BMW The All-new Neue Klasse BMW i3 Sedan


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The new BMW i3. Second model of the Neue Klasse.

The BMW 3 Series is the essence of the BMW brand. For five decades, this icon has stood for sporty driving pleasure, unmistakably attractive design and consistent progress. A legacy to which every generation of the BMW 3 Series is committed. The new, fully electric BMW i3 enhances the familiar character of the BMW 3 Series with additional, unique features.

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As the second model in the Neue Klasse, it represents a technological quantum leap into a new era. The first all-electric BMW 3 Series launches as the BMW i3 50 xDrive, which has an electric motor on both the front and rear axles. The combined system power output is 345 kW/469 hp1, the maximum torque is 645 Nm.1 The highly efficient sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, together with the new BMW Panoramic iDrive and Heart of Joy, delivers driving pleasure on a level never experienced before. With BMW Symbiotic Drive, the assisted driving experience is also entering a new era. The BMW i3 also stands for a modern interpretation of the hallmark design features of a BMW Sedan.

As a representative of the new design language, the new BMW i3 is immediately recognisable as a BMW 3 Series – assured, dynamic and intelligent. The hallmark BMW sporty silhouette proportions are reflected in the new 2.5-box design. Notable features are the long wheelbase, the greenhouse that slopes towards the rear and the short overhangs. The four-eyed face is familiar, yet still new. The BMW radiator grille and twin headlights merge into an innovative light signature, creating a powerful and expressive unit. The rear end, featuring prominently horizontal rear lights, further highlights precision and technological progress. The prominently flared wheel arches emphasise the sporty, wide stance of the new BMW i3. The interior offers a high level of spaciousness and makes full use of all the possibilities of the vehicle concept, which is consistently geared towards electromobility. At the same time, the interior represents driver-oriented sportiness. The new BMW Panoramic iDrive not only defines the modern and inviting interior, but also ushers in a new level of hallmark BMW driver orientation.

Sportiness and driving pleasure are invariably embedded in the DNA of the BMW 3 Series. The new BMW i3 sets new standards. Maximising the unmatched capabilities of electromobility, it offers impressively precise, effortless, and assured handling. The Heart of Joy high-performance computer shapes the BMW i3 driving experience. Its responses are ten times faster than in previous systems. Together with three other superbrain high-performance computers, the Heart of Joy forms the centrepiece of the new software and electronics architecture.

The new BMW i3 stands out for its excellent suitability for long journeys. Its range is up to 900 kilometres1 (in accordance with the WLTP test cycle). DC charging capacities of up to 400 kW also drastically reduce charging times. The DC fast charger can recharge energy for up to 400 km1 in 10 minutes (in accordance with ISO 12906 in the WLTP cycle). Sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology provides the prerequisites for this rapid progress. It comprises highly efficient electric motors, 800-volt technology and new high-voltage batteries with new round cells. The cell-to-pack design used enables high energy densities at pack level and a flatter high-voltage battery. The BMW i3 also features the bidirectional charging functions Vehicle-to-Load (optional AC charging Professional required), Vehicle-to-Home and Vehicle-to-Grid charging functions.

The BMW i3 is manufactured at the BMW Group plant in Munich, which is the home plant of the BMW Group. For more than a hundred years, the plant in Milbertshofen, in the north of Munich, has been producing premium vehicles. Over the last four years, the plant has seen significant modernisation: Alongside a new body shop, a cutting-edge vehicle assembly area incorporating logistics space has been constructed. The new buildings are in their final stages of expansion. Production of the new BMW i3 will start in these halls from August 2026. The first vehicles will be delivered from autumn this year. One year later, the production portfolio will be switched to exclusively fully electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse. The plant conversion includes a large number of modernisation measures.

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More to follow...
 
That photo shows that it also looks magnificent without the illuminated interior grille, more "bad boy," more future M3 perhaps?
 
THIS. Couldn’t agree more—it’s honestly maddening.

It's done to give the greenhouse a new modern shape, and I really like the result and general idea. It's still a proper Hot kink, but not in the way we've seen for like 30 years.

It'll likely be the same on the G50.

Should have been like that even with the engine on. Just the headlights and nothing else.
 
It actually looks better with smaller rims—I assume that's what those are! :D
Looks very cool, not that small. I think I saw that the smallest available size is 20 inches.
I'd like to see more photos in other colors and with other wheels.

I imagine the i3 debut to the public at the China Auto Show in April, alongside the iX3 LWB and SWB and the 7 Series FL. The competition will be fierce, since Mercedes will surely also debut the C-Class EQ, GLC EQ, and S-Class FL there.
 
Sorry Rolf but take a better look.
Just the placement of the central screen alone is completely different: it's placed on the shelf of the dash on the iX3, and it's hanging over the front of the dash in the i3.



It's done to give the greenhouse a new modern shape, and I really like the result and general idea. It's still a proper Hot kink, but not in the way we've seen for like 30 years.

It'll likely be the same on the G50.
Closer look at the HK and the imprint on the actual metal that flows around the glasshouse to make it stand out more.
IMG_3750.webp
The design has details that take in something from each generation of 3er such as the E36.
IMG_3751.webp
 
Closer look at the HK and the imprint on the actual metal that flows around the glasshouse to make it stand out more.
IMG_3750.webp
The design has details that take in something from each generation of 3er such as the E36.
IMG_3751.webp
It's very reminiscent of the overall design of the E36 at first glance.
One of the most noticeable details that the i3 and the E36 visually share is that they are the only two 3 Series models without chrome trim, and in my opinion, that makes them look modern.

I remember how modern and groundbreaking that detail was on the E36 when it was introduced, breaking with 100 years of chrome trim across the industry.
 
Looks too similar to the current 5-serie, I expected more from overhyped neue klasse. The iX3 is better looking.
 
Why would I have posted it if I was joking🤷🏽‍♂️. You want me to share the same subjective opinion on design as you do? We get it you don't like the designs of most new BMW and that's fine , but do not force your views down our throats, it's annoying.
Except I gave an objective reason why but ok
 
Closer look at the HK and the imprint on the actual metal that flows around the glasshouse to make it stand out more.
IMG_3750.webp
The design has details that take in something from each generation of 3er such as the E36.
IMG_3751.webp
IMG_2105.webp


Also reminds me of the imprint from the G30
 
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