Photography courtesy BMW
It’s time. The current BMW 3 Series has been out since before the pandemic (2018, to be exact). That means BMW’s getting ready to roll out the next generation. The automaker’s first reveal? The first all-electric 3 Series, the i3, aka NA0.
Right off the bat, the front end grabs your attention. The flattened kidneys and twin headlights combine into two forms that make it look more modern, yet still recognizable as a BMW. The front of the hood appears to taller, too, compared to the previous 3 Series, a move akin to many of today’s vehicles, especially trucks.
Another element that’s noticeable are the flared wheel arches, reminiscent of what’s on the M2, but a bit more subtle.
Overall, the “2.5-box silhouette” design, as BMW calls it, uses a cleaner, simpler design language than previous generations.
For those wondering on the performance details, the i3 puts out 463 hp and a maximum torque of 476 lb.-ft. It has a projected range of up to 440 miles.
The 2027 BMW i3 will be built in Munich, Germany, with production beginning in August 2026. No word on pricing and other specs yet.
Front is okay, back is whatever, and I hate the interior. As an EV, it seems like it will be impressive. I'm hoping that the refresh fixes the interior because as far as I know, Europe/China are going to require more physical buttons for safety standards.
Dumb electric door handles. I thought BMW would know that those are not well liked and may be illegal in certain markets. Hopefully those go away before this hits production. I kind of like the new grill compared to the most recent BMW's where they look like enraged hogs.
It’s not exactly gorgeous to my eye, but THANK GOD they are getting rid of the enraged hog or buck tooth grill! Anything is better than that.
pres589 (djronnebaum) said:Dumb electric door handles. I thought BMW would know that those are not well liked and may be illegal in certain markets. Hopefully those go away before this hits production. I kind of like the new grill compared to the most recent BMW's where they look like enraged hogs.
I pride myself in not yelling at the clouds for a lot of things, but door handles is one of them. I just don't understand why we felt the need to reinvent door handles–do they really mess with the aerodynamics that much?
The Tesla Model 3 handles could be designed to be mechanical, I think. So flush isn't the problem. It's making them purely electrical that's the problem. And with EVs, aero is really important so yes, door handles do matter.
What's impressive about this car is that it looks like a BMW even without the kidneys. So many cars are defined purely by their grille, but the grille is probably the least recognizable BMW part of the car. That interior is trying waaaay too hard.
Other outlets have stated this thing is going to have a massive battery. That range isn't just from efficiency. Which means it'll be chonky and expensive, alas. C'mon, BMW, offer a 250 mile variant with a battery that's nearly half the cost and let the market decide.
Reminds me of those awkward Trans Am body kits you could get for the new Camaro.
In reply to Puddy46 :
I see the resemblance. Some of us, though, still long for Pontiac's return. 
It just looks big–look at the height difference between the base of the windshield and the bottoms of the side windows.
Now, for comparison:
This is the first new BMW I've been truly excited about seeing M Division work on since I bought my car coming up on 16 years ago. The only BMW's I've been amped about recently have been Cadillacs
There are so many great things you can do with electric drive in an enthusiast car, if you start with "do what the driver asks" as a first principle, which I hope they have done.
Now that the powertrains seem to be mostly out of the decade-long public beta, I am very excited to see and drive the upcoming i3M? M3i? Mi3? If they do a Touring stateside I won't care what it's called, just shut up, take my money, and tell me the wheel and tire specs so I can order something to have fun on before the car arrives, as is tradition
And that transam bodykit was rad as heck
Displaying 1-10 of 29 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
