i3 being seen as Ugly

kentheteaman · Dec 18, 2013

Dear Tom,

I know some people view i3 as ugly, unsightly or weird.

Personally I think it is a good looking car in "Andeset silver color with its black hood".

Other colors do not serve it well and they kind of make it look odd or may be ugly except the very dark grey which almost looks black as seen here

It is the double color that makes it odd. It will look much better in single colour both body and hood.

So I wonder if you could speak to BMW people and convince them to supply the hood in different colors to match the body color so that if people want they can buy it as spare and change the hood to body color.

Just a thought. :idea:

regards,
ken

I33t · Dec 19, 2013

Fixed the image links for you Ken

kentheteaman said:
Dear Tom,

I know some people view i3 as ugly, unsightly or weird.

Personally I think it is a good looking car in "Andeset silver color with its black hood".

Other colors do not serve it well and they kind of make it look odd or may be ugly except the very dark grey which almost looks black as seen here

It is the double color that makes it odd. It will look much better in single colour both body and hood.

So I wonder if you could speak to BMW people and convince them to supply the hood in different colors to match the body color so that if people want they can buy it as spare and change the hood to body color.

Just a thought. :idea:

regards,
ken

Plug · Dec 19, 2013

I wouldn't go as far as 'unsightly' but I don't think it's a good looking car. A lot of people say it looks better when you see it in real life (rather than the pics) but that didn't work for me :lol:

Saying that, I think there are some interesting exterior design features, like how the side panels at the rear extend to the sharp edge for better aero and I actually like the narrow tyres which are showing that the engineers gave more importance to efficiency than aesthetics.

These recent threads from members explaining why they chose the LEAF over the i3 shows what a difficult job it is to design a car to appeal to the mass public, there are so many factors that can sway a decision. Personally, iffy aesthetics and things like the cheap looking kenaf panels do not put me off at all because I'm much more interested in the dynamics. The i3 has double the power to weight ratio of the LEAF, that is such a big difference and you feel it everywhere, not just acceleration but braking, cornering, the whole car feels more alive. I'm such a fan of light cars that I'm prepared to put up with a lot of aesthetic oddness but for some the power to weight ratio comes way down the list of importance and with the LEAF being considerably cheaper I can see how it makes a lot of sense to many people.

i3me · Dec 19, 2013

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" (WS)

There would be no problem at all for an owner to "wrap" the hood and roof in the colour (combination) they so desire!
It would only cost a few hundred euros/pounds, provides extra protection (scratches and weather) for those 2 panels and would cost maybe an hour of work (diy). Your BMW dealer could probably even arrange to have it done for you!

TomMoloughney · Dec 19, 2013

kentheteaman said:
Dear Tom,

I know some people view i3 as ugly, unsightly or weird.

Personally I think it is a good looking car in "Andeset silver color with its black hood".

Other colors do not serve it well and they kind of make it look odd or may be ugly except the very dark grey which almost looks black as seen here

It is the double color that makes it odd. It will look much better in single colour both body and hood.

So I wonder if you could speak to BMW people and convince them to supply the hood in different colors to match the body color so that if people want they can buy it as spare and change the hood to body color.

Just a thought. :idea:

regards,
ken

Hi Ken,

I'm not a huge fan of the black hood and rear accents either. That's probably why I too like the Laurus (Laurel in the US) gray since it minimizes the two-tone effect.

They did that because they felt the monochrome didn't work well with the short stubby nose and because the car is very tall considering it's length. The "black belt" is supposed to create the visual appearance that the car is not as "chunky". From the NY Times Wheels blog:

"In designing the i3 electric car, BMW engineers were tasked with reducing weight to compensate for heavy batteries. They used a combination of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum, and the company mounted the passenger compartment atop the batteries. That approach made for a shorter vehicle with a lower center of gravity, but it also gave it a chunky profile. So designers set out to lighten the tall, bulky “monoform,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group’s design director.

“We wanted to remove visual weight from the car,” he said. That meant using all sorts of techniques and tricks to break up the apparent mass of he car, he explained in an interview last week.

Mr. van Hooydonk, Richard Kim and Benoit Jacob worked on designing the i3 for five years. The name they chose to describe the technique used to lighten the bulk of the car’s outline was the black hand, said Mr. van Hooydonk.

“The hood, as you see, is black, and the same material runs over the roof and to the back,” he explained. “This helps us divide up the volume.”

I'm definitely considering a whole car wrap myself. Not only to see how it would look as all one color, but to give it a unique flare. I'm thinking about a deep red or a dark blue. The cool thing about wraps is when you get tired of them you just remove it and it's kinda like you got a new car again!

agj · Dec 19, 2013

"Objection, your Honor"!

I, for one, am quite receptive to the "black belt" thing.

To the point that I ordered mine in white (black/white that is). The now much vaunted "Shamu edition".

Bmw i3 is cute. Period.

It shows to the outside what it is in the inside. But in a much stylish way than, say, the Prius(*) ... :shock:

(*) with all due respect

Muhv · Dec 19, 2013

I agree. Mine will be white as well. All cars doesn't have to look the same.

TomMoloughney · Dec 19, 2013

agj said:
"Objection, your Honor"!

I, for one, am quite receptive to the "black belt" thing.

To the point that I ordered mine in white (black/white that is). The now much vaunted "Shamu edition".

Bmw i3 is cute. Period.

It shows to the outside what it is in the inside. But in a much stylish way than, say, the Prius(*) ... :shock:

(*) with all due respect

HaHa. My opinion on color is just my taste, I wasn't meaning to imply that it's the best choice. I would also be perfectly happy with Solar Orange or even Ionic Silver and they both have the black accents. I really do like the CFRP roof though. I just wish they offered a few more bold color choices, the Solar Orange is the only color that isn't a white, sliver or gray.

kentheteaman · Dec 19, 2013

Fixed the image links for you Ken

Thank you, I33t.

regards,
ken

kentheteaman · Dec 19, 2013

TomMoloughney said:
I'm definitely considering a whole car wrap myself. Not only to see how it would look as all one color, but to give it a unique flare. I'm thinking about a deep red or a dark blue. The cool thing about wraps is when you get tired of them you just remove it and it's kinda like you got a new car again!

Thanks Tom for the insight into the designing of i3.
Fascinating stuff, indeed.

Having said that, I wonder where I can get the wrap to cover the hood.

I am in London,UK. Hope BMW dealer might know.

regards,
ken

robinpearson · Dec 26, 2013

BMW i3 provides fully electric drive and a better performance, but in different view we have found different words, BMW i3 definitely brings a different look but doesn't look ugly.

kentheteaman · Dec 26, 2013

robinpearson said:
..........BMW i3 definitely brings a different look but doesn't look ugly.

I agree.
It is a bit quaint but not ugly.

...ken

Atommad · Dec 29, 2013

I'm looking forward to seeing images of the first wrapped cars. I think it will work well, and as Tom says is completely reversible.

Geodude · Nov 16, 2020

I don't think the i3 is ugly, maybe polarizing is a better description. Stylistically the car is really unique due to the design for a lighter vehicle . The color of my i3 is the Metallic/Mineral Grey with black and it looks AWESOME - and wouldn't change a thing.

eNate · Nov 16, 2020

I was outside on the curb tonight with a couple of guys at work and two i3s pulled up to the stoplight, one behind the other.

"Oh whoa!" I said, "look at those two awesome cars." They looked at each other with that look. I said "That's what I drive" with a smirk. They both kind of audibly rolled their eyes. Let 'em judge. They probably roll in really nice pickup trucks.

Deutsch100 · Nov 16, 2020

I had a 2019 i3S Capparis white with black 20" wheels and I am now in the same combo but a 2020 i3S.

I think the i3, especially the i3S is the best looking Bimmer on the road. It is unique, loads of fun, handles well and performs flawlessly. I absolutely love the i3!

Fisher99 · Nov 16, 2020

I've owned my white/black i3/Rex for a little over a year now and my wife still thinks it is the ugliest car she's ever seen. Personally, I think that "ugly" is too strong of a word. I have settled on "funky looking", and I fully embrace its funkiness. I like that it looks like nothing else on the road. And I like the questions that always come my way when I pull into a parking lot next to someone who has never seen one.

And on 2 occasions a stranger has actually said that they think it looks great and they really like the looks. This happened just last week in the bank drive through Where a lady rolled down her window and got my attention to ask what it was and to say that she loved it. Fortunately my wife was with me this time, as she didn't believe me when I told her about it the previous time. But she still thinks it's ugly...

eNate · Nov 16, 2020

You're lucky, I guess. In the year+ I've been driving the i3, I've had exactly *one* person on the street approach me about the car, not including this one security guard at work who gushes over it every time he's posted at tree entrance.

Maybe it's me. My wife gets all kinds of compliments when she drives our Flex. When I drive it, not a peep.

youngwilliam · Nov 17, 2020

Not ugly, but funky and quirky, we really like ours and the Protonic Blue draws a lot of thumbs up from folks. Its fun factor is equal to my first Bimmer, a '76 2002.

Fisher99 · Nov 17, 2020

youngwilliam said:
Not ugly, but funky and quirky, we really like ours and the Protonic Blue draws a lot of thumbs up from folks. Its fun factor is equal to my first Bimmer, a '76 2002.

My first Bimmer was a '71 2002. Also a bit funky for its time, with it's tall "greenhouse", and one of the most fun Bimmers I've ever owned!

i3 being seen as Ugly

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Moderator

Member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!