[FLYIN']

Originally Posted by LBbluem2

Is the i8 kind of Tesla like to drive?

So I have had lots of BMW's and a couple of years ago I thought I really wanted a Tesla P90D. I had made enough of a gain on my Tesla stock that I was going to pull out some profit and buy one. I have a couple of friends and a client with one and they rave about the car. One of my friends that has purchased two Tesla's hooked me up with his salesman who, when I said I was not 100% convinced, said he would give me a car for a week. Great!
The straight line acceleration is amazing. With Launch Control it's like getting shot out of a cannon. There's no delay or lag like a gas powered car, no ramping up of power- it has a linear power curve until it would hit whatever is in front of you, 190mph plus or a speeding ticket.

BUT... the interior was cheap feeling. Sure it has nice leather but the design is so minimalist that it gets very boring. Everything is operated by the touch screen so instead of a tactile feeling of a button or the iDrive you need to take your eyes off the road. Well for that it helps to have Autopilot but the crappy roads in Boston and Rhode Island means that you don't always have nice crisp lane markings and so the car almost ran off the road on a few occasions.
Handling was decent but at almost M5 prices I expected a little better feel on twisty roads.
Although you can charge easily at home ( and I had a charger in work too) having to stop for 45 minutes after 300 miles makes long trips suck.

In the end I bailed on the idea of the Tesla in favor of a 530e which was half the price and I could lease it for 3 years (knowing the range on the 530e is not enough to purchase).
I was hoping that by now that BMW would have come up with a 5 series hybrid electric that would have as much power as a 540 or better and be less expensive. Now with the price of gas versus electricity it actually costs more to power a Tesla than putting gas in an M5 (unless you have solar , which I don't). I have an X5 40e which will be changed to an X5 45e in A few months so I think that will be more like the power we need.

I drove an i8 for a few hours back in 2015. I thought the technology was cool but I could not see spending $160k on it as it's not really a daily driver. When I saw used ones with low miles in the $65k price range I found a really low mile CPO one. It's an awesome vehicle, drives like a BMW, can get 22 miles on all electric or 35mpg in Hybrid mode. Turn on sport mode and it will match an M4 for acceleration and handling ( but not really suitable for track as the battery would discharge over time). It's a head turner and all round fun. It makes for a great grand tourer (if you don't have a ton of luggage).

I'm going to use the M2 as my daily driver for 6 months then keep it in my garage for the winter with the i8. Once the warranty is up I'll mod it to a track car for fun and hopefully by then the next Hybrid BMW with M5 like power will be here (I hope).

[rwemersonrw]

Originally Posted by Mavallone

I have both, and the Tesla is another beast altogether. A great piece of technology that must be respected. It's a wonderful way to get around. However, thats why I have an M2C on the way. The Tesla is a bit sterile. Missing the soul that most BMWs have.

Absolutely. I don't poo poo the tech at all just not a fan. Hey I'm still stuck on stick so 🤷*♂️🤣. I'm always a little late to the party. 🤣

[Montaver]

It wouldn't be a bad weekend car. But better option would be an E92 M3. Get a good one for $45K it wont depreciate. Naturally aspirated, hydraulic steering, much more upmarket interior and feels far more connected. The M2C is great but all the f8x platform cars have a level of numbness which if you've spent a lot of time in the older cars never goes away. For a daily the M2C is great as you have a warranty etc. but if your not putting on miles there are better options.

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by Whohe123

Thanks for all the replies....

current daily is my Mrs Kia Picanto So I guess the M2 would be a semi DD/weekend car.... M2C looks like it wins..

In that case, the M2C will quickly become your DD and weekend car.

[IronCore864]

Originally Posted by kyrocks

I'd get a different weekend car. M2 or M2C really not that special to just be a weekend car in my opinion. It's a magnificent sporty DD for me.

This.

I sold my first M2C because it doesn't feel so special. It's a good car for sure. Just not very special.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by IronCore864

This.

I sold my first M2C because it doesn't feel so special. It's a good car for sure. Just not very special.

So you sold your first M2C and now have a second M2C?

[IronCore864]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

So you sold your first M2C and now have a second M2C?

I'm embarrassed to tell people this, but yes I ordered another one...

Reason being, I replaced my M2C with GTS 4.0 because M2C "isn't too special", then I was looking for a more practical second car for daily or longer tours.

I looked at quite a few choices actually, did test drive of a Macan S and a C63 Touring, then ended up ordering the M2C again, mostly because it's cheaper than those two and handles better, and I don't really need a big car. C63 9g tronic is a little underwhelming too; otherwise I'd get that.

Of course I changed color and a few options and to DKG as well since I have a manual one already and this might be the last car in BMW family to use a dual clutch transmission.