Automotive

BMW reveals near-production Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe

BMW reveals near-production Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe
BMW has today presented its Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe, which will go into production in 2021
BMW has today presented its Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe, which will go into production in 2021
View 12 Images
The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver
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The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver
The Concept i4 sports a new BMW badge
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The Concept i4 sports a new BMW badge
The large kidney grilles are closed off and house the vehicle's sensors
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The large kidney grilles are closed off and house the vehicle's sensors
The production i4 will have a WLTP per charge range of around 370 miles
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The production i4 will have a WLTP per charge range of around 370 miles
The Concept i4 is presented in copper with i-style blue accenting
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The Concept i4 is presented in copper with i-style blue accenting
Aero wheel rims designed exclusively for the Concept i4 feature low-weight/high-strength spokes
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Aero wheel rims designed exclusively for the Concept i4 feature low-weight/high-strength spokes
The sloping fastback roofline ends in L-shaped rear lights, with angled lips below for enhanced aerodynamics
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The sloping fastback roofline ends in L-shaped rear lights, with angled lips below for enhanced aerodynamics
The Curved Display offers three viewing modes for core features, driving aids and a deep dive into the vehicle's technologies
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The Curved Display offers three viewing modes for core features, driving aids and a deep dive into the vehicle's technologies
BMW says that the rear passengers can expect more headroom and legroom than usually afforded by a coupe
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BMW says that the rear passengers can expect more headroom and legroom than usually afforded by a coupe
The new two dimensional BMW badge represents the company's future focus
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The new two dimensional BMW badge represents the company's future focus
The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver
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The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver
BMW has today presented its Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe, which will go into production in 2021
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BMW has today presented its Concept i4 electric Gran Coupe, which will go into production in 2021
View gallery - 12 images

BMW has today pulled back the curtain on a new concept electric vehicle, but unlike other motor show flights of fancy, the i4 previews a production model due next year.

"The BMW Concept i4 brings electrification to the core of the BMW brand," said the company's Adrian van Hooydonk. "The design is dynamic, clean and elegant. In short: a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission."

The production i4 will have a WLTP per charge range of around 370 miles
The production i4 will have a WLTP per charge range of around 370 miles

As the Concept i4 all-electric, four-door Gran Coupe represents a taste of things to come when production starts in 2021, BMW has repeated the numbers revealed previously. The i4 will come with fifth generation eDrive technology found in the debuting in the upcoming iX3 crossover.

The newly-developed electric motor will produce 530 hp (390 kW), while the 80 kWh battery pack will have a per charge WLTP range of up to 600 km (372 mi). And the Gran Coupe will go from standstill to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in around four seconds, on its way to a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

The Concept i4 is presented in a copper finish with i-style blue accenting. The flaring nostrils of the kidney grilles to the front very much identify the car as BMW, but since they're not needed to cool an internal combustion engine, they are closed off and serve as an "intelligence panel" that's home to various sensors. The face also features classic-looking headlights made up of two freestanding LED elements on either side, and a new badge to represent BMW's future focus.

The sloping fastback roofline ends in L-shaped rear lights, with angled lips below for enhanced aerodynamics
The sloping fastback roofline ends in L-shaped rear lights, with angled lips below for enhanced aerodynamics

The vehicle has a long wheelbase and short overhangs, with the rear sitting low over the road. The sloping fastback roofline ends in L-shaped rear lights, with angled lips below for enhanced aerodynamics. Diffuser elements sit where the exhausts might be found on a combustion engine car. Aero wheel rims designed exclusively for the Concept i4 feature low-weight/high-strength spokes.

The all-electric drivetrain allows for a roomy, uncluttered cabin, with a curved display in front of the steering wheel that previews what we can expect in the production i4, and the iNext. The instrument panel and the rest of the touch-enabled display are angled toward the driver here, with the aim of reducing the number of physical controls available to the driver. Non-reflective glass negates the need for panel shrouding.

The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver
The combined instrument panel and control screen is angled toward the driver

Three Experience Modes are offered by the panel, to control core features and view vehicle status information, access driving aids, and to dig deeper into the car's tech (such as seeing what's being detected by the i4's sensors). And a suite of special sounds have been created in collaboration with composer Hans Zimmer, to bring the car to life for its occupants.

Rear passengers are treated to a lounge-like feel, with "levels of headroom and legroom that exceed expectations of a coupe."

Production of the i4 will start in 2021 at BMW's main facility in Munich, where about 90 percent of the existing equipment can be adapted to build the i4 but 10 percent will need to be brought in new. The video below has more.

BMW Concept i4

Source: BMW

View gallery - 12 images
5 comments
5 comments
Bionic88
I have no idea how many EVs still have a grill even if it's "closed off", but this almost feels like BMW wants you to think this isn't an EV.
Tommo
Nice looking car.! I particularly like the 'soundtrack' they offer. It'd be nice to hear something coming from the car other than tyre/wind noise. Oh, the meat and bones in the video starts at 8:15 - you're welcome!
Nelson Hyde Chick
Another toy for the fabulously wealthy as the rest of humanity is allowed to rot on a dying Earth.
JeffK
It would be interesting to see the wind tunnel tests as I suspect the closed panel behind the "flaring nostrils of the kidney grill" would create a pretty impressive pressure wave; it must contribute to the 124 MPH top speed limit which is rather pedestrian considering a 530 HP motor. My 2004 Pontiac GTP with supercharged 3.8 liter six producing 260 HP can manage 0-60 in "around" six seconds and, while I've not taken it quite that high, am confident it would meet or exceed the 124 MPH limit of the Beamer (and my grill is much closer to kidney shaped). But hey, I'm sure it's a fun ride and more power to them!
gbsderm
@NHC: not sure if you are joking or not. But, your statement is a bit over the top histrionics. The Earth is not anywhere close to dying. It's not on its death bed. And the rest of humanity is at the greatest level of wealth and health and comfort ever experienced. The majority of suffering and premature death is either self induced or the result of horrendous government or religious mismanagement. Plenty of room for improvement, yes. But only if we allow technologies and societies continued development, free of overzealous centralized control advocated by environmental extremists. IMHO.