At the 2012 LA Auto Show, BMW introduced their latest addition to the i sub-brand. Dubbed i3 Coupe, not i4 as we originally reported, the new concept is built atop the i3 four-door variant shown around in the last couple of years at various events around the world, and for the first time, we have a very close look at how the production version of the i3 would look like.
Thanks to the innovative LifeDrive architecture, the development process of the i3 Coupe was shorter than the original i3. The architecture renders the BMW i3 Coupe Concept light, safe, spacious and dynamic, core elements of the new i design language.
The i cars signature profile, ‘streamflow’ is highlighted on the i3 Concept Coupe as is BMW’s love of the color orange.
The interior is in keeping with the sustainable theme and layering approach. The door cards are assembled in part out of ‘kenaf’ fiber which contribute to a lighter weight.
Like the BMW i3 Concept, the Coupe is also propelled by an electric motor developed by the BMW Group, which develops a maximum output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton metres (184 lb-ft), and channels its instantaneous power delivery to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The electric motor draws its energy from the lithium-ion storage cells under the floor. Positioning the battery units here has the effect of lowering the centre of gravity considerably, which further adds to the vehicle’s sensationally agile handling.
Measuring 3,964 millimetres in length, 1,768 wide and 1,555 high, the BMW i3 Concept Coupe can be noted for its highly individual proportions. When compared directly to the BMW i3 Concept, the new study has a broader, lower-slung look that serves to highlight its agile nature at first glance. The wheelbase, on the other hand, is unchanged from that of the standard BMW i3 at 2,570 millimetres.
The BMW i3 (four-door) will hit the market in the last quarter of 2013, but pricing remains unknown at the moment.
