i3 vs M3: Mano e Mano

Last week BMW held a press event for the UK launch of the i3 and allowed journalists the opportunity to have an extended test drive of an i3. However that's not all they let them do. BMW also arraigned to have the journalists drag race an M3 that was driven by one of BMW's professional drivers.

The first day of the event the i3 was beating the M3 to 60 mph which took a lot of people by surprise. While the i3 is a very quick car, it isn't M3-quick so some of the journalists were scratching their heads a bit. However it was lightly raining that day and while the M3 was struggling to get traction, the i3 with its thin tires was jumping off the line much quicker and holding off the late charge of the M3. When one journalist questioned if the M3 driver was holding back, BMW let him drive the M3 himself in another race and he promptly lost to the i3 also.

The next day was a little different with dry pavement as seen in the above video. The i3 still jumps off the line quicker, but the massive engine of the M3 is too much for the i3 and halfway through the race to 60 mph you can see it gaining and then easily passing the i3 before they hit the goal of 60 mph.

I've enjoyed the instant torque that my EV's have offered and frequently comment on how that is one of the advantages electric vehicles have over internal combustion engine cars. It really helps to make the EV driving experience better in my opinion. However I can't help but wonder if the M3 didn't have traction control working or if it had some other handicap that we weren't told about. The i3 is quick and I promise it will be a blast to drive, but the M3 is built for one thing- speed, and goes 0-60 in about 4.8 seconds compared to the i3's 7 seconds. It's hard to see how this race was as close as it appears. Still - this is exactly the kind of stuff I want to see from BMW. The i3 is a competent performer as well as an efficient EV built with a focus on sustainable manufacturing and materials. Sustainable is great, but it's the fun stuff like this that gets people excited about the car and what will ultimately sell them!

Rory McIlroy & Gary Woodland Race BMW i3s!

Rory Mcllroy and Gary Woodland competed in a driving challenge Tuesday to kick off BMW Championship week. The two competed against the clock to raise money for the Evans Scholars Foundation. For their participation, BMW donated $10,000 to the Foundation.

BMW has also pledged to give an i3 to the first player who makes a hole-in-one this week at Conway Farms� 17th. As for the competition, both Mcllroy and Woodland were impressed with the i3's acceleration, handling and braking and they finished only 2 seconds off the courses' record.

Possibly the First Ever BMW i3 Street Race!

The BMW Car Club of America is a large organization that is well known for their extreme enthusiasm for BMW automobiles, particularly the ones that are fast or modded to be so. It's unknown how many of the existing members feel about the i3, but my guess is they will be hard pressed to accept it into the family of "performance" cars, unless of course they have the chance to drive in one.

Such was the case for Satch Carlson, BMW CCA member. Satch posted his story called "Satch Meets the i3" on the CCA website recently and described how he was converted from an electric drive doubter to a believer in one short ride.

He starts the post off with saying: "Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I expected to". Satch goes on to tell the story of how he was riding in an i3 when a journalist driving a MINI Cooper S pulled up next to them and challenged them to a race. The i3 with at least two passengers beat the Cooper S much to the surprise and enjoyment of Satch. He commented on the torque and how much fun it was to ride in, and summed up his experience by saying "the fact is that this here little hot rod is ludicrous fun".

This is what I've been saying for four years now. These cars are FUN! The instant torque is really addictive and driving electric electric quickly becomes the drivers preferred method of propulsion for many people once they have had a reasonable amount of time behind the wheel of one, especially one with power. The i3's 0-60 time is about seven seconds. That's not M3 power by any means, but what it does have is instant neck-snapping torque at speeds up to 60mph, and makes it a blast to drive at these speeds. Yes, the power dips off at higher speeds, but for stoplight to stoplight fun, it's really hard to beat.

I understand there will be apprehension from the BMW loyalists that are so conditioned to hearing the rumble of the exhaust and equating that to power and fun, but they'll eventually come around. We just need to get them to drive the i3 for a while and like Satch, they'll find themselves with an "EV grin".

Is the i3's performance good enough for CCA mambers to welcome it into the family?

the fact is that this here little hot rod is ludicrous fun. - See more at: http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6424#sthash.RWYTmLD8.dpuf

Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I expected to. - See more at: http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6424#sthash.RWYTmLD8.dpuf

Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I expected to. - See more at: http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6424#sthash.RWYTmLD8.dpuf

Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I expected to. - See more at: http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6424#sthash.RWYTmLD8.dpuf

Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I expected to. - See more at: http://www.bmwcca.org/node/6424#sthash.RWYTmLD8.dpuf