Spy Shots: BMW i3 testing during hot weather conditions

The upcoming BMW i sub-brand has had a few bumps in the road along its way to production, but despite rumors of the project’s termination, BMW is still working towards their goal with at least a couple of the originally planned models. In these spy shots, we can see the new prototypes of the i3, which have been caught hot weather testing in Southern Europe after previously being spotted in the snow.

The future BMW i3 features the same roof line and window in the C-pillar as seen on the i3 Concept and on previous test models. The i3 will also get suicide doors like the ones on the Clubman and will be built on a new LifeDrive architecture that will help reduce the car’s weight by 550-660 lbs. This architecture consists of two horizontally separated, independent modules: the Drive module which integrates the battery, drive system, and structural and crash functions, and the Life module which consists primarily of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from CFRP.

The production i3 will use a powerful 170 HP electric engine that will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in under 8 seconds and up to a top speed of 93 mph. The model is rumored to be priced at about $55K.