BMW i4 M50 - The Fat and the Furious

Hi guys!

Did you all make it to BMW's Driving Experience Tour this year? The autocross car this year was an EV, the i4 M50. What did you think of it?

I found it eye-opening experience to throw the i4 M50 around... (My full thoughts on the car are here.)

Here's my take:

The i4 looks nearly identical to the 4-series Gran Coupe, which means it looks great from 3 out of 4 angles and doesn't send of any EV oddball vibes.

This thing is ridiculously powerful! I've always wished that BMW sold an M3 wagon or hatchback in the USA, and reading the stats (536hp/586 lb-ft) it seemed like BMW was making my dream car a reality. But then came the curb weight: 5018 lbs! The i4 M50 may accelerate with fury, but it's undeniably fat!

Chucking the i4 M50 around the autocross course, both the power and the pounds are felt. The i4 M50 has one of the hardest hole-shots I've experienced, but then the car rolls and crushes its tires in the corners. To be fair, it handles reasonably well for a 5018 lb porker, but it's a long, long way from the agile M3s we all love.

After my short drive in the i4, I'd say it's will make you happy if you like romping up highway onramps and like traditional BMW interiors and exteriors. But if you hoped--like I did--to find an EV that could dance like an M3, you'll be disappointed. (Frankly the Tesla Model 3 dances better, thanks to being much lighter.)

Best!
Mike

Thanks for this - my wife and I went to our local dealer (BMW in Escondido, CA) to try to test drive one but they only had the i4 (non-M50) which still had a decent amount of power - would really like to drive the M50 flavor. She now has a 440i gran coupe but I'm sure we'll be going electric with her next car. Was told there was a 2+ year wait for the i4-M50, and there was already a "backup list" of 25 people waiting to grab a cancelled spot. I know these timelines can vary from dealer to dealer but they seem to be a popular choice at the moment.

brettcp wrote

Thanks for this - my wife and I went to our local dealer (BMW in Escondido, CA) to try to test drive one but they only had the i4 (non-M50) which still had a decent amount of power - would really like to drive the M50 flavor. She now has a 440i gran coupe but I'm sure we'll be going electric with her next car. Was told there was a 2+ year wait for the i4-M50, and there was already a "backup list" of 25 people waiting to grab a cancelled spot. I know these timelines can vary from dealer to dealer but they seem to be a popular choice at the moment.

I didn't get to try out a base i4, but if it's like any other electric car, I'm sure it's mighty quick, too! I love a quick ride, but with these EVs, I'm usually satisfied with the base models...so long as I avoid driving the fast car later! (Ignorance is bliss?) And, often the base EVs handle a little better as they are lighter, thanks to RWD and smaller batteries.