Although it’s a vehicle defined as much by what you cannot usually see as what you can – its pioneering carbonfibre-reinforced-plastic passenger cell is only properly revealed when the doors are flung open – the i3 remains an inimitable-looking proposition.
The changes for this revised iteration of it are subtle, the facelift bringing more gloss black trim, new bumper mouldings and alterations to the lights, although the more powerful i3s model tested here also sits 10mm lower, with tracks a substantial 40mm wider.
That is not to say that BMW has justified the ‘s’ moniker with minor aesthetic amendments alone. The lowered ride height is the result of a sports suspension set-up comprising new springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, and there’s the option of sharpening the throttle response and ‘tightening’ the steering by way of a new Sport mode. The implication is that this is an electric hot hatch – and, as such, it would be the first of its kind – with the additional horsepower of the i3s resulting from tweaks to the electric motor control and new taper roller bearings for the drivetrain.
In keeping with the performance vibe, the i3s gets 20in alloy wheels with tyres that are 20mm wider than anything previously offered – the trade-off being improved grip for worsened rolling resistance, although the standard car’s handy 9.86m turning circle also grows to 10.31m.
