Aftermarket Support
One major aspect of car ownership has always been self-modification. This gives the owners the freedom to express themselves and their personalities through their cars. When it comes to electric vehicles, aftermarket support is still limited; very few brands have invested in dedicated mods.
A big name in the modding business has just come up with a kit to help turn your humdrum BMW i5 into a sporty-looking EV.
AC Schnitzer BMW i5
AC Schnitzer is one of the better-known tuning and modding firms, and it just released a very aggressive-looking body kit for the i5. Looking at the photos, AC Schnitzer decided to showcase the kit on the already sporty-looking M version of the i5 platform. Because the i5 body remains largely the same across the range, the AC Schintzer parts and kit can be used on other standard i5 variants.
One thing made apparent by the photos is that AC Schnitzer respected and appreciated the i5’s form; the kit looks very subtle and, even more so, like an OEM part. The front splitter is well integrated and not overdone. The same can be said for the side skirts and rear trunk spoiler. If you look even closer, you’ll see a roof spoiler that looks like it came standard from the factory.
A major difference made by the AC Schnitzer teams is the inclusion of new rims. On this i5, the 21-inch rim is available, but there are two-tone and smaller 19-inch and 20-inch options. To enhance the stance and overall look of the body kit, the i5 has been lowered by 0.98 inches, which should also improve handling. Owners can also opt for wheel spacers to widen the stance by 0.79 inches.
Available in ICE variants too
While this kit is exclusive to the EV i5, AC Schnitzer also offers kits for the gasoline- and diesel-powered 5 Series. Moreover, internal combustion engine cars can be fine-tuned for actual engine performance, as opposed to the i5’s aesthetic-only approach.
It would be interesting to see whether third-party tuners like AC Schnitzer can also tweak full EVs in the future. Given EVs’ inherent performance capabilities, it could make good business sense to enter EV tuning. In the meantime, I don’t think anyone will disagree that the current body kit enhances the i5’s look.
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