As modern cars become digital microprocessors on wheels, where does that leave us - the enthusiasts?

In the late 1950s, facing financial ruin, BMW was on the verge of being bought out by another German carmaker – one with a three-pointed star in its logo.

- Dhruv Behl, Editor-in-Chief

That's when Herbert Quandt stepped in, acquired a majority stake and provided the capital to develop the Neue Klasse – a range of all-new models that would go on to rescue the Bavarian automaker. In retrospect, it wasn't a bad investment. Today, the Quandt family is amongst the richest in the world – and BMW is amongst the most successful automakers ever.

The Neue Klasse range essentially democratised driving pleasure and went on to form the foundation of what BMW stood for as a brand - the Ultimate Driving Machine! Today, the Neue Klasse has been resurrected in its modern avatar with the launch of the brand-new iX3. This is the first of a whole new collection of electric BMWs based on an 800-volt EV architecture that promises 800-kilometres of range and 370-kilometres of charge with just 10 minutes on a 400-kW charger. But it also promises driving dynamics “enhanced by digital capabilities” that claim to take Sheer Driving Pleasure to a whole new level.