AutoTrader's Best Kept Secret: Why The BMW i8 Roadster is a Bargain Buy 

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Paid $78k for a 2019 BMW i8 Coupe and it’s an absolute blast. So many people said don’t buy it but I’m glad I didn’t listen. Gets Lambo attention at half the price

Can’t believe how fresh it looks nearly a decade on

10 years old yet better looking than any current BMW...

What a fascinating car. I don't know how BMW does it all the time with their sports cars. Nobody wants them when they are new and after 20 years they become collectibles. BMW M1, BMW 850, Z8 and now this. Thanks for the video, Jay.

Can’t believe how right BMW got the looks of this car and then how wrong they have for every car since then!

It's a tidy-looking motor; not sure if I'd consider one over a 911 though. Tough choices (not really, I can't afford either).

The i8:is just drop dead gorgeous, full stop. It will still look “wow” in 20 years

Well Jay, I bought one, 2k miles for 65k, done loads of trips in it, it genuinely does 35 miles on a plug in charge, I did 1700 miles touring from UK to the Italian lakes and got Ave 43.5 mpg, I'm now on 10k miles, always gets a look everytime it's taken out, it's also rare only I think around 3.5k roadsters produced worldwide..its a keeper

This car was definitely ahead of it’s time when it came out all these years ago . Is looks better than a lot of 22/23 cars 👌🏾

Excellent review as always, James. I have been intrigued by these for years. I am so glad to see they really are a sleeper ‘exotic.’ As you said, seeing one really is an event. They are fantastic looking. I need to start looking around to find out a little more! Thanks, James!

2 years into ownership and love my Roadster. ………

Used to want one of these when they eventually dropped to something approaching affordable… but then I saw a red LC500 with the tan interior in the flesh. Maybe that will be within reach one day!

Having, very fortunately, owned an i8 and an i3, I can attest to the i3's brilliance too...regret parting with both! Great vid as always. Many thanks.

Hi Jay, your videos, choices of cars and evident culture are really appreciated. Keep doing so well!!!

Owned a coupe up until the BMW warranty ran out. Wasn’t brave enough to run one out of warranty though. Wonderful thing and loved the (semi synthetic) noise in the cabin, a mix of petrol engine and electric whine. Glorious sound.

It works perfectly in the snow, all season with tires specked for the country you live in, both summer and winter. We never use factory tires specs in Norway, delivered new from dealer with super grip. And with a aftermarked exhaust system it sounds pretty good!

just for your guide, the rear boot is significantly larger than it looks, I can get a good size medium 15kg case and some room for coats, inside you can get 2 regular carry on cases on the shelf behind the seats

The exhaust sound sounds pretty convincing bearing in mind there's a speaker in the backbox somewhere... Great review as always

Right. That’s my wind down Autotrader activity sorted then…! You mentioned the i3 - an amazingly overlooked car for just how important it is/was.I bought an i3s 18 months ago and besides being pittance to run (I charge it off solar), it’s a hoot to drive. Reminds me of the first superminis (106 GTI, Punto hit, Polo GTI, Saxo VTS etc). Perfect for todays roads. You’re more than welcome to come drive, along with my 540 touring which you’ve covered already.

Always interesting and informative as all his reviews.

You are correct James! I’d love to get my hands on one of these to test those rear seats 🙌

Sometimes, a new car design comes along and just looks right from the off. It can be relatively humble stuff, like the Mk1 Focus for example or the Alfa 156. This is one of those cars. Cars like this don’t seem to date and styling refreshes rarely improve matters, in fact, often just the reverse. Gorgeous looks. Almost impossible to get in and out of, thanks to wide stills, low roof and those gorgeous butterfly doors, but still a special thing. Kudos to BMW for having the nerve to build it. Same with the i3 for that matter.

loved the shots of the factory, really impressed with the production value

It was a brave design and concept. More interesting than just chucking another v12 in.

I drove one (coupe) at Llandow circuit, really good. It still looks lovely, and I still think that I'd love one (in black) ❤🥰😍 I remember the nice noise, no body roll, but needing to be a contortionist/acrobat to get in it.

Excellent Review. Well done on referencing your previous trip in an i8, and the terrible about town 'lag' of its accelerator/gearbox on pick up.....buyers beware!!!

This being one of my potential next cars thankyou for this video👏🏽

Always liked these. Former BMW i3 driver (and yes they are brilliant!). Dealer let me out in the coupe version of the i8. Drove like a saloon. ie -quite boring. Already could see the depreciation of the ones they had available. Roadster far more sexy, bigger battery and more interesting. Great review.

the i8 coupe is my "obtainable" dream car rn, i love them and would be a great upgrade over my CRZ (which you still need to get back to me for review btw). I would actually classify the i8 as a GT (especially the coupe as you can dump luggage on the rear seats)

Absolutely love these. Saw a blue one this morning, reminded me of just how cool they look. This one in grey with black wheels not so much

I'd never noticed that "giving birth to a 911" before you illustrated it. Now it can't be unseen 😆

‘Looks like it’s giving birth to a 911’! So funny 😂😂 I can’t unsee the 911 now!

You really are climbing the ranks of RU-vidr car reviewer. You started strong and have kept your way! Very proud to say I’ve been with you from the beginning! And also, loving the series with friends! So entertaining!!

Cheers Adam, thanks for the video.

I was never sure if I liked these things or not when I first saw one alongside me in a queue on the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) a few years ago. Still not sure, but you certainly make it seem a lot more interesting with this review. If only they made an Mi8, or i8 M Roadster, with a straight six, proper M division wheels / tyres / suspension / brakes. Oh well!

Still looks great all these years later, I was walking through Sheffield the other day and my friend who has absolutely no interest in cars and he saw one parked at the side of the road and said “I don’t know what that car is but I want it”

Very good review. At £55k for a used spider, it is in 2008 997 Turbo price bracket. It would be more appealing as a £35k option to be more easy to sell.

Jay, get yourself a motorcycle trailer that works for packing your gear, then no matter what vehicle you want to own, you always know how your gear can go with you, boot space then is less of an issue.

Perfect timing, Ive been wondering about a coupe.

The intellectual mans super car - no wonder it failed. As a designer, futurist and dare I say it - intellectual, I always loved it. Saw the Vision Dynamics Concept att the IAA in Frankfurt 2009 and that was kind of a religious moment. Stared at it for half an hour or so. BTW, I have driven a few i3's and it is proper fun!

I think the car is beautiful, but for the money i would rather by a cayman s or a lotus

Regarding the interior, I think the i8 does look different from other BMW models. No other BMW of the same period has that swooping dash, surely!

My dream car the BMW i8, when Leicester won the premier League everyone in the 1st team was bought 1 as a gift for winning the league all metallic blue . Heard on a football podcast earlier in the year that some players sold them but some of the players and ex players still have them as a celebration of winning the league. By all accounts the old chairman had 22 lined up at the training ground.

Can’t get over the mini engine! The doors help but the price of an m4 doesn’t 😂❤😊

Looks great, drives well, doors are a nightmare in car parks. Would love one as a daily but not enough luggage space, and not sporty enough to have as a toy.

Its an amazing thing. I love them. Had a look at one. Its the most impracticle thing I've ever sat in and at the time quite expensive. I bought an m140 instead. An equally insane machine. I'm sure i read somewhere the i8 headlamps alone are 5k a pop.

I've owned one. A know failure is metal fragments from the A/C lines getting into the shared battery cooling loop which can cause battery failure. The fix requires removing the battery in order to replace the coolant lines, a $25k USD fix

Well done James, I’m a huge fan of the i8 coupe in white, silver or blue. You have to give it to BMW they really were way ahead of everyone else. Thee boot space in the coupe is tiny, but the build quality, awesome looks, cockpit feel, noises in the cabin and the option of hybrid driving out ways everything else I love it. I must admit at £30 k they are a tempting guilty pleasure to avoid ulez.

my friend has one in skipton and it still stands out from the crowd even now you dont see many up here in yorkshire..about speed though when jayEmm says its no slouch it does not feel very quick to be in but you do feel the heft of it though even with the carbon fibre.

I just worked out a deal on one. I can’t wait to check it out.

I loved this car so much I ended up buying both the coupe and the roadster. I can’t complain, it does very well and neither one has given me any issues. It’s a unique car that’s a thrill to drive!

Had an i8 coupe for a while which I loved, but the early cars do have a few well known gremlins - coolant tank sensor = £1k replacement. Fuel tank filler flap sensor failure, door gas strut replacements etc. It's a complicated car - have a look at the assembly line video! The BMW warranty has a big long list if items not included should they fail, so be aware that although these cars are in the main reliable, you need a budget to cover the unexpected, and more than likely not covered by BMW. The car is much wider than say a 911 which does pose some parking problems with the fancy doors. The coupe is better balanced visually IMO as the back end of the roaster is just far too busy. The header rail on the roadster is just asking to be head butted for a tall driver which confirmed my choice of a coupe. I would go for a later model, as a lot of the electrical maladies have been resolved. It's a car that gets under your skin, however, for very long journeys, when you have long ago consumed your EV charge, you can't help thinking that the batteries and electric motor are along for the ride. Banging it into sport will of course re-charge the system, but on a motorway that seems pointless.

I was amazed the styling cues from this never permeated the bmw lineup. The front would translate very well to a sedan.

Agree, love these. Future classic

Nice review. But for some reason I cant save this to my playlists... ? Anyhow, I happen to own one; 2014 coupe with 82k km / 51k miles. Did over 10k km / 6300 miles during last summer alone. Was my DD for 5 months, gave me zero issues. Gives great MPG when one can charge it at home and at work, or during longer journeys which do. Driving long distances, battery depleted, speeds around 80-100km/h (55-60mph) I'll get under 7L/100km (42-45 UK MPG), if trying to be ... "eco friendly" I'll achieve under 6L/100km (50 UK MPG)! The car has such a great overall "efficiency". I've owned Porsche 911 (997 gen) and a Ferrari 360 Modena. Compared to Porsche this feels 100x more special, unique, "head turner" as Porsches, well those are everywhere - far too common sportscar for my liking. Only thing lagging in i8 is the engine soundtrack... There's plenty of luggage space at backseats, enough for 2 person 2 week road trip. Fuel consumption is ridiculously small compared to Porker not to mention 360 Modena. Driving position really good, I can drive for hours without stopping, longest drive being 5 hours. Servicing is really cheap as many of the parts are from ordinary BMW's or Minis. Insurance is dirt cheap, yearly taxes also. -Cost wisely (European heavy climate tax in fuels etc.) this is really cheap to run and maintain. By far the cheapest "exotic looking sports car" out there. The so called "major service" is much cheaper than for example major service for 997 gen Porsche 911. As the engine only has 3 spark plugs, 3 coils, takes 4 liters of oil and so forth. The brake pads / disks are dirt cheap, from 5 series M-sport models (?), all kind of sensors (lambda etc.) are from 1/2/3 -series BMW, engine is same than in Mini (sensors / parts wise). You doesn't have to pay for ... how to say it, "marque premium" like with Ferraris / Maseratis / or even Porsches. High Voltage hybrid battery pack being only "?" -mark, but I think those will became more and more cheap as the technology goes forwards and various parts will became more common. Nowadays 1 cell is around 1k euros and the battery pack has 6 separate cells. Each cell can be individually replaced and the battery pack "balanced". Of course there's the labour etc but i8 battery pack is more easy to remove than for example an engine of ordinary family sedan. It just drops out from the bottom after various cables / coolant hoses etc. has been detached. Here's more info: wiki.aalto.fi/download/attachments/91692283/high_voltage_batteries_of_bmw_vehicles.pdf?version=1 I think that majority of battery pack issues will come if car is being used with out proper charging / maintaining the charge, regularly maintaining the HV battery charge / charging it via house hold socket / home charging station is really important. But many of the owners just run these with ICE engine; charging the HV battery back only when driving enough. One can ruin even a cell phone / laptop battery under a year if having "I don't care" type of attitude... The i8 does not have soundtrack nor soul like a Ferrari, but also it does not come with £$£$£$ maintenance bills either. The i8 is much more exotic or head turner than many of the German sports cars, especially any kind of Porsche (Boxter, Cayman, 911). Of course AMG GTS / GTR and something like R8 V10 are at class of their own, but such is the price tag also, and overall maintenance. So far I'm really happy of my i8, Jayemm nailed it: (Exotic) supercar look with sportscar performance with supermini running costs!

Good update. Thanks,

Have mine a year, the getting in and out again 'issue' is slightly overegged (although without trying to be overly harsh - you look slightly larger than me!) I actually have significantly more issues getting out of my CRX - purely because its so low, despite being barely lowered. The rear seats are definitely for kids only - but they mean the car is more useable in more situations. Having had a true 2 seater (Cayman S) for a while - the lack of rear seats really became an issue.

Ah ha, I suggested this a while ago and you said it was in the pipeline 😄 I want one even more now, just got to shift a Daimler Double-Six first

Another great video

Jay, Everytime I hear the music I imagine you dancing to it. Lol

This car was ahead of its time...interms of design This car still looks fresh and modern

When production of these stopped, my local dealer had an ex demo car for sale at half new price and a brand new unregistered car with 40% off. Cannot recall if they were coupes or roadsters.

despite its faults, I still want one, they look so cool.

I missed out on a 2020 model in NZ by 30 minutes a few days - never been more upset at missing a purchase. Really want one.

YOU NEED to do an I3 now. amazing cars with same chassis construction

The mat Armstrong reference was on point lol

That awful black numberplate needs replacing with a (legal) one of the correct type right now

Great review; I purchased an i8 roadster in 2019. Its now 6 years old with only 2600 miles on the clock; i just love to look at it

Never watched him before but glad he popped up on my feed. Subscribed

I’d honestly forgotten that they made a roadster! I like the i8… the tyres look a bit slim though.

Have to disagree on the interior - still think about the interior on my friends coupe - felt like Jean Luc Picard every time I drove it. Amazing sweeping lines and lighting to match them, BMW also were first out the gate with the ‘fast mode means dash goes angry’ thing

I bought an LCI coupe three weeks ago. The bigger battery is great for EV mode around town

I love the i8 coupe, wish I could afford one!

As an i3 owner I would love to see one on the channel

Always like one, was even considering getting a certified one; until the horror stories started rolling in on cars out of warranty. Used BMW are iffy for a normal bimmer, the specialized hybrid one could be a nightmare.

its the millennial's M1.... 540Nm of torque!!! outrageous. top vid as ever sir!

I have an i8 roadster, my third i8. Rides much better than a modern 911 on uk roads, far less roads noise into the cabin. Much better gt. Life mpg is 55 on mine and i drive it enthusiastically. They made less than 3000 roadsters for 20000 coupes.

I never stopped loving this car❤

Would I change it for my Z4 Coupe? The mini engine is not the best. It looks good though. And I like it. But the cabrio is still expensive. 1.5 versus 3.0. I keep my Z4.

“Giving birth to a 911”? I LOL’d when I saw it!😂

I'm not a fan of anything EV or hybrid, so would never buy one, but this is one of the best looking BMWs ever, i pass one most days in electric blue, stunningly beautiful car.

The i8 is a future classic, especially as a roadster. Only 3884 were produced, much less as from the Z8. The Z8 was just a retro car, but tecnically nothing really new. The i8 has multiple innovations. I own several cars (992, Portofino, Pista), and believe it or not, but the i8 roadster gives me greatest pleasure.

I just bought one of these today…. It was £2.80 on Tesco Clubcard price. Granted it’s a scaled down version but still an delivery miles i8 though

Since they seem similar in concept, would the choice be the i8 or the Lexus LC500 (hybrid or V8)?

Like them, from afar, but can't forget Car Magazine's first drive (from distant memory in L. A.) comment that the rear looks like it's midway through birthing a 911...

If they gave it a V6 and a manual it would be something special. German Evora if you like. If not that then biggest possible inline 3 with a turbo and stick, just like Toyotas GR Yaris or Corolla.

Still like the original in white/blue more, if anything, rear seats can hold some stuff.

You total git, I've been keeping an eye on these slowly hitting their buffers, thinking ahhh, just a bit more...and you make a video telling everyone how effing great they are...harumph....;D

Hi Jay, your review made me look into buying an i8. On another note, how were you able to get a Black License Plate on it? I mean, I had a 1974 Pantera and because of it's age, I was able to get a Black front and rear license plate registration but on a 5 year old car, I didn't think it was possible?! Please enlighten me. Thanks very much and a great review as usual, keep up the good work.

The i8 Roadsters are the rarest and best of the "best of the best ( see Top Gears conclusion)". In 2018 BMW introduced, LCi ( Life Cycle Impulse) and so a number of upgrades to drive train, power, battery capacity to 11.3Kwh achieve 30 miles range. Perhaps equally beneficial are improvement to damping and anti roll, tyres , thereby improving handling, taking out any understeer reported on earlier cars. Also in car options, updated idrive (became touch screen) , Apple Car Play and resolutions to some common issues pre LCi Coupe's have experienced with cooling systems, AC. All the roadsters have the post LCi upgrades. I toured all over Europe Oct22-April23 , have no problem with luggage using softbags and laptop, rucksac behind seat etc. Just driven back down via Picos da Euroap, Portugals finest N roads, Serra da Estrela, N2 to Algarve for winter. It is the only car I've wanted to take twice. There is no other car that offers equivalent experience. Most underrated car in a generation.

I know you were not too enamoured originally, but I truly dont think you got at the time the impact of bang it over to the left and use manual to engage the amazing cog-swopper box and the car may have been in eco-pro in town also...but engage sport, ride the torque and then as you say, its properly fast especially on dry/wet roads which are helped (rally style) by narrow rubber. I dont agree about the understeer, its totally adjustable on the throttle imho and the SO1's are work well. The low c.o.g and 1500kg mean you get it to rotate around you pretty easily if you hold the traction button down, but thats not really what the car is about as the owner clearly understands. I love my i8 Roadster more than any other soft top I have eg SLS Roadster which is utterly awful to drive spiritedly. I personally think the coupe looks better, both are overstyled but the Roadster more so. In 35-40 yrs the Coupe i predict will be £400k and Roadster £500k akin to my E26 M1 - which agreed is not a supercar either..... but then neither is a 507 or Z8...BMW Dont do supercars as you say.

The West coast in the U.S. these go for around 70k and up with the convertible being more on the up side. These are not as cheap here, just like most BMWs. If there were 30-40k, I'd consider one. The i3 is much cheaper, more usable and with early models with the smaller battery getting closer to $10-15k here. Later models are closer to $30k with over twice the range of the early ones. It was bragged at the time that the i3 was the fastest accelerating production BMW from 0-30 ever. It is definitely fast 0-30 but goes back to normal after 30mph so it doesn't burn through the battery.

Was a great car, in advance for its time. I'd have one over a 911 everyday, they are quick and lovely. Is boot space an issue in the coupe, since you have the rear seats? However, big question what happens when the batteries die, because they will? So a big no for me

Trouble with this (and to lesser extent the i3), is the carbon tub and availability of parts. No problem if you're buying new and keeping for a couple of years but more difficult to keep on the road down the line.

Annnd... IF you watch any 'Throttle House' videos, YOU'LL KNOW that in the intro's they're showing James with a helmet bashing his head getting into the car!!! 🤣🤣🤣 (It was a clip taken from when they did review video on the i8) 😎🇬🇧

Nice review.

Always loved the look of these. But they were too expensive initially and James's review has now killed any desire to own one.

Hi Jay, you mention that you want to do a review of an i3, I have two, a 2014 Rex and a 2020 BEV very happy to let you have use of them.

I could never understand why it had the looks, but not the go. Agree a four cylinder petrol or turbo petrol hybrid with 500 bhp would have made more sense .