Visually, the 2018 model changes boil down to a number of cosmetic tweaks. This isn’t surprising, as the i3 remains an advanced proving ground for engineering ideas, employing a top-hat body made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and attached to a chassis made mostly of aluminum. The most dramatic new visual cue is that the A-pillar, which flows into the roofline and all the way back to above the floating D-pillar, is now painted gloss black; the non-s i3 also gets a matte-chrome roofline accent. This change could help the i3 look a little more visually balanced, although it always has been a vehicle that tends to show better in photographs than it does in the wild. In front, full LED headlamps now are standard, and the i3 gets rid of its round fog lamps in favor of a thinner-profile LED design. All 2018 i3 models also receive restyled front and rear bumpers, new side skirts, and a chrome trim strip on the hatch, while the i3s gets new gloss-black wheel-arch molding, model-specific bumpers, and additional gloss-black trim. Melbourne Red and Imperial Blue are two new exterior paint hues for 2018.