[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

Spied: BMW i3 LCI is Coming

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The BMW i3 LCI "facelift" model is coming and here is a first look at the mild update. Our spy pics reveal a new bumper design and new fog lights as well as some new headlights. The rear bumper also has a completely new and sportier design. Besides the minor styling tweaks, the LCI model will get a bigger battery.

A sportier i3s model (with faster acceleration) is expected to join the standard i3 at some point, and they may possibly be introduced together at the Frankfurt auto show in September.

We can also expect some new colors to be introduced for the i3 LCI.

As our BMW pipeline thread shows, the new i3 will begin production in November.

[bailyhill]

My lease ends in October. What do you think the chances of an extension to get a 2018 with the big battery?

Bailyhill

[TopEndCC]

Originally Posted by bailyhill

My lease ends in October. What do you think the chances of an extension to get a 2018 with the big battery?

Bailyhill

How do you like yours?

[RichP]

Originally Posted by bailyhill

My lease ends in October. What do you think the chances of an extension to get a 2018 with the big battery?

Bailyhill

Very good. BMW will extend up to 6 months if you have another BMW on order. Of course, if you lease again there may not be very good i3 incentives at that time.

[rallybull]

Bigger battery than the current new battery? So can we expect at least 170 miles range?

[MFNATIK]

meh hahah. Only thing worth waiting for is iDrive 6.0 and bigger battery. Styling refresh on an already quirky looking car isn't gonna matter hahah.

[c63er]

Bmw used to be the masters of this.

Give us a tesla model s in the i3 package and it would be game set match in this segment. The same way the 3 series was so much stuffed into a little thing.

[bailyhill]

Originally Posted by TopEndCC

How do you like yours?

I love the car. When it came out, I was comparing it to a Tesla for some long range travel. Tesla certainly has that covered.

Now I have need for a city car. I have my X3D for distance travel. Work out of state, and my work car is the i3. Don't need that much range, and with the REX, I can do a 200 mile trip with a stop. Now that fast charge is becoming available, its even better.

Tesla has the location of their SC much better thought out than the BMW fast charges, based on early deployment. They need to be right on the interstates, not somewhere way off the beaten path.

I think with the 125 Ah battery, the 2018 LCI is going to be very sweet. REX is quite nice.

Bailyhill

[bailyhill]

Originally Posted by RichP

Very good. BMW will extend up to 6 months if you have another BMW on order. Of course, if you lease again there may not be very good i3 incentives at that time.

Thanks, 6 months is great news. I suspect that BWM FS has thought of this. Lots of 2014's and 15's coming off lease. Lots with very attractive leases. If they love the car, its a tough choice to change to other makes. So I might have to pay up.

IF SOP (start of production) is in November, how much before that will BMW take orders traditionally?

Bailyhill

[Touring]

Looking close at the pictures, seems like it will come with black plastic around the wheel arches? Like a Mini or this VW, would be cool

[Kiwi]

I hope BMW does make the i3 more sportier bringing back a better drivers car and a 300 mile true battery range. I'll wait another 2 years for the totally new i3.
The rex engine needs a 100 mile range and wouldn't need a much bigger gas tank as it's a motor cycle engine.

[ron_jeremy]

Finally, i´ll keep my eye on this one. I have a 16´i3 with the 190 km range, as you all know, that´s with plenty of downhill and sun in your face.
I think the LCI should at least be on par with the new Renault Zoe, with a 400km range. Or even match the Chevrolet Bolt/Opel Ampera´s 500km range.
Today´s i3 have a range of 300km, so it should be a decent bump with the LCI. As for the rumored is version, is it needed, the original is plenty fun already.

Edit:
I´m looking at this car, and it says "Hybrid test vehicle", so this is the REX?

[Jackbmw]

The i8 drives nicely but why does it have to be that ugly Couldn't the i-Series have a little more classic BMW-look?

[-c-]

Originally Posted by Jackbmw

The i8 drives nicely but why does it have to be that ugly Couldn't the i-Series have a little more classic BMW-look?

The problem is if you make it look like any BMW then creating a sub brand is useless.

They needed to create a new look but still say BMW. Not easy to do. It will evolve over time, same way when Bmw started the whole flame styling that everyone hated so many years ago and now it's loved or as you put "classic" BMW styling. It once was loathed like the "I" brand styling when they started with that design direction as it wasn't "classic" German styling.

Things take time to sink in and become common place. If you want to make a splash and say here I am you can't just create run of the mill designed cars, gotta create something that will get noticed and get people asking what is that. How you execute that is up to the company but it can be a halo or a turd. But even that's just opinion.

[doccyber]

Originally Posted by MFNATIK

meh hahah. Only thing worth waiting for is iDrive 6.0 and bigger battery. Styling refresh on an already quirky looking car isn't gonna matter hahah.

[DCG]

The i3 is an amazing car but there's nothing they can do to make this car look any cooler or sexier. They just should've stuck this technology in the standard 3 Series platform.

[Brasko]

They should focus on range extension, charge time and performance before they give it a face lift. The aesthetics are quirky and modern enough to be relevant for a few more years.

[clbmw]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

I hope BMW does make the i3 more sportier bringing back a better drivers car and a 300 mile true battery range. I'll wait another 2 years for the totally new i3.
The rex engine needs a 100 mile range and wouldn't need a much bigger gas tank as it's a motor cycle engine.

Well the aforementioned i3s leaves me wondering where the long awaited i8s is! This was the one that was being tested with an 4 and 6 pot configuration that was allegedly going to be here in 2016 for the anniversary...

I'll believe it when I see it

[raysspl]

As ugly as the i3 looks, it's growing on me

[bailyhill]

Originally Posted by clbmw

Well the aforementioned i3s leaves me wondering where the long awaited i8s is! This was the one that was being tested with an 4 and 6 pot configuration that was allegedly going to be here in 2016 for the anniversary...

I'll believe it when I see it

Well this is just a guess, but could the wait be involved with a battery upgrade for the i8? With 125Ah batteries rumored for the i3 LCI, it would make sense to have the 125AH batteries in the i8/s also. It not just the range that would be improved, but I believe as the battery capacity is increased, the rate which you can pull energy from the battery improves. So this might mean a bump in the 0-60 times for the i8/s. You know they have to keep closing on the Tesla.

It might also be an opportunity to address the top speed limit of the i8. I know that a similar path was taken by Tesla. I believe they were limited to 125 mph originally, but now I believe its 155.

Clear Skies
Bailyhill

[clbmw]

Originally Posted by bailyhill

Well this is just a guess, but could the wait be involved with a battery upgrade for the i8? With 125Ah batteries rumored for the i3 LCI, it would make sense to have the 125AH batteries in the i8/s also. It not just the range that would be improved, but I believe as the battery capacity is increased, the rate which you can pull energy from the battery improves. So this might mean a bump in the 0-60 times for the i8/s. You know they have to keep closing on the Tesla.

It might also be an opportunity to address the top speed limit of the i8. I know that a similar path was taken by Tesla. I believe they were limited to 125 mph originally, but now I believe its 155.

Clear Skies
Bailyhill

Interesting theory... let's see as allegedly the other thread says i8s is being tested as a safety car

[1230vani]

Originally Posted by Touring

Looking close at the pictures, seems like it will come with black plastic around the wheel arches? Like a Mini or this VW, would be cool

Well spotted!!!!