BMW To Revive Isetta Name As New Sub-Brand: Report And Video
FOLLOWING SPECULATION in March that BMW and Fiat would launch jointly developed city cars built on a shared platform, reports this week suggest that BMW’s upcoming Project i car – known so far as the Megacity – will be sold under the Isetta sub-brand.
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FOLLOWING SPECULATION in March that BMW and Fiat would launch jointly developed city cars built on a shared platform, reports this week suggest that BMW's upcoming Project i car - known so far as the Megacity - will be sold under the Isetta sub-brand.
BMW confirmed this week that rather than launch a fourth brand for its Project i electric vehicles, a new brand under the BMW name would be created, similar to the company's M Division performance range.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer confirmed the forthcoming sub-brand this week:
"Project i is working on a Megacity vehicle as well as on new mobility concepts," Mr Reithofer said.
"The board has now decided: this auto will be launched on the market as a sub-brand of BMW.
"As BMW is the innovation driver within the group, the decision for a sub-brand under BMW is the most logical step."
BMW's recent European advertising campaign for the BMW Museum in Munich - featuring miniature Isetta cars roving around in a mix of urban scenes - has lead to speculation this week that the Isetta name will be revived.
The focus of the Project i Megacity/City car is to bring all-electric vehicles to the BMW range, but small ultra-efficient petrol and diesel engines are expected to feature in the sub-brand's line-up.
The Isetta stood out as one of the most successful ‘microcars’ produced in the years following WWII. The Isetta name and design was owned by Iso SpA and licensed to a number of companies in different nations, one of which included BMW.
The future German giant took the name to new heights, re-engineering much of the car to make it unique to BMW.