M electrifi ed BMW i4 M50

ELECECTR TRIFIEDIFIE

It wears the illustrious ‘M’ badge, but does BMW’s fi rst purely electric performance car live up to the motorsport brand?

Words: Shane O’ Donoghue Shane_O_D

MMany will assume that BMW designed the 4 Series Gran Coupé and then handed it over to its i department for electrifi cation. However, the opposite is true. Only once the electric components were accommodated was the car’s shape signed o . What’s underneath is substantially di erent, but the body is shared between the electric and combustion-engined models. The design shares much with the 4 Series Coupé and Convertible, notably at the front. There, the controversial upright version of the kidney grille has been blanked o for the i4 and restyled, while the front bumper has very few air openings. Unique fl ush door handles and an air breather detail – aft of the front wheels –which is integrated with the side sills, di erentiate the i4. At the rear, with no exhaust outlets, BMW’s designers took the opportunity to restyle the bumper to further help with the airfl ow. The design of the high-performance version is enhanced with more aggressivelooking bumpers, grey and gloss-black detailing and a neat little lip spoiler at the rear. Buyers in South Africa get 19-inch

alloys as standard, with the option to upgrade to 20s, and, interestingly, the i4 doesn’t get the little wheel arch extensions at the rear shown here unless you go for the bigger wheels. I wouldn’t want the car without them.

A glance at the specs indicates that it will live up to such presence. There’s an electric motor on each axle, supplying up to 400 kW and 795 Nm of torque. Those are huge numbers. By way of reminder, the M3 Competition’s engine produces 375 kW and 650 Nm. Sure, the i4 M50 weighs a lot more. Still, it should be no surprise that the 0-100km/h time is dispatched in an M3-equalling 3.9 seconds.

The all-wheel-drive traction of a motor on each axle is augmented by BMW’s ‘near-actuator wheel slip limitation’ feature. At the same time, launch control shows o the advantage of maximum torque from a standstill. It’s astoundingly quick in a straight line.

This is accompanied by a raucous digital sound inside the cabin that rises in intensity, in line with the acceleration. The sound profile changes with the driving modes, so it’s unobtrusive in the Comfort setting and arguably too loud in Sport mode. We found it entertaining to start with but quite annoying on a long journey. There’s much customisation in the system available, thankfully.

Despite the electric powertrain, the interior of the i4 is relatively conventional. It has the same seating layout as the rest of the 4 Series line-up and mostly the same centre console. Blue accents catch your eye, but the most significant di erence is found on the dashboard, as the i4 gets the same curved glass display design that debuted on the iX model.

In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch screen for the instruments and a massive 14.9-inch touchscreen to the side. Thanks to anti-reflective glass, it looks good even in bright sunshine, and the graphics are crisp. Powering it all is BMW’s Operating System 8.

Though the front doors are shorter than in the 4 Series Coupé, the cabin feels the same. Those taller in stature may fi nd the rear door openings a little tight for comfort, but once in, there’s su cient space in the outer two seats for adults. There are three seatbelts, but the raised centre seat is clearly for only occasional use. The seatbacks split and fold to create a long, fl at fl oor if the standard 470 litres of boot space isn’t enough.

Press the blue button to start it up, and you’re greeted with a unique electronic sound to tell you the car is ready to go. The drive selector appears normal, though it has a new ‘B’ option, which allows the driver to enhance the regenerative braking e ect, meaning you barely need to touch the brake pedal in heavy tra c.

The i4 has an integrated braking system designed to o er a consistent brake pedal feel, whether the deceleration is induced by regenerative braking or the hydraulic circuit. It works well enough. The braking power is strong, and we didn’t really notice that the pedal felt any di erent than in any other BMW.

Likewise with the steering. The M50 gets a variable ratio system, which helps with manoeuvrability at low speeds and through tight corners while preventing any nervousness at a faster pace. It’s well-weighted, helping to disguise the car’s mass when entering a bend, but not at the expense of some feedback. A low centre of gravity helps o set the disadvantage of the extra weight through a sequence of quick direction changes, where the i4 really fl ows.

This model comes with adaptive damping, too, and even on the 20-inch rims and in its sportiest setting, it never felt too fi rm or rigid for road use. Likewise, while incredibly fast and accomplished through the corners, the i4 M50 never feels as edgy or challenging as an M3 can. It’s more polished than that, making swift progress without fuss. That doesn’t mean it’s no fun, but we can’t see many owners taking this car on track, for example. Despite the looks and M badge, this car would make a great daily driver. It’s smooth and quiet and comfortable when you want it to be.

The usable energy capacity of the battery pack is quoted as 80.7 kWh, while the range possible on a charge is up to 510 km, depending on specifi cation. Naturally, that will also depend on how and where you drive it.

Electric cars make the most sense if you can charge them at home overnight, but if you do have to use the public charging network in the i4 M50, it can do so at up to 205 kW at a suitable rapid charger, which means a 10–80 per cent charge in approximately 31 minutes.

In terms of pricing, the i4 M50 isn’t cheap, starting at R1 600 000. That makes it more expensive than any other 4 Series Gran Coupé, but then again, there’s no doubting its position in the line-up. It surpasses the M440i xDrive in terms of performance. A

AT A GLANCE

BMW I4 M50 If you want an electric BMW, there’s no doubt that the i4 will make the transition from petrol power an easy one. It’s a polished creation that looks, feels and drives as a BMW should. The M50 is a serious performance car, regardless of what powers it, if not quite the full-on M car the badge might suggest it is.

Price: R1 600 000 Battery capacity: 80.7 kWh Engine: twin electric motors Transmission: 1-spd AT Driven wheels: 4 Power: 400 kW Torque: 795 Nm 0-100 km/h: 3.9 seconds Top speed: 225 km/h Power consumption: 22.5 kWh/100 km Range: 510 km CO2: 0 g/km