Less than two hours after driving off the lot in my BMW 420i xDrive, I spotted something that made my heart sink.

Long before cars got Smart, there were tiny bubble cars made by BMW and others. Back in the 1950s when Germany was still recovering from World War II, BMW built the two seat, one-door Isetta.

The whole exterior of the X3 is far more bubble-like than before. Much of this comes from a greater emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency, making this BMW more slippery through the air. You’ll find ...