2014 BMW i3
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drives</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/electric/" rel="tag">Electric</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-bmw-i3-first-drive-0/"><img alt="BMW i3" data-mep="17370" src="http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/70ab10437813f6775ae950f1e dff7a66/01-2014-bmw-i3-fd-1-opt.jpg" /></a><br />
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We can only imagine the challenges <a href="http://autoblog.com/bmw/">BMW</a> is going to have explaining the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/i3/">i3</a> electric vehicle to the world. It's got a new powertain (all-electric, with optional range extender), a new production method (<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2013/09/18/bmw-i3-production-starts/">carbon fiber reinforced plastic</a>!), a new brand (the 'i' line) and a new vehicle type (it's a city car). Despite everything that's different, BMW is still trying to talk about the i3 as if it fits in with the rest of the company's vehicles. But it doesn't. Not really. And that's going to make the marketing and salespeoples' jobs quite difficult.<br />
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Which is a shame, really, since the i3 is amazing. If it didn't carry the BMW 'heritage' baggage, people would be falling over each other to sing its praises. This is one of the smoothest, roomiest and slickest electric vehicles we've ever driven, with a lot of hidden surprises. It is a wonderful city car, and well designed for the car-sharing, emissions-aware drivers of the near future. But since the i3 carries the BMW name, everyone we ran into while cruising the narrow streets of and flat countryside around Amsterdam in a Euro-spec i3 recently wanted to know one thing: is it "a BMW" as well as being an electric car? During one photo shoot, a police car pulled up next to us, totally stopping traffic. While my co-driver and I instantly thought we were going to be asked to move, the officer simply wanted to know what the scoop was about all the i3s he had seen that day. Oh, and does it drive like a BMW?<br />
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We'll answer that question in detail below. The most important thing to remember is that the BMW i3 comes from the new "i" sub-brand within BMW. Like <a href="http://autoblog.com/mini/">Mini</a>, the i line really is a different beast, despite the roundel's presence. So, what makes a BMW a BMW? The answer is as easy as ABC. Or, in this case, as simple as <em>Bayerische Motoren Werke</em>, or Bavarian Motor Works.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/24/2014-bmw-i3-review-first-drive-2/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>2014 BMW i3</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/24/2014-bmw-i3-review-first-drive-2/">2014 BMW i3</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Thu, 24 Oct 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="/rss-term-of-use/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/24/2014-bmw-i3-review-first-drive-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20752785/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/24/2014-bmw-i3-review-first-drive-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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