If you could see into the future, it would no doubt be populated by cars like today’s Nice Price or No Dice i8. Once part of BMW’s grand scheme to build more frugal cars that are still fun, this is now just a piece of history. Let’s see if its price makes it one for the books.
Before we gaze into that crystal ball, we need to look back. Not too far, just to last Friday and the wonderfully weird 1974 Saab Sonett III that came under our consideration. Eclectic, well-presented, and wildly orange, that diminutive sports car offered a lot for its $9,900 asking price, something not lost on the majority of you. The end result was a massive 83 percent Nice Price win.
OK, now, back to the future. Well, one possible future, at least. You see, BMW has taken several stabs at an electrified future over the past decade or so, with none of them ever really hitting the mark. The first major attempt was the creation of the separate “i” division, which offered the wildly innovative and extremely forward-looking i3 and i8 hybrids. Ensuing models were not forthcoming, however, as BMW changed strategies, anointing Mini as the company’s electron bearer.
The idea of a totally electric Brit brand was quietly shelved as BMW changed tack once again to the model it has presently settled upon, offering electric and combustion versions of each of its mainstream models, Mini included.
That’s where we are today, a future that looks oddly similar to the past but is now made more interesting with greater consumer options from the Bavarian brand and a few fun and funky older models like this 2014 i8 hybrid coupe along for the ride.
The first impression the i8 offers is of its eclectic looks. Sculpted sides and origami angles abound, all wrapped around a tight and fairly traditional 2+2 cabin. Not so traditional are the A-pillar-hinged butterfly doors. Below those “Billionaire doors” are knee-high sills, required by the carbon fiber and composite passenger cell that is the centerpiece of the car’s structure. Somewhat comically, the rear of the car is styled to look like it’s pooping out another, smaller car. That’s probably not intentional, but dang it’s funny.
The drivetrain is just as futuristic as the looks. It’s comprised of a 228 horsepower 1.5-liter three-cylinder with integral electric helper motor and six-speed Aisin automatic all mounted behind the seats. Along with that is a 129-horse electric motor and two-speed automatic driving the front wheels. Juice for the electric motor is stored in a small 7.2 kWh lithium-ion battery which gives the car a range of 15 miles on electric power alone. Add the gas engine to the mix and the EPA claims the i8 can do 330 miles. With the combustion engine, the top speed increases from 75 mph to an electronically-limited 155, and zero to sixty times drop to just under four seconds. The price to pay for such fun is felt in fuel economy. With the gas engine engaged, the i8 gets a measly 28 mpg.
This one, in white over a cream and black interior, has done a little over 91,000 miles and is claimed by its seller to be a “mechanically sound car.” It does have some cosmetic blemishes, though, including a cracked windscreen and some chipped paint on the front bumper cap. The original equipment 20-inch alloys also have a bit of curb rash.
On the plus side, the rest of the car looks good, and the interior shows no signs of wear and tear despite the tight entry points that require a lot of slipping and sliding for ingress and egress. According to the ad, the title is clean, and the car sports up-to-date registration tags. It is under a loan from BMW Financial, so some additional finagling will be required between the seller and buyer to close the deal, but that shouldn’t prove too much of an imposition in the deal. Might some consider its $48,000 asking price to be an issue, though?
When new, this car cost upwards of $140,000. Now, fully a decade and many corporate dance moves from BMW later, prices on these eclectic cars have plummeted. Is this the right time to buy one? More importantly, is this the right time to buy this particular one at that $48,000 asking?
What do you say? Is that a fair price for a wild car from a once-imagined future? Or is that too much to pay for BMW’s abandoned dream?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Fresno, California, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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