Where No Other i8 Has Gone Before (we presume).

"Turner Motorsport" (TurnerMotorsport)
09/11/2015 at 10:37 • Filed to: bmw, i8, hill climb, turner motorsport, hybrid, bimmer, turnerparts

What better way to spend Labor Day Weekend than to Summit the Northeastern US’s highest peak in a BMW i8...

We figured it would be the perfect weekend to do something no other BMW i8 has done before (presumably) so we decided to take our Turner colored blue and yellow Hybrid up to the top of the 6,288 ft summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest.

The 6,288 ft summit is home to the “Worlds Worst Weather” which recorded a world record wind speed of 231 mph in 1934 and typically sees average temperatures of -20 degrees in winter.

The historic 8-mile long Mt. Washington Auto Road is home to the “Climb to the Clouds” Hill Climb race which is one of the oldest Motorsports events in the United States first run in 1904.

The 8-mile windy mountain road features several 1000+ ft drop offs with no guard rails and barely enough room for two way traffic in most sections making the journey up or down interesting to say the least.

We even tested the i8’s all wheel drive traction on the one mile long dirt section with steep grades and uneven surface. With the i8’s low end torque and gearing, the car was well suited for this type of driving.

Just to give you an idea of the differential in weather conditions from the top to the bottom, we began the trip up at 3:30pm and it was 90 degrees and sunny. At about 4:15pm we made it to the summit where it was 50 degrees, 50 ft visibility and 70 mph winds.

Non the less, the views where truly awesome and the experience was a lot of fun. If you are in the Northeast we would recommend it to anyone, especially if you are driving a rental car :), just make sure to choose the insurance option.

DISCUSSION (21)

Party-vi > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 10:43

Aren’t you guys requires to have ECS watermarks on those photos now? :3

Gorgeous pics, and a great looking car to boot!

spanfucker retire bitch > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 10:43

Kinja'd!!!

random001 > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 10:45

OMFGYouHaveAni8!!!!

Ash78, voting early and often > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 10:50

Good thing it wasn’t an i3, I think you’d be cruising at 35,000 feet about now.

#highprofile

JGrabowMSt > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 10:53

Am I the only person who’s really on the fence about the color combo? It’s not even the color combo to be honest, it’s the blue wheels. They just don’t do it for me, it’s personal, I guess.

I did see the car in person at Bimmerfest...I’ve been on the fence since I laid eyes on it there...

Turner Motorsport > JGrabowMSt
09/11/2015 at 10:59

The color combo is definitely not for everyone, nor is it a personal favorite.

One thing to keep in mind, we did not choose this color combo because it is the most flattering or aesthetically pleasing, we chose it so that the car would be unmistakably “Turner”.

We wanted a project car that would turn heads, raise questions and spark interest everywhere we go and the blue and yellow does that without question (not to mention the connection to our brand and race car liveries).

TheOnelectronic > JGrabowMSt
09/11/2015 at 11:16

I agree. I like the color, dislike the wheels.

Patrick Nichols > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 11:22

Kind of off topic, has Turner considered doing anything Mini related?

Coty > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 11:32

You guys didn’t come say hi? Lame.

Moves-Like-Senna > JGrabowMSt
09/11/2015 at 11:35

You’re right. White wheels would make it looks beautiful!

ReaperChief > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 11:42

If the color combo would have been blue with yellow instead of the opposite, I would have biven this a thimbs up..

JGrabowMSt > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 11:53

My respect meter has gone up. More than anything, I’m glad that 1) you guys didn’t take it as a personal stab and 2) you responded objectively to something that could very easily be considered a stab at the company. Props to you guys, really.

On to a more important question, how do you guys like the i8? I haven’t driven one (or sat in one yet), but I’m curious about what “project car” means to you. Are there plans for this car, or is it primarily a promotional vehicle? I certainly find the choice interesting, much like how a local Cluck U Chicken to me has a Smart Car for deliveries. It’s certainly a great choice in car, small, cheap, fits nearly anywhere and turns heads and gets attention for sure.

Turner Motorsport > JGrabowMSt
09/11/2015 at 12:12

Glad to hear it! Now to answer your questions...

The i8 is definitely a fun car to drive, it is not like any other BMW that I have ever driven and has a very unique feel to it. As an everyday car it drives extremely smooth and is very comfortable.

Performance is impressive. It is very quick and the loads of low end torque make it very fun to drive on the streets. We have had the car on the track too, and it performs extremely well. We even had the car on the drag strip and did a 12.2 1/4 mile which isn’t bad for a 370 hp hybrid!

The car’s primary purpose is for promotion and branding. We do use our project cars for product development, testing and education (especially cars like the M3, 3-series and others). Everywhere we go with the car it raises questions and gets attention so basically we look at it as a moving billboard to get our name out there, whether it is at the top of Mt.Washington or at the local gas station.

Turner Motorsport > Party-vi
09/11/2015 at 12:19

Thank you!

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 13:09

Kinja'd!!!

Peak in, turn on, select R, get out, and watch the atrocity be no more.

Turner Motorsport > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
09/11/2015 at 13:26

LOL

Turner Motorsport > Patrick Nichols
09/11/2015 at 13:32

Hi Patrick, our main concentration is BMW specifically but we do offer some Mini parts.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 13:48

Oh god, now I feel bad. I didn’t realize who posted this. Just not a fan of the i8 and those colors. But, thanks for the suspension parts I bought for my 02 last year and sponsoring Bimmerfest.

Turner Motorsport > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
09/11/2015 at 14:15

Don’t feel bad! Obviously we know that not everyone is going to fall in love with a bright blue and yellow i8.

Sorry to hear about your ex though, Just worry about you and the right girl will come along. Chicks dig 2002s.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 14:31

I must be the only one digging this color combo. I’ve seen a few i8’s on the road and at NAIAS and they have never done much for me, always the same colors. This one though......I like it!

Stef Schrader > Turner Motorsport
09/11/2015 at 19:16

Puff approves!