[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by Aye-eight

4-motor EV, huh? This has been discussed in this forum before. If memory serves, I got laughed at a little bit for the thought due to the unsprung weight issue. Wonder how they solved that in a race car.

Thinking this a bit further - I suppose they don't use hub motors, but instead place them towards the centers of the axles and give them axle shafts ...

Yeah, I think you answered your own question. You won't see hub motors in sports car applications because of the unsprung weight issue, but it's not at all unusual to see one-motor-per-wheel in an inboard configuration.

[Charlie Brown]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

I know I am bias in saying this but in the right color, trim level, wheels and with the right modifications, I think the i3 looks great. I have always liked hatches, wagons and even some SUV's. I think darker colors make the 2-tone of the i3 a bit less obnoxious. This is a Tera REx with all options, lowered on H&R springs with 15mm front spacers and 20mm rear spacers, tinted windows, wheel arch reflectors vinyl wrapped, mirror indicators vinyl wrapped and rear lower bumper lights (not pictured) vinyl wrapped. I love it.

Looks great!

IMHO, BMW could easily give the i3 a 0-60 of 3.5 seconds and a Tesla like "Albern" mode to cover the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds. Combined with an aggressive hot-hatch look and it will sell, even at BMW premiums. Millennials everywhere will want to own it thinking it's green and rebellious at the same time.

With the i8, I agree it needs some decent range and a quick charge system. But range in miles is one thing, it needs to be able to get through an HPDE event with only one recharge. Meaning, it needs to be able to at least get through an hour of track time (usually two half hour sessions) flat out before recharging over lunch. If it can do that, combined with all the power of the proposed three motors, then it's a contender for more share of the "exotic" market.

[JasH]

I have a i3 BEV, and it is already surprisingly quick off the lights as it is so light and has instant torque.

Vast majority of cars can't keep up, up to 40mph. Even after that, it is pretty rapid up to about 70mph. Top speed is about 95mph.

I don't think it is pretty though, from the front. Borderline ugly. Side and rear perspectives look very nice.

[bmwmnation]

Yuck

[3s-a-charm]

Originally Posted by hotrod182

Might be interesting to note that in today's Pike Peak Hill Climb Challenge, the 2nd quickest motorcycle and 2nd quickest car were all electric, and without perfect runs. Lots of international drivers, but both these 2nd place EV drivers were from California! The 2nd place EV (Rhys Millen) car even spun out. Third quickest car was an all electric NSX prototype. Yes, 2 of the top three quickest cars were electric. Beating all kinds of powerful ICE vehicles. And these cars are not just good handling with their torque vectoring, they also have power to weight ratios that are insane. Like under 2lbs/HP. Can you imagine some kind of street adapted version of this electric Acura? I thought it would be a brave effort, but to finish 3rd fastest out of around 85+ entrants?

Check out this Electric Acura. And to think the last thing they would need to worry at all about in making this an experimental street car is making it smog legal

http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/06/...sx-pikes-peak/

I particularly like the quote from the latest commenter on this article,

"I sometimes wonder what it would be like if we?d had a hundred years of development of the electric motor, and just now the internal combustion engine was in its infancy. You could imagine the developer admitting, ?Well, it?s going to powered by a highly flammable fuel that is carried in the car, and it generates so much heat we need a separate cooling system, and yes, there are a couple of thousand moving parts, and so we need to circulate oil around to overcome the metal to metal contact. Of course there are losses converting reciprocal motion to circular motion, and there?s usually so much noise created we have to add a muffler. But doesn?t it sound good!?

That is a great way to put the EV revolution into perspective.

Reminds me of this video/commercial:

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

I know I am bias in saying this but in the right color, trim level, wheels and with the right modifications, I think the i3 looks great. I have always liked hatches, wagons and even some SUV's. I think darker colors make the 2-tone of the i3 a bit less obnoxious. This is a Tera REx with all options, lowered on H&R springs with 15mm front spacers and 20mm rear spacers, tinted windows, wheel arch reflectors vinyl wrapped, mirror indicators vinyl wrapped and rear lower bumper lights (not pictured) vinyl wrapped. I love it.

Still not my thing. Granted, it's pretty good lipstick on the pig, but visually, it's still very much a pig, sorry.

Someone needs to combine the teenager appeal of hot hatches like the Golf Rs, Focus STs, the Civic Type Rs, etc. with a 4WD electric drive train. Don't get me wrong - I don't think Focuses or Civics are pretty at all. But somehow, they appeal to the younger generation. And what they lack in looks and quality, they make up in racy feel, noise, and performance (to some degree).

To get into that crowd, you need bragging rights. Like, "Dude, each one of my wheels is individually powered, and each one of them has more torque than your entire Subaru!"

The i3 wasn't designed to do that, and it shouldn't try. Too bad the "3" is taken now, though. A really cool and hot i3 next to an M3 could have opened up that Millennial generation tap. But I guess BMW wasn't ready yet for i to cannibalize M. But it's coming - either in-house or from someone else.

Incidentally, there hasn't been an "8" since the early 90s, and the i8 is rather cleverly placed as a new-age grandchild to that. Maybe the i3 should have been an i1 instead ...

[emmfive]

Originally Posted by 3s-a-charm

I particularly like the quote from the latest commenter on this article,

"I sometimes wonder what it would be like if we?d had a hundred years of development of the electric motor, and just now the internal combustion engine was in its infancy. You could imagine the developer admitting, ?Well, it?s going to powered by a highly flammable fuel that is carried in the car, and it generates so much heat we need a separate cooling system, and yes, there are a couple of thousand moving parts, and so we need to circulate oil around to overcome the metal to metal contact. Of course there are losses converting reciprocal motion to circular motion, and there?s usually so much noise created we have to add a muffler. But doesn?t it sound good!?

Brilliant!