outbox
BMW i8 Roadster and coupé: Something old, something new
Expect to be noticed in the BMW i8 Roadster and coupé. The streamlined shape of both cars shouts ’performance’
Sometimes it’s hard not to take things personally. I was driving BMW’s latest i3 plug-in electric vehicle from Johannesburg to Pretoria, obeying route instructions from the pre-programmed satnav, when it directed me off course and up to the gates of an Irene old-age estate. My (also mature) co-driver and I laughed it off as a technical glitch. But that afternoon, while driving the new i8 Roadster convertible, we were pulled over by a traffic policeman who suspected the car might have been stolen. Then he looked inside: "Oh, it’s old people. That’s all right, you can go." Twice in one day. Someone’s trying to tell me something. The reason for the constable’s suspicion was that we were in the dusty outskirts of the East Rand — not where you’d typically find a R2.3m sports car. One positive: I can state categorically that the i8’s soft-top closes as quickly as the manufacturer claims and that acceleration from zero is very fast. It was my fault we were there. My navigation skills weren...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.