Does unkel now want a plug in hybrid?

unkel

Before you ask, no, I did not hit my head nor did I consume any alcohol or drugs 😁

But I drove past this car for sale in Deansgrange yesterday and it re-ignited my love for these cars

Here is the ad, they have come down a good bit in value for a car that sold at €149k before any options, zero discounts, wait list. I can't stop thinking about them now and doing some frantic sums in my head. I want one!

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-i8-1-5i-2dr-auto/36238799

coolbeans

I drove one before back in 2014. I was deeply underwhelmed. Narrow tyres and scrabbly handling. It always struck me as a sheep in wolf's clothing.

NIMAN

I know a guy who owns one, never been in it.

Lovely looking motor though.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232425#Comment_122232425

Will go and drive one myself soon. You are not wrong though from what I have gathered. It looks like a super car, but drives more like a comfy GT, with the AWD it is even near impossible to drift it. That would suit me though. I am not a hard core driver, I don't go to track days, but I do like to drive fast. On longer spins in particular.

the_amazing_raisin

You've been watching too much of Rich Rebuilds mate 😂

He certainly loves his i8 but the thing was janky in classic BMW fashion

I believe it's always been one of those cars that looks like a sports car but isn't very fast, and also is a PHEV but is kinda rubbish at the electric part

But hey, it's your money to spend

Just let us know if the day you sell it is a better or worse day than when you bought it 😉

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232453#Comment_122232453

0-60 in 3.7s

That's faster than any car I have ever owned (including my Tesla Model S Performance). Not sure what you consider fast if that isn't fast? 😂

What makes you think it's rubbish at the electric part? From what I can gather it is rather excellent at it. BMW were very far ahead of their time. I notice it every day when I drive my 10 year old i3. Of course I would have preferred if the i8 was fully electric. Or at least had a much bigger battery than the mere 7.1kWh it has

I unsubbed from Rich Rebuilds years ago. Funny guy but I never learnt anything from it. I did watch a vid from the guy who bought the i8 from him though.

carbuncle

Not so sure unkel, I was looking at a new one in 2014/5, to drive but to resell in the Uk as for a brief time them went for over list there.

I had one for the afternoon and took it for a spin over the sally and Wicklow gaps. Sally gap is poor narrow roads of course but it’s my regular run for testing. Drove well really, it’s quite light if I remember and that’s good.

As mentioned it’s a small battery and performance drops off, nobody is stopping g for a recharge every 30 mins. It does recharge with regen but still I found it lacking on that hour long trip.

Doors look good but actually awkward for getting in and out, synthesed sound in the cabin was actually annoying, no space at all in the cabin or elsewhere

It’s a nice design that has kind of stood the time but it’s not very efficient with a short window of high performance so it was a big no for me - as well as price dropping quickly in the Uk that meant no chance of a profit.

I spec’d a new i3 at the time which came In At €46k list as I fancied electric, No grants then. That was binned as well. It is cheap tax of course which does make a !40k performance type car attractive.

To be fair to the i8 I did have a Ferrari 458 at the time but an i8 is not an outright performance car, part time nippy with a number of annoying issues I would say.

In a race over the mountains you would be off over the first part but a Clio 182 would be up your arse by the time you got to roundwood!

All subjective of course but some would say all fur coat and no knickers, well no knickers after 30 mins when battery was out.

I would say it will make classic status and might not lose much/any money at current prices.

Good luck, I like it in white best. Uk convertibles seem still to be pricy.

Mad_Lad

We have a new Mad_Lad in town ! 🤣

carbuncle

I was also quoted €11,000 to upgrade to the laser headlights as they were described to me. Had a laugh with the chap about that.

As a feature that probably has a value of zero on the used market. Maybe they are very good but an issue could cost a lot of money to sort.

alfa_aficionado

Definitely agree about future classic status and will not lose any money on them. A lot of miles on that one you linked to though.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232846#Comment_122232846

Ah yeah, I just linked it because it is the actual car I passed by yesterday. It's probably one of the highest mileage i8 in the entire UK & Ireland!

Mad_Lad

Go on Unkle, get the i8, you only die once, you don't want to be on your death bed wishing you had got that i8 ! 😂

I'm back on petrol now and I absolutely love it, the sound of engine, changing gears, it just can't be beat, EV is grand and all but after the torque and acceleration what have you got ? they are ultra boring at the end of the day and any of us who like cars know full well what I'm talking about ! EV, they have no soul, no character. You can't beat the sound of an engine and a good sounding exhaust , EV can't and never will be able to replace the pleasure of the internal combustion engine.

I'm here close to the M9 motorway and I love when I hear a motorbike or car with a good sounding exhaust, it's such a terrific sound, kind of soothing.

If you do get the i8, I want a spin, as a passenger of course ! 😀

I'm into motorbikes now and hoping to get my full A license soon. It's so much more fun than any car !

jetfiremuck

Anyone thinking this is a future classic like an 850 is delusional. So you put that car away stored perfectly…., then 5yrs later who is going to work on it if needed? What about electrical components obsolete . It’ll be like an iPhone 4.

Interesting Jay Leno bought the new rolls spectre. The depreciation on that

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233048#Comment_122233048

It's no different from the electrical components in an 850. Or in how any modern car will become a classic in future or how cars became classics in the past.

unkel

@carbuncle - yes the only thing that really bugs me is that the car is not fully electrical. And as such that it only has the performance of a super car for a while, until there is no more juice in the battery.

The 7.1kWh tiny size of the battery is a major drawback in this. The LCI model got a much bigger 11.6kWh battery. But these cars are 2018 and newer and have a much higher price tag. You could replace the smaller battery with the larger one, I was checking out some reports from a Dutch owner last night who had done just that.

handpref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232923#Comment_122232923

A lot of compassion there Mad_Lad, you took years of flack for running an i3 Rex - I lost count of the references made to the useless combustion engine over the years.

Gerrymandering reborn

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/porsche-911-c4s-6-spd-manual/37044034?modal=gallery

I would much rather have this

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232923#Comment_122232923

“I'm back on petrol now and I absolutely love it, the sound of engine, changing gears, it just can't be beat, EV is grand and all but after the torque and acceleration what have you got?”

Relax Mad Lad you drive a 1 litre Kia Ceed😂

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233249#Comment_122233249

PHEV is the worst of both worlds. I stand by that. If the i8 had been fully electric, I would have already sold all my assets including my left kidney, to buy one 😂

I feel the i8 is one of the best looking cars of the modern era. It's a BMW. Drives well. And the early i cars had excellent battery and drivetrains and were made well, with the carbon fibre chassis making them lighter than comparable combustion cars, despite having to carry batteries

The combustion engine would be the main reason for me to decide NOT to buy one. I would have been happy with just a 22 kWh battery and a single motor driving the rear wheels (like my i3).

I like combustion engines, have had plenty of nice ones including V8s from Porsche and BMW and flat six from Porsche, straight six from BMW and a few V6. I have a Lotus Elan turbo now. But the way forward is electric only…

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233480#Comment_122233480

lol yeah but hey, it's still exciting after 9 years of EV driving ! 🤣

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233249#Comment_122233249

I took years of flack for mentioning EV in the motors section back in the day before they had the EV section 😃

Well, I can't really afford to talk for going back to petrol after pontificating and lecturing people on electrics for all these years. .

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233048#Comment_122233048

Yeah the amount of tech in cars today is unreal and the saddest part is that, unlike going to a breakers yard and getting some mechanical bits, all the electronics age at pretty much the same rate, capacitors leak and cause corrosion, FETs will pop and there's probably not a lot of money in fixing this stuff because car tech is progressing so fast now and ageing fast due to all this tech. The cockpits alone in many cars today just look like something designed by a kid who's never away from a screen.

Cars like the i8 though will probably just end up in a museum.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233758#Comment_122233758

"The way forward is electric only…"

You think ? why ?

Oscar_Madison

If considering buying I’d be looking at it from the view of how realistic would it be to convert it to full EV in the future and at what cost.

I think it’s a great looking car and should be preserved as much as possible for prosperity considering its history at the dawn of modern EVs - but the pounds shillings and pence need to make sense too- it’s high enough milage and about 30% of original value which will only drop further in my view - if you could retrofit batteries to achieve full EV and a decent range, it will keep its value for years to come

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234586#Comment_122234586

"if you could retrofit batteries to achieve full EV and a decent range, it will keep its value for years to come"

No it wouldn't, why would someone be mad enough to go to that expense for it to add no value to the car ? that would be nuts.

batteries also degrade over time, it would be a money pit.

If something went wrong with that car in general Frank Keane Motors would be licking their lips seeing you come through the gate !

One of the big attraction to classic cars is their ability to be easily fixed, these cars are far from easy to fix which is why they depreciate so fast.

User1998

Not to be that guy.. But did anyone see the recent video that Nadia from Ashford Motors made on her BMW i8? Not sure if its relevant or not..

https://www.tiktok.com/@nadia_adan/video/7374142981474913568?_t=8n2163B3zvc&_r=1

milltown

Dynamics and economics don't even come into it.

The McGregor effect is all of the nails in the coffin I'm afraid. People will be pre-hating you from 100m away, just in case you're him!

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234611#Comment_122234611

I bow to your superior knowledge - I just thought it would be a perfect car for a full EV conversion

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234699#Comment_122234699

It’s one of the few I keep seeing - 2016 I think - not being driven by him in recent times as far as I’ve seen -

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234586#Comment_122234586

I'm not particularly interested in buying that car I posted, I just happened to drive past it

But yeah I share your feelings. My first thought about the i8 was, can it be converted to fully electric. The answer in principle is yes, but it would be insanely expensive. Unless you forgo the combustion drive train and have it as a FWD only 😂

Upgrading from 7.1kWh to 11.6kWh is doable though and not particularly expensive either if you can do it yourself.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234730#Comment_122234730

I’d imagine the engine is worth a few quid tho so you could recoup some costs that way

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234696#Comment_122234696

You are seriously posting this here? The only €40k bill she's ever seen wasn't for an automotive repair 😂

pah

I'll have this one, thanks.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/deposit-taken/36474988

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234761#Comment_122234761

It's a 3 cylinder engine that's also used in MINI's, they gave it a much better tune for the I8

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234730#Comment_122234730

yeah I’m only dreaming as I don’t know about these things- but one question- what’s “insanely expensive”?
Im asking coz in the real world there will be a handful (relatively speaking)of electric sports cars of this style reaching Ireland over the next 10 years and they’ll be super expensive themselves - I’m just thinking is it 20k 30k to convert? It may not be so bad medium term and you may get your money back or most of it.

As I said I’m clueless on such things excerpt I’ve seen the specialist companies in the uk convert old minis etc to electric for huge chunks of change but even then, they’re probably also appreciating in price

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235195#Comment_122235195

I would guess that a decent conversion with fast charging and say a 60kWh battery pack done by a reputable conversion specialist keeping the car about the same weight with the same weight distribution and at least the same performance (likely significantly better) and including the car fully road legal, classified as an EV and NCT tested, would be a 6 figure sum. The residuals of the car would increase substantially, but not by anywhere near what you would spend converting it.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235658#Comment_122235658

ah right ok- that makes sense now

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234714#Comment_122234714

Well, Unkel is mad enough so we'll see if he gets the car and rips out the engine, he will have more space for batteries then 😀

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234997#Comment_122234997

I have a 3 pot in my 1.0L Cee'd turbo, she flies, makes a nice sound too 🤣

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235195#Comment_122235195

The problem is shelling out thousands to a company to do the conversion, would they be there in 6 months or a year if something went wrong ? I don't think such companies exist in Ireland.

Would anyone be mad enough to spend the money ? What do you gain in reality except an emptier bank account ? that's p1ssing money away. I'd rather spend it on a nice Petrol car and Motorbike.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235658#Comment_122235658

"The residuals of the car would increase substantially"

I doubt it very much to be honest, this would be a project for people with more money than sense, money to burn. Who would want to spend so much on an old car ? the cost for a high performance aftermarket battery like this would be cost prohibitive and there's no one that could do this in Ireland.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232923#Comment_122232923

I thought you were going to be in something exotic are you genuinely trying to say a Kia ceed is more exciting than an ev? Is it a manual?

Am I missing some in joke here?

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235822#Comment_122235822

You are wrong. Rare classic cars (and in particular the ones converted to EV) demand insane money. But as I said, spend €100k (and the rest probably) on an i8 conversion and you won't see anywhere near that money back when you come to sell it.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235923#Comment_122235923

No joke, don't underestimate the Kia cee'd. It's not heavily dependent on software like the id3, the interior is much better, higher quality, the doors don't rattle when I crank the stereo up, the interior rattles less, the plastics are much better, it's genuinely a much nicer place to sit. I got proper buttons and knobs and my there's no lag or crashes in the infotainment and the analogue instrument cluster is just so nice.

The cee'd's 1200 ish kg is much better to drive especially in the bends than the 2000 Kg 82 Kwh id3.

It's nice to hear the sound of a petrol engine again and having to change gears.

After so long in EV they are dull and boring, they might be fine commuter work horses but that's about all they are, work horse appliances.

Now that I got into motorbiking……………..yeah so I got a Tmax 500 but it's got good acceleration, I hope to get something that sounds a lot better soon, working on A licence.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236075#Comment_122236075

Well, we'll agree to disagree on the value of a converted i8 but by all means give it a go and lets see how it goes ! 😁

maidhc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236075#Comment_122236075

I’m going to say something like an original e type with its faculties intact will be worth more long term that a restomod ev.

con747

Looks like someone is doing a yard sale to raise funds for an i8.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236195#Comment_122236195

You are spot on. I have lots of stuff for sale. Contact me to come out to me in Lucan to have a look and a chat or just make me an offer here based on my adverts ads!

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236075#Comment_122236075

Damien Maguire would be the man for this if he was willing to take on such a project.

Oafley Jones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235923#Comment_122235923

Surely, you should have realised by this stage, that he’s super enthusiastic for whatever he currently has. It could be a wheelbarrow and he’d be waxing lyrical about its advantages.

You do realise it will cost you money to run!

Won't that beat the purpose of your solar system?

Disagree with the worst of both worlds. 70% of my driving is electric. I'm not complaining