Should You Buy a Used BMW i8? (Test Drive & Review)

An in-depth look at a 2014 BMW i8!
Car sales - www.jamesnuttcars.co.uk
Video production - / jack.smart.104

[@Lecter1971]

As you have put some effort into making a review of this fantastic car, I think it deserve a few comments. First of all, the engine. It was NOT developed for Mini and then put into the BMW i8, but rather the opposite way. It was developed for the BMW i8 and then later introduced into Mini. Then the engine sound. It is not totally fake. It's a combination of the sound from the exhaust with some added sound from the speakers, in the same way as you have for other modern sport cars these days. Then I think it is worth mentioning that if you put on some other and wider tires you will notice that car really get the grip it deserves ! And in the end I do not agree that it is difficult to enter. I am disabled with crutches and manual wheelchair and I have now been driving i8's in over nine years without problems ;)

[@pistonburner6448]

It was indeed a full BMW-developed engine, though I suspect they hadn't thought of the i8 at all at the time it was designed. It was tested originally for the E87 1-series replacement, the F20 1- and 2-series. Of course they knew they'd also put it in the Mini in the transverse FWD configuration, and future FWD BMWs too, it was designed for that use too. The i8 has it in the same configuration (transverse, same gearbox config) as the Mini and different to the longitudinally-mounted 1- and 2-series version. The sound is fake. It comes from speakers. That's what people call fake sound. The fact that you can also hear some real sound in the background doesn't change that.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

As 1 pre-production drive in MINI prototype stated, it's essentially half a BMW I6 & sounds it, ironic full circle because original I6 was 150% of NK 4 cyl. Bavarian MOTOR Works had BEV prototype half century ago, 2002 only came to be because employees dropped 2 litre into 1600, hydrogen 7er test fleet existed years before production, as did 1er & MINI hatch. BEV test fleets (BMW wouldn't sell them to consumers pre-production despite requests, i3 brought new customers to the brand).

[@ShogunSRT]

"It's a great design, you dont see too many about" Me: *lives in LA*

[@jamesgraham814]

I’ve recently purchased this very car from James and it certainly doesn’t disappoint ❤ Thanks for a great sales experience mate 👍🏻

[@DeanW-1990]

How much did you pay

[@solsbarbers]

How are you getting on with the i8 ? I’m seriously considering one of these purely on the bases you get so much for the money. My dream car is still a Porsche 911 997 Turbo S but that is a proper toy, do you think the i8 would satisfy my itch for a sportier drive until the 911 comes along ?

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Reviews elsewhere state i8 more of a GT, Porsche have sold over a million 911 over 60 years, how many do you see on the road & why do you want to subsidize Dieselgate VW rebadging their SUVs into Porsches?

[@skittlesgarage]

I've owned mine for 4 years. Super reliable. Alex Meyers tuned mine plus I added a Pedal Commander. It makes the car a lot quicker and fun to drive.

[@DeanW-1990]

What’s top speed ? And is it juicy ?

[@ReallyDru]

have you timed your new 0-60?

[@joehall9719]

Added one of those to my Jeep. Can’t believe the difference it makes!!!

[@EmetYAHU]

@@DeanW-1990 top speed limited/ electronically governed to 155 mph

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Stock 0-60

[@eduardoendaracorrea196]

Just got a 2015 and I love it

[@IamWyatt]

I'm currently 15 and want to get one in a few yars mabye how much do you have to make a year to comfortably afford a used one

[@user-jk7qk7vw7g]

Im thinking to buy one is it worth it?

[@brandonpollard8928]

This car is as Infamous as the Mercedes-Benz SLS. Iconic

[@AliA-we2uu]

Very helpful and informative review! Thank you so much!

[@Osmosis909]

Thanks for the review, what a great car :) it might be impractical and a pain to get in and out, but I think this is a very special car

[@robertkopp873]

In Australia, 10 of these are on the market. (April 2024). Local prices range from $140,000 to $260,000 dollars. Just saying ...

[@f45411]

most markets aren't the Australia market; there wasn't a massive production run of these i8s before they stopped in 2020 ; probably weren't the most successful at the launch msrp of 150k but in places with greater quantity the prices have gone down to 40-80 depending on region and model, year, etc.

[@iaing9028]

You would have been better coming to the UK to buy one, ship it back & save tens of thousands!

[@epic0249]

Damn, thanks !

[@TheodoreGlendinning]

Great vid!!! Given your research, does this have the same recent Bimmer issues with plastic parts breaking in engine bay?

[@francis_rr]

Definitivamente es el carro de mis sueños, no me interesa el sonido falso , solo con ver su diseño, su marca y su reputación puedes comprarlos quizás no sean lo mejor pero es algo que quieres tener y que puedes alcanzar , excelente video pd: please translate

[@michaelheathcote9488]

Personally, for around £40k, i would buy used from BMW purely for the warranty.

[@briertonp]

Yep, I’d love one of those! If you think that’s difficult to get out of, try a Smart Roadster… 🤣

[@sammyg805]

I want this car . I desire it I have x5 m but want this as second car for weekends to theatre or movies with the Mrs

[@Gadne92.5]

Forgot to mention, there's proper technique for getting in and out i8: Put one leg in the car, then you have to support your body with your hand pushing on to the sill, not to slide over it. That way you can "push" or "move" your bottom over the sill and the bolsters in order to avoid to wear those. Same when exiting the vehicle; support your body with your hand from the sill and kind of push yourself up and over it. When one gets used to this, its really really easily done!

[@iLLuminatedWithDren]

That’s not how you get in. Just put your butt in and scoot your legs over

[@user-io2et5bv2s]

Any good for someone 6ft 3”?

[@Gadne92.5]

@@iLLuminatedWithDren Well if you want to wear out both the drivers seat side bolster and the sill panel then ... go on and slide

[@Gadne92.5]

@@user-io2et5bv2s Going to be a thing to get in'n out but I'm 5ft 11" and I had to jack the drivers seat up. Even after that there's plenty of headroom, I've tracked the car with a motorcycle helmet and not hit it to the roof lining.

[@MatthewRSimpson]

This is how i get in mine, one leg in then just get in. No issues at all.

[@user-io2et5bv2s]

Aren’t they gullwing doors? Would love one..but old age stiff joints mean it remains a dream. Maybe in my next life?

[@stevelouie5928]

How are the seat cushions holding up. They way you get in and out seems to put too much stress on them.

[@nuttsoncars2710]

They often need a leather repair as like you say do have a fair bit of stress out on them

[@grantfallon7869]

Eco pro is not electric mode

[@user-eb7gu6zx3q]

I’m an i8 owner and the rear wheels are on the wrong sides. Look at the front wheel spokes and then compare to the rear wheels; they should look the same but don’t. The back wheels are wrong!!!

[@ryanruiz]

The prob got the tires rotated and they moved them to the front

[@mgrmln]

Front wheels are on the wrong sides of the car.

[@ghostkee5031]

37K € are you serious? it cost at least 50k used

[@Hmmm313]

Now How relaible is this german money pit?

[@mazdaman1286]

The short answer is NO don't touch it. BMW don't want them as trade ins. " You're better off selling them privately ". The Mini engine is a disaster lots of failures in Mini's parts hard to obtain and cost the earth. On strip down lots of brittle plastic pipes and connectors fail and are on back order and costs stupid money. We no longer do any engine rebuilds and repairs on mini's with this engine..so many problems on this and new minis.. Really is a case of buyer beware ...or run away..fast.

[@ansifucan837]

😢crying. cuz your 36k usd car is 2.5 lac usd in my country. and if i wanna import this then it takes about 3-4.5 lac usd

[@domomo1835]

Battery drives the front wheels? 😁 you mean electric motors😄

[@michaelcain2867]

I guess your trying to sell the car, so I would only choose a review with non biased content. I’m sorry these are not great cars hence massive depreciation. Next time try and be less 7:58 posivite biased.

[@nuttsoncars2710]

I’m not expecting to sell the car from this KZbin video so wasn’t intended to be a positive bias, it really is a great car, feel free to come and have a go yourself and see. They were originally overpriced and very early to the market as a hybrid sports car which people weren’t as confident with at the time so probably slightly ahead of their time. They have held their money really well after initial depreciation and offer great value in my eyes! James

[@willrowan2185]

Not great cars? Top Gear magazine don't agree: they've just voted the i8 as the best car of the last 30 years, outscoring Bugatti Veyron, Audi R8 & more.

[@sandracaro2547]

Own a red i8 no problems at all!!

[@Gadne92.5]

@@pythonovitch Same here! I bought early one (2014 model) in April 2023 and used is as my daily driver for 6 months and over 12k km (7500ml), only at last week I put it into winter storage (living in Finland, road salt ...). Its dirt cheap to tax and to insurance, it gets great true world MPG even on longer journeys not to mention if (when) I can charge it up both at my home and at my work. I'm able to do my commuting on sole electric power only -> saving $$$ on todays gas prices (here in Europe more than $8 per US gallon...). I've regularly done more than 1000km between fill ups, meaning rather nice true life MPG - especially for a sports car. This car really delivers exceptionally when keeping mind how small amount of money you need in order to run one (insure + road tax + fuel). Of course reliability is one thing but servicing is much cheaper than for example 911 not to mention Italian sports cars... The attention what this car gets is comparable to my previous Ferrari 360 Modena. Of course it was a Ferrari (looks, sound, rarity here in Scandinavia) but this i8 only lacks sound aspect. When in park or doors open = attention magnet. Only thing I hate at the car is the fake engine noise. I'm 110% petrolhead and hate everything fake, even todays pops and bangs -crap. I've end up using my car comfort / Eco Pro -mode as the SPORT -mode only adds stiff suspension (not fun on crappy roads) and those fake engine noises.

[@driliagor]

Huh?

[@TheRealCatof]

From what I understand, these things are horribly unreliable, and parts are almost impossible to get.

[@derekporter66]

Why

[@nuttsoncars2710]

Reliability wise these things aren’t as scary as people think, the engine is known to be solid and the battery is reliable too. Like any car you can have issues and it can be expensive with the tech if something does go wrong but you’d have to be very unlucky. James

[@jamesgraham814]

I’d have to disagree.

[@derekporter66]

@@jamesgraham814 why

[@annasamonii3885]

If it was reliable, it would not cost 40k!

[@bavarianautotech2096]

the i8 is the most notable "black-eye" BMW has ever realized! They were really just very wrong in every way except exterior design! Very sad for BMW and an even more silly joke for those who don't know any better and actually own one!

[@user-tp9eu7do2l]

XXFCTG IS 5957I6E@5 FOR THE 3 OF THE INCONVENIENCE AND THE INCONVENIENCE AND