BMW i4 M50

Flagship four-door coupé has more muscle than an M4 Competition. But does M division’s first electric car also have true driver appeal?

- GREG KABLE

TESTED 14.9.21, MUNICH, GERMANY ON SALE NOVEMBER PRICE £63,905 BMW i4 M50

This is it, then. The first-ever electric-powered BMW M model. Given the outstanding pedigree of the German firm’s performance-oriented combustion models down the years, much is riding on the i4 M50.

Based on the upcoming second-generation 4 Series Gran Coupé, alongside which it is produced in Munich, the powerful new four-door saloon joins the i3, iX3 and recently introduced iX in what will become a 12-strong lineup of electric models under BMW’s i sub-brand by the end of 2023.

The £63,905 M50 is one of two initial i4 models planned for sale in the UK from November. Along with the milder, £53,405 rear-wheel drive eDrive40, it will challenge the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, as well as the upcoming Audi A6 E-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE, for four-door electric car supremacy.

Like the new iX, the i4 is based on an adapted version of BMW’s CLAR platform. It has been heavily modified to accommodate an electric powertrain, which includes a large battery bolted to the floor pan. This acts as a structural element, providing the body with added stiffness and helping to maintain a 50:50 weight balance.

In its styling, the i4 is close to the look of the concept revealed early last year, with traditional cab-backwards proportions and only detailed changes setting it apart from the 4 Series Gran Coupé. These include a blanked-off grille housing ultrasonic and radar sensors, a uniquely styled front bumper with minimal air ducting and thin LED headlights that form a tapered effect within a bold-looking front end.