BMW is well known as a manufacturer of cars with excellent driving performance. Whether the predicate in the previous sentence is always true is not the point; reputation does not appear suddenly. The first 1960s and 2002 70s shocked Americans (especially American car magazines) with their incredible handling. The E30 generation of the 3 series is the whip of the Yuppies in the Reagan era. If Patrick Bateman is a car, then this is the car people crave, wait—know what I’m talking about? Then the M car became better and better, and more and more legends. Driving a BMW means you have the ultimate driving machine. 'Nuff said. But what about the electric BMW 3 Series? Starting early next year, you will be able to buy the i4 sedan, which is the all-electric version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe (essentially a swoopy roof 3 series). The question is: should you?
The first thing to know is that BMW offers two i4s: the single-motor i4 eDrive40, which can provide 335 horsepower and 319 pound-feet of torque, with an estimated cruising range of 300 miles. The theme version of this review is the i4 M50 that I spent a day driving all over Bavaria. It is equipped with two motors, with a total output of 536 horsepower, a torque of 586 pound-feet, and an estimated cruising range of 275 miles. Following the fast pace of sporty but not M i8, the i4 M50 is the first electric BMW tuned by the acclaimed M Division. In short, this is the first BEV M. BMW calls the i4 M50 "sporty but sustainable", which is an appropriate description of the direction the entire company is heading, especially after the Neue Klasse platform comes out in 2025, all future BMWs of its architecture will be manufactured.
i4 uses the current G26 4 series Gran Coupe iteration of the CLAR platform (the conventional seventh-generation four-door 3 series is called G20 internally). This means the front strut, plus the rear air spring installed in the five-link geometry. Active dampers are provided with M50 instead of eDrive40. The front track of the G26 is 1.0 inches wider than the standard G20, and the rear track is 0.5 inches wider. The negative camber of the front wheels is increased. Since the battery is under the floor, the center of gravity is 1.5 inches lower than that of the ordinary G26. The synchronous motor is BMW's fifth-generation eDrive device. Each electric motor is combined with the single-speed transmission and power inverter of BMW's huge Dingolfing factory to form a single power unit. Like the iX electric SUV, the front unit is slightly smaller, lighter, and less powerful than the rear. M50 achieves 48.2/51.8% front and rear weight distribution. It is worth noting that the single-motor eDrive40 is closer to 45/55.
The battery pack is specially designed for i4. The prismatic battery pack is about 1.5 inches high and is the stressed member of the chassis. BMW is doing everything it can to reduce conflicting materials in batteries and motors. For example, the company is selecting the source of cobalt in lithium-ion batteries. Cobalt mainly comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the equipment you are reading this story probably contains cobalt mined by child labor. It is said that the i4 M50 does not contain any such cobalt, and I applaud BMW's efforts. The total battery capacity is 84 kWh, which is slightly larger than the largest battery available in the Tesla Model 3 (82 kWh). The wheels are made of a mixture of aluminum and plastic. This reduces the weight by 15% and is said to increase the electric range by 9.3 miles. Finally, the Gurney flap on the top edge of the suitcase reduces lift.
The i4 M50 can be recognized as a BMW at a glance. If you know what you are looking at, this EV will scream 4 series, especially the G26 Gran Coupe. However, you must be a huge BMW nerd to discover the difference between the gasoline-powered 4 Series and the i4 M50. From the front, the easiest way is that the 4 series has a thick chrome trim around the huge kidney grille, while the M50 is painted black. Of course, the grille of the 4 series Gran Coupe is a real grille that allows air to flow to the radiator, while the kidney of the i4 is actually a clever way of brand recognition to package the radar sensor. In addition, the 4 series chipmunk cheek air intakes under the headlights actually flow air to the intercooler, while the I4 is a simple, smooth air that deceives plastic. BMW claims that its drag coefficient is 0.24, which is mainly due to the sealed bottom tray. If you look closely, you will find that the hood of the electric version is more like the muscle-type schnoz of the current M3/M4.
Inside, it is pretty standard G20 generation design and materials, except for the huge curved infotainment screen that dominates everything. It is the same size as the screen in the larger iX, while in i4 it is almost too big. A tribute to the BMW dashboard of yesteryear, where the physical controls are aimed at the person driving the ship, and the curve makes the screen tilt towards the driver. The head-up display has also been significantly improved in terms of legibility and information provided. There is a button between the phone and the voice control button that allows you to configure the dashboard and head-up display. For example, you can display Apple CarPlay on the screen in front of you and receive one-by-one driving direction in the head-up area. Very cool.
A very personal note: no glass roof! Joy of joy! Because Tesla has a glass roof, it seems that every premium electric car manufacturer is forced to install a glass roof in its vehicles. Similarly, since Tesla does not provide any form of sunshade—it is said that Elon Musk does not want sunshade—other electric cars have followed suit. This means that many electric car drivers always let the sun shine on their heads. Even in BMW's iX. Literally, this is necessary. BMW broke this terrible trend with the i4.
The ride quality is very good because the M50 feels very solid and sporty. It makes no secret of its weight, it will weigh far more than two tons, but you know this car is very powerful. No extra pounds will be noticed when accelerating. BMW claims to reach 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, but believe me, it is faster. Maybe much faster. Compared with M440i, the extra weight has the effect of smooth driving. Ride several leagues better than the new M3 Comp. The steering of the i4 M50 feels a bit too aggressive, despite its good locking center quality, especially at high speeds. There is not much wind noise, and only a little tire noise. To be honest, driving like a civilian in Comfort or Eco-Pro, the i4 M50 feels like an ordinary BMW, but very quiet. This is a pleasant overall experience. The brakes with BBW and assisted by battery regeneration are also very good.
When you switch to sport mode and start driving like a gangster, things get complicated. So yes-this fool is quick. We timed the RWD M3 race to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Seeing that the i4 M50 is AWD (even if there is no physical connection between the front and rear axles) and produces 107 lb-ft of additional torque, the weight seems to have little effect on the acceleration time of the EV (Tesla Model S Plaid weighs 4,816 pounds and reaches 60 in 2.1 seconds. Mph), I think it will step on the M3 in a drag race. Even in Eco-Pro, I can quickly accelerate to 100 mph. As far as cruising on the highway, the i4 M50 feels very suitable for it even in infinite sections. The straight-line speed earned the car the M mark.
Processing is a different story. Here, the weight does appear, and the steering feel of the M50 exacerbates its adverse effects. At this point, this is an old story, but there is an insulating layer between what the front wheels are doing and the hands that the steering wheel tells you. Please note that most of the time the i4 M50 operates as a rear-wheel drive vehicle, and the front motor only provides torque when needed. The weird part is that when you start to apply the brakes and break the wheel, a hint, smell, and initial understeer will appear. Suddenly, almost suddenly, the accelerator is applied, pulling the car to the apex of the corner, because the front motor is now fully engaged. Only this weird hiccup in the middle corner amplifies this feeling with the indifferent turning feeling. To be fair, for BMW, this flash in the pan is so well hidden that most consumers will not notice it.
The above is a criticism of extreme behavior, which is also true. Back a few tenths, for most people, the i4 M50 is very sporty, or should I say enough sport. Due to the excellent ride quality, I think it is better than the M440i in terms of desirability. I even put it on top of the standard, non-competitive M3. But the real M3 game? no way. The electrified G26 may be the first electric M-type car ever, but it cannot even match the driving excitement provided by its supercar siblings. But more importantly, what about the Tesla Model 3 Performance? Here, I think BMW is better than Tesla, but nothing more. However, I am working on a distant memory because I have not driven the evolving Model 3 for a long time (Tesla has been very picky about distributing cars for a long time, and that was before it cancelled its communications department). The future comparison test is obviously mandatory.
I noticed that i4 makes a cool sound when you speed up. A bit deep sound, but completely electric, not burning noise. Switching to sport mode will change the sound and make it more intense, similar to the superimposition of several fast jets. Yes, this is all artificial and deliberate. I said it was good. As BMW said, “Although the quietness of electric driving provides unprecedented comfort, the driving experience has lost a certain degree of emotion.” In order to solve this problem, BMW created an eccentric IconicSounds Electric department and gained more With the help of the Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. (Side note: This name doesn't sound much better in German: Ikonische Klingt Elektrisch.)
This is not the first time Zimmer has partnered with BMW to make the noise of an electric car. However, since this is the first EV M car, IconicSounds Electric wants to ensure that it has a special audio style. If you hurt the car, there will be the sound of Easter eggs, unfortunately I did it. To be fair, on the narrow and winding road leading to our hotel in the stunning Berchtesgaden region of Bavaria, a huge tourist bus left me off the road. In other words, I controlled the rear passenger side wheel. When something like this happens (or I think it's worse), the car will make a sad sound, like you just lost a level in a video game. It's beautiful, isn't it?
Tesla sold 206,500 Model 3s to Americans in the year of the 2020 global pandemic. This is more than double the Lexus RX, the next best-selling premium/luxury car in the United States. It is the number one luxury car in the United States and the only sedan to enter the top 10! Not to compete with Model 3 is to put money on the table. Can Tesla fight? The future is unwritten, but no car is invincible. Back in the days of Gordon Gekko, BMW occupies the psychological characteristics that Tesla currently possesses. There is no reason not to change, and I think BMW’s green message (the company even requires its suppliers to comply with its environmental practices) is much stronger than the electric car company that just left California for Texas.
As for the i4 M50, BMW has made a legal electric M car. Or, at least one, where M is followed by two or three numbers instead of one. i4 M50 can compete with the king of Tesla, especially Model 3 Performance, in terms of technology, performance, handling and luxury. I just want to know what took so long. And, is it too late? We will see.
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