BMW i8: Nope

"rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S" (rb1971)
12/26/2014 at 18:38 • Filed to: None

Didn't do it for three reasons, the first of which is probably the most important:

1. They wouldn't let me test drive it. Huh. I've test-driven a lot of cars that cost many times as much as an i8, and just borrowed a 458 for a whole weekend. Regardless of how rare it is (and you have, like, 2 of them that I can see), I'll never buy a car without test driving it. At least, not one that is still made. If I get the cash for a 250 GTO and have a line on one, I might reconsider.

2. Both interiors were light color. Not my favorite, but not a deal breaker.

3. I spoke to a friend who has seat time in the i8 and many other exotics. He did his best to not tell me not to buy it, but the way the conversation went (i.e., you could get a whole host of other exotics and since you don't commute in your car, you don't need something electric) made it obvious what his opinion was.

Snotty vanity non-reason: I told them I am leaving on a 3-week trip tomorrow and had limited time to make this happen, and I still ended up standing in the dealership while everyone ignored me for 30 mins. Even after emailing the salesman I've been working with (who, in fairness, was selling another car to someone else).

I do like the white one, looks like a space ship.

DISCUSSION (60)

Brian Silvestro > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:38

4. Someone else on oppo already has one so I wouldn't be original

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:40

Also, for roughly the same money, there is this, which also would have the advantage of being able to do a cross-country road trip in serious style:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ferrari-59…

Manuél Ferrari > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:43

A Manuél 599 would be so nice

Saracen > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:43

there are a few 6MT 599's in existence, aren't there?

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Saracen
12/26/2014 at 18:44

So very, very, very, few. I heard low double digits. I like red interiors, but finding one of those with a red interior would be like finding a unicorn. An awesome unicorn.

Brian Silvestro > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:46

23 I think in the US is the number I saw somewhere

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:48

#firstworldproblems

Manuél Ferrari > Saracen
12/26/2014 at 18:52

33 in the USA

Manuél Ferrari > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:52

33 in the USA

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:53

Well, that's good. I wouldn't even buy a scooter if they not letting me test drive that thing, let alone a car.

The only car i would buy without a test drive is a RR Phantom with V16.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 18:53

Manuél Ferrari > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:55

Just get a Manuél F430 or Manuél Gallardo

They're not impossible to find

Tekamul > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:55

Number 1 combined with the insensitive salesman indicates you should just never visit that dealer again.

They're selling bimmers not Hyundais

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 18:55

you must buy

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Tekamul
12/26/2014 at 18:56

I'd normally agree but he's been really helpful in the past, I told him to call me in the new year once things calm down.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 18:56

i wonder if that guy still has one for sale

maybe i could swing it if i traded all ze German cars and got a hard money loan from a loan shark

Sam > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:58

If you walk in to the dealer with the means to buy a car, you damn well shouldn't be ignored.

Saracen > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 18:59

Two manual 6MT's on the Dupont Registry.

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/results/…

EDIT: They're not manuals...but they were tagged as such. WHY do dealers keep doing this?!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 18:59

DO IT

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:00

what happens if i can't pay back the loan? they kill me or just maim me?

PanchoVilleneuve ST > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 19:00

4. They look like bottled farts.

Seriously, they are the most hideously over-designed to ever be considered "beautiful". I notice this problem a lot with car enthusiasts. They tend to add what a car is and what it is capable of into the equation of how it looks.

Seriously, imagine if the i8 was slow. Just strip the performance and the technology out of it. Judge it solely as a visual object. You're noticing how it's a mess of incongruous lines intersecting incongruous lines to the point where it has about a dozen cars' worth of styling going on and absolutely zero elegance, aren't you?

I love the car for what it is and what it does. Yes, it's fast. Yes, it's at the cutting edge of what cars can be in the year 2014. Yes, it's rad that it's a combination of M1 and a spacefighter. But i would never consider it to be some styling masterpiece that people seem to think it is.

It's like the Veyron all over again. Suddenly, that awful ungainly, bulbous pig of car that would make Ettore Bugatti, a sculptor by trade who happened work in the medium of cars, want to harm himself, was beautiful because it was fast.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:00

probably maim then kill

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:03

No to the Gallardo.

The Ferrari mid engine cars are so tough for me. I think looks-wise they go something like:

246>355>458*>308>328>348>360>430 (Sorry Doug!; * = no manual option)

Performance is a pretty obvious improvement as the numbers go up, but there is apparently a big jump from 355 to 360 and a huge jump from 430 to 458. 458 is apparently the most livable one (which I can confirm at least based on the ones I've driven, which would be 458, 430, 360 and 355).

I almost bought a 246 a few years ago when they were under $90k. Wish I had, now they don't make sense to me economically.

The 355 apparently has maintenance issues, as does everything older than it.

So I think it's probably 458 or nothing for the mid engine F-cars.

I do like a lot of the front engine V12 cars.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Saracen
12/26/2014 at 19:04

I hate that too. Funny, I was on DR doing the same search.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:06

I bet they would chop off my left foot then not kill as long as I paid them back the balance immediately

Wouldn't that be just awful? Manuél 599 but no left foot to drive it with

I wish there was a Manuél F12. The 458 looks better overall than the F430 but the F430 is good enough

When I look at the F12 and 599 back to back the 599 looks weird. The F12 is sooooo nice. Saw a black one the other day. Jesus Christ. It's the only car with the engine in front of the driver that looks as aggressive as a car with the engine behind the driver.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:09

Yes. The F12 is fucking badass.

Saracen > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 19:10

Yeah, I was just curious. I suddenly have time to kill today...I arrived at the condo to do some more packing only to be notified that buyer number three has backed out..

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:11

It's like the 458. They both looked weird at first. But they grow on you.

I think a blue F12 is the DD of a true boss. Too bad they're still like $420K

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:12

you must buy 512TR

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:14

Agree

But no monies left

Jonathan Harper > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 19:15

I think you made the right decision. 1ms aren't going to get cheaper, and offer some of the best performance among contemporary M cars.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:15

sell all german cars

dd 512TR

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:32

LOL!

They're not worth that much

And the 512TR would be an interesting DD

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 19:50

but it would be hilarious to dd!

Takuro Spirit > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 19:58

Might as well buy a FiST.

Takuro Spirit > Saracen
12/26/2014 at 20:01

Internet salesperson looks at car. Sees some sort of "automated manual". Looks at website. Sees MANUAL or AUTOMATIC.

Picks MANUAL, because they're an asshat.

Its like the guys on Craigslist saying they're car has a manual because of the little + - shift gate on their auto. Just on a grander scale.

Brian Silvestro > Takuro Spirit
12/26/2014 at 20:11

basically exactly

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 20:12

*Offers to take client to lunch*

*Only one of the 3 people can fit in car*

*He hurts neck getting out of car*

*Client fires me next week*

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 20:12

best car ever!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 20:14

LOL!

Unless it's a top 5 client!

Then my income goes down and I have to sell the car

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 20:16

BEST CAR EVER

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 20:26

haha. only a truly great car can cause you to have to sell it without even breaking down!

Manuél Ferrari > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 20:42

Looks are subjective. Here is my ranking based on the overall package of looks, current price, performance, maintenance/repair costs, etc:

430>360>458>308>328>355>348>246

I know that list looks crazy, but let me explain:

246 is awesome but has appreciated so damn much that it's simply not worth it. Who wants to spend $450K for that level of performance?

355 is not really cheaper to fix than a 348, but at least it's faster and looks better. That's why 348 is second to last.

308 and 328 are both cheaper to fix than the 348/355. The 328 is the better car. But it's gotten really expensive recently. So I think I would rather just save the up front money and go 308 and then deal with it being more expensive to maintain. You can't find a 328 for under $60K anymore that isn't modified, high mileage, or in bad shape.

The 458 coupes have only depreciated a little bit (spiders not much at all). So they are bad value, especially because no gated shifter ;( But the performance and fit and finish are so fucking good that I think it's worth it. The only reason I didn't put it #1 overall is because no gated shifter and because the 430/360 pair are so much more attainable right now.

I personally like how the 430 looks way better than the 360. And it has the chain-driven engine that's based off the same architecture as the Enzo, 599 and 458. And it's quite a bit faster than the 360. But I still like the 360 because it's cheaper and has a better engine wail.

If things go right in my life I'll eventually have a 360 coupe de Manuél to DD, an F430 spider de Manuél for weekends, and a 458 coupe for whenever. All purchased towards the bottom of their depreciation curves and kept for life. The 348/355 are too unreliable and the 308/328 are too expensive for what they are. I love the 246 but would never spend a shit ton for it. I can't believe you almost bought one for under $90K ;( ;( ;( Have you made a post about this? If not then Oppo needs to know your pain!

The 12 cylinder cars are a whole different story. More configurations: 2 seat or 2+2. More body styles as the 456/612 have evolved into the shooting brake FF. And IMO less correlation between the generations. In my mind every mid engine V8 car is still a Dino. The names have changed but the formula has stayed the same. The cars have just evolved. But the 12 cylinder cars have seen so much change. Decades of front engine V12s gave way to two generations of mid engine flat 12s. Which went back to front engine V12s with a fair amount of emphasis on being a GT car. Which gave way to the F12, which is supposedly so fucking fast and sharp that it doesn't feel like a GT car. Seems like Ferrari can't make up its mind on what its sub-hypercar 12 cylinder cars should be. Should they be classy and fast GTs like the 550? Or batshit crazy like the F12? They can't make their mind up.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 20:44

oh you didn't see this cause lazy:

More importantly, the 2015 BMW 3-Series will likely be offered as a plug-in hybrid with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine teamed up with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery installed underneath the trunk. Already previewed , the car is expected to pack a combined output of 245 HP (180 kW) & 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) and return 117 mpg US

Holy balls Batman

117 MPG?

In a 3 Series?

That makes your Mom's car feel like a gas guzzling E60 M5!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 20:46

omg cars need to start being engineered like Teslas, so the batteries don't make the rest of the car weird.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 20:48

that would be awesome. but i'm still so happy about this!

not because i would buy it

but because other people will

and the more people buy super fuel efficient cars the cheaper gas will get for us!

Tohru > Takuro Spirit
12/26/2014 at 21:16

While you sit in your Ford, repeat with the rest of the group: "I am a special and unique individual."

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 21:18

That's not how gas works!

Tohru > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 21:23

Does it have to be a European car? I went on the Chevy Corvette Build Your Own page and put together the most expensive car I could - a 2015 Z06 convertible with the Z07 package and every single extra-cost option I could. It came out to $20 grand less than the i8. You could buy the 'Vette and build a garage to store it in.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/26/2014 at 21:29

Good call. After seeing the maintenance/engineering on them... very good call.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Tohru
12/26/2014 at 21:35

I sat in the new Vette at its roll-out at Laguna last year. It was better than the prior Vette but no where near as nice as a German or Italian car based on the interior.

For American, I'd be much more likely to get a CTS-V.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 21:39

No?

If demand falls through the floor won't prices go down?

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 21:48

I actually have no idea

wat is industry

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/26/2014 at 21:49

Hahaha

I hope I'm write

Otherwise my economics degree was useless!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/26/2014 at 21:57