BMW i4 M60 review – picking up where the Tesla Model S left off?

BMW is hard at work developing what it hopes will be the model to kickstart a new era for M. Built from the ground up on the all-electric Neue Klasse platform, the cutting-edge, quad-motor saloon in question will bear a very familiar name – M3 – and is set to arrive in 2027. Until then, the i4 M60 should give us the best taste of how M division might translate its high-performance DNA into the electric age.

We’ll get to this i4’s performance shortly, but its design doesn’t suggest it has much. Ignore the M60 badge on the rear and this could be mistaken for a tax-conscious company car, with only minor changes to its bumpers and mirrors setting it apart from the entry-level model. It certainly doesn’t scream M, but if it drives anything like an M car should, its understated looks could be considered part of its appeal.

> BMW iX3 review – a cheaper 500-mile alternative to the Volvo EX60

Powertrain and technical highlights

Unlike the electric M3, which will employ a motor for each wheel, the i4 M60 gets one on each axle. Nevertheless, EV numbers usually seem to be on an entirely different plane to those of combustion-powered alternatives, and this car is no exception, outgunning the current G80 M3 Competition xDrive by 70bhp and 107lb ft, for peak outputs of 593bhp and 586lb ft. 

My first couple of hundred miles behind the wheel were spent in ‘Comfort’ mode, not because I was feeling particularly uncomfortable, but to conserve range. Despite a relatively large 81.1kWh battery pack, the realistic range is not much more than 200 miles with a blend of motorway and B-road driving. BMW quotes efficiency of up to 3.7mi/kWh for a 338-mile range, but in my test I saw well under 3mi/kWh. Peak charging speeds of 205kW also put it behind many of its rivals, which adds that little bit of extra friction to the already frustrating public-charging experience. My time in the Neue Klasse iX3 recently, with its 400kW charging capability and real-world 400-mile range, made the i4 look less appealing still.

Even in this more efficient mode, though, it’s a pleasant car to drive. Throttle mapping is well measured and relaxed, blending comfortable response with a soft-edge to make it a breeze to drive smoothly – there’s none of that harsh, motor-mount-testing jerk you often get in EVs. What there is, however, is a subtle synthetised background hum from the speakers that increases in pitch depending on throttle position. In ‘Comfort’, volume is minimal, but it’s there regardless and adds that extra level of speed awareness you can sometimes lack in an EV.

Just like the new iX3, the M60 opts for virtually no off-throttle regenerative braking by default in any mode, with ‘B’ mode on the small central gear ‘toggle’ engaging it to allow for near one-pedal driving if you want it. Like the throttle mapping, this too is well judged and easy to acclimatise to, with no thought required for an efficient, smooth drive. Day-to-day this is the mode I prefer, but if you decide to push on, zero regen makes it considerably easier to apply an ICE driving style and find a flow.

Fully charged and away from the motorway I engage Sport mode, and it is safe to say that power figure is probably accurate. From a standstill the i4 pins you (and any loose items) to the seat in a mildly uncomfortable manner, increasing pull once it finds bite and continuing right up to the speed limit. It induces a tunnel vision feeling off the line, and in my experience, it’ll do it in just about any conditions. Of course, there’s little in the way of character to the way this power is delivered, but there’s torque and traction in abundance, making it effortless to make progress in just about any scenario. Getting from a standstill to 62mph takes just 3.7sec, which is just two-tenths shy of a G80 M3.

This straight-line performance becomes especially impressive when you consider the mass at play, as this is a 2210kg car: just 10kg short of an X5. This means that while this car has a good power advantage over an M3, a gargantuan 430kg weight penalty pulls its power-to-weight ratio down to 273bhp per ton, leaving it 26bhp per ton shy of its six-cylinder cousin. 

Performance, ride and handling

While it might have come close with cars like the M5 CS, BMW hasn’t managed to defy the laws of physics here. That weight figure makes itself known at just about every opportunity, with a request for sudden direction changes inducing disconcerting yaw that takes longer to dissipate than we’ve come to expect from a car with an M edge. As a result, much of your initial steering input goes into everything but a change in direction, making it feel distant and vague; rubbery, synthetic steering also doesn’t help matters.

Much of this is down to the M60’s unusually low spring rates, which in normal everyday driving are responsible for a more comfortable ride than you’ll find in most EVs in its class. Most performance-orientated alternatives opt for a high spring rate to compensate for huge kerb weights, but the i4 M60 does not. It does get adaptive dampers to tighten the package at the press of a button, and while their effects are noticeable, the chassis still feels slack and underspecced for the torque at play. 

On the right road you can find a reasonable flow in this car despite its dynamic quirks, and you can make progress at a pace few other saloons can match. The lack of regenerative braking prevents any unwanted, off-throttle mid-corner weight transfer, and when you do apply the brakes, the firm pedal provides more than enough stopping power should you ask for it. There’s not much in the way of feel, and you need to push hard for the deceleration you might be after, but the response is consistent nonetheless.

The i4 M60 might appear to be a promising electric alternative to the M3 on paper, but in reality you’re best to wait until 2027 for that. What this is, though, is a capable, understated German saloon that happens to have almost 600bhp, and that in itself is quite a desirable thing. Just don’t expect to receive the dynamic prowess normally associated with the M badge on the boot.

Interior and tech

The i4’s heavy, frameless doors might look sleek, but the sound they make will have passengers think you’re slamming them in rage – they shut with a thud no matter how carefully you close them, which is not something you come to expect from a BMW. Thankfully the rest of the cabin meets expectations, with good build quality, real buttons where it matters, and one of the best infotainment systems on the market. Don’t expect an interior like an M3’s, though: the only real tell you’re in an M60 is the red 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel.

Despite the harsh sound of the doors, this is a very quiet place to be. Cossetting is the best way to describe the i4 while on the move, with the added benefit of heated and massaging seats making it a nice place to be. If the quiet isn’t for you, Sport mode envelops the cabin with a space-age ‘engine’ sound that increases in volume and frequency depending on throttle position and speed. I’m usually not a fan of features like this as they’re often poorly implemented, but this sound has been developed with careful attention to detail, so is layered and sophisticated to give you real sense of speed. You might be well aware that it’s synthesised, but it’s hard to deny that it adds theatre to the experience.

You get plenty of standard kit in this car – it sits at the top of the range after all – but it’s not free of those egregious features that require a subscription to unlock. Our particular car included dedicated buttons on the steering wheel for setting the distance for Adaptive Cruise Control, but clicking them only brought up a message in the central display to ask you to pay for use of the feature…

Price, specs and rivals

The BMW i4 M60 starts from £71,525, which may be £20,000 more than the entry-level car, but it’s also £20,000 less than an M3. This difference in price goes a long way to justifying its lack of dynamic polish, and will make it a very attractive company car choice to those who can find the right deal.  

Now the Tesla Model S is off sale in the UK (and soon worldwide), there aren't many rivals with quite this level of performance. The Polestar 2 is only available with up to 469bhp, and while the smaller Tesla Model 3 Performance is a more capable car, it too comes with under 500bhp for a lower £59,990 price tag. The £105,995 Mercedes-Benz EQE 53 and £94,925 Audi S6 e-tron are the closest on paper, with 616bhp and 546bhp respectively, but both are larger cars with larger batteries and a more premium price point.

BMW i4 M60 specs

Share this on TwitterShare this on FacebookEmailAdd as a preferred source on Google