Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
Yeah, I'll stick with real automotive engineers when it comes to assessing drivetrains...
The i8 has an electric motor driving the front axle and an engine driving the rear w/ a bunch of software in between. BFD - like some modern greenie 2-engine Hot Wheels toy car - LOL. GM actually puts the two drive technologies together in a compact drive unit in a car that costs $40K not $150K. BMW's actual equivalent hybrid to the Volt, the i3, has a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine designed to get you back home to your solar powered i3 charging station, and hopefully there are not many hills in between. The Volt will drive in gas mode as far as across town or across country and not have to stop every hour for gas.
I'm sure you'll harp on the i8's performance, yeah, well, I'd get a C7 Vette for $70K and spend the other $80K on gasoline for it for the next 25 years.
Like I said, my wife and I have been driving BMWs daily since 1988 and my association with the brand goes back to the late 70's. I think they make some great cars, but to believe all the hype that comes out of BMWs PR department is something you need to take with a grain of salt.
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LOL.
Many of the voters ARE REAL ENGINEERS. For example, I don't know if you have heard of a little publication named CAR AND DRIVER. The writing staff is littered with mechanical engineers.
I appreciate what the SAE says about the VOLT and I have driven one, myself. Impressive technology as is the ability to sync 2 completely independent drivetrains in multiple modes, on the fly while altering the deployment of power. Let's be realistic...electric motors and their use is not special. Like many things, the devil is in the details and this powertrain and it's dynamic management and deployment of energy is nothing short of amazing. I am a real-world user who puts serious mileage on cars and I am stunned each time I drive the car.
Additionally, I have owned german cars since I was 18 years old and grew up in a Mercedes family. We came to own BMWs when the local MBZ would not cover a repair on my dads E320 when the vehicle was one day out of warranty in 2003. Since 2006 I have personally owned 6, 4 of which are still on the ground. My M6 and i8 are both Int'l Engine of the Year award winners. The award is special and prestigious and generally indicates that quite a bit of serious engineering went into the design of the awardees.
Dismissing the award that went to the S85 (an engineering masterpiece) for multiple years may indicate less than complete knowledge and appreciation of drivetrain engineering.
BTW. On the highlighted portion...the i8's version of the B38 has an electric motor incorporated into the ICE. And please show me the GM engine that can develop 152bHp per liter.
Cheers-mk