You won’t see this exact car in production – the body is made entirely of carbon fibre – but BMW’s i3 Concept Coupe does provide a clear future direction, and that direction is purely electric.
Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the nicely styled coupe with the flowing roofline favoured by BMW i is said to be a parallel development of a future model for BMW’s ‘i’ brand.
Another feature unlikely to be seen in the production version is the seats – the four individual seats in the concept i3 won’t cut it in the mainstream.
The driveline is now familiar – BMW’s i3 powered by a 125kW/250Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels. Lithium ion batteries are housed under the floor to provide the low centre of gravity requisite for the hallmark BMW sporty driving dynamics.
And while the LifeDrive passenger cell and body are made from lightweight carbon fibre, the drive system, chassis, battery storage unit and structural/crash protection components employ aluminium.
Measuring 3,964mm in length, 1,768mm wide and 1,555mm high, BMW’s i3 Concept Coupe adopts lower stance than the first i3 Concept but shares the same wheelbase of 2,570mm.
The bodywork is painted in ‘Solar Orange’ metallic which contrasts with the black bonnet, roof and bootlid. ‘Frozen Grey matt paint is used for the BMW kidney grille on the front which features substantial aero work, directing the airflow to the front wheelarches. A diffuser directs airflow at the rear.
A steeply raked windscreen and large doors with frameless windows are part of the coupe styling. There’s no B-pillar thanks to the strength of carbon fibre but again side impact considerations would likely see a pillar included in the production version.
Wheels are 20-inch double-spoke alloys for a sporty touch.
Inside is a three-mode ‘Driving Experience Control’ with ‘Comfort’, ‘EcoPro’ and ‘EcoPro+’ settings – the latter claimed to increase range between re-charges by 20 per-cent (currently BMW says the range is 160kms).
