As if the spy video we featured previously wasn’t enough proof, today we’ve confirmed that the smallest BMW i family offering, the i3, will be coming to market in 2013 with a rear-wheel-drive ...

The Z13 tackled car bloat by shrinking the BMW formula down to just 135.4 inches in length. For context, the eccentric i3 ...

BMW’s in-development electric car, the i3 has been confirmed as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a mid-mounted electric motor.It is expected to be for sale by 2013.Its motor support platform was ...

You can opt for the range-extending REx engine, as fitted to our test car. It's a little two-cylinder gasoline-powered generator in the rear of the i3, next to the electric motor.

The BMW i3 REx is constructed from carbon fiber, its engine is in the back and it has rear-wheel-drive. If that sounds like the formula for a performance car, it is. It’s just a different kind ...

Both versions of the 2017 i3 stick with a rear-mounted electric motor delivering 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This is enough to send the i3 from 0-60 mph in about 7.0 seconds.

The BMW-developed electric motor is located at the back, providing 125 kW and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft ) of torque to the rear wheels through a single speed automatic transmission.

A range-extender, which adds a tiny gasoline engine-generator and 2.4-gallon fuel tank to boost total range, adds another 273 pounds. That’s up 170 pounds versus the 2016 i3 with its range extender.

The i3 REx, on the other hand, has an EPA all-electric range of 72 miles, good for perhaps 95 percent of daily trips. The much smaller 35-hp range-extender engine is meant to be used only rarely.

— 2016 BMW i3 w/ REX PRICE (as tested): $53,915 ($54,310) POWERTRAIN: 170 hp AC, 22kWh Lithium-ion battery; 647cc 2cyl 34hp range extender 0-60 MPH: 7.0 seconds for pure EV, 7.9 with the range ...