Help Me Convince My Wife That Spending Thousands On A Full-Size BMW i3 Display Car That Doesn’t Drive Is A Good Idea

“It’s a historical artifact!” I just told my wife, Elise (Not Her Real Name). (Yes, I recently got married, and over the next two days I’ll be telling you more about how the wedding went; it was epic). For now, it’s time I enlist your help, because for some reason Elise seems entirely unconvinced that this BMW i3 display model’s historical significance is reason enough for us to buy it and store it in our small garage. How my argument didn’t work is beyond me, so we’re going to have to come up with some other clever way to convince her.

It’s been about a week since I got married, and things are great. She’s the greatest woman I’ve ever met, and I don’t even like driving to work anymore because that means I can’t hang out with her. But as great as things are, it’s become clear that married life is going to be very, very different than DT-single-life. Namely, I now have to get buy-in when I buy things.

Elise has actually been quite supportive of every car purchase I’ve ever made. In fact, she didn’t even have an issue with the entirely superfluous BMW i3 I nearly bought a few weeks ago right before our wedding — or that diesel F-250 that same week. Elise knows I’m passionate about cars, and she loves to see that passion blossom.

But this right here is going to be a tough sell.

For auction right now on Bring a Trailer are two full-scale display models — one of the i8 (which I’m not interested in, as cool as it is), and one of my beloved BMW i3, the Carbon Fiber Wonder from Leipzig. Apparently BMW sent full-size models of these two cars to dealerships around the world to get buzz going before the vehicles debuted. Here’s a blurb from Bring a Trailer:

These full-scale display models of BMW i3 and i8 vehicles are said to have been produced by BMW for promotional use in the company’s dealerships. The fiberglass bodies are finished in Ionic Silver Metallic with black and Frozen Blue accents, and they are mounted on metal frames with inboard swivel caster wheels. The i8 model has LED lighting, and both models feature black-finished simulated glass, side mirrors, a faux shark fin antenna, and alloy wheels. The models do not have an interior or running gear. These BMW display models were acquired by the seller in 2022 and are now offered at no reserve in California with a bill of sale.

OK, so here’s what I got so far on why we should buy the BMW i3 display car:

1. This is a historical items for sale right as the BMW i3 is having its moment in the sun. I believe the i3 will become a collector’s item in the future, meaning this display car will make us rich! Maybe. Possibly. Probably not.
2. We can sell the i8 display car to recoup whatever we spend on these display cars. Current bid is at $1000. That’s a bargain!
3. The car is for sale in California — that’s local!
4. The car has caster wheels for easy(ish) repositioning.
5. The i3 display car is made of fiberglass, so it won’t rust and it’s lightweight and thus easy to move (ish)
6. There are real, actual wheels and tires on the car. And given how much i3 tires cost, we could actually save money buying this
7. There’s no battery or compressor (no “Black Death!“) or any powertrain at all that could fail. This will be my most reliable car ever, by far.
8. It’s pretty much a hollow shell, so we could store things inside it
9. The lighting on the i3 doesn’t work, but I think it can be made to work, which would be awesome
10. This could be used as a decoy for when someone inevitably tries to steal my “Holy Grail” i3. I’m not entirely sure how that would work, but come on — this thing screams decoy.

[Editor’s Note: I wonder if David should mention that he has had many and currently has a few cars that are equally immobile and non-running as these two display models, and these have the advantage of not leaking fluids everywhere. Maybe that would just be opening a can of worms? – JT]

You know, those 10 make for a pretty dang convincing argument. And you know…I don’t even think this needs to take up a garage space. I think this should be the centerpiece of our living room; think of all the attention it would get from visitors. Fancy paintings, nice sculptures, beautifully-framed photographs, gorgeous art-deco furniture — none of that has anything on a full-size engineering masterpiece sitting in the middle of a living room. Heck, I wonder if I could reconfigure some of the metal structure underneath to create a small office in there…

Anyway, I think I’m pretty close. Between those 10 extremely compelling reasons for us to buy the i3 display car and whatever couple of reasons you can help me out with in the comments, I think I’ll be towing a fake i3 to our abode in no-time!

See, marriage — it’s not so hard!

All Images: Bring a Trailer