Design Review: BMW i Vision Dynamics

BMW’s main presentation at Frankfurt showed three very different visions for the development of their design language. The X7 concept seemed overtly brash (a perfect Oligarch’s car), while the 8 Series penned by Designworks showed a very elegant and classic approach for this forthcoming flagship model. In the middle sat the i Vision Dynamics concept, in many ways an important statement for BMW’s i brand.

The current pair of BMW i models are deliberately niche offerings to test the waters with EV technology, in the contrasting forms a tall urban runabout, and a hybrid supercar with a cramped 2+2 seating layout. The i Vision Dynamics concept is a much more mainstream offering with a clear design message: this is a modern, clean BMW for the new age of electrification.

Designed under the leadership of Domagoj Dukec, the i Vision Dynamics is sized midway between the 3-Series and 5-Series sedans at 4800mm in length. It’s also lower and wider than both those cars, yet its electric powertrain layout should allow a generous four-seat package, even if the concept shown did not have an accessible interior.

BMW is investing €200m in a new plant for their fifth-generation battery technology that should provide a breakthrough in terms of range, durability and costs. It will be central in supporting their aim to launch 25 electrified models by 2025, of which 12 will be pure EVs.

Proportions/Side

1. The basic proportions are typical BMW: a low slung sporty sedan with a flowing roofline, very short front overhang, and body sculpting that gives emphasis to the large wheels. That classic sporty sedan proportion whereby the front axle-to-dash ratio is equal to the rear-axle-to-base of-rear-screen [white arrows] is maintained here, too.
   
   
2. While the forms and the graphics of the i Vision Dynamics give a clear link to existing BMW values, the surfacing is notably clean, as befits an ‘i’ brand BMW. The bodyside is a simple dihedral section with soft sculpting of the fenders as they flow outwards front and rear.
   
   
3. Graphics are a key component of the design. The shutlines of the rear door and bumper run parallel, like that of the VW Golf. The bumper shutline leads the eye straight to the centre of the rear wheel too – another classic styling device.
   
   
4. Together with the grille, the DLO is the most striking graphic on the car, with a glass area that pinches in at the B-pillar – seemingly echoing the notch at the top and bottom of the grille. The i3 has a DLO that shifts at the B-pillar too, although in that instance it moves down, not up.
   
   
5. It’s good to see a BMW that doesn’t rely on the Hoffmeister kink as a design cue, proof that the team under Dukek feel confident to move on after 55 years. Note how the top point of the rear door shutline aligns directly over the rear wheel.
   
   
6. The lower body area is broken up with a lightly-twisting silver side blade and a blue accent as on the i8.

Front

1. The construction of the front end is one of the standout parts of the design. The basic form of the bumper beam runs straight across, with the BMW kidney grille being inserted as an abstract frame into the volumes. The BMW badge is pushed down into the upper notch and the front camera sensor nestles neatly in the lower notch. Up close, the remaining ‘bumper beam’ within the grille is picked out with triangular motifs to provide some contrast texture and indicate it is an “intelligence surface” incorporating sensors for autonomous driving.
   
   
2. The inner edge of the grille frame is illuminated in blue. It’s subtly done, even if some observers felt it added to the slight ‘chipmunk teeth’ effect of the grille.
   
   
3. The headlamps are a pared-back interpretation of the hooded 4-lamp look of BMW. The two free-standing LED light elements on each side integrate all the necessary lighting functions for the front end, with all other fog lamps, DRLs and turn indicators eliminated. It’s a refreshing change from the ever-glitzier LED front ends that have become the norm.
   
   
4. A broad lower lip juts out to provide the necessary air intakes at the front. It’s a motif shared with the new 8 Series and Z4 concepts.
   
   
5. The side cheeks appear as though they have split the main corner surface to create a vertical slit. This deliberate use of disrupted surfaces is a characteristic of the i Vision Dynamics.
   
   
6. The wheel design comprises five gently twisted broad spokes set within a polished aluminium rim. It’s a development of the i8 wheel and continues the ‘peeled surface’ theme

Rear

1. This is the most orthodox view of the i Vision Dynamics concept. All the familiar BMW elements are arranged in order here – there’s no mistaking this car for another brand – yet the treatment of all the elements is new.
   
   
2. Slim rear lamps accentuate the width of the car. The signature BMW L-shape rear lamp motif is achieved by twisting the blade-like form from horizontal to vertical as it reaches the corners.
   
   
3. Totally flush glazing with no offset to the body surface adds to the futuristic feel. We haven’t seen this type of flush glass since it was last in vogue in the 1980s. BMW were not opening the doors or showing any interior at the Frankfurt Show so it’s not clear how the glass might operate.
   
   
4. Likewise, the trunklid appears to encompass the rear lamps, as on some current SUVs and station wagons such as the Opel Insignia. It continues the idea of minimising design elements for a clean effect.
   
   
5. Note the front fender surface that does not run exactly flush. Another example of the disrupted ‘peeled surfacing’ employed on the car.
   
   
6. There’s no exhaust, but the hard-edged dark venturi outlets suggest high performance.
   
   

Expect this concept to wear an i5 badge in future, with a planned launch date of 2021.