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BMW iX & i4: Art Meets the Future of Mobility

It’s a rare combination where culture is juxtaposed with technology. BMW merges both seamlessly at India Art Fair

It has been long argued that some automobiles are works of art – rather than just being a means of transport – with the aesthetic appeal of the car overcoming its prosaic functions. BMW has a long and glorious back catalogue of some of the most cherished performance cars including the iconic CSL. Hence, it's no wonder that BMW is known for celebrating the artist’s brush in its unique way via its art cars. Here, the automobile is merely a canvas for the artist’s expression and there have been some memorable cars created under this paradigm. 

BMW art car
The BMW Art Car by Faiza Hasan


For this year’s India Art Fair, the iX electric SUV from BMW was used to showcase the work of new age artists. The theme was 'sustainable circularity' where the concept of art was studied within a sustainable prism. Four Indian artists were asked to submit proposals and the winning design by Faiza Hasan was showcased as a wrap on the iX at the show. 

BMW also showed various products within its EV umbrella, from the Mini range with the electric 3-Door Cooper SE to the showcase of the i4. I emphasise on the latter as the i4 provides a sneak peek at the forthcoming electric future of BMW. The i4 will be launched in India on May 26, but at the Art Fair, we got an exclusive look at this new electric sports luxury sedan. The 'i' brand represents the electric mobility angle that BMW provides within its vast product range and i4 has been tasked to broaden the appeal of electric luxury cars. 

BMW i4 India
 
The i4 is significant as it starts a new segment within the Indian luxury space as the first electric luxury sedan. The i4 is based on the 4-Series Gran Coupe and that explains its sensuous proportions with a distinct coupe silhouette. The styling is replete with sleek design cues from other sporty performance cars within the BMW range while flush door handles and a sloping roofline try to create a smoother body shape. The i4 is surely striking in flesh! 
 
The traditional BMW grille is now blanked off while subtle accents reveal its electric pretentions. While exact specifications regarding the India special model have not been revealed, the i4 comes with a single motor or in a more powerful dual motor configuration. Sustainability also goes beyond just being electric. The i4 has its electric motors being made without rare earth metals.

BMW i4 India

Like all other electric cars, the i4 would be supporting high-speed charging and international spec models deliver 300 miles per charge for the i4 eDrive40. Electric cars also do not have any sound unlike conventional gas-powered cars hence, to alert pedestrians, the i4 comes with certain acoustic-pedestrian protection systems which provides a distinct sound to alert road users at low speeds.
 
The future of the automobile is certainly at an interesting crossroads with electric mobility altering the concept of luxury amongst cars. BMW, for long, has been championing the driver’s car with its performance driven ethos. With the upcoming i4, we can see the same zeal being preserved.

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