How much a BMW i8 is worth now after the once-$135,000 exotic car suffers brutal depreciation with staggering 72% drop

If you’re in the market for a cool, unusual sports car, the BMW i8 might do the job.

It’s still a good-looking car, and it’s quite fast.

The i8 is even relatively economical to run thanks to its hybrid technology.

But there’s a reason why it depreciated so badly.

The i8 was ahead of its time

Back when it was unveiled, very few people were thinking about electric cars, and even fewer were considering using hybrid power to make cars go faster.

Hybrid powertrains were used to make cars more economical to run – like the Prius – and ultra-high-end hypercars were also using hybrid power.

But the notion of a production sports car at a lower price point with hybrid technology was foreign.

The i8 was one of the first hybrid sports cars built by a legacy manufacturer, and it also had a ‘fake’ exhaust noise.

This was another feature that was rare at the time.

Back then, automakers were already using electronics to control, mitigate, fine-tune, and improve engine notes.

But they weren’t using them to emphasize or create sound, which is what BMW did.

The i8 used a tiny 131hp 1.5-liter, which would presumably have produced a pretty feeble noise left to its own devices, which is why BMW intervened.

The BMW sold well, but it depreciated like mad

This was a unique-looking, expensive coupe with technology that wasn’t really popular, so the fact over 20,000 people bought one is nothing to sneeze at.

These days, a six-figure MSRP is common with so many sedans and SUVs but back in 2014, it was a serious thing.

And the BMW i8 did cost six figures.

Well, not anymore.

How much does the BMW i8 cost now?

In 2014, when it was launched, an entry-level i8 with no optional extras started at $135,700.

In 2020, right before being phased out, it started at $147,500.

Today, you can easily find i8s for under $50,000 with relatively low mileage.

A 2014 BMW i8 was recently put up for sale with just 19,136 miles on the clock for $37,500.

That’s roughly 72 percent off its original $135,700 MSRP.

Ouch.

Why it depreciated so badly

There are probably two reasons why it depreciated so badly.

First, we have to look at its practicality.

The i8 is a relatively flashy sports coupe.

It doesn’t look like an everyday car, and with tiny 2+2 seating and a minuscule trunk, it isn’t exactly practical for daily driving.

Because it’s a plug-in hybrid, it was viewed not just as a performance car, but as a tech product.

Tech depreciates quite quickly and badly.

And consumer technology tends to age and depreciate rapidly.

To some people, this is a cool-looking car, yes, but it comes with obsolete technology.