BMW i8 Turns Into A Crypto Coin Miner…For Some Reason
BMW’s i8 is known for being a monumental forward leap in technology, but this crypto coin mining farm conversion takes it to the next level.
Since the i8 began rolling out to customers way back in 2014, it has been a beloved mark in the company’s history. BMW’s first true mark in a strictly performance-oriented hybrid sports car. Additionally, not since the iconic BMW M1 has there been a production mid-engine sports car from the automotive powerhouse. However, not everyone is buying them for the enjoyment of driving them. Some people buy them to demonstrate their status and really flaunt their wealth. Others, evidently, buy them to turn them into CryptoCurrency miners.
Indeed, this BMW i8 Roadster, purchased by Vegas crypto enthusiast Simon Byrne, is currently living life as an Ethereum miner, as pointed out by the lovely folks at Hardware Times. If you’re technologically inclined, you’ll note that the graphics cards pictured are PNY GeForce RTX 3080s. Furthermore, if you know about graphics cards, you’ll know that they are virtually impossible to find right now. Although, this may shed some light as to why. Byrne also has a standalone mining farm featuring 78 of the same graphics card that cost around $1,200 each. Again, that’s assuming you can find one. Let alone, 78. We digress; if you’ve got the money and the source for the hardware, do what you please! Is there really anything to this i8 miner, though?
Can this really be useful?
No. No, it can’t. Byrne claims it to be a great way to make money while he’s traveling. However, according to another Hardware Times article by the same author states that a single RTX 3080 running full time will net a profit of around $165 per month. Considering the miner in the i8 has six of them, the only way it could be reasonable to even come close to offsetting the car’s cost would be to run them constantly. This, my friends, is nothing more than a flex. If you’re going to do it, though, do it big. Byrne certainly didn’t fall short on that aspect.
So, while the i8 is a legendary step into BMW’s future with its advancements in plug-in hybrid technology and is blistering performance figures, nothing is stopping it from being a showpiece for the wealthy. Who cares about a blistering 4.4-second 0-60 mph sprint, right? Furthermore, who could possibly want to roll around with supercar styling while getting the equivalent to over 100 miles-per-gallon, right? It’s much better off being a flashy case for a crypto miner, for sure.
Though the i8 is no longer in production, we still have a soft spot for it in our hearts. We’re keeping our hopes up and our ears to the ground for BMW to release something as groundbreaking for their history as the original i8 launch was. That way, we can sit back and watch people do questionable things with that car, too.
Photos: Hardware Times, BMW