A NEW ERA IN SHEER DRIVING PLEASURE.
The BMW Group is opening a new chapter in its history with the unveiling of a pure-electric Gran Coupe in Geneva: The Concept i4 takes electric drive to the core of the BMW brand. It provides a whole new take on the dynamic excellence for which BMW is renowned and blends a modern, elegantly sporty design with the spaciousness and functionality of a four-door Gran Coupe – all while generating zero local emissions.
The BMW Concept i4 includes several exterior and interior design elements which will make an appearance in both the BMW i4 and other electrically-powered production vehicles. The virtually silent delivery of power creates an entirely new sensation of dynamism.
The BMW Concept i4 brings electrification to the core of the BMW brand. The design is dynamic, clean and elegant. In short: a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission.
Adrian van HooydonkSenior Vice President BMW Group Design
BMW – EXTERIOR DESIGN.
Electrifying Aesthetics.
The modern, elegant exterior represents a deliberate counterpoint to the dynamic flair of the driving experience. The perfectly resolved Gran Coupe proportions create an authentic, modern and confident appearance. The long wheelbase, fastback roofline and short overhangs form a basic profile brimming with elegance and dynamism.
With its four doors, the BMW Concept i4 offers not only a high level of everyday usability and practicality, but also a much larger interior than the car’s modern and dynamic proportions would immediately suggest.
Front.
With no combustion engine to require cooling, the prominent, closed-off kidney grille now serves primarily as an “intelligence panel” housing various sensors. The headlights likewise provide a bridge between the past and the future; the classical four-eyed front end is reprised here with a very modern and pared-back interpretation. Two intricate, freestanding LED elements on either side integrate all of the requisite light functions. Clean surfaces and a small number of crisp lines around the grille create a contemporary front-end graphic with considerable visual impact. A BMW i-style blue accent in the grille surround sets the seal on the front-end styling.
INTERIOR DESIGN.
Innovation meets minimalism.
The interior of the BMW Concept i4 focuses on those times when the driver chooses to pilot the car themselves. To this end, every element in the front of the cabin is trained on the driver.
Almost all operating functions are integrated into the BMW Curved Display, which encompasses a large proportion of the section in front of the driver and above the centre stack, as part of an overall approach centred on reducing the number of haptic controls to the minimum.
Focus on the essential.
The front section of the interior around the BMW Curved Display also majors on pared-back design. The understated use of different materials and the fundamental arrangement of controls creates a modern yet also luxurious ambience.
Accent strips in warm Gold Bronze blending to chrome lend the interior a high-class touch. The overall result is a clearly structured, bright and airy cabin which brings across the tranquillity and authority of electric drive systems.
Spacious rear compartment.
Rear-seat passengers are greeted by a generously-sized compartment offering levels of headroom and legroom that exceed expectations of a coupe. Integral head restraints for the front and rear seats add further to the sporting feel. The cut-out in the head restraints is a classy detail that references sporty BMW models from the current line-up.
The rear seats extend the horizontal graphic emerging from the doors to create a lounge feel in the rear. Meanwhile, the outer seats reprise the dynamic form of the front seats, heightening the sporting flavour. They also use very little stitching, which further emphasises the clean and modern feel.
BMW – Experience the Electric Age.
Three different Experience Modes enable users to explore the various facets of the electric drive system and provide a look ahead – in terms of visuals at least – to the next-generation operating system from 2021. The sometimes emphasised visual differentiation between the three Experience Modes (“Core”, “Sport” and “Efficient”) spans everything from how the user experiences the display and graphics to how the interior is presented.
BMW – ICONIC SOUNDS ELECTRIC.
The BMW Concept i4 is not only characterised by its individual design, but also by its own visionary and unique sound. It was developed under the brand name of BMW IconicSounds Electric by world renowned composer Hans Zimmer together with BMW Sound Designer Renzo Vitale. The sound of the BMW Concept i4 achieves this to perfection – it combines BMW’s past and future. The sound is manifold, surprising and it provides a sense of lightness and transparency. The sound worlds of the BMW Concept i4 range from the driving sounds in “Core” mode to the more intense and pronounced sounds of “Sport” mode. Also included are the sounds of the door opening and the starting scenario.
