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The year is 1989, the cold war ended, Hershey’s reduced the size of their chocolate bar, Spandex was all the rage and the idea that a single virus could shut down the entire World in almost an instant was nothing more than a figment of one’s wild imagination. 1989 was also the year a young lady made a prophecy, a prophecy we in 2021 now bear witness to as it comes to fruition. A prophecy that says “It’s true you can’t fight it, live by it. The next generation, it’s electric.”
While I doubt Miss Debbie Gibson would have imagined her words coming true in such a fashion, Electric Youth does seem to be the perfect tune to describe the automotive world’s current paradigm shift towards electrification, led no doubt in part by a generation who grew up listening to that very song.
As the pioneers in bringing electrified vehicles onto our sunny roads, BMW recently held their Electrified Drive event which saw the arrival of BMW’s technological flagship, the iX, and the updated iX3. Both vehicles we were privy to in addition to a Mini Electric and the one that kickstarted it all, the BMW i3.
It’s been 8 years since the i3 was first unveiled to an EV-averse world. Whilst things have definitely changed since then, the original i3 still felt fresh after we did what came naturally, sliding down behind the wheel of BMW’s original EV, now in i3s form.
Though the i3s’ infotainment and dash readouts now pale in comparison to the latest high-fidelity screens, the interior is still a lovely place to be in and it still drives remarkably well. Allowing us to not only rekindle our joy behind the wheel of BMW’s first-ever zero-emissions vehicle but also provided us with a reference point to see just how much has progressed since 2013. (Hint: A lot!)
By sheer luck or perhaps careful planning, we were handed the keys to the original iX3 mere weeks before taking the reins of this brand new iteration, so do stay tuned for our full impressions!
Of course, we also had to drive the iX, being BMW’s latest i-car that carries the mantle as BMW’s technological flagship isn’t going to be easy but as we were soon to find out as we felt the power and energy comin’ up, coming on strong, it’s the marque’s techno showcase for many good (and desirable) reasons. More on that in our upcoming review.
If you’d like to have a look at these two brand new electrified Bavarians (and remember when you were young), they are currently on display at Gardens by the Bay’s Christmas Wonderland 2021 until 2nd Jan 2022.
Remember, the future only belongs to the future itself. And the future is electric youth.
