BMW shocked the world in 2013 with the launch of the i8. It was the most futuristic car on sale as it combined technology seen in the likes of the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 and shoved them in a mass-produced car that was far cheaper.
It has recently gone out of production, and while it was an amazing car for BMW, there are many reasons why we would never buy one. Here are five reasons why the I8 is awesome and five reasons why still wouldn't buy one.
10 It's Awesome: The Looks
The i8 surely looks incredible. It's very futuristic with its curves inside and out. It looks more like a UFO and even today, six years on, it still looks beautiful. The I8 was designed by multiple designers across different concept cars including the Efficient Dynamics in 2009 and the i8 concept in 2011 which was seen in the 2011 film, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.
By far one of the best BMW's of the last decade, it looks like a poster car, and it certainly breaks necks everywhere it goes.
9 We Would Never Buy One: The Engine
The engine is a disappointing one. It's a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder from a Mini, and it's also used in the BMW 14i, 16i, and 18i models. It's not really a performance engine at all, and it should have had something a bit bigger considering the i8's rivals mainly have an engine twice the size of what it has.
It does pack a punch, but it's just not enough. The new price of this car was $150,000, and for that kind of money, people expect a bit more than a 3-cylinder.
8 It's Awesome: The Butterfly Doors
The doors on the I8 are truly iconic. They really did make it futuristic and interesting. It's an ultimate show-off feature that makes this car seem more dramatic and interesting. It's mainly high-performance cars that have butterfly doors, such as the McLaren F1, which was the fastest car of the 1990s.
Butterfly doors really are beautiful, but of course, the doors are not great in tight parking spots.
7 We Would Never Buy One: The Performance
The BMW I8 has reasonable performance, but nothing to call home about. The car has a 3-cylinder 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 228hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. Assisting this engine is a 129hp (upgraded to 141hp in the 2018 facelift) and 184 lb-ft of torque hybrid motor pack. Together they push out 357hp (369hp in the 2018 facelift) and 401 lb-ft of torque.
0 to 60 takes 4.4 seconds in the coupe and 4.6 seconds in the roadster. Flat out, the top speed is 155 mph. It's ok performance, but for $135,000 you would expect more, especially when its rivals are doing a sub-4 second 0-60 times. It's not the best power figures, but it's not as slow as these sports cars.
6 It's Awesome: A Perfect Daily
Because the i8 is like a sporty Prius, it has brilliant MPG. It can run for almost 20 miles on electricity alone and combined you can get an MPG of around 35 to 40. That's pretty good then for such a great looking car. It's comfortable too, more so like a Grand Tourer.
The I8 has four seats too which makes it even more practical. They may not be the largest seats, but it does allow two small passengers, making it perfect for bringing the kids to school.
5 We Would Never Buy One: The Depreciation
Unfortunately, the i8 is one of those sports cars that are losing value like crazy. The base model new was over $135,00 and add a few options on it etc, you get a $145,000+ car. Plus the roadster starts at $163,000 without any options at all.
Of course, second-hand the i8 is great value for money. You can find a few today in the region of $55,000-60,000.
4 It's Awesome: The Interior
The I8 has a crazy interior. It's well-built, and it's full of curves and unique designs. The build quality is great and even six years on it still feels modern. The seats were thin but they were comfortable.
The i8's interior really does make you feel special. It's completely different from most cars as most parts inside are unique to the i8. The optional Harman/Kardon system is brilliant too.
3 We Would Never Buy One: The Maintenance Costs
Here is a car that really is costly to repair. The battery costs upwards of $10,000 and the engine is more than $20,000. Then there are the specialist body panels, the windows, alloys, brakes, suspension, etc. The list goes on. Servicing costs are not too bad, but good luck if you don't have a warranty.
This is one of the reasons why this car depreciated so much. BMW really did make the i8 to prove a point, and yes, they did lose money making this car. They lost so much money because they made the car out of so many exotic materials whilst using groundbreaking technology.
2 It's Awesome: The Technology
The i8 has a lot of technology that even today is pretty revolutionary. Yes, there are plenty of plug-in hybrid cars on sale today, but only a select few are like the i8. The i8 took five years of development to create, and it had a carbon fiber monocoque.
It's a very aerodynamic car too. The shape of it wasn't just made for beauty. It really does show off just how great BMW is at engineering, and it also shows just how advanced cars have become.
1 We Would Never Buy One: It's Overhyped
Despite its technology, looks, etc, the i8 is overhyped. It's only as fast as a cheaper M4, and it's as comfortable as a cheaper 6-series. Yes, it has crazy doors, etc, but for $121,000 people could have bought the ZR1 Corvette C7 instead.
The i8 is more of a grand tourer, yet the 840i starts at $85,000, and the previous 6-series was similarly priced, both are far more comfortable and easier to use every day. Plus, the M8 competition starts at over $140,000, which is only a bit more than the i8, but it's way faster and still as comfortable. Here are fifteen sports cars we would rather buy than the i8.