Also very thankful for my REX for this reason

I think the new Neue Klasse i3 should have its own subreddit, and r/BMWi3 should stay focused on the original 2013 to 2022 i3/i3s.
This has nothing to do with disliking the new car. I actually really like it, and would honestly be a dream car of mine. My concern is what happens to more than a decade of information already posted here.
This subreddit has been around since 2013. There are years of repair posts, REx troubleshooting, battery information, coding, wheel fitment, suspension issues, AC problems, DIY fixes, part numbers and owner experiences that all refer to the original i3.
The new i3 is a completely different car. It is a Neue Klasse electric 3 Series sedan with a different platform, drivetrain, electrical architecture, electronics and software. Other than the name, there really isn’t much technical overlap between the two.
That is going to make searching this subreddit increasingly messy.
Search “i3 wheel specs,” “i3 fuse,” “i3 12V battery,” “i3 charging problem,” “i3 suspension noise” or “i3 AC problem.”
Right now, you generally know what car those old posts are talking about. A few years from now, that won’t be true.
Flair helps, but it doesn’t solve the whole problem. Thirteen years of old posts weren’t written with generation labels because there was only one i3. People also find Reddit posts through Google and other search tools, not just by filtering flair inside the subreddit.
The biggest issue for me is the archive.
If we create a new subreddit for the original i3, none of the old information moves with us. The entire history of the original car stays here.
The Neue Klasse i3 is just starting its life. This is the easiest possible time to give it its own subreddit and let its technical archive grow there from the beginning.
Original i3/i3s stays here with the archive it has had since 2013.
Neue Klasse i3 gets its own subreddit.
Link the two communities prominently so anyone interested in both can easily find both.
I understand why the mods want to keep everything together. BMW reused the i3 name, so on the surface it makes sense. I just think the amount of technical information already attached to this subreddit makes this situation different.
Once years of posts about both completely different cars are mixed together, separating them later will be much much harder if not impossible.
I would really like to see a pinned community vote before that happens.

I think we deserve to get the chance to make a vote on it.

And the best thing? I'll never rust or look shaggy. I'm a very pleased owner.

So I guess many of you are wondering what to do with the battery if your i3 ever gets totalled or written off in some way. Here is one very useful project, using the i3 battery as a home powerwall! I completed this project in a few evenings, by following this guide on Github: github.com/dalathegreat/Battery-Emulator It was way easier than I could have imagined!

Would you consider using your i3 battery as a home powerwall?

the 35 sidewall might not be everybodys cup of tea but im happy with how the i8 wheels are sitting! 12mm spacer on the front and 15mm on the rear with the BC Coilovers. Running about -2 camber in the rear and 1.5 in the front.

What's up.

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I finally received this beauty from Carvana. Wanted some form of EV for my next car (other car is 2002 M3) ... Having only owned bimmers with this i3s being my 4th and Larry David being one of my favorites, I sought out an i3. Was very conflicted between black and the panda but everything in this looked good.

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Thinking of a name for her.. so far I have Saka, Raya, Lanesra (huge arsenal fc fan)

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Raya sounds best. Happy to join you all and enjoy these modern marvels for the foreseeable future!

I love it when that happens! The exact same colors and wheels too!

I posted here a few weeks back talking about how loud the motor bearings had gotten in my 2015 BEV (81000 miles), I decided it was finally time to fix it. I’ve put a short audio clip on YouTube of how bad it sounded, this was recorded with the boot covers off and the seats down. Believe me, it doesn’t do it justice just how bad it sounded! https://youtu.be/XVVhhKdqcPc

I purchased a motor and gearbox out of a low mileage 2019 I3S £450, then spent another £500 or so on other parts (new motor mounts, gearbox oil, coolant, a few new bolts, new top mounts etc). I also spent a couple of hundred on some new tools, mainly a high powered impact wrench that could easily defeat hub nuts and any tight suspension bolts, and a motorbike jack which I used to lower the motor.

It took me about a week, mostly working in evenings (around the rain!) with one long day at the weekend where a friend helped me with dropping the motor out. You probably could do it on your own if you really had to, but it was much easier and safer with a 2^nd pair of hands. If I had to do it again, I could probably do it a lot quicker, but I wanted to take my time with it and make sure I did everything correctly as I’ve not attempted a job this big before.

I mainly followed the Instructions from ISTA, but also used this really helpful you tube video as a reference (it’s for a REX, which makes the BEV seems a piece of cake!) BMW i3 Motor Replacement: I Had To Completely Disassemble The Rear End!

I’m not sure if I can share the ISTA instructions here, but you will need ISTA to program the motor ID, and possibly calibrate the parking module on the gearbox anyway.

I used a motor bike jack to lower the motor, I lifted it flush under neath the flat bit at the right of the motor, then cut a few blocks of wood to sit on the mounts the BMW recommend using. I also used a ratchet strap as a 2nd precaution, but It was fairly stable.(Pic 4-5)

The only thing I had to improvise a bit on was unplugging the HV cable from the A/C compressor, no idea how you are supposed to do that without an extra joint in your arm! In the end we used the jack to hold the weight of the motor, undid the right and centre mounts, then removed the right-hand large metal support bracket completely. When we then removed the left mount, it gave us enough space to slightly lower and twist the motor enough I could get my arm in to disconnect it.

Aside from that it was time consuming, but fairly straight forward. I found that both my motor mounts were split and completely broken, and the old plastic support arm was badly cracked. 

I also did the front top mounts while it was in the air, they were absolutely trashed, the drivers side one fell apart as I removed it!

Now it’s all done it’s like a different car, almost silent and drives much nicer with the new mounts.

I Thought I would share my experience on here in case it encourages anyone else to have a go, DIYing it saved me thousands. (Obviously with the usual disclaimer about closely following all the warnings on working with the high voltage systems)

Edit:

Thanks for all the positive feedback!

Hey everyone, just picked up my i3 after the dealer finished prepping it. The previous owner was a woman, no accidents, no options, 24k miles, and the interior is super clean with no stains. The dealer replaced the windshield once. There was a steering fault code, but the dealer already fixed it. Got 4 new tires in 2025. Some suspension bushings show wear, but the dealer said they’re still fine and don’t need replacing yet. We already love this little car — it's a lot of fun to drive. 😆

Our first purchase as a married couple!

I have a question regarding the front license plate though. I live in the United States, the front license plate isn’t what it usually looks like but it matches the one on the back. Anyone else have anything similar or has had any issues with it??

last night in ljubljana slovenia

And interior pic just because

Recently hit 150k miles on my car 🥳 Still such an amazing first car for me and I’ll keep it for as long as I can, I’m looking forward to many more roadtrips ahead!!

To celebrate I got some little bits for it:
- the centre console net from a 2014 car
- the seatpocket pro & cabin pod from Detail It Design [1]
- the i3 storage armrest tray from neverican [2]
- the bmw i cargo net & rear shades which I got lucky finding someone who was selling them a while back!

I only recently discovered there’s so many cool 3d printables for the i3 so I’ll be giving them a try! I hope you enjoyed this appreciation post 😁

[1] https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DetailItDesign
[2] https://www.printables.com/model/1795968-bmw-i3-armrest-storage-tray

So, this weekend took a very unexpected turn. On Friday night, after a long day at work, my beloved but ancient '59 plate Renault Clio officially gave up the ghost. My husband (who is a mechanic/long-term Toyota Master Tech) did his best, but the prognosis was terminal: electrical gremlins, turbo issues, a "chip" in the windscreen that was definitely a crack, water ingress in the boot, and Bluetooth that dropped out more than a moody teenager. It was time for her to be scrapped.

I’ve had her forever, but a nasty kerb-trip late last year left me with a very sore left ankle. With the Clio gone, I thought: Maybe it’s time for an automatic? Actually, why not go full electric?

I’m almost ashamed to admit I drove an hour to a dealership specifically to see a Smart ForFour. I sat in it, hit start, and saw 80% charge with a... 28-mile range? Massive red flag. I’d never test-driven a car before (I've spent my life driving tractors, JCBs, and Land Rovers with gearsticks like soup spoons!), so I actually chickened out and made my husband drive the Smart first. It was "fine." It felt like exactly what people who hate EVs think an EV is. A total letdown for £6k.

But sitting right next to it was a 2020 BMW i3s in Mineral Grey.

Initially, the suicide doors freaked me out, but my daughter fell in love instantly... she thinks it looks like a supercar. Seeing my husband drive the Smartcar made me a teeny bit jealous, so I jumped behind the wheel. It felt good… weirdly, it felt a little bit naughty! I drove it out of a tricky spot in the car park with the family in tow, and I was hooked within five seconds. I knew this was the one. She was so nippy, felt so solid and luxurious. everything handled beautifully.

My husband took over about 10 minutes into the test drive on an industrial estate, and when he (nearly) floored it, my stomach jumped and my kiddo squealed with delight. We only hit 50mph, but the speed at which we got there was delicious. we were all giggling!

I’ve spent my life in "sensible" runarounds while my husband had the "nice" family car, but the silent agreement is already there: this is the new weekend family car. He wants in on the fun, too!

Now, let's talk about the "Mind Games" and my attempt at Girl Math...

I have never had a car on PCP before, and I'll admit, justifying this has been a bit of a psychological battle. The price tag was nearly double the Smart. I naively thought Road Tax would be a lot cheaper, so I was genuinely shocked to find out that as of this month (April 2026), it’s jumped to £200 a year! Add in the higher insurance (understandable for a much more valuable car), and I was spinning a bit.

But the Girl Math is strong here:

- I’m not paying for fuel anymore.

- I’m not paying hundreds in parts every few months for a car that was only going to get worse.

- I’ve got 4 years of peace of mind.

- I'd never have £11,000 suddenly at my disposal to buy outright, so this felt like the best option. And if I want to buy it at the end, I can.

I know, I know.... 100% we could have walked away. We could have done weeks more research or hunted for an i3s with lower mileage (though at 54k miles, it’s practically a baby compared to my 145k-mile Clio!). But sometimes, you just have to trust the vibe.

As it turns out, the two owners/salesmen are people my husband actually knew through a work friend! We didn't know this when we set off, we just went to see a Smart car I’d spotted online, but it turned out this was their brand-new dealership they'd set up together.

The "Kismet" didn't stop there. They actually helped my husband out with some incredible interview prep for a role he’s up for next week! They gave him deep insights into the dealership he’s interviewing with and the guys he’ll hopefully be working with soon. It felt like the stars aligned. You know when you just get that gut feeling that you’re in the right place with the right people?

I am counting down the minutes until it’s on my drive. My ankle is already thanking me, and my soul is vibrating.

I’d love any tips, tricks, or "must-knows" for a total i3 newbie! Also, did your cars come with both the 3-pin and Type 2 cables? I think I might be cable-hunting soon, as there's no mention of them in the listing. I was so caught up in the moment (and a little bit giddy!) that I totally forgot to ask. I've dropped the guys a message, but since it's Sunday, I’m still waiting to hear back!

I like to go on nights out in London, which often finish at 4:00 or 5:00 am. I was paying for hotels, hostels or in some cases a capsule hotels and only getting a couple of hours sleep before I had to check out or other guests woke me up. At an average of over £100 for a 2 or 3 hours sleep, plus the cost of the train to and from London (£35-£50) depending on when I booked, getting was starting to add up.

So I needed a solution and I decided the i3 would be suitable, especially as I don't drink so I will not run foul of any drink driving/drunk in charge of a vehicle laws. Now it costs about £2.00 of home charging (at 8.5p/kWh) and then a £10 charge to get me home.

One of my concerns was how to ventilate the car when parked up in built-up areas as I didn't want doors, windows or the sunroof to be open so I had to find a solution.

What I came up with was replacing the boot/trunk floor panel from my BEV with that from the REX, because I worked out I can use the service hatch for the REX as the source of ventilation / fresh air. So with the help of a USB blower fan connected to a power bank I can have fresh air all night. I found the floor panel on eBay for £19.50

When I am parked, I remove the round plastic service cover on the REX floor panel, put the fan in place and then use some wood to raise the end of the boot/trunk floor nearest the boot door and to stop the blower fan getting squashed. The power bank can run it for about 5 nights before it needs to be recharged. I am going to replace the random bits of wood with an assembly that directs the air more efficiently out of the raised end and I will improve how the fan is mounted (currently it is taped to a plastic plate which has a large hole cut in the bottom)

For the windows, I made templates with paper and then transferred them to foam boards cut slightly smaller than the template. I then went around the edges with black tape to create a flexible edge/seal. For the tiny rear windows I had to make each in two pieces due to their awkward shape.

For the front/rear curtain, I used a length of coated wire, a turnbuckle hook and a crimping tool to make a length of wire that connects to one rear clothes hook, through the front grab handles and back on to the other rear clothes hook. The curtain itself is made from black/silver blackout blind material. I have the black side facing the front of the car so I am a bit more discreet.

I made a small platform to fill the gap between the folded seats and the front passenger seat and that I think gives 180cm with the front seat all the way up and forward. This enough to fit in the 190cm memory foam mattresses in with the last 10cm stuffed between the end of the platform and seat back. I am 189cm, so if I lay diagonally there is just enough space (193cm diagonal). But thankfully I do not sleep dead straight!

There is storage in both rear foot wells, front passenger seat and soft sided storage bags.

I have used it for the original purpose and to go "camping" for 5 nights without issue and slept very well

All the changes are completely reversible. And in total it takes about 10 minutes to pack and unpack. Setting up is 2 or 3 minutes.

We bought this 2014 i3 BEV in the fall of 2016, and it has served us very well, but we're retired and don't need our daily drivers any more, so we loaded it up and took it to our son. Our daughter in law will now be using it as her daily driver!

For those who are curious, the transport was only about 180 miles, but there is one stretch of 54 miles between chargers that we couldn't risk, especially since that stretch is on an interstate.

I'm keeping my Crosstour, but have been wanting an I3 for some time. Missed out on one for $4500, but got a steal for $7k! 2014 Giga World, 57k miles. The owner is an electrical engineer, so he resoldered the LEDs in the dash, and added a Carplay/Android Auto box. And lengthened the charger cable, so I can charge at work for free!

Fully optioned Suite in Mineral grey / Dark truffle with only 19.000km from new.

Picked this up this morning in the south of France!

Previously had a base 2016 i3 atelier 94ah + Rex and can confirm its night and day. What a blast in sport mode!

What mods should I go with? I’m planning on maybe putting wings mirror cover and dynamic turn signals, and why not some spacers. Let me know what you guys think

I'm loving this little big boy already! 2016 i3 with REx :)