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Originally Posted by bradleyland
I suppose it's entirely possible that some people will never get the point, but I think maybe this illustration will help a bit.
Think of the balance between high-efficiency and high-performance. Most people treat this as a zero sum game: if you add efficiency, you must take away performance. The i8 is out to disprove that axiom. That is to say, you can have high-efficiency and high-performance. That is the point.
What you've expressed is skepticism. You've said, "I see a lot of hype here, and I'm not sure if BMW can actually deliver." Whether or not that holds true will depend on what your expectations are. If you expect Corvette level performance, then BMW will have failed.
It is BMW's job to manage consumers' expectations through their marketing of the product. So far, the advertising hasn't focused too much on the performance aspect, so I think that's a smart move. I'm not sure they're doing enough to explain "the point" of the car though. They're only building excitement. That's a tough balance when it comes to advertising, because ads that "educate" are usually poorly received. Humans respond most reliably to emotional impetus, so the advertisements are naturally focused on that approach. Confusing some consumers is an acceptable if it gets more people in to dealerships. That's one of the ugly warts of advertising.
Let's get this out there: I don't think the i8 is going to deliver Corvette, Ferrari, or Porsche level performance. However -- and I'm repeating myself a bit here --I don't think that's the point.
Back to the zero sum notion. If we think of a Ferrari 458 as 95% performance and 5% efficiency (hey, it's got decent CO₂ emissions!), you get 100% total performance. With the i8, BMW is trying to achieve 70% performance and 70% efficiency for a total of 140% performance.
I think your skepticism is warranted. BMW hasn't proven this idea that they we can have our cake and eat it too. With the exception of the new Porsche 918, no manufacturer has delivered on this promise yet. Many of them are trying though. We're seeing more focus on efficiency, even in ultra-high-performance cars.
Skepticism is important. It keeps BMW honest and will push them to deliver a better product. I'd encourage skepticism, but I hope you won't miss the point. It's difficult to be an effective skeptic if you don't understand the idea you're evaluating.
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I think I do understand the idea I am evaluating. From BMW's press release posted in the i3/i8 Forum:
•First combination of BMW TwinPower Turbo and BMW eDrive technology plus intelligent energy management produce system output of 266 kW/362 hp (max. torque: 570 Nm / 420 lb-ft) and give the BMW i8 the
performance characteristics of a pure-bred sports car (0 – 100 km/h / 62 mph in 4.4 seconds) combined with fuel economy and emissions comparable to a small car - EU fuel consumption: 2.5 litres per 100 km / 94 mpg (US); “glued-to-the-road” AWD driving experience with torque distribution geared towards optimized dynamics.
•Driving Experience Control switch and eDrive button allow driver to choose from five driving modes; range of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) on electric power alone and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph); COMFORT mode offers optimum balance between dynamics and efficiency; combined range in everyday conditions: over 500 kilometers (310 miles);
SPORT mode with ultra-intense boost function provided by the electric motor; ECO PRO mode can be used in both all-electric mode and hybrid mode.
•Sophisticated chassis technology featuring a double-wishbone front axle and a five-link rear axle; Electric Power Steering; Dynamic Damper Control comes as standard; 20-inch light-alloy wheels are standard.
•Emotion-led visual impression based around established BMW i design language;
classical sports car proportions and fresh interpretation of BMW design features; doors open upwards like wings; clean lines, plus surface design (external and internal) based on the layering principle; full-LED headlights as standard, innovative laser headlights – unique worldwide – available as an option where regulations allow.
All these words tell me the i8 is targeted as a high-performance sports car, which the Corvette is too, and has many of the same features: dynamic damper control, sports-oriented suspension design, five (5) driving modes, use of aluminum and carbon fiber in construction (yeah I get it, the i8 has a carbon fiber passenger cell).
The all-new C7 Corvette gets the job done (with better performance) and at a substantially far less price. It's admirable BMW is advancing the art, but sometimes the direction is not the right track. If BMW came out with a turbo 3-cylinder ceramic-engine with 300HP and 350 ft.lb. torque and ran at 95% efficiency (i.e. 5% heat loss), that would be impressive, even at $136,000.
Let's call the i8 what it is, an engineering exercise, put into limited production. I remember when BMW introduced the limited-production Z1 (about 6 years after GM put the Fiero into production) and touted it as the next age in car design and manufacturing (space-frame covered by plastic panels). BMW built a few hundred copies of the Z1. GM built tens of thousands of price-competitive Fieros, built other vehicle designs using the technology, and even started a new car company (Saturn) based of the space-frame/plastic body construction technique. Automobile Magazine just claimed the i8 has the design of the year and what regular cars will be like (regardless of price) in 2064; let's hope it holds true.
All the i8 does is trade the cost of fuel for the cost of technology, and to me doesn't do that good of a job at it. The Tesla Model S does do a great job at trading the cost of fuel for the cost of technology. The Tesla S is very close to providing the same over all cost of ownership for an EV as compared to a ICE-powered automobile in it's price and size class (how the price is subsidized is a matter of conjecture, but they are selling quite well and the consumer understands the purpose of it).