BMW’s second Neue Klasse model gets one of its first public outings this weekend, running ahead of the elite men’s field at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. The all-electric i3 is part of a fleet of 60 course and organisational vehicles, all of them electric. It is BMW’s 15th year as title partner of the race, which has drawn more than 84,000 athletes from 162 nations.
The German capital hosts the country’s largest marathon this weekend, and for the 15th time BMW is the event’s title partner. Alongside the elite and amateur running fields, the programme includes handbike and wheelchair races, with more than 84,000 participants entered from 162 nations.
Heading the men’s elite group will be the new BMW i3 — the first all-electric BMW 3 Series and only the second model in the company’s Neue Klasse family. The marathon marks one of its first active appearances. The car is built at the BMW Group’s parent plant in Munich, and the company says deliveries are scheduled to start before the end of the year.
A 3 Series reinvented on electricity
According to BMW, the i3 uses the sixth generation of its eDrive technology together with the new Panoramic iDrive display system and a central control computer the company calls Heart of Joy, which it says reacts ten times faster than the systems it replaces. That computer works with three further high-performance units to form the backbone of a new software and electronics architecture. Driver assistance is handled by a system BMW markets as Symbiotic Drive.
On range, the manufacturer quotes up to 906 km (563 miles) on a charge — though BMW stresses the figure is provisional, since binding WLTP numbers are not yet available.
“We are very much looking forward to the first ‘competitive appearance’ of the new BMW i3. For five decades, the BMW 3 Series has stood for sporty driving pleasure, unmistakably attractive design and consistent progress. Just like the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, it is an icon,” says Tim Beltermann, Head of BMW Germany. “The new BMW i3 is also an endurance specialist. With an all-electric range of up to 906 kilometres, it could complete all seven World Marathon Majors in a two-and-a-half-year period without the need to recharge.”
An all-electric support fleet
A total of 60 course and organisational vehicles will be in service over the weekend. Besides the i3, the line-up draws on the BMW iX3, iX, i5, i4, iX2 and iX1. BMW is also supplying the organisers with 14 motorcycles and two e-scooters — a local contribution, given that BMW motorcycles have been built at the Group’s Berlin plant since 1969.
The named roles on the course are:
- Official Safety Car: BMW iX
- Official Lead Vehicle, Elite Men: new BMW i3
- Official Lead Vehicle, Elite Women: BMW iX3
- Official Lead Vehicle, National Elite Men: BMW i5
- Official Lead Vehicle, National Elite Women: BMW i4
What it means
Using a marathon as a shop window is a familiar move, but the choice of car is the point here. The i3 carries the badge of BMW’s highest-volume nameplate into the Neue Klasse era, and putting it in front of the television cameras at a race of this profile is a deliberate first impression ahead of customer cars arriving.
Facts: BMW i3
- All-electric range: up to 906 km (563 miles), provisional figure
- Drivetrain: sixth-generation BMW eDrive
- Control system: Heart of Joy high-performance computer, said to respond ten times faster than previous systems
- Platform family: Neue Klasse (second model)
- Production: BMW Group plant, Munich
The 2026 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON takes place this weekend, with first customer deliveries of the new i3 due later this year.
Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com