KresoF1:
I read article in latest AB where author title it:"i8 is 911 Carrera killer".
Well, I truly reccomend to everyone fluent in German to read that crappy article just to see what is current state of car journalism these days...
LOL! I just read that article. They're comparing the i8 with a C4S. I immediately started wondering how much BMW payed that guy. Stefan Voswinkel is his name BTW.
that was one very crappy article indeed...
I'm just another female petrolhead :)
We will see. BUT, IMHO SA wont be at the same level.
BTW, HvS was against decison that wet handling track times are not important and as a consequence are not any more included in Supertest(hint, do you know which car brand was very upset with bad wet handling track times lately?)...
Gauss:
speaking of german journalism, Horst von Saurma has left Sport Auto.
It is my understanding that he resigned as editor-in-chief but will continue the Supertest as a freelance journalist.
Unless there is something new I don't know about (my information is a couple of weeks old).
His relationship with Porsche was always very good, I would be very surprised if his resignation has something to do with them.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
KresoF1:
We will see. BUT, IMHO SA wont be at the same level.
BTW, HvS was against decison that wet handling track times are not important and as a consequence are not any more included in Supertest(hint, do you know which car brand was very upset with bad wet handling track times lately?)...
It was the fault of the tyres!
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"Form follows function"
KMM:
Crappy as the rear design is, the interior design looks interesting; at least judging from the few glimpses in the annoying intro video.
I saw an earlier version (which actually looked quite similar) at the BMW World in Munich a couple of months ago. I am sorry but I don't feel attracted at all to this car. Me and my son liked the Rolls Royce we saw more, especially the sound system was impressive and my son loved the retrievable umbrella in the door.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
You guys need to see the i8 live. What an ugly piece of design, horrible. It looks as if it came straight off a cheap SciFi movie in the 80s. Almost every day, I see the i8 live on the road and the more I see it, the less I like it.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Porsche Boxster S (981), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014), BMW X3 35d (2013)
RC:
You guys need to see the i8 live. What an ugly piece of design, horrible. It looks as if it came straight off a cheap SciFi movie in the 80s. Almost every day, I see the i8 live on the road and the more I see it, the less I like it.
I have seen the i8 live and I don't think it is that ugly. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
The secret of life is to admire without desiring.
I've seen it a couple of times now (both on shows and in the real world) and I have to agree with RC on this one. In fact... i think a Pontiac Aztec or a Fiat Multipla are starting to look good next to this. It looks way too "science fiction" and I hate science fiction. Just not my cup of tea...
OTOH... Like Rossi said, different strokes for different folks and that 's a good thing. The world would look boring if we all had the same taste.
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Suzy
2013 Porsche Boxster S (MT) | Basalt black metallic
2014 Audi A6 Avant 3.0 BiTDI Quattro | Moonshine blue metallic
Question is, what i8 really is? Did BMW tried to make supercar (M1), but in meantime they figured out they dont have resources to bring whole project as it should be, so they produced rather mild full electrical vehicle i8 (visually, it looks like mild M1 Concept).
My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com
BMW has plenty of resources. The reason they didn't make the M1 is probably because it just wasn't well known enough. M1 is a very niche car IMO.
I just now realized a lot of the M1 concept design cues showed up in the i8, and I think it was right of them to stick with their current branding.
I haven't seen an i8 on the road yet, but I think it looks decent in black in pictures.
I've seen it live and more than anything else it's VERY colour dependent. In black, where all of the odd bits melt away or are camo'd it's quite alright, but (much like the La Ferrari) in many colours you realize there are painted parts and plastic parts and the lines are totally different (like the Ferrari's anchor and thong).
Past-President, Porsche Club of America - Upper Canada Region
Mithras:
I've seen it live and more than anything else it's VERY colour dependent. In black, where all of the odd bits melt away or are camo'd it's quite alright, but (much like the La Ferrari) in many colours you realize there are painted parts and plastic parts and the lines are totally different (like the Ferrari's anchor and thong).
This could be true. I've seen the car only in the typical white/blue painting (not sure why, maybe related to Bavaria or BMW itself) but very very often on the street and I just really hate this car. So ugly. I like the Tesla S much more and this car isn't even a sports car.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Porsche Boxster S (981), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014), BMW X3 35d (2013)
BMW are losing it big time.
They built up a name synonymous with sportiness and yet today they cannot produce a decent performance car.
They are content to sell lots of 3 and 5 series diesels to middle class families and company employees and have ignored all the rest. Their limousines are overshadowed by Mercedes, they haven't produced a decent coupe/GT for ages now, they cannot design a proper halo model and in motorsport they are constantly in and out (F1, Superbikes, Endurance) without any significant success.
Audi are doing exactly the opposite in road cars and motorsport and look at their success story over the last 20-30 years.
Shame, because I used to like this brand a lot.
"Form follows function"
May 21, 2014 2:05:32 PM
Reviews and numbers don't lie - the current M5 and last gen M3 are both magnificent cars designed for people who like to drive, and have been the benchmarks in their respective classes for years. Styling is subjective, but there is absolutely nothing in the Merc line that appeals to me except perhaps the SLS or the E63, but I would prefer an M5 over that as well. The S class line is boring and uninspired - always has been. The Audi RS5 is a great car, but looks exactly like a base A5 with some nicer wheels. Only the S8 is appealing otherwise. There isn't a whole lot worth looking at from any big name manufacturer these days unfortunately. Get what appeals to you regardless of who makes it.
May 22, 2014 8:44:13 AM
JoeRockhead:
Reviews and numbers don't lie - the current M5 and last gen M3 are both magnificent cars designed for people who like to drive, and have been the benchmarks in their respective classes for years. Styling is subjective, but there is absolutely nothing in the Merc line that appeals to me except perhaps the SLS or the E63, but I would prefer an M5 over that as well. The S class line is boring and uninspired - always has been. The Audi RS5 is a great car, but looks exactly like a base A5 with some nicer wheels. Only the S8 is appealing otherwise. There isn't a whole lot worth looking at from any big name manufacturer these days unfortunately. Get what appeals to you regardless of who makes it.
The M5 has serious traction issues. Unless you love to drift your way through life, the M5 isn't really my cup of tea. For the Autobahn, the M5 could make sense but overall, I would prefer the E63 AMG S with AWD for Bavaria.
The S class is very luxurious, this is why so many people seem to love it (now) but it isn't my cup of tea either, I wouldn't want to be seen in this car, not even dead.
The last generation M3 is actually a nice fun racer but it also has serious traction issues, though not as serious as the M5. The quite interesting prices of used "old" M3 and the fantastic V8 engine make it a nice choice.
The SLS is of course a very nice car but only if you like to enjoy the sound and the design of this car. From a sports car perspective, the SLS isn't really a benchmark and the performance, for it's power output, is quite mediocre in my opinion.
The RS5 is a nice choice, I would probably prefer it over the M3 because of the AWD and it looks quite good and the difference between the RS and the A5 is quite noticeable.
The new S8 is appealing but only the top version but I would still prefer the E63 over it, performance-wise.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Porsche Boxster S (981), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014), BMW X3 35d (2013)
May 22, 2014 12:15:55 PM
reginos:
BMW are losing it big time.
They built up a name synonymous with sportiness and yet today they cannot produce a decent performance car.
They are content to sell lots of 3 and 5 series diesels to middle class families and company employees and have ignored all the rest. Their limousines are overshadowed by Mercedes, they haven't produced a decent coupe/GT for ages now, they cannot design a proper halo model and in motorsport they are constantly in and out (F1, Superbikes, Endurance) without any significant success.
Audi are doing exactly the opposite in road cars and motorsport and look at their success story over the last 20-30 years.
Shame, because I used to like this brand a lot.
I wonder what do you base your conclusions on. Have you driven for example the lastest M5, RS6 and Panamera Turbo S. I wonder how would you rate the engines, gearboxes, chassis, comfort, steering, etc. on the different cars?
May 22, 2014 1:06:05 PM
I agree, BMW makes good cars but they get more and more boring. Maybe this is what reginos actually wanted to say.
The latest special edition M5 with 600 hp is a nice offer but without AWD, this car is useless in Bavaria. Not sure why BMW is clinging to the RWD setup on the M5 or even M3/M4 when they know there is a market for AWD versions. Mercedes AMG understood this pretty well, the new Mercedes E63 AMG S 4matic is a blast to drive. I don't like the exterior that much, a little bit overstyled, which could get boring after a while but otherwise, this car is really fun to drive and the sound is much better than on the M5.
Right now, I would probably choose between the E63 AMG S 4matic and the RS6.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Porsche Boxster S (981), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014), BMW X3 35d (2013)