The BMW i3 has been one of the most original electric cars on the market. By concept, the very idea of a BMW with an urban and premium cut is already curious, but its execution was even more so: suicide doors, exotic materials or very thin wheels are some of its peculiarities. No longer for sale, but there was an i3s with 184 hp and a slightly sportier set-up. And of course, someone has thought of taking a “hot” lap with an i3s at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The result could surprise you
On paper, the BMW i3s is a relatively fast car. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 6.9 seconds and with a weight of just over 1,350 kilos, it is a dynamic car. On paper, he should be able to do under nine minutes per lap. And yet, the time at the Nürburgring was identical to that of Sabine Schmitz… with a Ford Transit cargo diesel. The lap time, with an expert pilot at his controls, was 10:08 in BTG (Bridge to Gantry) configuration.
According to the pilot, ESP is tremendously intrusive. The car has an understeer character.
A car like a Skoda Octavia RS with a diesel engine is a minute and a half faster, without going any further. The main reason is that just 1.5 km from starting to roll hard, the power of the car decreases very considerably – loses half of its power, according to the pilot. This decrease implies less top speed, and very modest speeds on climbs. To this is added that it is not possible to attack the curbs, because of the narrowness of their tires. Consumption, as is completely logical, shot up to 41kWh/100km.
Pictures of the BMW i3s
