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" London&amp;#039;s Park Lane is second only in value to Mayfair in the game of Monopoly. Anyone who has been to London will know that the busy street is flanked by some of the swankiest hotels as well as some of the poshest new car showrooms you&amp;#039;ll find anywhere on the planet.  It&amp;#039;s not surprising to discover that BMW has opened the world&amp;#039;s first BMW i Store on this thoroughfare between its flagship BMW and Mini showrooms. You could be forgiven for thinking that Apple has a monopoly on usage of the lowercase letter i but I guess this is not the case.  At the opening of the i Store, BMW also unveiled an updated version of the i3 concept that was first shown last year at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It also showed the i Pedelec Concept, an electric cycle that can be folded up. Two of them will fit in the i3.  Although the production version of the all-electric i3 will not go on sale until next year BMW opened this i Store ahead of time to tie in with its mammoth sponsorship of the upcoming Olympic Games which will see hundreds of BMW and Mini cars running around London.  Based on the specifications being promoted by BMW, the i3 should be worthy of the BMW name. It&amp;#039;s powered by a 170 hp electric motor and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in under 8 seconds. It has a torque rating of 170 lb-ft and, like all electric cars, this is available at `zero rpm&amp;#039; from standstill. The rear drive vehicle only has a single speed gearbox and a top speed of 93 mph. One of the most intriguing features is a carbon-fiber body that appears will find its way into the production version.  BMW says i stands for &amp;quot;visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design and a new approach to premium mobility that is strongly focused on sustainability.&amp;quot; Under this new sub-brand, the BMW Group says it &amp;quot;is developing purpose-designed vehicle concepts, which will redefine the whole concept of personal mobility. The cornerstones are the use of innovative technologies, intelligent lightweight design and innovative materials to create vehicles with minimized weight, maximized driving range, generous interior space, effortless drivability and optimized safety.&amp;quot; Related posts:  BMW&amp;#039;s Biggest Showroom Opens BMW 1-Series M Coupe Shines in London BMW: 2012 London Olympics Partner  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-shows/news/a21909/bmw-opens-worlds-first-bmw-i-store-in-london-35793/>