A Petrolhead take on the BMW i3..

[320touring]

Went on to my preferred "POOOOWWWWWEEEEEERRRRR" forum this morning and was greeted by this article:

BMW i3: Review - PistonHeads

alarmingly balanced and shows the car in a fair light- could this be the start of acceptance for elec cars within the general populace?

Reading the comments section is enlightening- still a fair few "dino til I die" out there..


What are your thoughts?

[MetroMPG]

It's quite the conclusion:

Similarly to the Tesla Model S, buyers will want one because it's a covetable object, not solely because it's electric. It was a notable triumph for Tesla in the luxury saloon market; to do it for the price of Prius + is quite a feat indeed.

[Flakbadger]

Thank you for the article 320touring. It's a really neat vehicle and it sounds like the reviewer was quite enamored with it---but I just have to say, its sides are a total disaster.

And isn't a black roof the exact opposite of the trend on EM?

:P

It is really neat to see electric vehicles gain larger acceptance. I think a large part of that has to do with electric vehicle manufacturers making their cars "cool." BMW, being well known for "cool" cars already, already had a bit of an advantage in that department.

[NachtRitter]

Wow! 155/70 19s... Wonder if the wheels come in the 5x100 bolt pattern...

Also am amused by the phrase

... the full sweaty eco-warrior feel

[euromodder]

But ugly IMO.
Inside and out.

I'll have the Tesla , thank you

[jeff88]

Why do high efficiency cars have to look so ugly? I don't think the i3 would be so bad, but with the weird window lines, it throws everything off. I think one of the reasons why the Tesla has done so well, is not because it's electric or covetable, but because it looks like a normal car.

I tried to do an aero-template, but the software doesn't work on my phone (I can't slide the pic or template on the screen). It seemed to match up fairly well. The rear roofline has a nice, not overly aggressive slope to it.

[320touring]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

It's quite the conclusion:

Indeed- essentially seems to suggest that the format and approach is such that the i3 is almost considered NORMAL- the comparison with the Prius + is telling..

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

Thank you for the article 320touring. It's a really neat vehicle and it sounds like the reviewer was quite enamored with it---but I just have to say, its sides are a total disaster.

And isn't a black roof the exact opposite of the trend on EM
:P
It is really neat to see electric vehicles gain larger acceptance. I think a large part of that has to do with electric vehicle manufacturers making their cars "cool." BMW, being well known for "cool" cars already, already had a bit of an advantage in that department.

Sides and roof are ok- currently in Europe there's a big following for "softroaders" like the Nissan Quashqi/Ford Kuga etc. So I think they're trying to tap that market too.

The black roof to attract heat would be handy in Scotland

re the cool cars- alas no!
BMW have "halo" models like the m3/5 etc, but the main brand is poor- dull as ditchwater and prone to understeer + full of Niche bull**** like the 5GT 3GT etc.
They outsell ford over here in the company car market by some margin, and their current diesel engines have quite the reputation for timing chain failures/dpf/thermostat/turbo and egr issues.
Gone are the days of "engineered to a spec"- we live in a "build down to a budget" reality. Driven by the new company car every 3 years approach
 

Originally Posted by NachtRitter

Wow! 155/70 19s... Wonder if the wheels come in the 5x100 bolt pattern...
Also am amused by the phrase

Most BMW's are 5x 120 now and the 155/70/19s are almost like a throwback to the 175/70/14s of yesteryear

Originally Posted by euromodder

But ugly IMO.
Inside and out.
I'll have the Tesla , thank you

Form over function? Poor show:-P

Originally Posted by jeff88

Why do high efficiency cars have to look so ugly? I don't think the i3 would be so bad, but with the weird window lines, it throws everything off. I think one of the reasons why the Tesla has done so well, is not because it's electric or covetable, but because it looks like a normal car.
I tried to do an aero-template, but the software doesn't work on my phone (I can't slide the pic or template on the screen). It seemed to match up fairly well. The rear roofline has a nice, not overly aggressive slope to it.

you make a good point re acceptability, but I reckon if it provides an effective solution, it'll be accepted- just like the prius, and 4cyl diesel BMWs!

I imagine the roof slope wont be too far off- minimum effort to move= best range

[spacemanspif]

Ugly in and ugly out. There is no need to make that thing look so terrible. I'm sure BMW says "this is the best design for getting people around a city but there are better looking boxes out there to cram people into.

155 tires?!?! How is that safe?? Don't dare make a sharp turn. I didn't feel safe running my Monte with 165s so I bought wider front rims to fit 225s and have a pair of 15x4s collecting dust.

The Tesla is beautiful and a good performer, the EV/no gas is just an added benefit and that is why Tesla is doing well. If the Prius and insights didn't look so goofy more people would have accepted them. People are leery of novel technology because of the unknown reliability; I don't think Tesla would be doing as well if they released their car before the insight and prius came out.

I a not going start an off-topic rant on BMW's (lack of) reliability. I've never been a fan of the brand and will never own one. People around here that own then get rid of them within 5 years for a new one and I almost never see old ones (5+years old) running around. So I'd never trust them with "new" and "unique" powertrains.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by jeff88

Why do high efficiency cars have to look so ugly?

It's all because of the eco-posers who didn't care about anything but suddently wanna get noticed and then feel entitled to brag about how "greenier" they are than their average neighbor.

I don't think the i3 would be so bad, but with the weird window lines, it throws everything off. I think one of the reasons why the Tesla has done so well, is not because it's electric or covetable, but because it looks like a normal car.

Altough I wouldn't buy a Tesla not just because I'm not into electric cars (and I also don't share some of Elon Musk's political views), I gotta admit that I like the design of the Model X. Regarding the i3, its design seems to be more shocking for BMW enthusiasts and customers than the original A-Class (which was initially developed to be an all-electric vehicle) was for Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts and customers.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

It's all because of the eco-posers who didn't care about anything but suddently wanna get noticed and then feel entitled to brag about how "greenier" they are than their average neighbor.




Altough I wouldn't buy a Tesla not just because I'm not into electric cars (and I also don't share some of Elon Musk's political views), I gotta admit that I like the design of the Model X. Regarding the i3, its design seems to be more shocking for BMW enthusiasts and customers than the original A-Class (which was initially developed to be an all-electric vehicle) was for Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts and customers.

Elon Musks political views? I was interested to learn about it, and read these three:
Musk
Elon Musk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elon Musk Dares To Have A Political Opinion On Twitter | TechCrunch

It doesn't seem like anything bad- is there something I am not seeing?

For the Beamer...I don't think it looks bad, it reminds me of a futuristic Smart Car. It does seem pretty evident that it was specifically built to look futuristic/special. I hope it performs to the hype the vehicle portrays.