# Anyone seen the BMW i3? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 30, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627 "2013-07-30T01:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/1 "2013-07-30T01:54:04Z")
I’m a fan of what it does, but not the looks. It appears to be Dr Frankenstein’s car to me. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/2 "2013-07-30T01:57:13Z")
I’m wondering how it’ll handle with those tall SKINNY tires (155/70 x 19). And the looks…$42k should look better, to me… For those who haven’t had the ‘pleasure’: ![](http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18vd28sc260imjpg/k-bigpic.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/3 "2013-07-30T02:19:31Z")
I have no earthly idea how some vehicles make it on the market. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/4 "2013-07-30T07:11:33Z")
In a word, hideous… There must be a design war going on to one-up the Aztek. ---
**Author:** ![researcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@researcher](https://community.cartalk.com/u/researcher)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/5 "2013-07-30T22:19:57Z")
I guess a lot of the styling has to do with making the “life module” out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The “drive Module” is a little more robust being made of aluminum with the 450# lithium ion battery in the middle and the electric motor in the rear. It does have a 0-30 acceleration rate of 3.5 seconds, a 0-70 time of 7.0 seconds, and a top speed of 95. However, the range is only 80-100 miles with a 3 hour charge time (half hour charge time optional). Yet BMW offers a 35 hp generator to extend the range. Who knows where they will put that and the gas tank it needs. BUT, $42k + for a luxury, electric would well stretch the definition of going green. Now you know the reason for the skinny tires. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/6 "2013-07-30T22:41:12Z")
Wow. That’s oogly. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/7 "2013-07-31T01:33:15Z")
Kill it with fire ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/8 "2013-07-31T02:00:34Z")
Looks like an Aztek had his way with a Smart car and THIS was the demon spawn. Ug! ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/9 "2013-07-31T02:03:00Z")
Almost makes this look good: ![](http://cuentavueltas.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/nissan_juke_493.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/10 "2013-07-31T04:10:16Z")
No it doesn’t. There is no prince inside that frog. The i3 I saw is in USA Today. The colors accentuate the bat features IMO. It looks like there is a floatation device around it. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/11 "2013-07-31T04:39:29Z")
@jtsanders +1 - the thought of a lumpy BMW with odd proportions and really weird side windows, all for the bargain price of $42k+, is just baffling. They had a clean sheet, could have made it look like just about anything they wanted, and THIS is the result ??? I’m looking forward to what VW can do with their XL-1 turbo diesel hybrid - wonder if there’s a 4-seater coming? ![](http://img2.netcarshow.com/Volkswagen-XL1_Concept_2011_800x600_wallpaper_01.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/12 "2013-08-01T01:21:51Z")
They’ll find out soon enough if anyone dares be seen in public with the i3. But I do think the price is in line with similar cars. The Leaf is about $29,000 and it is a compact car with few luxury appointments. Its gasoline competitors would sell for half the price. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/13 "2013-08-01T06:02:50Z")
I’m with Missileman. How some cars get on the road puzzles me. And why peoepl buy them puzzles me even more. I was behind a Smart Car today…'nuff said. And whoever approved the current design for the Lincolns should be demoted. Lincoln used to be, and look like, one of the classiest cars in the world. The current design looks like the front end designers were isolated on an entirelyy different planet than the designers of the rest of the car…who made the body nothing to write home about. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/anyone-seen-the-bmw-i3/80627/14 "2013-08-01T06:17:32Z")
I have to agree with mountainbike about the new Lincolns. The noses on them are absolutely appalling. It’s hard to believe that educated, sober, (assumption here) people at various levels engineered and signed off on it. My wife is in love with those things and I told her my first stop would be at Wal Mart just to buy something so I could get the bag… If Lincoln goes bellyup in a few years we’ll know why. Snouts…