![]() The 'suicide doors' (slang for a door hinged at the rear instead of the front) really help access to the back seats, as do the front seats, which are as thin as racing bucket seats without being uncomfortable. We’re prepared to believe BMW’s claims about 3-Series space on the inside sitting in traffic alongside the company’s X3 SUV drove home how efficient the designers were at packaging the i3. Because of this, the car offers plenty of room for four passengers, who sit as high up as in an SUV. Freed of the packaging compromises inherent with more conventional car designs, it benefits from a completely flat floor. The i3’s interior isn’t as polarizing as its external visage, but it is just as forward-thinking. The production line is highly automated, and, since there’s no welding or stamping, it’s less energy-intensive and a quieter place to work. ![]() Sustainable materials are used throughout. Renewable energy powers the factories in the US and Germany. According to BMW, the way the i3 is constructed is as forward-looking as the car itself. The two modules are put together on separate production lines and then bonded together by robots, followed by those plastic body panels. What’s more, that carbon fiber is actually produced in Moses Lake, Washington, in a joint venture between BMW and another company called SGL Group.Ĭontinuing with the lightweight theme, the car’s body panels are all thermoplastic (rather than steel or aluminum). Rather, the i3 uses a similar type of carbon composite-called Resin Transfer Moulding-to the current McLaren range of sports cars or the Alfa Romeo 4C. Sure, it’s not the handmade 'pre-preg' used in exotics like the Pagani Zonda or in Formula 1 cars, but those aren’t suitable for mass production. And the i3 does you can see exposed carbon fiber when you open the doors. ![]() The fact that the Life Module is made out of carbon fiber is something to boast about in and of itself. In fact, BMW will tell you the car has the same footprint as its 1-series while maintaining as much interior room as the larger (and best-selling) 3-Series. What’s more, despite the compact external dimensions, it has quite a lot of room inside. ![]() However, unlike most cars designed for cities, the i3 isn’t a two-seater. It has a wheel at each corner and very short overhangs, including a very short hood. The i3’s body shares some traits with other cars designed primarily for an urban environment (such as the Mercedes-Benz Smart). What’s certain is that the i3 clearly signals to people that you’re driving something different, an effect the Toyota Prius benefited from in the beginning as well. We got more than a few double takes from people in other cars while on the road as well. There’s no denying it, the i3’s exterior is radical and attracts some attention: not as much as a bright yellow Corvette perhaps, but over the course of a week several people approached us as we were parking or stopped in traffic wanting to know more about it. But with its unusual aesthetic and the still-in-progress adoption of EV infrastructure, is the i3 the car for an efficiency-minded city dweller? Of the two, the i3 is undoubtedly the more relevant, particularly since it doesn’t come with a six-figure price tag. We plan to take a closer look at the i8 in the coming months, but BMW was kind enough to supply us with an i3 for a few days recently. What’s more, like the Tesla Model S, they aim to do so without the hair shirt that can be all too common with EVs. The Project i cars use a range of alternative and sustainable materials in their construction along with electric or hybrid powertrains, but the automobiles retain BMW’s traditional emphasis on driving dynamics. The i3 is part of a two-car 'capsule collection' called Project i, the other half being the stunning i8 hybrid sports car (first seen as a concept car in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol). But keep an open mind about the i3's appearance, and you too may discover that it’s actually a very impressive little machine. In fact, its looks alone are polarizing enough for some people to dismiss it instantly (looking at you, Senior Reviews Editor Lee Hutchinson). It’s a radical departure from the Bavarian automaker’s mainstream offerings, looking like little else on the road. ![]() With the new i3 electric vehicle (EV) city car, BMW is making a pretty clear statement-the company is serious about designing and building cars properly adapted for the 21st century. Heated front seats, Andesite silver paint. Specs at a glance: 2014 BMW i3 (Range Extender)ĪC synchronous electric motor, 2 cylinder inline internal combustion engineġ57.8 in (4008 mm) x 69.9 in (1775 mm) x 62.1 in (1578 mm) (LWH) ![]()
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