Our friend Kyle Conner was just at the 2022 CES and shared with us some exclusive content from the BMW exhibit. First, he gave us an overview of the BMW iX Flow, next the BMW Theater Screen and lastly, the BMW iX M60 and the new Iconic Sounds by Hans Zimmer. While on-site, Kyle also spent some time with the brand-new BMW i4 M50 electric gran coupe. Kyle is an expert in the field of electrification as his Youtube channel focuses mostly on electrified cars, so this review touches on a lot of interesting points.
Before we jump into the review, let’s recap some of the most important stats of the BMW i4 M50. The M-tuned i4 M50 is rated on the EPA range at 270 miles when equipped with 19-inch wheels and 227 miles when equipped with 20-inch wheels. The MSRP is $55,400 for eDrive40 and $65,900 for M50. Plus $995 Destination. U.S. market launch is expected in Q1 of 2022. The i4 M50 has a battery pack of a 83.9 kWh gross, with 81.5 kWh net.
With the top i4 model you get two electric motors, one at each axle, and 536 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque.Thanks to its all-wheel drive setup, the BMW i4 M50 can run from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 3.9 seconds, on par with the rear-wheel drive BMW M4 Competition. The i4 can charge at up to 200 kW, with a compatible DC fast charger. At that speed, the BMW i4 40 can recharge 102 miles of range in just ten minutes, while the i4 M50 only gets 87 miles of range in the same time. It can also charge at 11 kW from a Level 2 home charger, which will take eight hours to fully charge the battery. This is a significant jump in charging tech considering that the BMW i3 can charge up to 50 kW.
The i4 M50 gets the typical M Package exterior which brings a more aggressive bodykit to the market. The BMW i4 M50 also features model-specific adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering, M Sport braking system and optional M light-alloy wheels (up to 20-inch). BMW i4 will be offered with the following color options: Alpine White, Mineral White, Black, Black Sapphire, BMW Individual Dravit Grey, Skyscraper Grey, Sunset Orange, Tanzanite Blue, San Remo Green, Aventurine Red, Brooklyn Grey and Frozen Portimao Blue. Some of those colors are specific to a model line – i440 vs. M50 – or even distributed by “accents”.
Your electric car doesn’t have to sound boring. And that’s precisely why BMW hired Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer to compose a sound pack for its future electric cars. Dubbed IconicSounds, the driving sound takes its cues from the driving situation at hand and the driver’s personal preferences. It can be activated at the touch of button. When in Comfort mode, the sound creates a pleasant atmosphere inside the car. But when in SPORT, the sound delivered is more powerful and dominant. Only when the vehicle is in ECO PRO mode, the acoustic feedback reduced to nothing. Furthermore, BMW mentions that the sound in the i4 M50 has a more technical profile and it’s far more engaging. The IconicSounds Electric comes as standard in the BMW iX and can be specified as an option for the BMW i4. The car also be installed via the Remote Software Upgrade.
Now let’s take a look at this review:
