Photo: BMW
We expected the focus on the new i8 from BMW to die down once the car was completely unveiled, made its first deliveries and broke some records. However, it seems like things aren’t going our way.
The first ever plug-in hybrid sportscar from Munich is now seemingly getting more and more attention both from the media and its rivals. After defeating Audi in the race to launch the world’s first production car with laser headlights, the i8 is off to a great start.
In a recent interview for Automotive News Europe, BMW’s Boss of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Ian Robertson, claimed that there are certain advantages to being the first one on a niche market.
“Being first to market with new segments, as we did with our X models, helps to grow margins. In this regard, the i3 and i8 are off to a strong start,” he said.
That might very well be the case. The X models introduced the concept of premium SUVs to the world, soon being followed by other big manufacturers. Their popularity didn’t go down not even today, 15 years after the first such car was unveiled, the X5.
The same could apply to the more recent i sub-brand. This too is the first such attempt from a premium car maker, excluding Tesla, of course, that can’t really match the history of brands such as BMW.
The i3 is a new concept that hopes to take sustainable mobility into the premium class. After BMW launched it (despite all the protests coming from all sorts of people) others followed, such as Mercedes-Benz that is about to launch the electric B-Class.
However, the i3 is only part of the equation. All electric vehicles have been seen before, even though they weren’t ‘premium’ but the i8 is in a totally different league.
Its proposal is that of a sustainable enjoyable car, one that also makes you want to drive it and is not just a means to transportation that gets you from point A to B without polluting.
In this regard, it’s using a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine making 231 HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque, a decent engine that wouldn’t be considered ‘proper’ for a ‘sportscar’. However that unit is joined by an electric motor making 131 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque.
Together they make 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, once again a number that doesn’t exactly inspire ‘fear’. Coupled with the CFRP and aluminum body though, the i8 has incredible numbers that put it close to cars like 911 Porsches and Audi R8s.
But here’s the catch: even though they have similar performances and prices, the BMW alternative is more than 50 percent cleaner. And that’s where it makes a difference.
It’s also appealing to a completely different demographic, as Mr. Robertson said in the interview. These customers use them as they second, third of fourth car, they are somewhat statements to the curious crowds and not daily drivers:
“Lots of existing BMW customers [are] looking to also add an i8 to their garages. Some i8 early adopters are similar to Rolls-Royce customers, with multiple cars in multiple garages,” he said.
When asked whether ultrawealthy customers are already ordering such cars, the answer was rather stunning:
“Yes, one has ordered three of them, one per continent.”
In a recent interview for Automotive News Europe, BMW’s Boss of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Ian Robertson, claimed that there are certain advantages to being the first one on a niche market.
“Being first to market with new segments, as we did with our X models, helps to grow margins. In this regard, the i3 and i8 are off to a strong start,” he said.
That might very well be the case. The X models introduced the concept of premium SUVs to the world, soon being followed by other big manufacturers. Their popularity didn’t go down not even today, 15 years after the first such car was unveiled, the X5.
The same could apply to the more recent i sub-brand. This too is the first such attempt from a premium car maker, excluding Tesla, of course, that can’t really match the history of brands such as BMW.
The i3 is a new concept that hopes to take sustainable mobility into the premium class. After BMW launched it (despite all the protests coming from all sorts of people) others followed, such as Mercedes-Benz that is about to launch the electric B-Class.
However, the i3 is only part of the equation. All electric vehicles have been seen before, even though they weren’t ‘premium’ but the i8 is in a totally different league.
Its proposal is that of a sustainable enjoyable car, one that also makes you want to drive it and is not just a means to transportation that gets you from point A to B without polluting.
In this regard, it’s using a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine making 231 HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque, a decent engine that wouldn’t be considered ‘proper’ for a ‘sportscar’. However that unit is joined by an electric motor making 131 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque.
Together they make 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, once again a number that doesn’t exactly inspire ‘fear’. Coupled with the CFRP and aluminum body though, the i8 has incredible numbers that put it close to cars like 911 Porsches and Audi R8s.
But here’s the catch: even though they have similar performances and prices, the BMW alternative is more than 50 percent cleaner. And that’s where it makes a difference.
It’s also appealing to a completely different demographic, as Mr. Robertson said in the interview. These customers use them as they second, third of fourth car, they are somewhat statements to the curious crowds and not daily drivers:
“Lots of existing BMW customers [are] looking to also add an i8 to their garages. Some i8 early adopters are similar to Rolls-Royce customers, with multiple cars in multiple garages,” he said.
When asked whether ultrawealthy customers are already ordering such cars, the answer was rather stunning:
“Yes, one has ordered three of them, one per continent.”
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