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      08-05-2014, 06:34 AM   #1
JasH
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Exclamation Flaw with i8 - pls copy and send to BMW if you agree

An extract from an email I sent BMW. If you agree, please feel free to copy/edit it and send it to your dealer:




I do have a significant complaint about the car however, and I am not alone amongst i8 customers in voicing it (online). Can you please ask the i8 software engineers to look into updating the car’s software to fix this.

For a fast sports car, the gear indication is extremely small and hard to see when in full manual mode. Ideally, the gear the car is in should be displayed centrally in the RPM dial when in full manual mode, and perhaps also in Sports mode. Related to this, and equally seriously, the HUD should be able to be configured to show the RPM and gear when in Sports mode. This would be infinitely more valuable than speed for example.

These are the most serious flaws with the i8 in my opinion, yet they should be relatively easy to fix.

Something similar that would be “nice to have” would be if the interior lighting would automatically switch to red when engaging Sports mode.

Please do pass this to the software engineers and the i8 development team, as these flaws otherwise detract from what is a ground-breaking car.

Last edited by JasH; 08-05-2014 at 07:09 AM..
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      08-05-2014, 12:13 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasH View Post
An extract from an email I sent BMW. If you agree, please feel free to copy/edit it and send it to your dealer:




I do have a significant complaint about the car however, and I am not alone amongst i8 customers in voicing it (online). Can you please ask the i8 software engineers to look into updating the car’s software to fix this.

For a fast sports car, the gear indication is extremely small and hard to see when in full manual mode. Ideally, the gear the car is in should be displayed centrally in the RPM dial when in full manual mode, and perhaps also in Sports mode. Related to this, and equally seriously, the HUD should be able to be configured to show the RPM and gear when in Sports mode. This would be infinitely more valuable than speed for example.

These are the most serious flaws with the i8 in my opinion, yet they should be relatively easy to fix.

Something similar that would be “nice to have” would be if the interior lighting would automatically switch to red when engaging Sports mode.

Please do pass this to the software engineers and the i8 development team, as these flaws otherwise detract from what is a ground-breaking car.
I wouldn't call that a "flaw" per se...that would indicate they designed/programmed it to show the gear in large text or in the HUD and it doesn't. That's probably either:

1) A design choice. i.e. Its focus isn't as a track car so knowing exactly what gear you're in isn't mission critical since the aural feedback is enough for street driving (either you're banging off the limiter or you aren't).

2) Design omission. They just didn't think to do it.

Either way they could probably do a software update to add it. In the past BMW's willingness to fix software issues has been hit or miss. Hopefully they see the "i" program as an opportunity to be more proactive about rolling improvements to existing cars, as Tesla has been.
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      08-05-2014, 03:22 PM   #3
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I can see where you are coming from. I am just saying that it is a flaw from my perspective.

It is not a track car, but I will definitely drive it on track - not much, but enough to see how she behaves.
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      08-05-2014, 03:28 PM   #4
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I think a gear indicator and RPM gauge in the HUD in Soort/full manual mode would be nice to have for canyons/back roads as well, not just the track.
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      08-05-2014, 03:53 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
I think a gear indicator and RPM gauge in the HUD in Soort/full manual mode would be nice to have for canyons/back roads as well, not just the track.
Agree 100%. Call or email Jacob Herb
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      08-05-2014, 04:06 PM   #6
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Thinking about it some more, I'm leaning towards them actively omitting it since the HUD in ///M cars with a DCT shows what gear you are in. More than likely it didn't fit with their "philosophy of use" for the i8. That doesn't mean they can't add it, just that they're trying to "say something" by not including it or making it a focus.
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      08-05-2014, 04:22 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac View Post
Thinking about it some more, I'm leaning towards them actively omitting it since the HUD in ///M cars with a DCT shows what gear you are in. More than likely it didn't fit with their "philosophy of use" for the i8. That doesn't mean they can't add it, just that they're trying to "say something" by not including it or making it a focus.
My "philosophy of use " for the i8 is Sport mode, so choices on the HUD should be mode dependent, big tachometer and gear position for Sport, battery level or something for e drive etc
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      08-05-2014, 04:51 PM   #8
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My M "car" has the M HUD w/gear and RPM but it's an automatic... blasphemy!!!

Philosophy of use or not (I agree with Carac's thinking as to why they omitted it) it's still a sports car ... So maybe they will bend the rules a little bit.

I wouldn't cry if it never makes it; it's more of a nice to have from my point of view.

Much more excited about the Display Key, for example.
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      08-06-2014, 06:08 AM   #9
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My "philosophy of use" is that I am the customer, so I am right

Seriously though, I agree with ddk's comment that it is a sports car, and would add that giving it a paddle shift system logically dictates being able to easily and quickly see what your RPM and gear are.
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      08-06-2014, 08:12 AM   #10
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JasH

I am assuming that you already have your i8 based on your posts. Here in the US, looks like mine will arrive in Sept.

In looking through the owners manual, in the section describing the HUD, it states that you can select what you want displayed via the menus. What is available for selection?
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      08-06-2014, 08:30 AM   #11
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The owners manual in the BMW i app doesn't list this out; there is a separate set of documents posted on Bimmerfest that does include the info:

HUD

4.1. Display and settings
In the "Settings" menu the driver can carry out some settings:
• Brightness
• Height
• Rotation
• Display

The display content is divided into:
• Current driving speed
• Check Control messages
• Set speed regulation by the cruise control with braking function (DCC)
• Road sign recognition (Speed limit information)
• Collision warning
• Pedestrian warning
• Traffic reports
• Navigation
• Audio lists
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      08-06-2014, 09:32 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mu2002cs View Post
JasH

I am assuming that you already have your i8 based on your posts. Here in the US, looks like mine will arrive in Sept.
Oh no, I only just ordered mine a few days ago Delivery in March 2015. (See my test drive thread.)


By the way, does anyone have a link to anywhere we can download the car manual please? (I have no VIN number etc yet)
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      08-06-2014, 09:35 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasH View Post
By the way, does anyone have a link to anywhere we can download the car manual please? (I have no VIN number etc yet)
It's available on the BMW i Driver's Guide app. There is a VIN in the Road and Track instrument test of the i8, see below thread:

http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1011746
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      08-07-2014, 02:26 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
It's available on the BMW i Driver's Guide app. There is a VIN in the Road and Track instrument test of the i8, see below thread:

http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1011746
Excellent <in my best Mr Burns impression>

Thank you, got it
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      08-10-2014, 11:08 AM   #15
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Question A few other things

I've been looking at the i3, and noticed two things inexplicably missing from the i8.

1/ Auto parking. The i8 has the sensors and cameras to enable this. So why is it not in the i8?

2/ Traffic Jam assist. The i3 will steer and accelerate/brake to keep up with crawling traffic in a jam. Again, the i8 cannot do this.

3/ No seat memory.


Anyone know why BMW kept these 3 features from the i8?
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      08-10-2014, 12:03 PM   #16
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No idea why. The'll say weight, energy, etc., but I am more inclined to believe that it's due to those things not having been "grandfathered in" early enough in the development cycle and they wanted to get the car out to market as fast as possible.

I also believe (could be wrong) that the i3 has Adaptive Cruise Control (camera based and maintains distance to cars in front, even coming to a full stop and then continuing as needed); the i8 also does not - only gets Dynamic Cruise Control, which is "cruise control with braking function" - I have this on my X6M and admit I've tried to figure out what it does and have so far not succeeded.
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      08-10-2014, 04:46 PM   #17
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ddk, yes I am sure you are right. It cannot be weight, as all the hardware is present on i8. Energy will be insignificant.

I did not know about the adaptive cruise control. A pity
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      08-11-2014, 06:56 AM   #18
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Jas, regarding the i8 having a seat memory function, it can be programmed into one of the Profiles in the iDrive system. I'm going to assign it to one of the eight one-touch preset buttons, that way I can position the seat further rearwards to aid getting in/out of the car, and then hit the preset button on the dash and it should position my seat to my driving position (as well as change a few other settings as defined in the Profile if required).

Regarding the gear indicator and rev counter display in both the dash and HUD, I raised this with BMW UK yesterday as they came along to the Wilton Classic Supercar event. He said he would feed it back, and said it should be something that could be done as something similar is already present in the M cars. N.B. although he said it could be done, he also said he couldn't promise anything.

T
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      08-11-2014, 09:00 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
I also believe (could be wrong) that the i3 has Adaptive Cruise Control (camera based and maintains distance to cars in front, even coming to a full stop and then continuing as needed); the i8 also does not - only gets Dynamic Cruise Control, which is "cruise control with braking function" - I have this on my X6M and admit I've tried to figure out what it does and have so far not succeeded.
Well that's disappointing. I had assumed "Dynamic" meant active (brake for cars and match speed). "Cruise control with braking function" is what some other companies call plain "Cruise Control". I guess I find it funny that the car can identify a pedestrian or read a speed limit sign with the cameras but can't match speed to a car in front of you. Many companies are moving from radar based to camera based systems. I guess I just assumed the i8 would.
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      08-11-2014, 09:03 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac View Post
Well that's disappointing. I had assumed "Dynamic" meant active (brake for cars and match speed). "Cruise control with braking function" is what some other companies call plain "Cruise Control". I guess I find it funny that the car can identify a pedestrian or read a speed limit sign with the cameras but can't match speed to a car in front of you. Many companies are moving from radar based to camera based systems. I guess I just assumed the i8 would.
I agree @Carac. It seems daft that BMW have not included 'active' cruise control (especially when it already has a detection-based alert system and multiple cameras installed). Similarly with blind-spot monitoring ('Lane Change Assist). The i8 is supposed to be a 'tech' car, yet it is missing some key tech that is currently used by several car manufactures!
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      08-11-2014, 09:39 AM   #21
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Yes, seriously these "tech" things should be in the "tech" car. The Adaptive Cruise Control is definitely a big one.

I just checked bmwusa.com and Adaptive Cruise Control isn't an option on the i3 either, like I previously thought. Probably because I read it somewhere and many of these "journalists" don't do the research and just make assumptions about things they are not familiar with.

Neither of the current BMW i cars has Adaptive Cruise Control;

I can see the camera based cruise control being a possible software update since all needed hardware exists and is already tied in to the control unit; lane change warning, less so but still possible as long as it doesn't need some special blinker (i.e, on the MB GL550, there's an actual triangle thing that lights up inside of the mirror itself).

It's not that these are needed things; just that, you know it will come up in conversation:
"Your i8 doesn't have lane change warning? Wow, my Kia has that!"
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      08-11-2014, 09:41 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac View Post
Well that's disappointing. I had assumed "Dynamic" meant active (brake for cars and match speed). "Cruise control with braking function" is what some other companies call plain "Cruise Control".
Ah, thanks! Yes, braking function means, you can slow the cruise control speed down with the lever, in addition to raising it. That's why I couldn't figure out what it does... I was already using that feature and was looking for another one....
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