There’s a certain group of BMW buyers that I’m very curious to watch, now that the BMW i4 M50 has been released — M3 owners. The BMW M3 Competition is a fantastic car, with a 503 horsepower inline-six and some of the sharpest handling to come from the M Division. However, for less money, the BMW i4 M50 also has four doors, actually has more power, and is even more practical. So M3 customers will have an interesting choice to make, next time they visit their local dealer.
YouTuber Joe Achilles is currently a BMW M3 Competition owner. Considering he just bought his M3, he’s not going to be trading it in anytime soon. However, when it does come time to do so, is the i4 M50 spicy enough to pique his interest? He finds out in his latest video.
First, let’s check the specs. The BMW M3 Competition starts at $72,800 and if you want xDrive all-wheel drive that price jumps to $76,900. For that, you get 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The rear-drive car can get from 0-60 mph in a claimed 3.8 seconds, while the M3 xDrive can do it in 3.4 seconds.
The all-electric BMW i4 M50 makes 536 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque and is also all-wheel drive. BMW claimed it can get from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, which makes if faster than the rear-drive M3 but not the all-wheel drive car. However, none of that matters if it isn’t any good to drive. So which would Achilles choose?
Don’t expect him to trade his M3 for one anytime, soon. As fast and impressive as the i4 M50 is, Achilles claims it feels to heavy and too bloated to be fun to drive. Obviously, that doesn’t mean you won’t like it or you shouldn’t buy it, as our own Horatiu actually preferred the i4 M50 to the M3 Comp after driving it. So different strokes for different folks. But if your an M3 owner, you might find the BMW i4 M50 lacking some of the precision you’re accustomed to.
