These days, buying a small car is a daunting task. With gas prices constantly in flux, cities becoming more cramped and a market inundated with bland options, it's easy to think that you have to sacrifice style and passion to meet your practical needs. The BMW i3 Concept will change all that — finally mixing stellar design with green commuting appeal to create an electric daily driver designed to give you the best of both worlds.

Let me just say as someone who has designed a concept car, I love the BMW i8 Concept. When its predecessor debuted in 2009 as the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, it was striking — a refreshing reminder that eco-friendly and forward-thinking don't have to mean ugly and awkward.

LifeDrive isn't just any carbon fiber shell. It's the world's first automotive body specifically designed and purpose-built for the series production of electric cars — and the architecture underneath the gorgeously fluid skin of BMW's new i3 and i8 electric Concept cars. LifeDrive is innovative, lightweight, and smartly engineered. It's also kinda like a giant skateboard. Here's why.