehension than mystique. I'm sure my sales guy is also wondering why he has nothing to tell me during the monthly email updates I've been getting since Sept.

Maybe they just want to make sure everything is perfect the first go around (anyone that experienced the X5 launch and E46 M3 launch know that the first year was not usually the best year to buy) so they aren't saying anything until they're sure. It's just a weird feeling to have seen a car that's been in development for so long feel like it's coming in hot.

And all of this is because I'm genuinely excited about the i8 and are eagerly awaiting its arrival. But BMW is making it hard to find any concrete info for people that are waiting to buy one. At this point I know WAY more about cars like the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1. I even know pricing, options, and delivery dates for the McLaren 650S that was announced 6 weeks ago. I really hope they inform those of us with orders or at least the dealerships about sales. If you exclude the press releases and videos about tech, the only solid if we've gotten from BMW was an announcement of production and starting price in September last year and an announcement that production would begin in April.

This could all be moot if I get a call to finalize my order or the configuration page shows up soon. But this situation is getting to be as unique as the i8 itself.
I think the position looks pretty clear in that BMW is struggling with mass producing this new technology. Reading various forums on I3 we see delivery dates slipping and reliability issues. After initial hype BMW has gone very quiet on advertising and sales figures. Same seems to apply to i8. Dates I was given have slipped by some months.

Happy to wait to make sure BMW gets it right. I8 will succeed as low numbers but think the i3 is going to struggle unless BMW can get the price down and improve pace of production.
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      04-14-2014, 05:04 PM   #21
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I think the Geneva show last month was the first time they had put together the 625-style turbines with Sophisto Grey. I think they compliment the curves of the car well.
Yep, I think it was Carac. And I think it was probably those pics that made me opt for the 625 Turbine spoke design rims vs. the W spoke design (which had often been pictured at other i8 press events).

Quote:
Originally Posted by drlonline View Post
The other thing that seems odd to me about the current lack of information on the i8 has to do with the mid-March launch event in Las Vegas. Scott26 confirmed this was for media only and was a launch event, but I haven't heard or seen boo about it since then. I keep hoping we'll see some review articles emanating from it, but now I'm starting to wonder if it even occurred.
Not sure about the U.S. but the i8 hasn't officially been 'launched' yet in the UK. The Frankfurt Motorshow etc. are 'reveals'. Official UK launch event(s) are sheduled for 19th July. Although I do agree that the i8 launch is a bit back-to-front! i.e. we can now spec and order the car on BMW's system before the car has officially been launched!

Quote:
Originally Posted by cc3 View Post
I think the position looks pretty clear in that BMW is struggling with mass producing this new technology. Reading various forums on I3 we see delivery dates slipping and reliability issues. After initial hype BMW has gone very quiet on advertising and sales figures. Same seems to apply to i8. Dates I was given have slipped by some months.

Happy to wait to make sure BMW gets it right. I8 will succeed as low numbers but think the i3 is going to struggle unless BMW can get the price down and improve pace of production.
This may well be the case. The first production i8s for dealerships to offer customers (that had placed deposits) test drives, were supposed to arrive in March! With the next batch of cars going to dealerships as static displays to show off the cars to potential new customers in April/May. First customer cars were supposed to be arriving in June. As we now know (and as I predicted), the i8 seems to have been delayed (for whatever reason). If it's because of technical/reliability issues, then I (like you) would rather they get this right and the car be a joy to own (rather than endless trips back to the dealership because the car has developed 'yet another fault' / needs 'another recall'!).

As for the i8's low numbers, you may well be right. BMW were obviously anticipating selling the i3 in higher numbers than the i8 (due to the affordability of the car to consumers).

BTW, are you going to any of the UK preview events this week?

T
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      04-22-2014, 10:46 PM   #22
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Chris Harris just posted something about Press Event, i8, and L.A.

Answers soon?
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