BMW has pulled off the online wraps off the i concept car making its world debut at the 2012 LA Autoshow this week, and it’s not the rumored i4 Coupe. It is however, a coupe version of the BMW i3 - officially called the BMW i3 Concept Coupe.

The i3 Concept Coupe is built on the same wheelbase/platform as the four-door i3, and likewise features a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body matched to a 170hp / 184 lb-ft torque electric engine driving the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

The interior is the most production ready version in any i3 concept model shown yet and features a layered design mimicking the exterior’s layered design. A mixture of leather, wood, wool and other renewable raw materials compose the … CONTINUED

As we pointed out yesterday, BMW had a not so subtle hint in its press release highlighting its 2012 LA Auto Show lineup about “more BMW i news at the show,” which we inferred as a possible clue regarding a debut of the recently rumored BMW i4 Concept.

BMW has just announced (see below) today that there will indeed by a new BMW i Concept Vehicle making its world debut at next week’s LA show. If this turns out to be the i4 Concept, expect that it may be a two seater i8-like sports car, utilizing the i3’s drivetrain.

Press release:
A new BMW i Concept vehicle will make its world debut and the BMW i8 Concept Roadster will make its North American auto show debut at the … CONTINUED

BMW today announced a portion of its lineup to be displayed at this year’s Los Angeles International Auto Show press days [public days go from November 30 - December 9]. From the exotic BMW Concept i8 Roadster to the versatile new BMW Concept K2 Powder Ride based on the popular new BMW X1 with graphics designed by Designworks USA, the company will showcase a comprehensive product arrangement which strikes the perfect balance of high performance, innovative efficiency, and outstanding design. There will be more BMW i news at the show.

BMW i4 Concept: The “more BMW i news at the show” alluded to in this official press release could be referring to the debut of a BMW i4 Concept, recently rumored to be coming to the … CONTINUED

A rumor comes from French magazine L’Automobile claiming that a BMW i4 Concept will be shown at the Los Angeles auto show in late November.

Details are scant so far, but resident BMW insider Scott26 previously alluded to both an i4 and i5 last year. The BMW i4 is said to be based off the i3 but will be a two seater i8-like sports car. If true, the i4 would surely utilize the same carbon fiber construction and hybrid drivetrain as the i3.

The i3 will be powered by a newly developed powertrain consisting of a 134 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries and driving the rear axle. The prototype presented at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show had a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is … CONTINUED

The BMW i3 Concept may be a bit of an old regular at the major auto shows by now, but it showed some elements off for the first time at the 2012 Paris auto show.

Interior:

This latest version of the i3 Concept features an interior design geared towards sustainability. The eucalyptus wood used for the instrument panel comes from a sustainable cultivation source in Europe and is treated exclusively with natural substances. The high-quality leather of the seats has a fine surface consistency achieved by processing tanning agents gained from olive leaves. What is more, parts of the instrument cluster and door trim are made of natural wool fabric.

CFRP Construction:

Also showing publicly for the first time is the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell [first previewed … CONTINUED

We’ve spied the production intent BMW i3 interior clearly for the first time. Although it’s still in unfinished pre-production form, we can see some major components and design elements that will come on the production i3 when the first are delivered in late 2013.

The dash and console loses much of the futuristic styled full touch-sensitive and buttonless interior of the i3 concept in favor of a more practical and modern-day style BMW dashboard. It does however retain an LCD instrument screen from the concept. The large navigation / iDrive screen can be seen in the upper center console, still shrouded by the cloth covering. The plastic around the steering column will of course be gone by production and the rest of the lower center console added. … CONTINUED

With the BMW i3 electric city car and i8 electric hybrid sports car, BMW is ready to test online sales for the first time, according to Bloomberg.

As an inexpensive way to reach more buyers and recoup the cars’ development costs, BMW will sell the i3 and i8 directly over the internet for the first time. The i3 and i8 will also be sold in showrooms, but their initial retail rollout (including the first i-showroom in London) will be among a limited showroom network.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet. Retail outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models’ … CONTINUED

Electromobility is a topic for BMW since the 70’s. Have a look at the development of electric cars at BMW.

Of particular focus is the BMW E1 electric car which was introduced by BMW as its first all-electric car 21 years ago. It was a revolutionary car for 1991 which featured a rear mounted 37kW (49hp) motor, aluminum and plastic body construction. Its top speed was 72mph and had a 125 mile range. You can say that it is the spiritual forefather for the upcoming BMW i3 electric car. In fact, the i3 and E1 even share a somewhat similar shape.

But things have come a long way since 1991. The BMW i3 concept features 167hp and 184lb-ft torque, albeit with a shorter 93 mile range.

Much is already known about the BMW i8, but its pricing when it hits the market in 2014 has been the stuff of speculations only.

We previously estimated that the i8 would be priced at over €100,000 (Euro) and this has now been confirmed by Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing in Germany and a board member of BMW North America. Speaking to reporters at the grand opening of the world’s first BMW i Store in London, he confirms that the i8 will sell for “more than €100,000″ (approximately $125,000 USD at current conversion rates) in Europe. Although this pricing doesn’t come as a surprise, it is the first time that BMW officials have confirmed any target price range.

Robertson did not provide any pricing estimate … CONTINUED