One night with the new BMW 3 Series.
This is it, a truly prestigious event. On the motoring calendar, the birth of the next 3 Series is positively biblical, and I’m at the cutting of its umbilical cord.
A small group of us has been ushered into these hallowed hallways to meet the doting father, Anders Warming (Head of Designworks and BMW Group Advanced Design), as he reveals the polarising form of a car that carries so much legacy forward, albeit now with electrification in tow.
The i3 may be the electrified iteration of the next 3, but it reveals so much of what we will encounter in petrol and diesel models. It boasts a chassis that will underpin saloons, coupes and wagons. Crucially, it’s the crucible into which M Division will pour unholy degrees of performance. Think M3s and M4s, imagine carbon composites and aerodynamics more intricate than a jungle gym made from a truckload of Lego Technics sets. This is ground zero, Genesis, and a visual delight when viewed in the metal. Through the veneer of a 4K monitor, you might not be convinced, but standing up close to it in this pristinely lit studio, its lines are well-proportioned and balanced, respectfully harking back to 3s of the past and ultimately to the original 1962 Neue Klasse. It is crucial to the Munich marque – they have to get this right as the Western manufacturing world continues to face stiffer competition from the East, rising manufacturing costs and ever-challenging safety standards.
This 3 Series can’t afford a misstep, and by my account, it’s a confident move in the right direction. The aesthetics are intriguing, handsome, albeit not without detractors. The interior is a visual, tactile and ergonomic delight, whereas the performance and ride are not something I can comment on since this was a static unveil.
However, I did spend the previous day piloting its more upright sibling, the new iX3, around the Ascari circuit in Malagas. And despite that being a bulkier SUV, it shared much of the more lithe i3’s technology, including its alacrity. It was a revelation. I can only imagine how much more dynamic and joyful the i3 will be, ditto for the 3 overall, and heaven only knows what happens when the maniacs at M Division get their mitts on it. Then there’s the electric heart of the matter.
The i3 has a pair of electric motors across its axles, an EESM (Electrically Excited Synchronous Motor) across the rear axle and an asynchronous (ASM) unit at the front. These deliver a combined might of 345kW and 645Nm, and form part of its high-voltage Gen6 architecture. Its 800V technology can charge 400km in just 10 minutes, theoretically eradicating range anxiety. This, while the maximum range will exceed 800km.
Those aesthetics
In profile, the i3 keeps perfectly in tradition with the many generations of 3, a two-and-a-half-box sedan with the signature Hofmeister kink defining its C-pillar. The greenhouse is sharp, almost leaning forward, beginning and culminating over each wheel arch to emphasise a slightly longer wheelbase and to point your attention to the wheels themselves, larger sculptures than before. The front of the i3 is perhaps where opinions are split. Which is almost to be expected with each new BMW model, as kidney grilles warp and contort to varying degrees of polarisation. Here, they’re widely splayed, delicately, as though a giant dragonfly has descended upon its nose, wrapped across the entire frontal aspect, incorporating the headlamps and daytime running lamps, wholesale. In fact, you could argue that they’re open to interpretation, since it’s digital, with the kidneys represented only by the very narrowest of ‘light bars’, which would make them quite a tasteful size. Never has negative space been so powerfully integrated into the face of a BMW, but I wonder how this will change once an ICE (internal combustion engine) is deployed and proper cooling and ducting are required for a more traditional interpretation of this grille. Regardless, what all this illumination highlights is how aggressive the stance appears, low, wide, and purposeful. The BMW i3 design goads you into action, the sign of a good car. And while it may feel like a departure, it might be the dramatic move BMW needs. It felt uncompromising, brimming with equal parts potential and technology. Upon clambering aboard, you realise this is where the real shift happens.
Gone is the traditional cluster. In its place: a panoramic display that runs along the base of the windscreen, stretching from pillar to pillar. Your information isn’t something you look down at anymore—it’s something that exists in your line of sight. It has you wondering, how has no one done this before? Add to that a head-up display so seamlessly integrated you almost forget it’s there, and suddenly the whole cabin starts to feel lighter. More intuitive. As it was when driving the iX3. The central screen leans toward the driver, just enough to make everything within reach. The steering wheel is rethought entirely, with a simplified layout that still feels BMW. And through it all, there’s a single guiding principle: eyes on the road, hands on the wheel. Because of that, more than anything, is what this car is trying to protect. The driving experience remains intact.
Words: Calvin Fisher
