Swapping the A2 for a BMW i3 - thoughts please

manhattan$ said:
The upgrade interiors also come with interior LED lighting and LED external door handles. You can also code the car for video playback, folding mirrors and many more cool vcds like coding features.

You probably already know all this though. :)

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No, I am a complete i3 newbie, so very keen to learn.

Did the longer term ownership live up to (what was for me) a very surprising test drive!

Perhaps we should start an i3 owners club sub section on here!!! LOL

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
Well I found a solution.

My wife was totally against me selling the project (told you she had sense!) so I thought that this therefore meant that I couldn't work out a way to have an i3. But I have just cracked it!!!!

One rerason I normally end up selling my projects is because I get them to a state where they are more or less finished and so as good as they can get. Then they can only go one way, they deteriorate !!! so it goes from being a dream to bulld it to a reality of stone chips, wear and tear etc.

So since that is happening now, I have decided that a compromise might work!

The plan is as follows.

I have found a good quality car storage company reasonably local. They store VERY expensive cars and look after them really well.
They also allow regular access to take the car for a weekend whenever you want.

So I can get the car valetted and looking at its best and then store it and use it whenever I want.

That frees up a space for the i3 and I get to keep my A2. Works out a tad expensive (£200 a month, but that is cheap down here for that quality storage service). In fact I lose a LOT less money than if I sold my project, so it is not as crazy as it sounds. (ok it may be as crazy as it sounds, but it kinda works and my wife has said that she is ok with it as long as I don't sell my A2)

So I have tracked down a lease deal on a new i3.

Basically I get my car ready for AITP, then drive it to the storage straight after it.
Leave it there and pick up the i3 the next day.

The biggest trigger for this was the test drive of the i3, very impressed with it. 0-60 to match a BMW M3, lots of gadgets (a must for me) interesting car to have, with the size of an A2? What was there to not like.

With the bonus of my A2 to drive whenever I want to and it being kept warm and dry and it top condition for many years to come.


Very pleased.

Steve B
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Steve this is the BEST post if read EVER!!! Love your thinking and your right, this car just makes so much sense once you've driven it and looked in to the spec available - I'm extremely excited for you, and keen to meet up - I'v Amos wanted to see your A2 in person for so long - being a 7 car A2 owner myself. Steve do you have link to the build of your car the wife is keek to see the car and I can't seem to find it from your posts.




Andy Nicoll
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JDM Import specialists
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And I'm pleased you've gone for the Blue, I'll share my spec on here in more detail in a separate thread soon, a few weeks out for delivery (start of sept) for me.

If you use FB steve then join the I3 UK owners and BMW i3 (world) group if you haven't already - there's some very good info on there and I think your gonna love the tech side of things too. It's endless - I'v already got my access Ethernet cable and software to hack the ECU to make custom changes, as well some mods in the pipeline - I can't wait.

Burning question ; BEV or REX...?


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
 
andynics1 said:
Steve this is the BEST post if read EVER!!! Love your thinking and your right, this car just makes so much sense once you've driven it and looked in to the spec available - I'm extremely excited for you, and keen to meet up - I'v Amos wanted to see your A2 in person for so long - being a 7 car A2 owner myself. Steve do you have link to the build of your car the wife is keek to see the car and I can't seem to find it from your posts.




Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
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Hi Andy,

Thank you for that!
On the signature at the bottom of my posts is the link to the project thread, but it is a long one and has many posts where I was dittering about colour choice etc.

You need to come along to our socials. AITP or AUdi Driver International.

there is also the upcoming article in the Audi Driver magazine (September issue!)

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
No, I am a complete i3 newbie, so very keen to learn.

Did the longer term ownership live up to (what was for me) a very surprising test drive!

Perhaps we should start an i3 owners club sub section on here!!! LOL

Steve B
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As Andy mentioned, join the i3 user groups on Facebook. The i3UK one is more friendly and aimed at the UK users. Lots of great into on there for you.

I wasn't sure of the i3 before i test drove it, but 5 mins after the test drive i was sold, the wife too. Her words were 'I want one!' and that was very surprising!

Long term, we still love everything about the i3 and will replace it with another one, if i end up cancelling my Tesla Model3 reservation.

The i3 is so much fun at the traffic lights... Not many cars can beat it. There have been some very embarrassed faces.




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manhattan$ said:
As Andy mentioned, join the i3 user groups on Facebook. The i3UK one is more friendly and aimed at the UK users. Lots of great into on there for you.

I wasn't sure of the i3 before i test drove it, but 5 mins after the test drive i was sold, the wife too. Her words were 'I want one!' and that was very surprising!

Long term, we still love everything about the i3 and will replace it with another one, if i end up cancelling my Tesla Model3 reservation.

The i3 is so much fun at the traffic lights... Not many cars can beat it. There have been some very embarrassed faces.




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I agree, once you drive it and if you love the concept - you realise it's the future - I'm excited to start my EV journey, it's only just the beginning - by 20/20 EVs will be WAY more advanced, range in to the 300+ mile mark, affordable, quick induction charging points (no plug in) and 0-60 times of 2.5 sec as standard

Exciting times for the motoring industry I feel


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
 
andynics1 said:
BEV or REX steve and is it the 60ah or 94ah. The 60ah BEV are the lightest and quickest by a smidge


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
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I decided against the rex in the end, it gives you that greater range, but cost was a limit and I guess the number of charge points these days mean that you stop for a coffee and away you go again recharged.

It is the 94ah version, that was an important elemnt to me.

Steve B
 
Mr Angry said:
if only there was a five seat version :( i probably wouldnt be able to afford it anyways so i can only watch and envy you guys!

would love to get a shot of one though!

cammy
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Its quite affordable when you work out the savings on fuel/repairs/mot's,etc. £20-£25pm of electric instead of £150pm+ of fuel


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Birchall said:
I decided against the rex in the end, it gives you that greater range, but cost was a limit and I guess the number of charge points these days mean that you stop for a coffee and away you go again recharged.

It is the 94ah version, that was an important elemnt to me.

Steve B
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All electric here too. You have nothing to worry about with the bigger battery. Between 125-165 miles on a charge.


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Birchall said:
I decided against the rex in the end, it gives you that greater range, but cost was a limit and I guess the number of charge points these days mean that you stop for a coffee and away you go again recharged.

It is the 94ah version, that was an important elemnt to me.

Steve B
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This was a HARD decision for me tbh Steve, the decider was 2 fold -

1. It will be a business and family car and in both situations if I needed more range than electric could offer I would t have the time or inclination to use a public charge point

2. And actually this was one was the decider.

As you may know the Rex Engine sits above the rear axle slightly to the right UNDER the boot floor. Hence why the boot loading area is so high. However the non REX BEV version still has the high floor but a wasted blank storage space you have no access to which kinda frustrated me hence I though if I'm losing the load space I might as well fill it with a emergency ICE generator for me 94ah battery. It just means I can't race you at the lights as I'll be 250kg heavier ⚓️


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
 
andynics1 said:
This was a HARD decision for me tbh Steve, the decider was 2 fold -

1. It will be a business and family car and in both situations if I needed more range than electric could offer I would t have the time or inclination to use a public charge point

2. And actually this was one was the decider.

As you may know the Rex Engine sits above the rear axle slightly to the right UNDER the boot floor. Hence why the boot loading area is so high. However the non REX BEV version still has the high floor but a wasted blank storage space you have no access to which kinda frustrated me hence I though if I'm losing the load space I might as well fill it with a emergency ICE generator for me 94ah battery. It just means I can't race you at the lights as I'll be 250kg heavier ⚓️


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
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I was 100% sure I wanted a REX I just don't like limits basically.

But the range of cars they had did not include a REX and I was on the limit price wise and the extras were more important in the end.

I am pretty sure that if they had a REX on he list and if it was just a little above my budget I would have gone for it.

Swings and roundabouts though :D

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
I was 100% sure I wanted a REX I just don't like limits basically.

But the range of cars they had did not include a REX and I was on the limit price wise and the extras were more important in the end.

I am pretty sure that if they had a REX on he list and if it was just a little above my budget I would have gone for it.

Swings and roundabouts though :D

Steve B
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Sure, it's a strange process with the Lease Agreement rather than buying out right.

For example the REX engine was a tiny amount extra per month, like £6 on the rental cost, where as the sunroof I paid for was £12!!!!

They base the extra cost on how it will effect the residual value for resale after the 2 year lease is up, But to buy outright the REX was a extra £3K


Andy Nicoll
07977170544

JDM Import specialists
www.facebook.com/bhpimports
 
I am sure that all of you i3 owners on here know about this website but I found it amazingly useful

http://www.i3guide.com/index.php

Lots of things I didn't know, especially about the "Intelligent Safety system" and lots of other surprises.

Been told that mine is not in the country yet and should arrive in the UK at the end of September.

I am not the patient type, but I don't really have a choice!

Steve B
 
Some good info there. Thanks for the link.

Regarding your i3 delivery, at least it will make it into a 66' plate


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I have had the brochure here since seeing Ian's I3 at the curry night social earlier this year---but thats as far as i have got thus far. There is a great closed group on Facebook called "BMW I3 UK" loads of great info and some great coding of the cars electronics. Very jealous my only problem is they don't do yellow -Steve i hope you ordered factory white?
 
a2sumo said:
I have had the brochure here since seeing Ian's I3 at the curry night social earlier this year---but thats as far as i have got thus far. There is a great closed group on Facebook called "BMW I3 UK" loads of great info and some great coding of the cars electronics. Very jealous my only problem is they don't do yellow -Steve i hope you ordered factory white?
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LOL !!!!!!!!!

This will be my first EVER blue car!! and I have had hundreds of cars and never a blue one!

Steve B
 
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