BMW i3 for sale

BMW were a true pioneer of electric motoring and the vanguard of their push into all things EV was the little i3 city car. And boy does it turn heads.

Built from a truly unique mix of carbon fibre-reenforced plastic, the i3 looked and drove like nothing else when it first hit the road back in 2014. It’s pug-nosed, high-riding brutalist look was way ahead of its time, becoming both a marmite love/hate obsession on some forums and yet a guaranteed classic, all at once.

Today, most people agree that it’s actually a bit of a looker.

Then you come to look at what makes it work so well. The EV platform beneath opens up the cabin to allow acres of space in a car that has the turning circle of a London Taxi. And in that interior you have swish elements like open-pore eucalyptus and naked carbon fibre. Its all so… futuristic.

For a car its age, however, allowances must be made for its range which, when it was first released, wasn’t all that great. About 70 miles, all told. But wait: an old friend would often come to the rescue here.

Most models bought in the UK were badged as “REX”. This meant that an adapted scooter engine was mounted next to the rear motor to produce electricity if the range got too low. This “Range Extender” could then more than double the usable range.

As time went on and battery technology improved, the electric range got longer and longer until the REX motor was ditched back in 2019, in exchange for a range of around 180 miles.

The i3 was discontinued in June 2022, which we think was a real shame. It’s full of character, extremely fun to drive and like nothing else you can buy. Owners rave about them, and with very good reason.