[ikonn]

My first Plaid sighting in the wild. I posted this on Reddit and comments were about the panel gaps and Tesla quality LOL.

I’m ready for an EV, but not to replace the 8, not yet.

[Seaford]

I went the other way…my head was saying ‘EV’ but the heart was saying ‘no’. In fairness the decision was more based on the lack of supporting infrastructure in the UK as of yet.

I had a Kia EV6 on test and it was superb in every way other than some of the interior trim. However, ticking all the options boxes pushed the price up to approaching £70,000…I opted for a year old mint 840 with every option for £20,000 less. I’ll be keeping it for a good few years!

[Beemer5to3]

I won’t buy an EV until I’m forced to - I loathe them.

[Vic55]

I would not but I did add one to compliment.

The Plaid is crazy with its speed and exponentially faster numbers from zero to 60 and rolls. Further, I got luck with good paint quality and panel construction. Its a novelty car to me but the sheer speed is amazing and Ill be straight up, the lack of exhaust is fine here with a nice 22 speaker system.

I had the OTA update on the Track Pack and now I can control the compression and rebound further than the normal settings along with the torque split. I was able to dial down the understeer a bit and gain better entry and exit speeds in curves and turns. The air suspension is more enduring than the M8 and its not a bad car for the current pricing (Elon has cut the shit out of it).

It would not be my first or 2nd car but its definitely something I have and still enjoy on the streets. So no I would not replace though.

[DTexan]

Damn Vic, I am usually not a fan of Tesla's appearance, but that is one sweet ride!

And to answer the question No, I would not replace.... Then again, I will probably be one of the last ones to get rid of my ICE.....

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by Vic55

I would not but I did add one to compliment.

The Plaid is crazy with its speed and exponentially faster numbers from zero to 60 and rolls. Further, I got luck with good paint quality and panel construction. Its a novelty car to me but the sheer speed is amazing and Ill be straight up, the lack of exhaust is fine here with a nice 22 speaker system.

I had the OTA update on the Track Pack and now I can control the compression and rebound further than the normal settings along with the torque split. I was able to dial down the understeer a bit and gain better entry and exit speeds in curves and turns. The air suspension is more enduring than the M8 and its not a bad car for the current pricing (Elon has cut the shit out of it).

It would not be my first or 2nd car but its definitely something I have and still enjoy on the streets. So no I would not replace though.

I'll be honest, that color with those wheels is amazing Vic. A few peeps in my cul de sac have gone solar with the intention of going electric for their cars. This tempts me too for the whole shebang...but I won't be giving up the M850 convertible anytime soon.

[Vic55]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

I'll be honest, that color with those wheels is amazing Vic. A few peeps in my cul de sac have gone solar with the intention of going electric for their cars. This tempts me too for the whole shebang...but I won't be giving up the M850 convertible anytime soon.

So with gas at 6 bucks a gallon Im not complaining when I use this car... The thing with this car is it just doesnt stop pulling as the motor rpms are not limited like past S cars and the wider body. The 60 to 130 times are in the mid to higher 4 seconds and that measure to me is more meaningful. People will chime in about the brakes and track failures but who the fuck tracks the damn thing at over 4800 lbs LOL.

Not a bad showing here plus some good brakes with the Track upgrade.

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by Vic55

I would not but I did add one to compliment.

The Plaid is crazy with its speed and exponentially faster numbers from zero to 60 and rolls. Further, I got luck with good paint quality and panel construction. Its a novelty car to me but the sheer speed is amazing and Ill be straight up, the lack of exhaust is fine here with a nice 22 speaker system.

It would not be my first or 2nd car but its definitely something I have and still enjoy on the streets. So no I would not replace though.

As I jokingly referred to you as the EV hugger on the forum sometime last year on a similar thread it's the "add" for the win vs to your point a replacement. I'd do it as well but with only a 2 car garage my space is limited and my POA gets cranky with even driveway parking. Not like I'd leave a $100K plus car out on the driveway anyway regardless of an absolutely safe neighborhood.

[Seaford]

Originally Posted by Seaford

I went the other way…my head was saying ‘EV’ but the heart was saying ‘no’. In fairness the decision was more based on the lack of supporting infrastructure in the UK as of yet.

I had a Kia EV6 on test and it was superb in every way other than some of the interior trim. However, ticking all the options boxes pushed the price up to approaching £70,000…I opted for a year old mint 840 with every option for £20,000 less. I’ll be keeping it for a good few years!

I should add to that - if I could justify having two cars the second one would be a small EV for local journeys - the 840 would spend most of the time in the garage!

The concept of using solar to charge an EV is an interesting one….but the up front costs involved would be very heavy. We had solar installed in June that comfortably covers the household needs plus exporting loads during the UK summer…seven year predicted payback on that. To add sufficient panels/batteries to additionally charge a EV would probably at least double the install cost.

[larryc]

So, after buying an XM for my wife, I've noticed that I drive it more often than my M850i GC. And funny thing is that I drive more often on the battery than ICE+battery. XM has a small battery which, in terms of acceleration, is far from any fully electric vehicle, but I don't have any problem with that (weird, I love loud and fast cars).

Compared to my 8, the XM has much better brakes (despite it's weight of 2.8 tonnes) and it's more nimble when I need it thanks to battery + ICE. Also the interior is an amazing place to be, the looks, the comfort, the steering - it checks everything. I also like the fact that you can charge at home and don't have to visit the gas station twice a week and should not worry about the battery getting empty since you have ICE to back it up for longer trips.

The only thing XM is missing is the charming exhaust sound of M850i.

When you jump into the 8 after the XM, it seems that the 8 is slower, or dumber when you floor it, even when driving calm, it lacks that instant gas response and braking power. I've bought the car new and it has only 10k miles on it.

So at this point I thought that's its worth giving a chance to a fully electric vehicle.

Once I have tried Porsche Taycan Turbo. Didn't like it. At all! The acceleration is there for sure, Dragy showed 3.0s 0-100kmh three times in a row. BUT the brakes were shitty, the interior is boring and feels cheap, had some rattling noises in the cabin, nothing special in terms of steering feel and suspension. It was so good to sit back in my 8.

So this time I decided to try the new BMW i4 M50. Actually there are not so many options out there to choose from. I'm not considering Tesla due to quality and boring/outdated design. I don't like the new EQ* jelly-beanish style of Mercedes. So there's Audi and BMW to choose from.

Back to the i4.

First impressions, you definitely feel the downgrade after 8 and XM. It's different class. I was ready for this, but still. The acceleration is very good for sure, the brakes are good, the steering and suspension are not as good as 2020 M850i. So another electric experience and...nah. No excitement at all despite the instant gas pedal response and it's ability to achieve illegal speeds in a blink of an eye.

So here is my conclusion based purely on my experience and expectations. With electric vehicles acceleration had become less important factor for a car. Most EV's can gain speed fast. It's nothing special anymore. The car should offer much more than that. The reason why XM is so amazing is because it's a very nice place to be in, it offers amazing driving experience in terms of comfort, agility, it has the looks, quality materials around you, on the best sound systems I've tried in a car, it's practical and efficient.

Compared to EVs, the M850i has the amazing sound, the best looks imho, still a great pleace to be in, the interior design is till very nice, the quality of materials is also there. Driving an ICE with a gearbox where it behaves differently depending on your revs, gear etc - all this makes the feel more unique. All EV's drive the same, linear power and torque.

So yeah, that's my POV. I'm still looking forward to see and try the new i5 M60, probably will try i7 M60 also, but at this point I don't think I will trade my 8 for any of these.

[ctelimad]

Originally Posted by larryc

So, after buying an XM for my wife, I've noticed that I drive it more often than my M850i GC. And funny thing is that I drive more often on the battery than ICE+battery. XM has a small battery which, in terms of acceleration, is far from any fully electric vehicle, but I don't have any problem with that (weird, I love loud and fast cars).

Compared to my 8, the XM has much better brakes (despite it's weight of 2.8 tonnes) and it's more nimble when I need it thanks to battery + ICE. Also the interior is an amazing place to be, the looks, the comfort, the steering - it checks everything. I also like the fact that you can charge at home and don't have to visit the gas station twice a week and should not worry about the battery getting empty since you have ICE to back it up for longer trips.

The only thing XM is missing is the charming exhaust sound of M850i.

When you jump into the 8 after the XM, it seems that the 8 is slower, or dumber when you floor it, even when driving calm, it lacks that instant gas response and braking power. I've bought the car new and it has only 10k miles on it.

So at this point I thought that's its worth giving a chance to a fully electric vehicle.

Once I have tried Porsche Taycan Turbo. Didn't like it. At all! The acceleration is there for sure, Dragy showed 3.0s 0-100kmh three times in a row. BUT the brakes were shitty, the interior is boring and feels cheap, had some rattling noises in the cabin, nothing special in terms of steering feel and suspension. It was so good to sit back in my 8.

So this time I decided to try the new BMW i4 M50. Actually there are not so many options out there to choose from. I'm not considering Tesla due to quality and boring/outdated design. I don't like the new EQ* jelly-beanish style of Mercedes. So there's Audi and BMW to choose from.

Back to the i4.

First impressions, you definitely feel the downgrade after 8 and XM. It's different class. I was ready for this, but still. The acceleration is very good for sure, the brakes are good, the steering and suspension are not as good as 2020 M850i. So another electric experience and...nah. No excitement at all despite the instant gas pedal response and it's ability to achieve illegal speeds in a blink of an eye.

So here is my conclusion based purely on my experience and expectations. With electric vehicles acceleration had become less important factor for a car. Most EV's can gain speed fast. It's nothing special anymore. The car should offer much more than that. The reason why XM is so amazing is because it's a very nice place to be in, it offers amazing driving experience in terms of comfort, agility, it has the looks, quality materials around you, on the best sound systems I've tried in a car, it's practical and efficient.

Compared to EVs, the M850i has the amazing sound, the best looks imho, still a great pleace to be in, the interior design is till very nice, the quality of materials is also there. Driving an ICE with a gearbox where it behaves differently depending on your revs, gear etc - all this makes the feel more unique. All EV's drive the same, linear power and torque.

So yeah, that's my POV. I'm still looking forward to see and try the new i5 M60, probably will try i7 M60 also, but at this point I don't think I will trade my 8 for any of these.

I also tried the XM and i agree on the comfort and the looks
Also the breaks are so good and i did not expect that
Regarding handling it is better because of 48v antiroll bars that will also see in the m5
The only thing i did not like is the transmission (confused) and it is kind of slow for this amount of money
I am waiting for the new m5 it should tick all the boxes except i do not like the rear end but maybe in person it is different so i will keep my judgment until i see it in person

[larryc]

As for XM's transmission, it's jerky until you do the first break-in service, then it's much smoother. At thirst I though the tranny was faultly, but much better now. Other XM owners report the same.

[jargon]

I absolutely would not lose the M8 for an EV.

[Wavy]

I've considered it but I feel like I'd regret it driving in complete silence. The crackles and roar are addicting.

[Kurator]

Fuck no.
I recently rented and drove fully electric Cadillac Lyriq.
The whole experience almost made me puke. My brain just
needs burbles and engine revving. Otherwise it thinks that
my body have been poisoned...

[M8Bimmer]

A EV has no soul.
So no Soul ='s No Sale
I like what Jerry Seinfeld said "What, are we outta gas"

[m3_08]

I would but my replacement doesn't exist in EV world. It should be all EV roadster with all luxury and tech loaded up.
In meantime I use model Y to go to COSTCO and dog park.

[specracer]

Im a hard NO on an EV period. So the thought of changing to that from something I enjoy driving??? That is a heck no.

[downeykp]

Hard fucking no. I would not give Elon the sweat off my balls let alone over $100k.
Like other said evs have no soul. I will take pops and burbles any day of the week.

[Seaford]

A small curve ball here….petrol engines are more efficient at generating noise and heat than power…somewhere between 20:to 25%;of the energy potential in petrol is turned into ‘power’.

Diesels are around 25 to 30%.

EVs convert in excess of 90% of their ‘fuel’ into power.

[Tenac]

To answer the post question.... No I love the soul and sound of my rides and the feeling it projects and you develop while driving. EV to me is just another appliance that goes into the trash when I'm bored of it... It will never get better with age or produce the feelings that my V8 does for me.

[Rob_G77]

From a value perspective, no. BMW EV are not selling well so it would just be buying another BMW with shitty resale value just like my M850i already has.

I think aside from the I4, BMW EV are way overpriced too.

Rob