[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

The BMW Concept i4: a first look.

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Updated March 2, 2020

Reminder that the virtual online premiere of the i4 Concept will take place tonight at 11:15 PM Pacific / 2:15 AM Eastern. To watch the debut, visit: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

And here's a new teaser image!








Press Release:

Attachment 2251033

Munich. The BMW Group will unveil its first pure-electric Gran Coupe on 3 March 2020 at the Geneva Motor Show. The BMW Concept i4 heralds a new era in Sheer Driving Pleasure; it provides a whole new take on the dynamic excellence for which BMW is renowned and blends a modern, elegantly sporty design with the spaciousness and practicality of a four-door Gran Coupe – all while generating zero local emissions.

“The BMW Concept i4 brings electrification to the core of the BMW brand,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The design is dynamic, clean and elegant. In short: a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission.”

BMW i4 EV Specs

The BMW i4 EV will feature:

• 530 hp from a 80-kilowatt-hour battery, producing about 390 kilowatts (approximately 530hp)
• 373 miles range (on European WLTP cycle); expect the US number to be a bit less, probably around 340-350 miles
• 0-62 in 4 seconds flat
• Electronically limited top speed of 120 mph
• 80% charge in about 35 minutes (on 150-kW DC fast charger)
• Adds 62 miles of range in about 6 minutes (compare to current i3, which takes 17 min to do the same)
• Generation 5 battery packs
• significantly smaller than the Generation 3 and 4 packs used in current BMW EVs
• easier to package in the vehicle's floor, and allows them to be more easily scaled for smaller or larger applications
• stronger, meaning they can better handle fast-charging situations
• battery module will weigh roughly 1,200 pounds, all of which will be packaged as low as possible in the vehicle's floor, directly between the front and rear axles

According to our future models info, the i4 will be named i430 and i440. And the long wheelbase models will be called i330L and i340L (China only model).

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[stein_325i]

I have a bad feeling that side profile will be similar to the 2GC, hopefully though, the range will actually be close to BMW's estimates.

[yousefnjr]

[gnolivos]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

I have a bad feeling that side profile will be similar to the 2GC, hopefully though, the range will actually be close to BMW's estimates.

Top speed 120mph? I've driven 130 on a Honda CRV for Pete's sake.

[Encanto]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

I have a bad feeling that side profile will be similar to the 2GC, hopefully though, the range will actually be close to BMW's estimates.

The sorry-ass 2GC overall profile was dictated by its MINI platform.

This i4 profile (based on the 4GC platform) on the other hand will be a winner if this concept is not messed with.

[deemo319]

This is a gorgeous teaser.

[adc]

Please don’t put a giant fake grille on this. Please make me want it...

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

I have a bad feeling that side profile will be similar to the 2GC, hopefully though, the range will actually be close to BMW's estimates.

To me the most significant characteristic of the 2GC affecting its aesthetics is the fact that it's built on a FWD platform. That gives it an ungainly, front heavy stature due to the larger front overhang, short hood, and unfavorable wheelbase to length ratio.

I know that there are some particular folks in these parts whose senses are tuned to become offended by all manner of styling details that don't make me think twice, so maybe I am making it too simple. But I feel like when it comes to the looks of the vehicles the biggest difference between the 8GC - a design which I like quite a bit - and the 2GC is the platform they're built on.

All of that is to say that, because the i4 is built on the RWD CLAR platform, I can't imagine it being anywhere near the disaster the 2GC is. And in fact, I suspect it will be look much more like the 8GC. The exception, of course (and its a big one), is the grill which we already know is going to be very large and very polarizing.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

To me the most significant characteristic of the 2GC affecting its aesthetics is the fact that it's built on a FWD platform. That gives it an ungainly, front heavy stature due to the larger front overhang, short hood, and unfavorable wheelbase to length ratio.

I know that there are some particular folks in these parts whose senses are tuned to become offended by all manner of styling details that don't make me think twice, so maybe I am making it too simple. But I feel like when it comes to the looks of the vehicles the biggest difference between the 8GC - a design which I like quite a bit - and the 2GC is the platform they're built on.

All of that is to say that, because the i4 is built on the RWD CLAR platform, I can't imagine it being anywhere near the disaster the 2GC is. And in fact, I suspect it will be look much more like the 8GC. The exception, of course (and its a big one), is the grill which we already know is going to be very large and very polarizing.

Yes, I guess I should have been clearer, I'm seeing some resemblance in the 3-box window design of the 2GC and the teaser/spy shots of the i4/4GC, but of course we won't find out till Geneva. Proportions will obviously be better being RWD based, however I feel, just like the coupe and 2GC this will be lacking a proper Hoffmeister Kink.

[unfoundnemo]

Lookin good. I'm going to have way too many choices when my M3 lease is up next March.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

Proportions will obviously be better, however I feel, just like the coupe and 2GC this will be lacking a proper Hoffmeister Kink.

Could be. That definitely falls into that category of design details I mentioned that doesn't even register on my radar. I like a good looking vehicle as much as the next guy, but I only have so much time and energy to worry about that. At some point the other parts of the car (the functional parts - the qualities that make it either good or bad at providing me transportation) take enough of my attention that the little things just become invisible.

[am3r1ka]

Originally Posted by adc

Please don’t put a giant fake grille on this. Please make me want it...

Saw somewhere they said they weren't going to have the big grills on the electric version just to distinguish them apart. Praying they do because it'll be i4>any other 4 for me

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by am3r1ka

Saw somewhere they said they weren't going to have the big grills on the electric version just to distinguish them apart. Praying they do because it'll be i4>any other 4 for me

Prevailing opinion is that the electric vehicles will have grills that are the same as (or very similar to) the combustion engine siblings except that they will be closed off.

Originally, BMW had planned to connect the two halves of the grill for i brand vehicles like they were on the Concept iNext, Concept iX3, and Vision Dynamics Concept. They've reversed course on that, but the size of the grills will probably not differ significantly from other vehicles in the lineup.

[am3r1ka]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Prevailing opinion is that the electric vehicles will have the grills that are the same as (or very similar to) the combustion engine siblings except that they will be closed off.

Originally, BMW had planned to connect the two halves of the grill for i brand vehicles like they were on the Concept iNext, Concept iX3, and Vision Dynamics Concept. They've reversed course on that, but the size of the grills will probably not differ significantly from other vehicles in the lineup.

Welp

[bjcarls]

Looks good, performance is ok.

• 373 miles range (on European WLTP cycle); expect the US number to be a bit less, probably around 340-350 miles


Real world Taycan Turbo gets 250 miles on a 94kw battery.
European cycle said 280, EPA says 201 miles.

I hope BMW can do 340 miles on a 80kw battery.

[Colinv6]

Looks stunning in the side profile!

So the i4 will have more power than the upcoming G80/82 M3/4?!

[duky]

Originally Posted by unfoundnemo

Lookin good. I'm going to have way too many choices when my M3 lease is up next March.

Agree that this looks interesting, but it's difficult to buy into any electric car right now knowing that it/they will be very quickly improved upon/one upped by competition (they're only going to get better) vs. buying what is likely the best/last gas-powered sedans and coupes (especially so if you're a manual addict like some of us) we will ever have..

Originally Posted by Colinv6

Looks stunning in the side profile!

So the i4 will have more power than the upcoming G80/82 M3/4?!

And much more weight...

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Colinv6

So the i4 will have more power than the upcoming G80/82 M3/4?!

Yep. Plus ~5% power compared to the G80 M3 Competition. And plus ~25% weight too.

[crossmen00]

Originally Posted by Colinv6

Looks stunning in the side profile!

So the i4 will have more power than the upcoming G80/82 M3/4?!

But it accelerates slower and has only 120 top speed. Hopefully this data is wrong.

[advantage20]

Soundtrack apparently by Hans Zimmer.

PS:

[BarlasaM]

• i4 60 sDrive
• i4 80 sDrive
• i4 80 xDrive

Does "60 & 80" represents the battery capacity?

[palpatine_us]

80 kw should be about 320 to 340 miles- based upon efficiency.

If they can get into the $50k range with AWD and 80kw- they'll sell a bunch. But I fear it'll be closer to $70k. That would include the usual 30% BMW markup.