BMW has given its i3 electric car a bit of a makeover, while adding a “sporty” new i3s derivative to the range at the same time.
The new BMW i3s variant – which is scheduled to launch in South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2018 – boasts a higher output than the standard model as well as what the Munich-based automaker calls “noticeably more dynamic driving qualities”, along with model-specific chassis technology. And, apparently, it’ll even drift.
Both the standard model and the new i3s draw their energy from a lithium-ion high-voltage battery with a capacity of 94 Ah or 33 kWh. As before, a 28 kW two-cylinder range-extender engine can be ordered as an option, boosting the car’s overall claimed range in everyday use by 150 km.
The standard i3 is again powered by a synchronous electric motor generating 125 kW and 250 N.m, which BMW claims results in a 0-100 km/h time of 7,3 seconds (with top speed limited to 150 km/h). Range tops out at a claimed 200 km in what BMW describes as “everyday use”.
The sportier i3s, meanwhile, features a “high-performance” 135 kW electric motor that generates peak torque of 270 N.m. The obligatory sprint is seen off in a claimed 6,9 seconds, with top speed limited to 160 km/h. BMW claims the same 200 km range for everyday use.
And, apparently, the new model will even drift. BMW says it has “comprehensively revised” the new model’s dynamic stability control system, with the dynamic traction control mode boosting “agility at higher speeds and during sporty cornering, even allowing mild and safely controllable drifts when grip levels are reduced”. Colour us intrigued.
Interestingly, the new BMW i3s also boasts sports suspension (which results in a 10 mm drop in ride height) with specially developed springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. In addition, drivers can select sport mode, which the automaker says initiates “more direct accelerator response and tighter steering characteristics”.
This new model also gains an additional 40 mm of track width compared to the standard i3, along with black wheel-arch borders. The 20-inch light-alloy wheels are likewise 20 mm wider than previously available versions. The BMW i3s furthermore boasts model-specific front and rear aprons, complete with accent strips and yet more gloss-black trim.
Styling tweaks for both models include a new black finish for the A-pillars and roof lines, while the range of paint finishes for the rest of the body panels has been extended to include two new hues: Melbourne Red metallic and Imperial Blue metallic.
Both variants feature full-LED headlamps as standard, while the new indicators up front also employ LED technology and are integrated into the apron in the form of horizontal strips.
