[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

It is significantly, significantly slower than a F8x M3 and M4. It only traps 111mph. That is about the same as a last gen M3.

In fact, it is slower and gets less range than a top of the line Tesla, while costing $30k more.

Really, it is a car without a market.

Meh that's misleading. The i8 isn't a dedicated electric car, it's a plug in hybrid so you don't get the range anxiety and could actually take the i8 on a road trip...although I don't know why you would since the car has shit for storage.

But still, you don't have to rely on finding recharging stations on long drives in an i8. Plus the car traps at around 121 mph (http://www.motortrend.com/new_cars/04/bmw/i8/).

For a better perspective, the i8 matched the likes of the Camaro ZL1, the supercharged Jaguar XJR, and the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Edition 507 in the 0-60-mph run. It was faster than the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG, the previous-generation M5, and the Cadillac CTS-V coupe in the quarter mile.

Plus BMW dealers don't have much trouble selling these cars at marked up prices so there's definitely a market for them.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by Levi

Alfa Romeo special edition models also all sell out, however crap and overpriced they are compared to other equivalent cars.

point is you can't compare the i8 to the sls or r8.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

the i8 is fantastic....but the R8 and SLS AMG make it look positively gutless in comparison....sorry to say.

Exactly I8 is a showcase for tech and greenness. Not performance or sportiness. I really hope it's only to showcase the non green stuff like laser headlights that will filter down to other models. Other than that it's a disaster.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Exactly I8 is a showcase for tech and greenness. Not performance or sportiness. I really hope it's only to showcase the non green stuff like laser headlights that will filter down to other models. Other than that it's a disaster.

Again, in what world does an i8 not exactly "performance"?

It's got plenty of performance, just not in the traditional sense.

Plus the car isn't very green, batteries don't grow on trees nor can you just toss 'em in the trash once they've lived their useful life. I think peoples' appeal to them is mainly the instant torque.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by rjd598

doesn't matter. they still sold all that they made. there is some type of market for the car.

guess the 1m and likes didn't have a market either.

I don't know about sold out. Only ones I've been seeing are on dealer lots. Saw one last week.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by SamS

SLS AMG? Please. Good for reliving the glory days of your '90 Mustang GT with a loud rumble and more power for the street than anyone can use. Probably doesn't even get a second look from 99% of drivers on the road. It's not even good looking!

But an i8? Anyone from age 9 to 90 knows it's a car plucked straight out of the future, with looks to match.

are you being sarcastic? LOL...i hope so.

sorry meant AMG GT, not SLS AMG. But either way----BOTH are significantly more beautiful and desirable than the i8....

[SCOTT26]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Exactly I8 is a showcase for tech and greenness. Not performance or sportiness. I really hope it's only to showcase the non green stuff like laser headlights that will filter down to other models. Other than that it's a disaster.

Actually the i8 is the "What if?" Solution.
The "What if?" Legislation killed the sports car? The i8 is an example to show how a future sports car can not only be progressive but legislation proof also.
We call the i8 the most progressive sports car because we put ourselves in that timeline and we provided a worthy and desirable future for the sports car.

[SCOTT26]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

Maybe nobody has done anything equal for the same price because they realize there is no market for an under performing, impractical, ugly car?

Lack of competition isn't always a good thing. You might think there is no competition because you are so far ahead when in reality, you are so far off track that you just can't see the rest of the competitors moving ahead of you.

But they are not. In several areas our competitors are still behind,years behind.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

are you being sarcastic? LOL...i hope so.

sorry meant AMG GT, not SLS AMG. But either way----BOTH are significantly more beautiful and desirable than the i8....

Either one. I have seen them in person. Proportions all wrong on the AMGs, they look like a shoe and do nothing for me. And I'm pretty sure the average driver is slightly older and grayer than your typical Corvette buyer.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by SamS

Either one. I have seen them in person. Proportions all wrong on the AMGs, they look like a shoe and do nothing for me. And I'm pretty sure the average driver is slightly older and grayer than your typical Corvette buyer.

^^^this is what happens when someone can't look past the badge and is controlled by marketing^^^

[SamS]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

^^^this is what happens when someone can't look past the badge and is controlled by marketing^^^

Quite the opposite, actually. When I look "past the badge" I see the AMG as a car not dissimilar to a Dodge Viper. While an i8 is similar to nothing.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by SamS

Quite the opposite, actually. When I look "past the badge" I see the AMG as a car not dissimilar to a Dodge Viper. While an i8 is similar to nothing.

Which is the problem. I8 is fine for what it is. A green technical marvel. It's not great at what BMW is. A performance car company that give you class leading performance and handling while maintaining the ability to use as a daily driver. I8 would suckered as a daily driver. It's performance sucks to for the money. It's a platipus. Doesn't know what it wants to be. And it's a perfect image right now for BMW. It can't figure out what it wants to be. And that's the whole point of the post. Progressive isn't good if you're progressing the wrong way.

[Matski]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Which is the problem. I8 is fine for what it is. A green technical marvel. It's not great at what BMW is. A performance car company that give you class leading performance and handling while maintaining the ability to use as a daily driver. I8 would suckered as a daily driver. It's performance sucks to for the money. It's a platipus. Doesn't know what it wants to be. And it's a perfect image right now for BMW. It can't figure out what it wants to be. And that's the whole point of the post. Progressive isn't good if you're progressing the wrong way.

It's hardly the i8's fault, or even the brands fault, if you can't grasp how it/their products integrate into the market.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by Matski

It's hardly the i8's fault, or even the brands fault, if you can't grasp how it/their products integrate into the market.

It's not how they integrate. It's that they are moving away from their primary market toward a different one which is a loss for all of us. They aren't advancing the primary market of sporty cars. They are instead looking to broaden their market to compete with junk like tesla. Im ok with that but the problem is it is at the expense of the sports orientation. BMW used to be the cutting edge in that group. Now they're just another option. Not the outstanding one.

[Fundguy1]

To use a more obtuse example, why don't they make toasters instead. Probably make a great toaster. But it's not what they do or what they're known for. And at the cost of their other cars becoming camrys it's not worth it.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Which is the problem. I8 is fine for what it is. A green technical marvel. It's not great at what BMW is. A performance car company that give you class leading performance and handling while maintaining the ability to use as a daily driver. I8 would suckered as a daily driver. It's performance sucks to for the money. It's a platipus. Doesn't know what it wants to be. And it's a perfect image right now for BMW. It can't figure out what it wants to be. And that's the whole point of the post. Progressive isn't good if you're progressing the wrong way.

exactly.....it's a company grasping for market share rather than a company determining trends and what the market would want. pretty huge difference. they used to gain market share by being the trendsetters.....but now it's all up in the air...

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Matski

The numbers from last year, taken from the 2014 annual report, were:

Attachment 1247630

So Germany+uk together have a larger market share in sold BMW's than the US (or china for that matter) alone..

Always interesting to see (not only on this forum!) that some americans think that the majority of the BMW's are sold in the US where in reality it's less than 1 in 5.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

exactly.....it's a company grasping for market share rather than a company determining trends and what the market would want. pretty huge difference. they used to gain market share by being the trendsetters.....but now it's all up in the air...

They still lead in sales so I'd imagine it's not really an issue.

And if it were, it wouldn't be because they made an i8...that or any other halo car sell in such small numbers.

If you all wanted to have a discussion on market share you'd talk about new cars like the X1. I see A LOT of these small crossover SUV's (mainly that awful Lexus NX) driven by women who couldn't careless about how a car drives and just wants to flaunt a badge. Wonder if an X1 can compete with that since, sadly, that's what's popular these days.

[Obioban]

The i8 is the perfect halo car for their lineup of cars.

... and I desire neither it, nor their lineup of cars.

[SCOTT26]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

So Germany+uk together have a larger market share in sold BMW's than the US (or china for that matter) alone..

Always interesting to see (not only on this forum!) that some americans think that the majority of the BMW's are sold in the US where in reality it's less than 1 in 5.

There is a misconception between the US and Europe in what BMW and other luxury German brands stands for. In the US they are viewed as a luxury symbol, a statement. Whilst in Europe many in North America cannot comprehend that BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi although premium, are also semi-premium for certain main models of the compact and entry segments therefore volume and choice is strategically more important.
You cannot avoid this.

[Matski]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

There is a misconception between the US and Europe in what BMW and other luxury German brands stands for. In the US they are viewed as a luxury symbol, a statement. Whilst in Europe many in North America cannot comprehend that BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi although premium, are also semi-premium for certain main models of the compact and entry segments therefore volume and choice is strategically more important.
You cannot avoid this.

A couple of quick stats to perhaps show why BMW's are may not be considered to be such a big deal in Europe (I chucked in Japan too because that's at the opposite end of the available data to the USA):

BMWs per 1000 people:

USA: 1.2
Germany: 3.3
UK: 3.2
Japan: 0.5

BMWs per Square Kilometre:

USA: 0.04
Germany: 0.77
UK: 0.85
Japan: 0.17

So here in the UK, where BMW's seem pretty common, they are (as a very broad average) 20 times more densely packed!

[valbmw]

Another New BMW Ad. The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage: