Motor Trend's i8 Review - "Is i The New M?"

"Battery Tender Unnecessary" (carac)
08/25/2014 at 17:36 • Filed to: None

DISCUSSION (23)

For Sweden > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:37

Is i the new M?

Really Motor Trend ? REALLY?

Brian Silvestro > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:38

Yes, is the answer to that question. Because the current M is getting stale and conforming and such.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 17:41

Yes, for me, as far as excitement goes. The i8 is the first BMW since the E46 M3 that I have WANTED. ///M has become an also ran in a lot of areas. Mostly that it's now just the top luxury trim of any given BMW model.

Brian Silvestro > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:43

The two cars in the last 8 or so years from BMW that have really piqued my interests is the i8 and the 1M. Those cars are awesome.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 17:46

The 1M was an unknown until the reviews came in, and by the time the early reviews said it was great, they were all sold :(

Brian Silvestro > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:47

I told my dad to buy one, implored, begged. PROMISED him it would go up in value, he'd make money. But no, he didn't believe me. "Cars are the worst investments," he said.

I remind him everyday what they're going for.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:49

I care that the noise is fake, honestly...

Which reviewer (of the M4) said he thought that BMW's best engineers were over with the i group, and he thought M had lost a step because of it?

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 17:51

When I was putting the deposit down on the i8, they said they were attempting to buy back one of the 1M's they sold. Guy bought it for sticker, they offered him $72k in the fall and he passed.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/25/2014 at 17:54

Can't remember, but I do recall an article about some animosity between BMW M and i. Apparently, one of the projects cancelled to free up money for BMW i was the BMW M supercar, M1 successor. Then they got to poach some of their top engineers. Also, I believe they got one of the top 911 chassis engineers from Porsche as well. They are playing for keeps with the i8.

Supercharged-V8-Jag > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:56

Come on BM, just put a damn V8 in it!

Brian Silvestro > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 17:56

Good move! It's only going up from there...

Battery Tender Unnecessary > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/25/2014 at 17:57

The noise isn't completely fake like it is in the M5, M6. Those have a purely synthesized sound that's generated by a chip...which is why it sounds like you're playing GranTurismo when you drive one. The i8 and M3/M4 have mics in the engine bay that are amplified into the cabin through the stereo. So you're hearing the sounds the car is actually making, just louder.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 18:04

That's what they said pre-release for the M3, but I'm not sure if that's actually the case in reality. Seems to be adding some V8 tones. Not certain with the i8.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 18:05

Definitely have a lot riding on it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > For Sweden
08/25/2014 at 18:06

Yeah, clickbait if I've ever seen it...

Battery Tender Unnecessary > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/25/2014 at 18:09

In theory, they could copy the 3-cylinder sound and time-shift it to make it sound like a V or flat-6. A lot of the reviewers say the i8 sounds like an air-cooled 911 at full throttle.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Battery Tender Unnecessary
08/25/2014 at 18:20

Ha! Okay, so the actual noise, but modified heavily through a synthesizer. I don't know, it all just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I look forward to hearing the sound comparison from the first person to disable it. I say just let it sound how it sounds - as soon as you start messing with the in-cabin noise (other than just the real engine noise piped in), you're basically admitting that it sounds like crap, imho.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 20:45

I am confused

Most people love the 1M but some reviews were terrible

We need to drive it ourselves to know for sure.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
08/25/2014 at 20:50

I've never read one bad review!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 21:08

I gotta find it for you when on desktop

It was in one of those comparisons of 10 drivers cars. Maybe road and track.

They wanted to love the 1M but didn't. They didn't like the understeer or the brakes

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
08/25/2014 at 21:09

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
08/25/2014 at 21:12

I'm not lying!!!!

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Supercharged-V8-Jag
08/27/2014 at 18:02

Nah - I6 with ITBs. If you're going to style it like an M1, power it like one too.

Back then BMW was unjustly criticized for not installing some big exotic motor when in reality the performance was just as good, if not better, than the competitors with fancier engines. Now that smaller, more efficient engines are the hot thing, a larger version of the S55 in the new M3/M4 would be the right choice.

But regardless of which engine they put in it I'd love to have an i8, and this is coming from someone who has owned multiple BMWs in the past and hasn't really wanted one that was made in the last 12 years or so.