{"id":85367,"date":"2026-04-25T04:44:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85367"},"modified":"2026-04-25T04:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:44:11","slug":"bmw-i3-long-wheelbase-2026-beijing-auto-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85367","title":{"rendered":"2027 BMW i3 LWB Makes Public Debut With Rear-Wheel Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>The BMW i3 NA8 is China-exclusive for now, but that might change in the future.<\/li>\n<li>Aside from a longer wheelbase, it brings additional changes compared to the standard i3 NA0 the rest of the world is getting.<\/li>\n<li>BMW is showing off the stretched i3 at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show with an M Sport Package, complete with an M badge next to the Hofmeister kink.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>It\u2019s safe to say BMW is putting on quite the show in Beijing these days. Aside from publicly introducing the long-wheelbase iX3 and 7 Series facelift to the local audience, it\u2019s also displaying the stretched i3. This is technically the model\u2019s second generation. The original i3 Sedan, based on the CLAR platform, has been on sale in China for about four years. Going forward, the electric sedan switches to the Neue Klasse architecture.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s evident from the interior photos that we\u2019re dealing with a car built from the ground up as an EV. Much like the iX3 in both wheelbase versions, the i3 has a completely flat floor. As this is the LWB version, it offers acres of rear legroom. We\u2019ve also spotted buttons for heated rear seats, a feature we haven\u2019t yet seen on the standard-wheelbase car. Its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/04\/23\/bmw-ix3-heated-rear-seats-china\/\">crossover twin has them as well<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-512876\" title=\"2027 BMW I3 40L CHINA 00\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"2027 BMW I3 40L CHINA 00\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-00.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Although BMW\u2019s Chinese arm remains relatively secretive about the i3 NA8, we can\u2019t help but notice the bold specification of this build. It\u2019s painted in Isle of Man Green with a predominantly white interior, an M Sport Package, and large two-tone wheels. Compared with the global model, the bigger i3 has an illuminated M badge next to the Hofmeister kink. Of course, the rear doors are longer after the wheelbase stretch, which now measures more than 3 meters (118.1 inches).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DXhfuDEDq_i\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\"\/>\n<p>A more obvious change is the semi-enclosed door handle design. Why the switch from the i3 NA0 sold in the rest of the world? To comply with a new regulation in China that effectively deems pop-out handles illegal due to safety concerns. BMW had to make the same change for the iX3 Long Wheelbase and possibly other China-specific models currently in development. If the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/11\/04\/2027-bmw-ix4-spy-photos-electric-x4-successor\/\">already-spied iX4<\/a> is coming to China, logic suggests it\u2019ll use this familiar door-handle design as well.<\/p>\n<p>While the global release of the i3 focused on the 50 xDrive version, its Chinese counterpart does things differently. It eschews the front motor in favor of a rear-wheel-drive setup. BMW won\u2019t divulge details about the i3 40, but we learned from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/03\/31\/2026-bmw-ix3-40-debut-specs-photos\/\">iX3 40<\/a> that the battery has a net capacity of 82.6 kWh, compared with the 108.7 kWh pack used in the iX3 50 xDrive.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-512871\" title=\"2027 BMW I3 40L CHINA 05\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"2027 BMW I3 40L CHINA 05\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2027-bmw-i3-40L-China-05.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Look for China\u2019s i3 to be much nicer inside than the standard-wheelbase model. If it\u2019s anything like the iX3, it\u2019ll have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/04\/24\/bmw-ix3-long-wheelbase-ventilated-massaging-seats\/\">ventilated and massaging seats<\/a>, upgraded ambient lighting, and a rear wireless charging pad. The crossover also has physical buttons to adjust the front passenger seat, which even gets a leg rest. China-specific upholstery rounds off the interior upgrades over the international i3.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, history has taught us that the i3 Long Wheelbase will likely come at a much lower price as well. There are plenty of reasons to envy Chinese customers, but the NA8 is hardly the first or the last BMW to offer a far better deal in China than in the rest of the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary The BMW i3 NA8 is China-exclusive for now, but that might change in the future. Aside from a longer wheelbase, it brings additional changes compared to the standard i3 NA0 the rest of the world is getting. BMW is showing off the stretched i3 at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show with an M [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}