First Drive: 2014 BMW i3

The first reaction many people had to the BMW i3 Concept was disappointment and disgust, sometimes in the form of the hashtag “#enoughalreadyBMW”.

The i3 ushered fear into the hearts of BMW purists, many of whom felt the megacity electric vehicle was the antithesis to storied nameplates like “2002” and “M3”.

But those are just the knee-jerk reactions. Upon further inspection, things don’t seem so bad.

First off, it’s got a mid-mounted motor, and that’s sporty, but lets have a look at some more figures: 170 horsepower, 184 lb-ft of torque, 2,800 lbs. and 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds — respectable. Better yet, that appears worthy of a BMW. Okay, it will only go 93 mph, but give it a break, it’s electric.

The folks at Car and Driver got to test out the i3 in a controlled environment, and their reaction was positive, so to you nervous ///M fanatics, keep Car and Driver’s welcoming reaction in mind, and know that things are going to be fine at your favorite car company. Still, it doesn’t hurt to keep them on their toes, nudging them a bit with that effective hashtag, “#enoughalreadyBMW”.

via [Car and Driver]