BMW to Launch Electric Car?

Nathaniel Salzman May 5th, 2008 Link

In other news outlets it’s probably worth noting that there are reports that this car still has an outside chance of being branded a MINI.

I kind of hope it’s a BMW and not a MINI. Let the parent brand have some econo-cred. Then trickle that down and offer an in-house plug-in hybrid MINI or something like that. But let MINI be MINI. I think the defining characteristics of the MINI brand are narrower than for BMW.

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c4 May 5th, 2008 Link

Could this be the comeback of the Isetta? I think BMW has a vested interested to compete head to head with Smart now that they are being officially sold in the US.

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Craig May 5th, 2008 Link

If they do bring this to the USA I would defintely buy one. I have a 10 mile daily round-trip commute so battery range is not an issue. I would love to never stop at another gas station.

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M. Dillon May 5th, 2008 Link

Ditto,on Nathaniel’s comment…

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Rocketboy_X May 5th, 2008 Link

I could see them selling this in either the BMW or the MINI showrooms…

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lavardera May 5th, 2008 Link

I’m with C4 – Isetta as a brand, or Isetta by BMW which would probably be the most accurate historically. It would be nice to see a green car that is actually fun to drive and does not cost as much as a ferrari.

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Hai May 5th, 2008 Link

An electric MINI?! I’m in!

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b4mmy May 5th, 2008 Link

i would definitely buy one, and I hope it’s a mini rather than a BMW…

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GregW May 5th, 2008 Link

The old Isetta make was acquired by BMW? I agree with previous comments – DON’T called it a MINI. But those pictures on the web do look like the car uses MINI guard mouldings. Some sharing of parts may be used as MINI does with BMW. My pick – The New BMW Isetta

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C4 May 5th, 2008 Link

I think Isetta always has been a BMW owned name… I could be wrong.

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Brant May 5th, 2008 Link

Regardless of MINI or Isetta naming, I would hope BMW is aggressive enough in their efficiency and price targets to compete for the X-Prize.

I’d love to see a carbon-fiber body reminiscent of the classic Mini with an all electric drive system as a city car. Just imagine a vehicle with the bulk of it’s weight being batteries and motor positioned 5-6 inches from the ground. I’d also wish for more roundabouts to come stateside. :-)

Currently there are competitors for the prize trying to find ways to mass produce whole carbon fiber car bodies (not just accessories) at affordable prices. If they succeed we can start rushing towards “Adding lightness” instead of horsepower to achieve performance, improving deceleration as well as acceleration.

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Edge May 5th, 2008 Link

All you really need to know about the old Isettas… Not BMW originally, but yes it became so in 1955 until production ceased in 1962.

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Eelke May 6th, 2008 Link

I’m in the “please don’t make this a Mini” camp as well. Although the Mini might have started as a small, sensible car way back in 1959, that’s not what Mini has been about basically since John Cooper got involved and it isn’t what attracted me to the Mini originally (which was decades before BMW launched the New Mini, btw ;)). Mini is now about compact driving fun, and somehow I don’t think that an electric Smart-competitor goes well with that. It makes total sense to me to blow the dust off the Isetta brand/name.

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Mk1 May 6th, 2008 Link

I don’t think BMW would bring this in as either a BMW or MINI variant. They were very successful re-launching the Mini, so I think it would be a no-brainer for them replay this again with a re-launch of the Isetta.

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gokartride May 6th, 2008 Link

This will be an interesting story to watch unfold in light of the premium reputation of BMW. From overall packaging, to powertrain, to safety and amenities…cramming quality into a small package seems a huge challenge. Still…I believe there is a market for such a thing.

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C4 May 6th, 2008 Link

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Jim W. May 6th, 2008 Link

2012 would be just around the time my MCS is put to pasture… Could they bring back the FRONT door? I’m not sure if the Isetta had that, but that would be a neat trick… no more opening doors into traffic!

I would like BMW to roll out the Isetta, and MINI to bring along a rival MOKE with 10 inch wheels.

These small cars just keep getting more fun!

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Dave May 6th, 2008 Link

that picture looks like a nasty mix between a space-age isetta and a VW beetle. never, ever brand that as a mini. EVER.

give us the technology, sure, but not that gross look. i’ll take an R50 gutted out and fitted with quad electric drive and regenerative braking, like PML’s QED concept, maybe settle for the bloated-looking R55 (the R50 looked much nicer though, i’m not trading mine in for any other gasoline-powered car, ever), but not that ugly child of the isetta and the bug.

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Vanwall May 6th, 2008 Link

The Mini was the anti-Isetta – the head of BMC, Leonard Lord, wanted to sell a well-engineered CAR, not a re-worked scooter, so I would hope they don’t involve MINI in it. The Suez Crisis in 1956,(an early Gas Price Crisis – hmm, interesting) led to various foreign microcars pouring into England, and what were mostly 3-wheelers viewed as motorcycle alternatives were suddenly taking away sales from the low-end British cars. Lord wanted an entry level car to push people toward going upmarket in BMC vehicles sooner or later. I’m surprised BMW still has the rights to the Isetta brand, when I think about it – but they were careful not to lose any patent and trademark fights over it with the passing years, Trojan and Tri-tech being good examples, so it’s usefulness is proven once again in a gas price crisis. Smart better watch out, even they get into bed with BMW – they take no prisoners.

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GregW May 7th, 2008 Link

Obviously you know your BMC and Mini history Vanwall. After looking at the Isetta link above I see that it was an Italian Job!

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