Skip to main content

The BMW i3 Mr Porter Edition comes with a bowler hat and a Leica camera

The BMW i3 Mr Porter Edition comes with a bowler hat and a Leica camera

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Mr Porter

Men's fashion site Mr Porter has hooked up with BMW to make a limited-edition version of the compact i3 EV, and it's exactly what you'd expect you'd get from a men's fashion car: dark, understated colors, a pinstripe as "a tribute to the crisp collar and cuffs of a dress shirt," and, of course, a bowler hat in the trunk.

This bowler hat, to be specific, a $440 piece from London's Lock & Co:

lock-co-bowler-hat-01

That's not all. The bespoke little electric runabout also comes with $595 Cutler and Gross sunglasses, a $215 London Undercover umbrella, and a $120 set of European city guides from Wallpaper* Magazine. And finally, you get a custom Leica T 701 camera, perfect for documenting your gentlemanly travels about town.

Benoit Jacob, head of design for BMW i, claims it's "a car for anyone who loves the extraordinary." Perhaps, but it feels like Mr Porter is accessorizing the buyer like they've got an Aston Martin or Rolls-Royce in the garage, not a compact city car. Does wearing a bowler hat really scream "I value the efficiency and environmental responsibility of electric propulsion"?

I don't know. Seriously, I really don't. Maybe it does.

There's no word on pricing, but in light of the fact that we're talking about $600 glasses and a $400-plus hat, I'd count on a little bit of an upcharge.