BMW Introduces Direct Competitor to Model S

[jelloslug]

Why does nobody seem to listen to what I already wrote? People are so quick to disagree and argue, you don't even know what I said! Twice!

I said DON'T start with their current platform and jam in batteries and drivetrain, but what I said was redesign the entire car from the ground up, but use the same design language and body styles that are synonymous with BMW. Why is that such a hard concept for people to understand?

With BMW's current battery design philosophy, there would not be enough room to add an underfloor battery pack and keep the body proportions the same. This leads to a higher floor pan that knocks the look of the sill out of wack and makes the rest of the body look like a sedan dropped on a monster truck chassis.

 

[HankLloydRight]

With BMW's current battery design philosophy, there would not be enough room to add an underfloor battery pack and keep the body proportions the same. This leads to a higher floor pan that knocks the look of the sill out of wack and makes the rest of the body look like a sedan dropped on a monster truck chassis.

I'm sure BMW has some smart people to figure it out or change their "current battery design philosophy".

But you're right, only Tesla can do it. Nobody else, ever.

 

[jelloslug]

I'm sure BMW has some smart people to figure it out or change their "current battery design philosophy".

But you're right, only Tesla can do it. Nobody else, ever.

I'm just going by what BMW has produced thus far. They have not shown any indication that they are ready to change their current battery design. In fact, they specifically said that they plan on using their current modular prismatic layout for an extended time period.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Someday soon they'll realize that people don't want new i-weirdmobiles but just want the same great cars they already make, but just electric. And then I'm sure they'll figure out how to build them. It's not rocket science. In fact, they're free to use Tesla's existing patents.

 

[jelloslug]

Someday soon they'll realize that people don't want new i-weirdmobiles but just want the same great cars they already make, but just electric. And then I'm sure they'll figure out how to build them. It's not rocket science. In fact, they're free to use Tesla's existing patents.

This is exactly what I don't understand. Why can't other car companies figure this out?

 

[NeverFollow]

When BMW's iVision is actually sitting in a showroom, ready for delivery to paying customers: it's a competitor.
Until then, nice prototype model.

The BMW's iVision just received 500,000 pre-order $1,000 deposits. ( .... Just kidding )

 

[TaoJones]

This latest hoax from BMW is reminiscent of a scene from "Body of Lies" in which two characters discern that in order to have a conversation, they would first have to have a conversation about how to have a conversation.

While lovely that BMW had a vision that one day THREE YEARS HENCE they may have the latest Tesla-killer, they still have no infrastructure and no tenable, saleable mass market EV offering. The i3 is doomed to resemble a badly-conceived sneaker, and the i8 is at best impractical.

Perhaps when they have actual deliverable product that will compete with the Tesla of today, they will do us the courtesy of having this conversation again. At an appropriate time, and in an appropriate manner.

Until then, it is a woeful and egregious party foul to not bring enough for everybody.

 

[lux_cars]

I personally have not been a big fan of BMW designs and interiors for the past ~2 vehicle generations (regular or i-series). With the i3 especially, BMW could have designed a better looking vehicle with more range and that would have made it a more compelling proposition.

This i5 concept should have been brought to the market sooner. If Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and Jaguar can do it, why can't BMW. 2021 just seems too distant.

 

[malcolm]

Yawn. Wake me up when it can be ordered.

How can you sleep when it looks like that?

Stuff of nightmares.

 

[busaman]

the shape i like but the grille would have to go im affraid that said.. BMW are pretty good at building cars i had an i3 before my tesla and the build quality was far superior sure there were minor imperfections but every car is the same..

 

[30seconds]

the shape i like but the grille would have to go im affraid that said.. BMW are pretty good at building cars i had an i3 before my tesla and the build quality was far superior sure there were minor imperfections but every car is the same..

my experience has been is that they are decent for 50k miles followed by increasingly expensive and obscure repairs

 

[CliffG]

How can you sleep when it looks like that?

Stuff of nightmares.

like Neo, without a mouth...

 

[HankLloydRight]

my experience has been is that they are decent for 50k miles followed by increasingly expensive and obscure repairs

Word!

My 2002 E39 M5 is extremely reliable. Has over 120k miles on it. It can go years without a single repair. But boy howdy, when it does need a repair, it's a doosey! Last year it needed a new driveshaft, which in itself isn't too expensive (about $1000 for a reman and ~$500 for labor).. but in the M5, you have to drop the entire exhaust to replace the drive shaft. I've blocked how many thousands of dollars that job cost in the end.

 

[tccartier]

Introduces ?? Competitor ?? 2021 ?? Lmao l!!! Looks like a modern day Edsel with a "twin" horse collar grille.

Their "target competitive make" (Tesla Model S maybe?) will likely have moved by 2021... Everyone knows you can't aim at a moving target, you need to aim for where it is going to be when your projectile (or in this case your car) arrives.

 

[busaman]

my experience has been is that they are decent for 50k miles followed by increasingly expensive and obscure repairs

well im affraid thats not my expierience i get quite a few BMW,s through the workshop most have in excess of 100k miles and most dont show problems until they are arround 12-15 years old a model s has 10 years to go before a decent comparrison can be made but im in no doubt it will be more reliable if only purely down to the fact it has at least 50% less parts....

 

[jelloslug]

well im affraid thats not my expierience i get quite a few BMW,s through the workshop most have in excess of 100k miles and most dont show problems until they are arround 12-15 years old a model s has 10 years to go before a decent comparrison can be made but im in no doubt it will be more reliable if only purely down to the fact it has at least 50% less parts....

I wish my i3 would have been that good....

 

[scaesare]

This is exactly what I don't understand. Why can't other car companies figure this out?

I believe it's a matter of will, not intelligence.

 

[scaesare]

How can you sleep when it looks like that?

Stuff of nightmares.

It seems that traditional car manufacturers have had a hard time designing a ground-up EV that doesn't somehow say "Hey, look at me... I'm green!!".

Especially the new(er) entrants. The Bolt is admirably pedestrian in this regard (while I don't really like the styling, it looks like many other hatch designs I also don't really care for... but they didn't make it EV-weird just for the sake of it). The new Leaf is heading the right direction too.

Maybe it's a compliance thing... if your goal is solely to meet some arbitrary mark imposed upon you, maybe you make that effort conspicuously visible...

 

[Xenoilphobe]

If Aston Martin comes out with convertible or sedan that uses the Tesla Network, I'm gone.

 

[mdevp]

Think it looks a little better live, nice stance, I think it looks really good, very Tesla-like

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155934807227454

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