# BMW's new i3: Did they try to make it ugly? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926 "2013-07-30T18:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/21 "2013-08-01T16:22:08Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > And if you think I’m bashing small city cars, I think the Smart Car is one of the most exciting car designs anywhere. I think it is really ingenious. The Smart was designed by Swatch, and intended to be a fashion accessory. Practicality wasn’t a primary design goal. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/22 "2013-08-01T16:41:40Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Practicality wasn’t a primary design goal. Making a very small car for use in crowded cities wasn’t a primary design goal? It just happened to end up that way to make it prettier? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/23 "2013-08-01T17:33:26Z")
That’s not really an ugly car. It is even slightly reminiscent of the [BMW Isetta](https://www.google.com/search?q=isetta&client=firefox-a&hs=XmI&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=upn6Ub_CFoPq9ASMs4CwBg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=840&bih=413). No, for true sadness, tragedy, and horror, one must turn to the[Gatsby 2000.](http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-worlds-worst-custom-bmw-e30-972150572) Pregnant women, children, and those with a weak constitution must not look upon the Gatsby 2000. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/24 "2013-08-01T23:24:25Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Making a very small car for use in crowded cities wasn’t a primary design goal? It just happened to end up that way to make it prettier? The Smart isn’t a conventional “city car”. It’s a 2-seater, which severely limits its utility and makes it more of a fashion statement. Examples of mainstream city cars include the [Fiat Panda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Panda), [Toyota Aygo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Aygo) and [Volkswagen Up!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Up). ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/25 "2013-08-02T12:04:14Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > You don’t even vaguely understand what is being said to you. Untrue, but thanks for assuming that our disagreement proves that I’m some sort of idiot who doesn’t know what words mean. :rolleyes: > [@Ravenman](#): > > Perhaps this judgmental attitude is getting in the way of understanding a very simple, unassailable point: regardless of how utilitarian your tastes are, a business is making a very serious mistake if they do not try to make their products both functional and aesthetically pleasing. > > You will note that every car make and model updates its styling every year to appeal to the tens to hundreds of thousands of people who buy them. They are not designing cars to suit your outlying preference for spartanism, because the vast majority of people want to spend their money on things that are useful AND pleasing to the eye. That’s nice. It’s also totally unresponsive to my post. I didn’t deny that BMW made a decision to style the car the way they did, nor did I claim that people don’t make decisions based on aesthetics. I merely mentioned that electric cars do have some cosmetic limitations that ICE cars lack and criticized people who care more about form than function. Speaking of, I have no preference for “spartanism.” A spartan car would certainly lack amenities, which I specificially listed as a requirement. I’m beginning to believe that _you_ don’t know what words mean. > [@Ravenman](#): > > Besides which, it’s laughable to believe that the i3 was designed solely for performance characteristics. Of course BMW was trying to make an aesthetic statement, and I’m saying it is an UGLY aesthetic statement. I agree. It would be ridiculous to believe that. Again, I never made that claim. I did criticize those who prioritize a factor that has no actual impact on their usage of the car. Speaking of: > [@Ravenman](#): > > I think the Smart Car is one of the most exciting car designs anywhere. I think it is really ingenious. You obviously belong to this class, as the Smart Car is a case of aesthetics triumphing over practicality. Larger cars get better gas mileage and are more comfortable while costing less. Only in bizarre edge cases does the Smart Car driver benefit from the slightly smaller size. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/26 "2013-08-02T13:15:25Z")
Are you always this ornery, or does the subject of car design arouse special passions that you just can’t control? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/27 "2013-08-02T19:00:07Z")
It looks okay to me. No worse than any of the other new shit out there. The iconic grill is a little squished, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/28 "2013-08-02T23:15:49Z")
**Mod Note:** Keep in mind which forum this is in. - Gukumatz, IMHO Mod ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/29 "2013-08-03T01:17:19Z")
> [@JLRogers](#): > > You obviously belong to this class, as the Smart Car is a case of aesthetics triumphing over practicality. Larger cars get better gas mileage and are more comfortable while costing less. Only in bizarre edge cases does the Smart Car driver benefit from the slightly smaller size. Like cities such as Berkeley and San Francisco, where parking space is at an extreme premium. SF has parking spaces (which, granted, would have previously not been available at all) that are markes “Parking for motorcycles and SmartCars only.” ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/30 "2013-08-03T01:25:36Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Uh-huh. [Tesla did just fine](http://www.teslamotors.com/models/gallery) avoiding the ugly. uh, and? Unless you have some insights into what design tradeoffs Tesla was willing to sign up to, this is not a response. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/31 "2013-08-03T03:55:52Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Like cities such as Berkeley and San Francisco, where parking space is at an extreme premium. SF has parking spaces (which, granted, would have previously not been available at all) that are markes “Parking for motorcycles and SmartCars only.” Even in those cities, and even with that huge advantage in parking, there are very few people who choose this 2-seater over a more practical 4-seater hatchback. ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/32 "2013-08-03T06:52:35Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Are you always this ornery, or does the subject of car design arouse special passions that you just can’t control? The former. 😛 > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Like cities such as Berkeley and San Francisco, where parking space is at an extreme premium. SF has parking spaces (which, granted, would have previously not been available at all) that are markes “Parking for motorcycles and SmartCars only.” That’s definitely a very specific edge case. Around here those spaces are marked as motorcycle-only. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/33 "2013-08-03T19:22:45Z")
The i3 is styled as it is to make a statement. They could have dealt with the aerodynamics in ways that do not result in the i3’s final appearance. BMW is targeting a customer who wants everyone to instantly know the the vehicle is “green” and not a conventional car. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926/34 "2013-08-04T00:31:44Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I don’t find the shape itself unattractive. I’d have to see one in person or at least in motion to decide. **The paint job in the link you provide is a crime against humanity though.** Hey, hey now, those are fighting words to a Cincinnati Bengals fan! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bmws-new-i3-did-they-try-to-make-it-ugly/664926.md?page=1)