The BMW i range is one of the most exciting groups of cars around, but it’s always felt a bit like an add on. Sure, the new i3 and still stunning i8 are both incredible cars, but both first came out years ago, and they’re still the only two BMW i cars that exist – well, until now. Earlier this week, BMW has unveiled a new concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it’s set to be the third BMW i car.
Called the BMW i Vision Dynamic, it’s a concept car for now, but a production version should be coming very soon. Interestingly, it isn’t a sports car like the i8, nor an urban city car like the i3. Instead what’s basically the new i5 a four-door GT car that sits right in between the two.
“With the i3 and i8, we have designed a revolutionary city car and a revolutionary sports car,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design. “And now the BMW i Vision Dynamics is combining electric mobility with the core values of BMW: dynamism and elegance.”
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BMW says the Vision Dynamics will have a range of 373 miles, a top speed of 120mph and will go from 0-60mph in four seconds, so it won’t be slow – but it’s not trying be a sports car either. It’s probably best compared to the Tesla Model S P100D, which has a range of around 315 miles and a top speed of 155mph.
On the outside, the BMW i Vision Dynamics bears a strong resemblance to the 8 Series Concept BMW revealed earlier this year. It’s a large, graceful saloon with sweeping lines, and it also has a next-level front-end. Just like other BMWs, the i Vision Dynamics has a prominent double kidney grille, but this time with a futuristic twist.
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So, after the usual marketing and PR talk, what is BMW actually doing here? Well it’s exciting– that’s for sure – but hard to pinpoint. Earlier this year, rumours suggested BMW was going to kill the BMW i range and make all of its models electrified, but now it looks as though the BMW i range is here to stay. Weirdly the BMW i Vision Dynamics bears a strong resemblance to the 8 series, so it seems as though it’s a pure EV equivalent of BMW’s upcoming GT car.
Why not make a pure EV version of the 8 series instead? We’ll have to ask BMW.
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