Thinking of selling my 911 for an i8 .. anyone here have an i8

nedkelly123

Hi folks, i have my 911 nearly 13 years now and while i do love it the running costs are getting to be a bit of a pain

anyone here have an i8 ? happy with it ? any common problems to watch for ?

Muppet Man

Hiya ned- can't talk about i8, but curious about the running costs of the 911. (997.1?)

How bad is it really? Versus possible finance payments against a new or nearly new i8?

Also, as you probably know, That 911 is holding value right now and won't depreciate anywhere near as bad as a new i8 (% wise)

Just wanted to put it out there.

Muppet man

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119336224#Comment_119336224

its a 996.2

tax is 2k a year, 23mpg around town ,

last year i spent 7k on maintenance ( gearbox rebuild , nut and bolt suspension rebuild with Bilstein B6 and h&R springs)

every year its about 2-3k fixing things/maintaince

in 2017 it got a new engine ( bore scoring ) full cost was 19k

i think i have replaced most things since 2010..

everything the car needed it got , i change the oil every 6k Mobil1 0/40

add in the 2k road tax and 2€ a litre petrol and it can be a right pain

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119336224#Comment_119336224

just to add i wouldnt buy a new i8 maybe 2016/2017

kanuseeme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMQqbzkmKpE

Last car is an i8

Buddy Bubs

Bit of class with a 911, i8 is what McGregor drives. Or drove anyway.

kirving

Been in a relatives i8 a few times, and while it's an amazing technology showcase in terms of aerodynamics, small turbo engine, PHEV and most importantly carbon fiber mass production, it's still very much from the BMW F series parts bin, so that takes away from how special it should feel. It does still turn a lot of heads though.

unkel

If only the i8 were fully electric, it would be on my wish list. Great looks but the concept of a PHEV is neither here nor there. Worst of both worlds.

Henry Ford III

I like the i8 but it's got a 3 pot MINI engine. No pedigree at all compared to a 911.

Neilw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119336295#Comment_119336295

Great cars, had a 996.1 3.4 and agree they need a yearly budget to keep them running well.

If you decide to sell yours pm me, thanks.

Leonard Hofstadter

The i8 is one of those cars that has really grown on me over the years, it still looks fresh and futuristic today. But I just can't accept the fact it has a little three cylinder engine, just like you get in an entry level 1 series or Mini (high output per litre or not), it's just not right. They really should have done it with one of their iconic straight six lumps.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119343759#Comment_119343759

It didn't need a i6 so they obviously chose not too. It is still faster than at least 95%(this figure could be higher) of what everyone drives.

Stallingrad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119340754#Comment_119340754

It's this kind of thinking that I think assures it status as a future classic collectable. It wouldn't be the first BMW to have a lukewarm reception only to be viewed as something exceptional in retrospect.

If I had the money I'd mothball one today!

ELM327

I'm a bimmerhead for sure but wouldnt trade a 911 for an i8. Completely different machines. The i8 should be fully electric and then it would be a different story, but a puny battery/motor and a puny 3cyl ICE engine ? Come on, that's an insult to putting an 8 on a BMW. Remember the last "8" BMW before this i8 was the great 840/850i of the 90's.

kanuseeme

The i8 is 1.1 seconds faster to 60, with 42 more horses, top speed is slower by 19 mph,(compared the cheapest 02 911 on autotrader) motor tax is probably 180 euros.

I prefer the look of it to the 911

Stallingrad

Was recently in Puerto Banus where exotica are paraded along the seafront beach evening. 911's are a dime a dozen and no-one looks twice whereas an i8 will turn heads like little else.

To be honest I wouldn't even compare them, the 911 is a time honed gem that will outgun the i8, but IMO the i8 is the more interesting and innovative car, both visually and from an engineering POV.

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119367775#Comment_119367775

yep my 911 is 518 a quarter road tax

unkel

The sad thing is that BMW had planned to launch the facelift i8 model as a fully electric car way back in 2016

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/all-electric-bmw-i8-works

At that stage though, the diesel lover and Vollidiot Harald Krüger had taken over as CEO of BMW and he bullied pretty much the entire EV team into non-existence. He nearly destroyed BMW because of his attitude, fortunately they managed to gid rid of him a few years later which might have been just in time for the company to survive.

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119340733#Comment_119340733

I don't agree - PHEV's can suit some people perfectly.

In any case, whatever about the viability of a full EV today, roll the clock back 8 years to when the i8 was released, and options were far more limited. PHEV then was cheap to drive daily, lots of power and no range anxiety (which was as big issue back then).

The cynic in me would sat that BMW obviously had an existing ICE business the had to let depreciate in the meantime, so they're now late to the game.

But equally Nissan are now suffering, partially as a result of being first movers in the EV market IMO. They have legacy issues like Chademo and public perception to consider, where as VW and Hyundai don't. Now I'm not suggesting that the Leaf is in the same bracket as and ID.4 or Ionic 5, but both of those are outselling the Leaf 2:1, and have the huge advantage of being seen as new and fresh technology, where the Leaf now has to take a backseat. I suspect BMW didn't want to try to make waves in a market which they knew could change direction in an instant.

unkel

Indeed, PHEVs can suit some people perfectly. Those in this country that can do their daily commute on battery and who need to do at least 1000km every weekend. I think that's 8 people in total out of 5 million😂

Unfortunately none of these 8 people would ever consider buying a BMW i8 😂

Theboinkmaster

Id see the 911 to i8 as massive downgrade

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119377963#Comment_119377963

do you have either ? iv had the 911 for 12 years.. maintaince, tax , mpg .....

sligopaul

looks a fantastic car Ned and it has seen some real love in terms of maintenance

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119385948#Comment_119385948

about 50k of love since 2010 😁 i have every invoice from wipers to a new engine

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387575#Comment_119387575

When it needed a new engine you could have decided to have it converted to electric 😁

wotzgoingon

I know Porsches are known for not being very reliable but needing a new engine is off the wall. Did you drive the sh*t out of it when it was cold all the time? Not change the oil frequently enough?

Also when you say new engine was it a remanufactured one or are they so unreliable Porsche still sells brand new ones to the public.

unkel

Porsches of the last few decades are quite reliable, but the flat six M96 engine (as went in several generations of Porsches) had an issue with the intermediate shaft bearing. Google it. About 2-10% of cars were affected (depending on the model) and needed a new engine. I was toying with the idea of having mine converted to electric should I ever have this issue (I never did), but I realised this was a bit of a pipe dream and was going to be very expensive as I would have had to get most of the work done by others. If you are looking at a what, €20k or €30k bill for an engine replacement like the OP did, a conversion all of a sudden becomes a lot more financially viable.

Murph85

Only 8.5 Years away from near free motor tax ;) the Porsche looks are meh in my opinion, taking out the nice engine for electric, is there a point ? There is a company in france swapping out ICE for electric...

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387657#Comment_119387657

It got Bore Scoring , there is no real reason for it , its a common issue , oil changed every 5k , don't bring it over 3.5k untll its warm

you cant really drive the crap out of it ..you are over the speed limit in seconds..

Porsche sells new engines/Short blocks.. any car manufacturer sells anything you want inc engines

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387708#Comment_119387708

yes but thats about 40k for the conversion and half the fun is the flat 6 howl

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119373383#Comment_119373383

I work with quite a few people (myself included) who commute cross county, work for the week, and go home for the weekend, and plenty more do similar around Dublin. If I was buy new, of course I'd go full EV. But buying used, a PHEV is so much better than pure ICE in an urban setting, with almost no downside on the motorway commute in between.

The car park for where I live in Dublin is also full of people who drive to work (presumably within 20km or so), and it empties religiously on summer weekends as people go to their second houses. Probably less environmental impact for most of my neighbors, to have a 12kWh battery put to maximum use on a daily basis, plus an ICE when they need it, rather than 80+kWh worth of batteries at 10% duty cycle most of the time.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119388324#Comment_119388324

It's a lovely sound, in my Boxster it was right behind my ears and the roof was mostly down too 😁

Still when you drive a fast EV it is way faster than your Porsche and without all the drama of the sounds. Fast EVs made even the most glorious internal combustion engine cars irrelevant to me. And that was without even considering the ludicrous motor tax, the massive maintenance bills, the huge fuel consumption and the impact of climate change. It still took me a few years (clinging on to the pipe dream of converting it) but I eventually sold my Porsche. I doubt I will ever own a combustion engine vehicle again.

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119388616#Comment_119388616

ah yes i had a Boxster too many moons ago .. they are brilliant cars my 911 has a fabspeed exhaust .. the noise is great fun!

what EV you have now unkel?

unkel

A Tesla Model S, Renault Fluence Z.E. and an electric BMW E36 318tds 😁

nedkelly123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119389741#Comment_119389741

electric 318tds ...😂 i wont ask!!!!!!!!

how did you like the tesla when coming from a 911 .. do you not miss the soul of the car !

unkel

You'd miss the soul of any Porsche, I haven't had a car that drove as well as my Boxster. The sound you easily learn to live without as you realise it's all show and very little go compared to a silent much faster electric car. In an ideal world I'd have an electric Porsche convertible sports car!

zg3409

On the app "join fleet" there is an i8 to hire by the day with insurance. I think insurance is extra and this guy might be a dealer. Looks to be in portlaoise but if serious it might be worth having for a day or two. Not cheap and you need to contact owner and they need to agree dates etc. I doubt you would be happy going from a 911 but then again the pain of fuel and ongoing repairs is a tough one. Even petrol head unkel sold his.

unkel

€900 per day? I suppose it comes with free coke, hookers & a magnum of Cristal?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119399534#Comment_119399534

A better idea would be to just go to a garage and take it on a long test drive free of charge.

Theboinkmaster

I’ve driven both yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119384234#Comment_119384234