• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

BMW i3 Officially on sale - I thought they fired Bangle?!

SSSnail

SSSnail

Lifer
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/07/bmw-i3/

What the shiit is this fukc? Seriously, I mean, what... I... how... what, the... D:

01-2014-bmw-i3.jpg


03-2014-bmw-i3.jpg
 
From the front: meh two-tone econobox with some BMW features

From the back: designer is trying to scare the smiling Mazda 3 into a frown
 
It's OK. Not horrible, but not amazing. But it's an i3, so what do you expect?

What I don't understand is why Toyota insists of blocking the rear window of the Prius with that useless spoiler.

I do want a leaf for daily errands.
 
The other thing that kills me is the skinny little tires:

http://static6.businessinsider.com/...ph-spring-which-the-i3-does-in-35-seconds.jpg

That doesn't seem BMW-ish at all. Plus, the interior looks like the 70's crashed into a Porsche - leather-trimmed rucksack:

http://static1.businessinsider.com/...y-flat-floor-make-getting-in-and-out-easy.jpg

At some angles, it doesn't look so bad:

http://static2.businessinsider.com/...-teslas-model-s-but-it-has-a-lot-to-offer.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3702/9394178212_da271d10ab_b.jpg

And I do like the size - looks plenty roomy:

http://static2.businessinsider.com/...battery-power-brings-that-up-to-160-miles.jpg
 
Last edited:
Okay, a bit more information on the range extender:

The i3 will offer something unique for EVs, however - an optional range-extending generator. The 650-cubic centimeter, 34-hp two-cylinder gas engine from BMW's motorcycle division can be installed in the rear of the vehicle and doubles the car's range to nearly 200 miles. The range extender maintains a set charge level in the car but does not recharge it — like most range extenders it is meant to simply get you to the next charging outlet, where the electricity is cheaper. The engine adds about 330 pounds to the car, including a 2.4-gallon gas tank; the car itself weighs just 2,700 pounds thanks to its carbon fiber construction.
Click to expand...

So the motorcycle engine simply keeps the battery charged up enough to make it to an outlet. Still curious if the gas tank is refillable before having to charge. Otherwise, I'd say it's just a glorified Leaf and not a real Volt competitor.
 
I actually think it looks pretty good. I don't expect these grocery getter electric cars to look anything special.

Also LOL @ fox news going ape shit saying the car is a joke and looks horrible.. they are so far up the oil companies asses its sad.
 
I don't understand why all these electric vehicles need horrific two-tone styling. Personally I wouldn't mind having a car that looks in-line with everything else, the only difference being the drivetrain within.
 
It's a BMW, it must be beautiful and amazing.

:Sarcasm off:

What an ugly POS....wow. Bangle has ruined entire German design (his crap has spilled not only on MB and Audi but also entire car industry).

Ugliness is WIDE spread among car designs these days.....thanks Chris
 
Kaido said:
The other thing that kills me is the skinny little tires:

more-relevant-for-city-driving-is-the-0-to-30-mph-spring-which-the-i3-does-in-35-seconds.jpg
Click to expand...
Yeah probably helps a lot with range. Most like LRR tires and luckily it's lightish weight, so it would still handle/brake fairly well.

At some angles, it doesn't look so bad:

its-hardly-a-gorgeous-car-especially-compared-to-teslas-model-s-but-it-has-a-lot-to-offer.jpg
Click to expand...
Agreed, best angle of the car. The concept looked so futuristic. I'm not a fan of the 2-tone though, especially now.

Concept:
bmw-i3-concept-photo-421183-s-520x318.jpg


That looks like something out of "AI" the movie. It almost looks like it has some Chevy Volt influences on that side rear.
 
I do like how it looks. I am not sold on the extender with this model. It looks like it works fine for the volt.

Looking forward for new 2015 Nissan Leaf.
 
A friend of mine works for BMW and says its hideous, can't believe how bad it is. He says its being marketed as a 'city' car, but is HUGE for some reason. People around BMW sound like they are brainwashed saying its a great car in so many ways.

IMO it looks like a huge turd.
 
I wonder why they're putting such big motors in these things. I'd think you'd get better range with a smaller one, no? Curb weight is slightly lower than a Corolla.

I saw the concept in person at the auto show back in February. It's not a pretty car by anyone's standards. I see EVs as more playthings for wealthy environmentalists. Still got a long way to go before they're practical for the average commuter. It seems fairly comparable to the Prius C, which gets 50mpg according to the EPA, and is half the price. The i3 doesn't look like it has a lot of features on it. At least nothing you can't get on the fully loaded Prius C. Granted performance will be better. However, they are marketing it as a city car so I wonder how much those 170hp will really matter.
 
Compared to the weight of the batteries I'd imagine the additional motor weight required to give a car reasonable performance is inconsequential.

You can cripple a car by making it incapable of moving quickly, or you can add some weight and give people the option to choose how economical they want to be.

I'll take the control any day, and I think the weight of the i3 is quite impressive given that 450 lbs of that is batteries. I also don't think that 'huge' is a bad thing in this case, they've kept the weight 500 lbs below Fit EV and Leaf, yet they appear to have produced more interior space. Coming from my current Forester the Fit and Leaf both seem entirely too small, so larger/lighter seems pretty damn attractive to me.

Viper GTS
 
That rear "bumper" is just hideous. The two-tone over the rest of the car is "well, ok, I guess so..." but that "bumper" just sticks out like a sore thumb.

I wonder if it comes in black on black.
 
mmntech said:
I wonder why they're putting such big motors in these things. I'd think you'd get better range with a smaller one, no? Curb weight is slightly lower than a Corolla.

I saw the concept in person at the auto show back in February. It's not a pretty car by anyone's standards. I see EVs as more playthings for wealthy environmentalists. Still got a long way to go before they're practical for the average commuter. It seems fairly comparable to the Prius C, which gets 50mpg according to the EPA, and is half the price. The i3 doesn't look like it has a lot of features on it. At least nothing you can't get on the fully loaded Prius C. Granted performance will be better. However, they are marketing it as a city car so I wonder how much those 170hp will really matter.
Click to expand...

One of their key design features was to keep it "fun to drive". On the i3, the curb weight is 2700 pounds with 168 horsepower. I've taken my buddy's Honda Fit EV out several times now, which is 3252 pounds and has a 123-horsepower electric motor and it is SUPER zippy in Sports mode (Sports mode is the max 123 HP). So shaving off 550 pounds and adding 45 horsepower is going to make the BMW EV a beast to drive!

I've been mulling over their design decisions. I think they went with the extra performance (weight to HP ratio) to make sure that all of the reviews of their first EV product were stellar as far as driving it goes, which will give them a great initial foot in the door for a future electric market, because word will spread that driving an electric BMW is awesome. And I should note that the Fit EV even had plenty of pickup with 4 adults in the car - my last 117-horsepower ICE Fit would get pretty dang sluggish with that many fully-grown bodies inside...

As far as the aesthetic design goes, I suspect that they made it quirky to cover up for the low range. You can only drive about an hour or so with an 80-mile battery (or double that with the gas range extender), which is pretty low for a high-end car like a BMW, especially when Tesla comes with an optional 200 or 265-mile battery pack. So I think they made the car look funky so that people would look at it and say, hey, it's the new electric BMW car! It only gets 80 miles of range, but it's fun to drive and you don't have to buy gas! I think if they had stuck with a traditional body design with only 80 miles of range, that would have (eventually) put off EV buyers who want a $45k electric BMW, only to find out that it hardly goes anywhere. So I'm guessing that when the battery technology improves, we'll start seeing them in more traditional designs. So like a 4-series with a 300-mile range or a 5-series with an upgrade 500-mile range. So by then, they're treading on practical-range territory, without the risk of tarnishing their existing brand by having a car that looks like their other cars without having all of the features (i.e. range) that the gas models do.

So that's my take. It will probably be awesome to drive, but the design looks weird (and didn't have to), but that way people will forgive the low range because they will instantly recognize it was an electric car, not a "traditional" car that should have traditional range.
 
Eureka said:
I don't understand why all these electric vehicles need horrific two-tone styling. Personally I wouldn't mind having a car that looks in-line with everything else, the only difference being the drivetrain within.
Click to expand...

like this

img201305301607034101.jpg


im not a fan of the i3. or the leaf. or the prius. not because they dont burn dinosaurs, i dontlike most all new styles of cars. except the newer fusions, its the first ford car ive liked since the late 60s
 
Kaido said:
One of their key design features was to keep it "fun to drive". On the i3, the curb weight is 2700 pounds with 168 horsepower. I've taken my buddy's Honda Fit EV out several times now, which is 3252 pounds and has a 123-horsepower electric motor and it is SUPER zippy in Sports mode (Sports mode is the max 123 HP). So shaving off 550 pounds and adding 45 horsepower is going to make the BMW EV a beast to drive!

I've been mulling over their design decisions. I think they went with the extra performance (weight to HP ratio) to make sure that all of the reviews of their first EV product were stellar as far as driving it goes, which will give them a great initial foot in the door for a future electric market, because word will spread that driving an electric BMW is awesome. And I should note that the Fit EV even had plenty of pickup with 4 adults in the car - my last 117-horsepower ICE Fit would get pretty dang sluggish with that many fully-grown bodies inside...

As far as the aesthetic design goes, I suspect that they made it quirky to cover up for the low range. You can only drive about an hour or so with an 80-mile battery (or double that with the gas range extender), which is pretty low for a high-end car like a BMW, especially when Tesla comes with an optional 200 or 265-mile battery pack. So I think they made the car look funky so that people would look at it and say, hey, it's the new electric BMW car! It only gets 80 miles of range, but it's fun to drive and you don't have to buy gas! I think if they had stuck with a traditional body design with only 80 miles of range, that would have (eventually) put off EV buyers who want a $45k electric BMW, only to find out that it hardly goes anywhere. So I'm guessing that when the battery technology improves, we'll start seeing them in more traditional designs. So like a 4-series with a 300-mile range or a 5-series with an upgrade 500-mile range. So by then, they're treading on practical-range territory, without the risk of tarnishing their existing brand by having a car that looks like their other cars without having all of the features (i.e. range) that the gas models do.

So that's my take. It will probably be awesome to drive, but the design looks weird (and didn't have to), but that way people will forgive the low range because they will instantly recognize it was an electric car, not a "traditional" car that should have traditional range.
Click to expand...

I would hardly that kind of power level 'a beast.'
 
The side is a bit busy. that rear windows is the worst part for me, probably. Front and rear are...new and different, but not necessarily bad. But breaking the waistline like that, it hurts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top