Top Gear’s Jack Rix: BMW Takes On EV Mainstream with i4
Deputy Editor at Top Gear Magazine says the i4 is the electric BMW for drivers.
It has been nearly a decade since BMW rolled out its i Series cars, the i3, and the i8. These vehicles got BMW into the EV game. However, they both may be on the way out, but of course, the EV revolution is still going strong. So, BMW is introducing the new i4 Gran Coupe to carry the electric car torch.
The i3 was the quirky electric commuter car, and the i8 was the sleek looking performance model. Where does the i4 land? Thanks to Top Gear’s YouTube channel we get to see Jack Rix give us a walkthrough and point out some of the fine details of this newest model. Can this be the model that brings BMW into the EV mainstream?
Just hearing the stats makes for a promising start. The rear-wheel-drive car will offer 523 horsepower from its lithium-ion battery. Good enough to scoot to 60 mph from a stop in about 4 seconds flat and delivering a 373-mile range. OK, you have our attention. Something else that has been grabbing a lot of attention lately? The BMW grilles, and that is where Rix begins his design analysis. The grille on this car is referred to as an “intelligence panel” by BMW, as it houses a collection of sensors and has nothing to do with airflow. This panel is surrounded by a blue trim that is repeated around the car to denote the EV properties. You don’t want to drive an EV without letting everyone know it is an EV, do you?
The car sits on a set of 21-inch aerodynamically designed wheels. These wheels not only look cool but help eek out just a bit more range by decreasing drag. The side view of the car looks most conventional, except of course for that blue trim we mentioned. Getting around to the back you see a sharp set of thin, L-shaped taillights. Also, on the back, and of course all around the car is the new BMW badge. BMW decided the blue trim alone was not enough to distinguish the electric vehicles, so it changed the badge for them. It has more of a 2-D look to it with a see-through ring on the outside so you can see the paint behind it.
Rix now moves on to the inside of the car where he begins to discuss the sounds BMW installed here. They worked with German composer Hans Zimmer to create not just various engine sounds but myriad chimes for various functions. The interior design is where BMW “really let their hair down” says Rix. It is dominated by a huge central display screen that curves around the driver, and that screen controls everything. Despite the swooping shape of the car, the back seats remain spacious, so this will be a useful family hauler.
“You get the sense with this car that it is the product of everything BMW has learned in the financially challenging but technically brilliant i3 and i8 experiment.” Says Rix. This car is not to test the EV waters, this is BMW jumping in with both feet and taking on the EV market. This is the future.