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

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

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