BMW's website “accidentally” previews a sleek, unannounced electric sedan

Automakers usually reveal new cars with flashy presentations and dramatic curtain drops. Sometimes, however, a new design quietly slips into public view. This seems to be the case with BMW, which may have unintentionally offered a glimpse of a future electric vehicle on its own German website, sparking a wave of speculation among enthusiasts and journalists.

The mystery car, a sleek and sporty electric sedan, appeared not on a page for a new concept but in animated videos intended to showcase the high-tech driver-assistance features of the brand-new BMW iX3 SUV. Instead of using the iX3 to demonstrate features like advanced cruise control and automated parking, the animations featured a completely different, never-before-seen four-door car. This digital model clearly wears the design language of BMW's next generation of EVs, dubbed the "Neue Klasse."

This new family of electric cars is a monumental shift for the German automaker, focusing on cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and a fresh design philosophy. The first two confirmed members of this family are the iX3 SUV and a new sedan that will revive the i3 nameplate. Yet, the car in the video doesn't perfectly match the upcoming i3, which has already been seen in concept form and in spy photos. This animated sedan appears wider, sits lower to the ground, and has a more aggressive stance, suggesting it could be another, sportier addition to the growing lineup of BMW electric cars.

It's easy to dismiss the car as a generic digital model created solely for the videos, since companies often use such placeholders. And yet, a few details suggest this could be more than just a simple animation. The most telling clue is the car's side mirrors. Typically, futuristic concepts are shown with tiny cameras or no mirrors at all to look more streamlined.

This mystery sedan, however, features conventional, production-style mirrors. It is an odd detail to include on a car not destined for the real world, leading some to believe the design is much closer to a finished product than BMW is letting on.

The design itself is a clean interpretation of BMW's future style. It sports a modern take on the brand's signature kidney grilles, which are slim and stylized. These are flanked by narrow, horizontal LED headlights that give the car a focused look. The body is smooth, with clean surfaces and door handles that sit flush with the doors. The overall shape is athletic, hinting that this vehicle, if it becomes a reality, will be for drivers who prioritize performance. It begs the question: why create such a specific and detailed design just for a few short clips?

The most popular theory is that this mysterious EV is a preview of the next-generation BMW i4. The current i4, called Gran Coupe in some markets, is known for its sporty, fastback profile and is a key competitor in the premium electric sedan market. The proportions of the car seen on the website align perfectly with the role of a sportier counterpart to the more traditional i3 sedan. As the industry shifts toward electric cars, it is logical for BMW to be developing a Neue Klasse successor to one of its most important EVs.

A new, dedicated electric platform like the Neue Klasse would allow a future i4 to have more interior space, better range, and faster charging than the current model, which is based on a platform shared with gasoline-powered cars. Creating a distinct, sportier sedan would help BMW cover a wider segment of the market, offering the practical i3 for some buyers and a more performance-oriented model for others.

For now, BMW has not commented on the unexpected appearance of this vehicle. The company could simply be reusing an early design proposal for the i3, or it may have no plans to build the car at all, but the deliberate nature of the design and its prominent placement on a major product page suggest it wasn't an accident.

Whether this was an intentional "Easter egg" or a simple oversight, it has successfully captured the attention of the automotive world. It gives us a fascinating, though unconfirmed, look at how BMW imagines the future of its sedans.

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