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HIGH ROAD Mr. Zimmer’s OPUS

BMW’S ALL-ELECTRIC IX50 TAKES A HANS-ON APPROACH TO SOUNDING SPEEDY

BY HOWARD WALKER

The music of German composer Hans Zimmer is legendary. Over the last 35 years, he’s penned some of the greatest film scores of all time, from Rain Man and The Lion King, to The Dark Knight and Dune.

Now there’s one more musical arrangement he can add to his repertoire: BMW’s all-new, all-electric iX SUV. Yep, every synthesized whirr, whee, whoop, and whizz is courtesy of Mr. Z.

The BMW Group Sound Design department teamed up with the Academy Award winner to create a few special sound effects for the iX—because you wouldn’t want an electric car to be totally silent, right? When you dial up Sport mode and hit the gas, the fizzing electric motors are accompanied by a soaring crescendo that’s part Dyson Airblade, part Tron. Had it been up to me, I might have gone for a Jack Sparrow “arrr” from Pirates of the Caribbean (Zimmer composed the scores for those movies, too).

Sounds aside, this iX xDrive50 is an awesome addition to BMW’s growing fleet of all-electric newcomers. About the size of the popular X5 sport-ute, the iX distinguishes itself with its jaw-descending, headrotating, what-the-heck-were-they-thinking design.

To call it bold is like saying Adele can carry a tune. However, it’s far from cute, with a multitude of lumps, bumps, and creases, as well as humongous kidneys on the nose and a full-diaper look at the rear end.

That being said, when it comes to electric vehicles, looking different is key. You’re driving the future, so why not make the vehicle look like it’s from the future? The iX is nothing less than Ziggy Stardust on wheels.

Two versions of this iX are on offer. The xDrive50 kicks off at $83,200, packs a 516-horsepower punch, and can run for up to 324 miles on a charge. Its crazy-fast brother is the iX M60, with a maximum hp of 610, 811 lb-ft of torque, 280 miles of range, and a $108,900-andup sticker. Let’s save the electric M60 Frankenbeemer for another day and revel in the equally eye-watering performance of the xDrive50.

For those who have yet to experience the tingling delights of electric power, you’re in for a treat. The way this iX 50 catapults off the line, slingshots past dawdling traffic, and acts like a four-wheeled extra from Top Gun: Maverick is breathtaking. Zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds? That’ll do nicely.

POWER FILE

It also has plenty of Ultimate Driving Machine DNA to ensure it carves curves as thrillingly as it handles straight lines. Its chassis is lightweight aluminum framing with I-beam-stiff carbon fiber reinforcements for the roof rails and door pillars, plus steel and plastic for the body panels. With a 111.5-kWh lithiumion battery pack juicing electric motors front and rear to give all-wheel drive, the nifty 50 sticks to the road like chewing gum to velvet.

Yes, the ride can get a little firm and fidgety. And while the frameless door windows look cool, they create a bit more wind noise than you might expect from a luxury SUV. But piloting this thing is a delight.

Inside, the iX is as funky and futuristic as its exterior—just peep the hexagon-shaped wheel. I love the floating glass display that sprawls across the dash, the crystal-glass seat adjuster, the window and info-

PRICE: FROM $83,200 ENGINE: TWIN ELECTRIC MOTORS POWER: 516 HP TORQUE: 564 LB-FT RANGE: UP TO 324 MILES 0-60: 4.4 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 124 MPH LENGTH/ WIDTH: 195/77 INCHES WEIGHT: 5,659 POUNDS WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE ELECTRIC POWER ADDS ANOTHER

DIMENSION TO THE ULTIMATE tainment controls, and the panoramic glass roof that goes from clear DRIVING MACHINE. to opaque at the touch of a button. Speaking of buttons, you’ll need a degree in computer science to wade through the gazillions of options, all buried deep in that center glass display. It’s easier to launch a SpaceX rocket than it is to turn the aforementioned roof opaque. Thankfully, you can unwind from all that tech-induced stress in the cavernous interior. The seats themselves come in a few fab fabric choices, from diamond-quilted leather, to a microfiber and wool blend, to animal-free SensaTec pleather. With an all-electric crossover this cool, watts not to love? «

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