BMW has revealed limited edition i3 and i8 Garage Italia CrossFade models at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, displaying a new exterior colour treatment for both plug-in electric vehicles.
The BMW i3 Garage Italia CrossFade and the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade, which both feature an exterior design derived from the concept cars, will become available at the beginning of 2017.
The common feature of the two concept cars is a surface structure that emphasises the groundbreaking design and the innovative character of the models BMW i3 and BMW i8 in a fascinating way. The focus here is on a specific colour design that was developed on the basis of a common painting genre during the late 19th and early 20th century and which provides for a particularly expressive appearance. “Lapo Elkann is a pioneer in linking the disciplines of fashion, automobile and design.
In June 2016, Garage Italia Customs had already presented the BMW i8 Futurism Edition. This vehicle also featured a body surface concept that was inspired by the art of painting. The design of the BMW i8 Futurism Edition, which was created on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of BMW Italia, is based on the painting “Lampada ad Arco” by the futuristic artist Giacomo Balla.
The design of the concept cars now being shown in Paris was inspired by optical colour mixing, a technique already used in Pointillism of the late 19th century. This painting technique involves the creation of motifs using small and evenly distributed dashes of colour. Because the neighbouring colours are not intermixed, but only blend together in the perception of the viewer, a particularly intensive radiance is created. The selective variation of size and spacing of the individual dashes permits the creation of both precise and harmonious colour gradients.
On the body surface of the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade, the accurately defined colour changes between Protonic Blue metallic and Protonic Dark Silver metallic are used to intensively underscore the lines and surface contours. Moreover, the applied dashes of paint are triangular. Resulting from this geometrical shape, both the overall impression as well as the plug-in hybrid sports car’s dynamics already symbolised in the design are accentuated even further.
The colour design was realised using a complex painting process in which the car finished in Protonic Blue metallic was initially covered with a stencil film. In this way, it was possible to create the desired geometrical pattern with exceptionally high precision when the second layer of paint in Protonic Dark Silver metallic was finally applied.
The interior follows the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade’s exterior design with the smooth transition from the dark silver of the front end of the car to the pure blue of the rear end printed on Alcantara textile that now covers the central tunnel, the side panels and the headliner. The surface structure of the interior and the seats in Foglizzo leather, and Protonic Blue and perforated Alcantara is effectively accentuated by the contrasting colours.
In the case of the BMW i3 Garage Italia CrossFade, the colour transition on the front end and the side panels flows in a vertical direction. The amount of blue decreases as it rises upwards to merge with the black roof and bonnet. The smooth transition is created by a transparent foiling with imprinted circular dashes of colour that symbolise the driving pleasure offered by the electrically powered five door car and become larger with increasing height. The distinctive colour design is also to be found in the interior, where high-quality textile and Alcantara surfaces additionally emphasise the premium character of the car. Base colour in each case is Protonic Blue, which is now also optionally available for the BMW i3 and exclusively in conjunction with the 94 Ah high-voltage battery.
