Model S vs BMW i8

B.TSLA said:

My MS almost fully loaded without the headliner, carbon fiber spoiler, Napa Trim and rear facing seats still costs less than the BMW i8

I still pick the Model S as the goto car.
You be the Judge

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Nice find. Thanks for posting this. The BMW looks great. I'm sure it will be dynamically excellent. I wonder, does it have the low CG of the MS with the skateboard battery platform?

For me, Tesla has hit a home run because of the UTILITY of the MS. As much as I might like the i8, it's just an expensive toy. The MS is practical like an SUV or minivan. It will schlep my 3 kids and all their stuff. I can use it as a daily commuter. It can serve as an executive saloon for business meetings. And finally, I can fling it around like a sports car when I feel like it.

Plus it's made in the USA.

So, a no brainer for me.

Just goes to show what an amazing 2-seater Tesla could make (beyond the one they already did).

+1 DIL

I think that is what other automakers keep on missing. We want something that has no compromise and right now - Tesla is the only thing out there offering that.

ipryor said:

+1 DIL

I think that is what other automakers keep on missing. We want something that has no compromise and right now - Tesla is the only thing out there offering that.

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ipryor, you're up soon! are you sleeping at night?

DIL said:

ipryor, you're up soon! are you sleeping at night?

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That's a laugh ;-) I may as well have a newborn. See my latest update: On Page 17 of this thread

The i8 and the MS are not in competition with each other except in the minds of journalists that are trying to create conflict where there isn't any. The Cadillac ELR is the closest competitor and it isn't close enough to matter in any significant way either.

boy if tesla produced a low volume exotic it would be awesome

DIL said:

boy if tesla produced a low volume exotic it would be awesome

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They do. It's called the Model S! :tongue:

DIL said:

boy if tesla produced a low volume exotic it would be awesome

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I thought it was called the Roadster.

I think this has to be one of the most positive reports I've ever seen from Matt Miller. The only other times I've seen him are when he's spouting nonsense that Andrea James has had to pull him up on.

Surprisingly, I have no issues with this video. Summed it up pretty well, IMO. If you have money to burn, are only interested in looks, and want some (poser) green cred, go for the i8.

DIL said:

boy if tesla produced a low volume exotic it would be awesome

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That might not be as far off as one might think.
Probably not really a question of IF, but rather when....

I guess the next big question would be, how much?

And the third question: how many, or few would be produced?

(Talk about a World Beater!)


Back to Real World: First, let Telsa Motors maintain focus getting the Model X into production and general distribution, then let THAT awesome beast out of the box.

Mayhemm said:

.../ If you have money to burn, are only interested in looks, and want some (poser) green cred, go for the i8.

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Or like this: Personally I would rather see folks driving around in the i8, than in ICE-two-seaters from Alfa, AMG, Aston, Audi, Chevy, Ferrari, Inifiniti, Jaguar, Lambo, Lexus, Lotus, Maser, McLaren, Merc, Nissan, Porsche, Spyker, SRT etc. (Doesn’t really feel relevant to include the Porsche 918 since it costs like what? Six times as much as the i8? But sure, if it can be swung (?) – then I guess why not...)

SwedishAdvocate said:

Or like this: Personally I would rather see folks driving around in the i8, than in ICE-two-seaters from Alfa, AMG, Aston, Audi, Chevy, Ferrari, Inifiniti, Jaguar, Lambo, Lexus, Lotus, Maser, McLaren, Merc, Nissan, Porsche, Spyker, SRT etc. (Doesn’t really feel relevant to include the Porsche 918 since it costs like what? Six times as much as the i8? But sure, if it can be swung (?) – then I guess why not...)

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Yeah. When you put it like that...:redface:

DIL said:

Nice find. Thanks for posting this. The BMW looks great. I'm sure it will be dynamically excellent. I wonder, does it have the low CG of the MS with the skateboard battery platform?

For me, Tesla has hit a home run because of the UTILITY of the MS. As much as I might like the i8, it's just an expensive toy. The MS is practical like an SUV or minivan. It will schlep my 3 kids and all their stuff. I can use it as a daily commuter. It can serve as an executive saloon for business meetings. And finally, I can fling it around like a sports car when I feel like it.

Plus it's made in the USA.

So, a no brainer for me.

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+1. Five kids - can take them all without having to drive my wife's minivan... and put on a tow hitch to carry bikes (though I've had two people plus bike inside the S before the hitch - try that in an i8!)

I think this comparison doesn't make sense.

The BWM i8 should be compared to high-end sports cars like the upcoming Honda/Acura NSX or a possible future "Roadster 2.0" from Tesla. It is not a sedan.

Maybe BMW will one day produce an "i5" or an "i7" that can be compared to the Model S?

The i5M.... Now that could be a BMW I could get excited about. (assuming it wasn't a plug-in hybrid).

tftf said:

I think this comparison doesn't make sense.

The BWM i8 should be compared to high-end sports cars like the upcoming Honda/Acura NSX or a possible future "Roadster 2.0" from Tesla. It is not a sedan.

Maybe BMW will one day produce an "i5" or an "i7" that can be compared to the Model S?

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tftf said:

I think this comparison doesn't make sense.

The BWM i8 should be compared to high-end sports cars like the upcoming Honda/Acura NSX or a possible future "Roadster 2.0" from Tesla. It is not a sedan.

Maybe BMW will one day produce an "i5" or an "i7" that can be compared to the Model S?

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You're right, it doesn't make sense. However, Tesla is currently setting the standard for electric drive, so any new electric vehicle is automatically going to be compared to them. The style/category of competition is irrelevant until there are enough EVs to fill each category. Until then they're all just EVs.

Mayhemm said:

You're right, it doesn't make sense. However, Tesla is currently setting the standard for electric drive, so any new electric vehicle is automatically going to be compared to them. The style/category of competition is irrelevant until there are enough EVs to fill each category. Until then they're all just EVs.

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You're right, it doesn't make sense.
and yes, tesla is setting the standard for EV's..

only thing is... I8 is not an EV, it's a hybrid.. Therefore, they just can't and shouldn't be compared to eachother by any means I think.. They're not in the same category. And they don't share the same target audience nor looks/style nor technology nor price tag, vision, nothing... Except they both have four wheels and have a battery, just like an ICE car ..

Tesla is waaaaaaay ahead of BMW as far as EV driving is concerned (mind you, I am a BMW-lover ). BMW should be ashamed of themselves afaic, being blown away by a "startup" just like this in the EV department. Not to mention other big car manufacturers that have been sleeping.

or to put it differently... Is Tesla THAT brilliant? Or are the big brands THAT lazy/afraid/spoiled/traditional or whatever? And I'm not talking about the car alone.. It's even more about the approach as a whole. The free superchargers, the 17" touchscreen, the internet updates, the app, the battery swap technology et cetera..

So, I8? Basically a car like every other car, only a bit faster, nicer, more expensive. True, a nice step in a new direction for BMW, but nowhere near revolutionary.
Model S? A new approach on mobility and one that is successfully being adopted worldwide step by step.The model s is a car that will be remembered as the one that showed the world what true next gen driving/technology is really about.