BMW i3: Modern Mini-inspired megacity machine

By Ghaith Madadha - Nov 25,2019 - Last updated at Nov 25,2019

Photo courtesy of BMW

First unveiled in concept form in 2011 in tandem with the more glamorous hybrid i8 sports coupe under the banner of BMW’s new i sub-brand, the i3 was designed as a more radical and practical, if less stylish, electric runaround.

Inadvertently conjuring images of a nihilistic future, the talk then was that the i3 was the car for busier and futuristic “megacities”, the i3, however, did not envisage the same “Megacity” as UK comic book series Judge Dredd. Instead, the i3 concept adopted and extended the idea borrowed and long trialled by BMW’s British Mini division.

Past and present

Based on the presumption that the future was for more high tech urban-friendly city cars that commanded the same desirability in the eyes of a well-to-do and up and coming generation of drivers willing to pay a price premium for badge, gadgets and technology as contemporary as traditionally reserved for bigger more luxurious cars, the i3 entered production in 2013. Since then, it spawned a slightly sportier model and a version with a small petrol-powered “range extender” engine. Meanwhile, its battery pack and performance has been upgraded twice since then.

Arriving four decades after the BMW 1602 Elektroantrieb concept debuted at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the i3’s tall body and compressed dimensions, however, owe more to the 1992 BMW Z11 concept than the “02 series” sexy, shark-like and traditional berlinetta design. If anything, the i3 is conceptually more reminiscent of the license-built 1955 BMW Isetta bubble car. Launched in the aftermath of Germany’s crushing World War II defeat as a cheap, tiny, economical city car, the BMW Isetta was as much a departure in direction as the post-global financial crisis i3 was.

Design departure

A controversial design departure from BMW’s more conventional model range, the i3’s dimensions and configuration are informed by its compact rear-mounted electric motor and big heavy under floor batteries. The result is a tall body, short overhangs and a big footprint within compact 4-metre long dimensions. And not to everyone’s taste rather than conventional, the i3 also employs small rear-hinged rear ‘suicide’ door similar to the Mazda RX-8 and Toyota FJ Cruiser to improve cabin access, while its inconsistent glasshouse features radically different window lengths and styles to add to its busy and futuristic surfacing and styling.

Fronted with a big, tall and jutting bumper and slim compressed headlights, the i3’s electric motor sits atop the rear axle rather than behind its double kidney grille corporate face. Driving the rear wheels through a single-speed automatic gearbox, the i3’s electric motor develops an instant and constant 184lb/ft torque throughout 0-4,775rpm and 167BHP delivered in perfect progression at a 4,775prm peak. Silent, responsive and muscularly responsive at lower speeds, the i3 completes accelerates through 0-100km/h in 7.3-seconds and is versatile through 80-120km/h in 5.1-seconds, but with a single gear, top speed is limited to 150km/h.

Balancing act

With both power and torque output dropping off sharply past peak, the i3 performance potential and efficiency is somewhat limited beyond 4,775rpm. Best at lower revs and speeds, the i3 received a battery upgrade in 2017, to increase claimed everyday driving range to 200km and up to 300km, depending on criteria. Best for city driving and commuting, the i3’s range drops somewhat when driven more aggressively, on inclines and at speed. Charging times meanwhile vary significantly depending on five charger types, with an 80 per cent charge possible in 39 minutes using a high capacity charger and up to 11 hours using a 240v domestic socket.

A rare consumer car built using lightweight and stiff carbon-fibre construction that is usually reserved for exotics, the i3’s rigidity reaps benefits in terms comfort, handling and collision safety. The i3’s lightweight construction meanwhile offsets its heavy batteries, in finding a balance between adequate driving range without being too heavy. Riding on large alloy wheels and slim 155/70R19 tyres that slightly favour aesthetics and efficient low rolling resistance over outright grip and impact absorption, the i3 is nevertheless reassuring and comfortable enough for it purposes, and benefits from quick and direct steering as a result.

Interesting and airy

If lacking the sounds and driveline interaction that make so many small city cars so fun to drive, the i3 has interesting rear-engine rear-drive handling characteristics, similar to a Renault Twingo, and not too unlike a much diluted Porsche 911, with light front end, rear biased weighting and good rear traction. Meanwhile it is an easy-to-drive drive car with better stability than expected owing to its big footprint and low weight concentration, and despite its tall cabin. The i3 is also an agile car with good in-town manoeuvrability and a tight 9.86 metre turning circle.

Pleasant and airy with its two-spoke steering wheel, light tone trim, thin yet nicely contoured seats, good front visibility and user-friendly layouts, the i3’s tall cabin has an un-aggressive, relaxed and somewhat up-market ambiance. Cabin access is easy with no pillar separating the front and small rear “suicide” doors, while front headroom is good. Somewhat narrow inside, the i3, however, offers better than expected, if not outright generous, rear space. But accommodating just four passengers, it lacks the practicality of most five-seat hatchbacks, not to mention the driving range or quick refuelling of combustion engine vehicles for long distance driving.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Rear-mounted synchronous electric motor

Gearbox: single-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive

Gear ratio: 9.665:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 167 (170) [125] @4,775rpm

Power-to-weight: 134.6BHP/tonne (unladen)

Torque lb/ft (Nm): 184 (250) @0r-4,775pm

Torque-to-weight: 200.8Nm/tonne (unladen)

0-60km/h: 3.8-seconds

0-100km/h: under 7.3-seconds

80-120km/h: 5.1-seconds

Top speed: 150km/h