Opinions-i3 and i8?

[Russell]

I know this forum is for our old school; e34 cars and how to maintain or enhance them. However what does the forum members think of the new BMW I series currently the i3 and i8?

I am particularly fascinated with the i3 and the range extender concept. The i8 has the drive train concept that may be more main-steam that we may see version of in larger I series sedans and related. Opinion. BTW, I do not like the two-tone look on any of the i cars..

[shogun]

Well, some general comments on this kind of cars: my wife is complaining a lot about mileage especially of the E32 750 V12 which is really not good at around 3-5km/liter (depending on where I drive), the E36 M3 is much better.

So she is watching those nice commercials on TV about the Toyota Hybrid, Honda Hybrid, Mitsubishi MiEV like this
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/2014-...-cut-6130.html
But I am telling her always:
Look at the prices of the electric or Hybrid cars, >$20000 at least. For someone which has no car it might be interesting, but I have a car that runs and when I sell this old car I almost get nothing for it, for >$20.000 I can buy a lot of gasoline and drive in a more comfortable car than this kind of golf cart like the MiEV is.
Also consider the prices of battery packs for these cars, they cost a fortune. For the price of new batteries for a Hybrid car I can drive another 5 years with a gasoline car.

Definitely I would not buy an expensive e-drive car, if so, the cheapest one like the MiEV just to use it as a vehicle to drive from point A to B.
But here in Japan the biggest sellers are the socalled Kei Cars, that means cars with 660 cc engines, and they cost only around $10000 or less and have automatic trans, AC, electric windows and space enough and low fuel consumption too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car
And no worries about the cost to replace expensive e-drive battery packs after some years.
If there is a break through in batteries = weight, storage capacity, price, then I would consider a electric or hydrid.

The next generation windpower? '-)
http://otherpower.com/otherpower_wind_modelAtest.html

[genphreak]

Well we use half the fuel of the 750 around town in our little M50 powered e34s.

But I agree with Erich all the same. 20k for a 'modern replacement' and that is not even a limo or a funky concept like an i3. But that said, fuel is a killer. I'm thinking to LPG-ise the cars we use most- so am looking for a sequential injection kit that works well on M50s. I may transplant an M52 or even N52 when as well or just instead... but then again, over time it'll only get cheaper to buy an e46 or an e60 or F07.

Life without the e34? No. I'll just get a new engine (they get cheaper with age too...)

[TechnoWeeny]

Sorry I am a devoted "Top End Fossil Fuel Burner" and I just can't see the Hybrid cars doing the milage, speed or offering the same levels of comfort and class as E34 and E90 Fossil Fuel burners do. The other thing that keeps popping into my head is the old saying ....... "There's no substitute for Cubic Capacity" Love my V8 on an open road and for around town and commuting I have the E90 330i ...... not boasting, just saying!!!

[whiskychaser]

Electric power has its place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19tCWAeoS6A

[Paul in NZ]

the only way (IMHO) that electric vehicles are of any relevance is if the electricity is produced in a truly sustainable way,ie geothermal or hydro.

[genphreak]

the only way (IMHO) that electric vehicles are of any relevance is if the electricity is produced in a truly sustainable way,ie geothermal or hydro.

In sunny climates a large solar array on each roof would cover the occupants energy needs each day (with today's Photo-Voltaic technology). Freight distribution centres have large roofs too and business continuity (backup power) can be supplied (at least in part) by existing grid infrastructure. If we don't want our children to live in cities to be taken over by drone-controlled favellas (a la Elysium), we need to do a lot about this (and root cause issues like corporate control, corruption & influence, preventing structural failure in governments globally, individual freedoms, data abuse & privacy, etcetera)...

Here in Australia we have a lot of LPG (Propane, Polypropylene and Butane) so it is by far the most effective source of energy from well to wheel- but the rest of the world needs it too, and our government will only see as far as nuclear power, so electricity may be generated using the sustainable energy sources we will ultimately need to build, despite receiving soaking up so much solar radiation, day in day out.

Paul in NZ is right too. Continents with mountains can build more hydro dams. Climates lacking abundant sun will have to use a wider mix of sustainable sources (wind, geothermal, etc.) but the governmental group-think (aka corporate lobbyists) can presently only grasp the simple option of replacing existing sources with nuclear. A lot safer (in terms of accidents) than it was, it still has massive problems in terms of the quantities of permanently dangerous waste we have to let store somewhere, for longer than we can trust ourselves to do. However cash-strapped American, Russian and possibly even European (and certainly Indian and Chinese) space agencies will offer governments cheap deals to 'place it out of our planet's orbit' (@!#$%!). The mere suggestion that this might be possible is enough for our leaders to green-light their mate's nuclear proposals.

So imagine a nuclear powered 10-ton Grand Turismo... the future Ultimate Driving Experience! The only question is whether it gets blue or green stripes!

[TechnoWeeny]

the only way (IMHO) that electric vehicles are of any relevance is if the electricity is produced in a truly sustainable way,ie geothermal or hydro.

My feeling is that if our (Australia) government was truly interested in sustainable long term energy needs we'd now be switching from Coal Seam Gas to Shale Seam Gas as it is much easier and cheaper to extract that the former preferred CSG. However in saying this ..... Australia has the worlds largest naturally occurring deposits of Uranium and should they ever decide to life the moratorium on Uranium mining Australia would instantly become the nucleus of work economy and Europe and American economies would rebound faster than ever before due to their existing developed Small Modular Reactor technology.

I know those of the Green persuasion would call this blasphemy and people voicing this or similar opinions would be hung for even suggesting it. But if you think rationally and know the TRUE facts Nuclear Power is a very sustainable and economic (barring excises and government imposed levies) that has ever been discovered. Waste has also been reduced dramatically due to reprocessing plants that have been in operation since the mid 90's.

So the only real threat is that of a human influence where personal ethics and radical thinking jeopardises the integrity of the operating plant. If the human risk element (Mismanagement, Sabotage etc) was mitigated then the whole world would benefit almost overnight.

New Zealand however has a natural energy source in thermo, Hydro and Wind generated power sources, yet their government is hobbling any new development of these technologies in favour of Crude Oil and conventional gas wells, how does that work?...... Now how the hell does this have any relevance to Hybrid Cars????? As genphreak pointed out so succinctly, what constitutes a true renewable, clean energy source for charging these vehicles?