Another in the Rex queue

[S3RDP]

Hi everyone

Just a note to introduce myself as another "petrolhead" who has joined the Rex queue. Put down my deposit at the beginning of November with the hope (if I am not being too optimistic) of taking delivery in next April or May. I've worked up the various interior choices to end with Suite as Loft and Lodge look too light and therefore might easily get grubby. I hope from the comments that I have read on the forum that adding leather is not going to add too long to delivery as 6 months is already more than long enough especially for a car that has blown me away on the couple of times I have test driven it. I don't need to confirm the final spec until closer to the build date but every time I delve into the brochure I end up ticking another option. Because the car is so iconic you think that you are skimping if you don't go for the best. The long waiting list could also be a ploy by BMW for prospective owners to have more time to dream. The only upside is that the demand is bound to help the rather dismal residuals currently being quoted.

The strange thing was that although I had followed the launch of the i3 in the motoring press it didn't really register on my radar until I was invited for a test drive whilst waiting for a minor job to be done to my MINI. I had virtually decided to order another MINI Cooper S. Although I had not be wowed by the new model's chubbier looks it is undoubtably a more premium car, with its better build quality, refinement and BMW tech, than the two previous generations that I have owned. The MINI is also a great car to personalise. I was just amazed at how great the i3 was to drive and its fantastically thought out design. It seems to be great unknown secret although recent reports in Autocar have been becoming increasingly effusive. In this week's magazine it was judged to be the second best in their list of the top 50 cars on sale in the UK today. They even went on to conclude that if the Rex fuel tank's capacity was 25 litres instead of a mere nine it would have won the contest outright.

There is plenty to digest on this website, which seems to have a more active membership than the bmwi3forum, so I am going to enjoy learning much more about the car over the next few months. This is all the more helpful as I have seen very few i3s on the road so it is difficult to finally settle on colours and options. At the moment I am playing safe with Andesit Silver but as that is close to the Sparking Silver (champagne) of my current MINI I am tempted to be brave an opt for Solar Orange.

I hope all you lucky owners are enjoying your i3 experience. It really is going to be an excruciating wait.

Richard

 

[Dee123]

Hi there and welcome!

Also had a champagne mini once (clubman) though I'm going stormtrooper this time.

BEWARE!!! The long wait made me add to my options list I think I added five extra options: suite, DC, HK, and prof sat nav during my four month wait... I also wanted solar orange at one time but no cash left... Luckily the suite only added two weeks to my build date.

Then again these things appear to depend largely on the dealership's profile with BMW. I use an top rated dealership selling lots of M cars per month so perhaps that helped. However, my car appears to have sat in the factory for two weeks before being shipped out. Luckily I've been well taken care of by my dealer with a great loaner car.

 

[S3RDP]

Hello and thanks for your post

Is your car on track for delivery this week? Just in time to test those skinny tyres in the Scottish snow! How long have you waited? You must be getting really excited.

From the posts on this forum it is difficult to try and establish an average delivery wait. I got the impression from my dealer that there are no monthly dealer allocations and that we all join one long queue. It could be though that some dealers have a bit more leverage especially if they are prepared to take high spec 7 series (to try and sell - sorry discount - against the MB S class) or Z4s in winter.

DC and prof sat nav virtually obligatory but I skipped HK as I don’t anticipate listening to much music in the car. So far the other options I have ticked are Suite, Winter pack, Sunroof, Driving Assistant plus (a bit of an extravagance but I was converted by the experience when driving the demonstrator). At this stage have stuck with standard wheels.

I hope you have a great experience. I can only see demand increasing as word of this fabulous little car gets out. If you have not visited http://www.thebmwi3experience.com/#/start it is worth the drive.

Regards

Richard

 

[Dee123]

Well my car appears to have slipped to week 51 delivery even though it finish production week 46. Oh well.

 

[nowtta60]

Welcome. The wait will kill you! Mine was ordered August and due in Jan.

One thing I suggest straight away - get to understand the EVSE units on offer and start looking at what charging options are on offer in places you visit. Use zap-map. also have a look at if there are likely to be any CCS chargers on routes you use... any of the service with ChaDeMO chargers are likely to double up as Ecotricity who installed them have said that is their intention.

I decided that I want every input possible - so have DC and REX. that's more to do with me being a freelance IT contractor and working in different places every 6 months. My last stay away commute was 150 miles each way and my current run is 120 mile round triop. So REX was a must. I ummed and ahhed about the DC - but ultimately if it goes as planned paying less for electric on short stops you'd be making anyway is better than queing for unleaded and paying loads. You can leave the car on a CCS and pop in to BK/KFC/McD/Costa etc. There's a Chademo unit on the motorway exit I take - as I get in early I can sit and have my breakfast there before doing the last 5 miles to work.

Like S3RDP the long wait has seen me add more options... LED headlamps and the winter pack (as it's now winter and I'm driving in the dark and cold all the time). Apparently the way to save juice is preheat the car using you smart phone app whilst still tethered at home to melt ICE and get the cabin toasty, then when you set of knock the heater down and use the seat heaters. Also the winter pack preheats the battery to extend the range.

I've gone for storm trooper white.. and am looking for some "Republic" stickers to plaster it with and a suitable DVLA registration plate as I've got a 9 year old son into star wars. The interior reminds me of the big chrome ship Queen Amedala uses to escape Naboo. ;-) Skipped the sun glass as I'm going to get after market total blackout window tints to complete the look. Yet to decide whether to get the bonnet sprayed in body matching white.

 

[S3RDP]

Thanks nowtta60 for your advice. What do you get extra with the LED Headlight option? Are the standard headlights Halogen or Bi-xenon? I guess the LED lights are more efficient and therefore help extend range if you do a lot of night time driving but do they provide a lot more light? Quite an expensive option.

 

[nowtta60]

Thanks nowtta60 for your advice. What do you get extra with the LED Headlight option? Are the standard headlights Halogen or Bi-xenon? I guess the LED lights are more efficient and therefore help extend range if you do a lot of night time driving but do they provide a lot more light? Quite an expensive option.

Sadly you don't get much for £700. They aren't active led like audi had introduced, the range saving will be minimal. Maybe 0.1 miles if you are lucky.

I went with them just because for £700 I'm assuming they will light the road better than halogens and won't need replacing. 1.5 hour stints in the dark isn't much fun, so anything to take some eye strain will be good.

Theres a whole thread on the led lamps on here. They were originally sold as active. By that people assumed they would turn in corners etc. But it appears that isn't the case. I'll be having a play up against the garage door when i get mine just to see if anything happens. Turn the wheel, shine a pair of torch lights at it etc. Bmw do have a system that lets you leave the main beam on and it masks out cars in front of you to prevent dazzle. Audi have something similar which uses actice matrix led lights. You can see vidoes in their respective sites.

But the i3 main beams are separate, and the wrong colour aparrently so best to replace them with cool blue if you go for the LEDs. If you expect to be mostly in town or short trips LEDs probably aren't worth bothering with.

Fwiw.. I've just been reading about colour temperature in the effect on our brains. In relation to sleep. Apparently blue light is morning light and triggers waking up routines and purges of proteins. Probably why xenon and led are better. Yellow light is evening light and triggers sleep. Not good for halogens then. Is a problem as ipads and phones generate Blue light straight at your eyes so I've stopped using mine before bed and getting better sleep as a result.