Lot Ended
Description
By Instruction of the Attorney; just two owners
and 13,300 miles from new; 33kwh hybrid electric; 184bhp; a flyweight
technical marvel with startling performance; the most fun you can have with your
clothes on!
Launched in 2013, the BMW i3
was an electric vehicle quite unlike anything seen before. Like its sister
model, the dramatic BMW i8 hybrid sportscar, it was designed to be a proper
driver’s car with rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution and go-cart
handling.
Costing over £2bn to develop,
it had a state-of-the-art carbon fibre and aluminium structure – the kind of technology normally only
found on a McLaren P1 supercar or an F1 race car. Weighing just 1,300kg, it was
far lighter than any rival EV, being 300kg lighter than a Nissan
LEAF.
Allied to the startling power
of the lithium-ion battery pack, the flyweight i3 had remarkable performance,
being quicker from 0-30mph than a petrol-engined Porsche 911. The first pure
electric versions only had a range of about 80 miles but a Range Extender option
was available which increased this to around 140 miles by using a 600cc petrol
generator which automatically kicked in when required to keep the batteries
charged up.
It also employed F1-style KERS
technology which uses the car’s kinetic energy to charge the battery when you
lift your foot from the accelerator – an engaging characteristic which opens up
a whole new style of driving. Once mastered, you barely ever need to use the
brake pedal.
A 2018 facelift brought
greater range plus many detail improvements and an even more sporty i3S was
available which produced 184bhp and 270NM of torque, making it good for 0-60mph
in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 95mph.
First registered in November
2018, this BMW i3S Range Extender has had just two owners from new, the current
since April 2021. It has covered only 13,319 miles, the onboard computer showing
that it has been serviced three times, the last in March 2022 at 11,275 miles.
The MOT history online shows that the last MOT was issued in March
2023 which it passed with no advisories and it has only covered 600 miles since.
We charged the car up when it arrived on site and we have all greatly enjoyed
taking it for spins around our large 10-acre yard. The acceleration from the
33kwh battery pack is laugh-out-loud hilarious and the sheer silence of the
interior is uncanny.
As you can see in the photos,
this low-mileage i3S is mainly in very good condition but there is a dent
and some scuffs on the rear left corner, the passenger door mirror has a
cracked/scuffed surround and there are some scuffs on the bodywork below the
rear number plate. The interior could do with a good valet and the paintwork has
some water residue stains which should come off easily with a gentle machine
polish. It is packed full of gadgets including parking sensors, heated seats,
sat nav, Harmon Kardon sound system etc.
Sadly, the owner of this car
is now in a care home and it is being sold here by Instruction of the Attorney.
At the time of writing no documents for the car could be located so the new
owner will need to apply for a replacement V5C using the usual DVLA form
and payment of a £25 fee. It does have two key fobs though and we we will
update the website should any paperwork be found.
These i3s are
fascinating cars on many levels and huge fun to drive. There are lots of
excellent YouTube videos telling you everything you need to know about the many
clever features they have and how to maximise the range. It seems that no one
has a bad word to say about them.
If ever an electric car could
be called a classic, the BMW i3S is surely right up there with the
strongest contenders. BMW stopped making the i3 in 2022 and there is no longer
anything quite like it. No matter what prejudices you may have about EVs in
general, if you love driving then we guarantee that one quick spin in this
pocket-rocket will win you over in little more than the 3.5 seconds it takes
to hit the urban speed limit. We absolutely love
it!
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com