Growing up, the quickest way to compare two performance cars was to check out their 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) times. However, things got complicated along the way. Today’s cars have immense power, whether from combustion engines or electric motors. Traction off the line becomes an issue, as some cars put the power down better than others. For clarity, BMW has quietly included the sprint time for the new iX M70 with a one-foot rollout. For our metric-loving audience, yours truly included, one foot is 30.48 centimeters.
Last night (well, early this morning in Europe), we noticed this subtle addition in the electric SUV’s technical specification sheet. The M Performance iX, now with 40 more horsepower (at 650 hp), does 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds. Once you include the one-foot rollout, the sprint time drops to just 3.5 seconds. We can all agree that three-tenths of a second is nothing to sneeze at.
When those dual motors produce a combined 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) with launch control, instantly sending the colossal torque to the road becomes challenging. Including the one-foot rollout, the car’s difficulties with delivering immense power are minimized. Reputable car magazines such as Car and Driver and Road and Track have been doing it for years. It’s a method typically used at drag strips. Motor Trend also used it a few years ago when the Model S P100D was clocked in at 2.28 seconds. Without the one-foot rollout, the electric performance sedan took 2.53 seconds to 60 mph (96 km/h).
Now, back to BMWs. We have it on good authority that the imminent release of the M3 CS Touring will include this supplementary information. But here’s the kicker: The one-foot rollout is not mentioned in the specs sheets of the iX xDrive45 and xDrive60. This suggests that BMW might add this detail only for the M Performance and M models. That would make sense since people shopping for an M Lite or a true M will be more interested in acceleration times than those buying a lesser version.
