[LightningBolt]

Autoblog.com has recently spotted the fully uncovered Chevrolet Bolt EV and it looks like a cross between the Chevy Volt and BMW’s i3. Granted the photos are a bit blurry and they haven’t managed to capture the full bumper design but what we can see of the 4-door hatchback seems to have been heavily influenced by the 2016 Chevrolet Volt with a similarly shaped grille, large front-quarter window and gloss-black trim that extends from the side mirror to the top of the headlights.

You can definitely see design similarities in the front between the Hybrid Volt and the Bolt EV whereas the rear end takes after the BMW i3 with the floating roof C-pillar even if it’s not as prominent as the one on the i3.

Also apparent is the i3’s pinched sheet metal design on the production Bolt. It strikes through the door handles before ending at the tail lights.

I personally think it looks fine but I do wish the front wasn’t so long and closer to the Concept’s dimensions. Also would like to have a thicker piece of glass divider in the c-pillar for a better floating roof effect. Maybe it’ll look better in higher definition and better angles instead of these blurry images.
How do you like the Bolt’s production model compared to its concept?

How do you like the Bolt’s production model compared to its concept?

 

[volta]

I suppose that it has the floating roof and similar body style, but I don't think it's really copying BMW or anything.

 

[Bazinga]

Not really copying the i3, more like taking design elements from other cars to create their own. I still prefer the shape of the concept Bolt EV more than the production model.

 

[volta]

But I don't think that they are taking that specifally from BMW. The shape of the vehicle is nothing new. Just a hatchback really. And while the BMW i3 does have the same floating roof design detail, that and the unconventional belt line can also be seen in designs like the Nissan Maxima.

And the concept...

 

[Roth33d]

Floating roofs are just one of those things that becomes normal across the industry, it's par of the make up of this era of vehicle design, much like what every era has going on.

 

[volta]

Exactly. A similar body type and floating roof is by no means copying BMW. It is just happening in the industry right now.

 

[Raymondjram]

The Bolt body isn't a "hatchback". it is a "Kammback":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammback

The first GM vehicle with the "Kammback" design was the Chevy Vega which I owned and driven (1975 model). "The Kammback cut off tail design continues to be popular. Most often, however, it only insinuates streamlining when used in production cars. It is then only a design trick to make the vehicle look fast"':
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wunibald_Kamm

The BMW i3 is using that body shape , and so will the 2017 Chevy Bolt. so it isn't "copying" the i3 at all, just looks similar.

 

[LightningBolt]

Just found an article from the Wall Street Journal on what a photographer had to do for those photos of the Bolt EV.

After hours tracking a celebrity in Palm Springs, Calif., paparazzi Brian Williams found his view blocked by black screens set up by publicity-wary handlers. He was running low on Oreos and water when he finally hit pay dirt.

“I saw this mountain behind these buildings,” said Mr. Williams. He found a trail on Google Maps and prayed he wasn’t going to get bit by a snake. After five hours of hiking to find the best vantage point, Mr. Williams got his shots and raced to a computer. Exclusive photos are like milk, he said, “you don’t want to keep them too long because they will expire.”

The following day, auto enthusiasts got a first look at the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car—five weeks before its world debut Jan. 6 in Las Vegas.

Didn't know so much went into spy shots, usually thought someone was lucky enough to run into these cars.

 

[volta]

The life of a paparazzi doesn't sound enviable to me.

"Running low on Oreos and water..."

 

[Bazinga]

That doesn't sound as bad as the possibility of being bitten by a poisonous snake for that first photo.

 

[LightningBolt]

Makes you wonder how much money car companies put into hiding their cars so this doesn't happen.