omg i thought the new i3 was supposed to be 'small'?

[IEDEI]

what happened here!? LOL

[makrop]

Hahaha

[BimmerE82]

BMW minivan??? WTF???

[firokzz]

Wait that's the i3!!!

I even saw it in person and it seemed small...??
Now that I see the comparison....
Huh weird

[631twentyeighteye]

RIP BMW.

[mike@x-ph.com]

[MightyMouseTech]

Does not look photochopped, is that really how big they are?

[chris82]

looks like a slightly modern european take on a minivan

[NYHoustonman]

For what it is, it's a pretty good size, IMO. I test drove one and it's a sprightly little a-to-b car, built well and feels like a BMW. The tires are laughably narrow, and it's tall and as such rolls quite a bit, so comparisons to a 1-series of any kind aren't really relevant - completely different purpose.

[3002 tii]

I got to sit in the i3 few weeks ago, I love the simple yet spacious interior, and how everything was designed with function in mind.

[foghat]

It is taller than the 1 series no doubt, but doesn't look much (if any) longer in that picture. Which, yes, would make it pretty small.

[Tuxedo]

Originally Posted by firokzz

Wait that's the i3!!!

I even saw it in person and it seemed small...??
Now that I see the comparison....
Huh weird

I've yet to look at the i3 but notice the cab forward style BMW forbid till now.

Originally Posted by 631twentyeighteye

RIP BMW.

I see a convergence of technology here and until a king of the hill victor we will see many different types of vehicles like this and like nothing we have ever seen. If nano carbon/diamond technology becomes main stream cars as we know wont exist cept in auctions and museums. Not the end imo but only the beginning of BMW

[Zombie1]

dafug is that?

[axtech]

Originally Posted by Tuxedo

Not the end imo but only the beginning of BMW

Well, how about the end of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" as a catchphrase that's become ironic when matched to cars like that? Now "ultimate driving" is being redefined more as luxury/convenience/prestige rather than engaging dynamics.

I agree in that BMW has evolved to target people who drive as a necessary evil to get from point A to B, and so the purpose of the car is to alleviate as much of the driving experience as possible by:
1. Eliminate road feel
2. Eliminate steering feel/weight
3. Eliminate ANY noise from outside the cabin, including engine noise
4. Maximize fuel efficiency at all costs
5. Shape the car to deliver #4 and #3
6. Functional utility for 1 car families (6 seats, easy to park)
7. Interior comfort and gee whiz tech

Sadly, the law of physics states that delivering 1 - 7 is mutually exclusive of what we imagine the "ultimate driving machine" to be. When you take cost into consideration, then all the budget of any given model is spent on 1-7, leaving very little for performance turning.

[Billup]

Ultimate Grocery Getting Machine

[NYHoustonman]

Originally Posted by axtech

Well, how about the end of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" as a catchphrase that's become ironic when matched to cars like that? Now "ultimate driving" is being redefined more as luxury/convenience/prestige rather than engaging dynamics.

I agree in that BMW has evolved to target people who drive as a necessary evil to get from point A to B, and so the purpose of the car is to alleviate as much of the driving experience as possible by:
1. Eliminate road feel
2. Eliminate steering feel/weight
3. Eliminate ANY noise from outside the cabin, including engine noise
4. Maximize fuel efficiency at all costs
5. Shape the car to deliver #4 and #3
6. Functional utility for 1 car families (6 seats, easy to park)
7. Interior comfort and gee whiz tech

Sadly, the law of physics states that delivering 1 - 7 is mutually exclusive of what we imagine the "ultimate driving machine" to be. When you take cost into consideration, then all the budget of any given model is spent on 1-7, leaving very little for performance turning.

You could say it's been this way for a long time now. I don't consider any of the X vehicles to be 'Ultimate Driving Machines,' for example. But BMW is still capable of making vehicles that fit that description, and the M235i and M3/M4 (and even M5 and M6, among others) look to be examples of that. Most of the cars BMW makes are still competitive in the fun-to-drive category with their contemporary rivals.

I hope the i-series does well for BMW - more money to spend on the other cars. Look at what Panamera and Cayenne sales have done for Porsche!

[jkoral]

The ActiveE is without a doubt, one of the ugliest 1-series produced (of course the E82 was never a looker).

Considering styling only, I would choose an i3 all day, every day.

The picture above increases my desire for an i3. Looks so much better by comparison.

[Black Prinz]

Originally Posted by jkoral

The ActiveE is without a doubt, one of the ugliest 1-series produced (of course the E82 was never a looker).

No worries all ActiveE's are crusher bound at lease expiration

[Overpar56]

My dealer had two to test drive. I looked at it. Seemed a decent golf cart. I passed on the test drive. I still have octane in my tank.

[ShocknAwe]

WELLL...

Compared to the whale in the yard that is the 3/4er and the other series cars also taking on increasingly massive proportions, the i3 IS small.

Saw an E39 5er next to a new 4er the other day, and the 4er looked like it dwarfed it.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by jkoral

The ActiveE is without a doubt, one of the ugliest 1-series produced (of course the E82 was never a looker).

Considering styling only, I would choose an i3 all day, every day.

The picture above increases my desire for an i3. Looks so much better by comparison.

completely disagree....IMO the e82 is the BEST looking BMW since the glory days of the 80s and 90s. It's squared off, old school in it's proportions and very very interesting as a design.

Sucks you own a car you find ugly....if never torture myself like that...