Friday, May 20, 2011

2014 BMW i3

2014 BMW i3

BMW is hard at work building its new i sub-brand, and we’ve got photos of the Spirograph-embellished development vehicles to prove it. The two cars spied here—the smaller i3 and the high-performance i8—will be the first electrified models from the new project. Both are expected to show up in 2013, likely as 2014 models.

BMW i3

The i3, formerly known as the megacity vehicle, is the better-camouflaged of the two. The head- and taillights are strictly for illumination during testing; the production elements will be integrated into the aerodynamic body. Camo covers the i3’s take on the Hofmeister kink (the trademark element can be seen better on the i8 as a pinched rear side window), while another unseen item, the BMW kidney grille, is promised for the production model. The grille will be ringed in blue to denote the car’s inclusion in the new i sub-brand. Only one door per side is visible, although additional openings, possibly of the rear-hinged variety, may be covered by the wrapper.

Underneath the demented paisley are a carbon-fiber passenger cell and an aluminum chassis. This small city car will use costly lightweight materials to offset the weight of its batteries. A short front overhang and truncated “hood” allow BMW to offer a big interior in this hatchback’s small footprint. While it’s tough to gauge the i3’s exact size from these shots, we do know that it is larger than a Mini Cooper.

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