2022 BMW i4 M50: The First Electric M Car Has 536-HP For About 10 Seconds And A $65,900 Price Tag

BMW took the wraps off the sporty i4 M50 today. The marriage of the i and M subbrands, the car will be the first electric M car ever produced. Well, at least according to the German automaker, as to our ears it sounds more like an M Performance recipe than a thoroughbred M model.

Finished in Frozen Portimao Blue and featuring blacked-out trim and carbon fiber add ons, the 2022 BMW i4 M50 promises to bring the visual flair and aggression of the M brand into the brand’s electric future. To ensure it can keep up with the rest of the M lineup, it will offer a combined output of 536 horsepower (544 PS) and 586 lb-ft of torque from its two electric motors, including a 255hp front and 308hp rear motor, controlled by a single speed transmission.

However, note that those peak figures are achieved momentarily through a Sport Boost function that increases the system’s combined drive power by 67 hp and torque by 48 lb-ft for a little over 10 seconds. Otherwise, combined output is reduced to 469 hp and 538 lb-ft.

According to BMW, the i4 M50 it can hit 62mph (100km/h) in 3.9 seconds, down from the standard i4’s 5.7 seconds, and reach a decent top speed of 140mph (225 km/h), up from the base i4’s, rather comical for today’s standards, 118mph (189 km/h). In comparison, the latest M3 in standard spec does the 0-60 (96km/h) in 4.1 sec, with the 503hp Competition dropping to 3.8 sec.

Beyond the fully-electric all-wheel drive and more powerful motors, the i4 M50 also gets an adaptive M suspension with individually configured springs and shocks, specially designed anti-roll bars and an additional spring strut tower brace in the front end, along with variable sport steering, M Sport brakes and 19-inch standard M light-alloy wheels (20-inch optional) with mixed-size tires. BMW states that thanks to the battery module, the i4 M50’s center of gravity is 1.3 inches lower than on a 3-Series sedan.

Speaking of the battery, the i4 M50 offers an estimated driving range of 245 miles or about 395 km on a full charge, which takes 7.6 hours with a 11kw charger. BMW says that you can also fast charge at a max of 200kW from a 10% state of charge to 80% in just 31 minutes.

Inside, meanwhile, the car features the same enormous curved screen as in the iX. There are still driving mode buttons near the shift stick to make sure that performance is always close at hand. Seats are borrowed from the M3 and M4 albeit in slightly more subdued colors here, with the M-badged i4 also getting other sporty touches such as the steering wheel and trimmings.

As with the regular i4, the M50-badged model will go on sale in the USA during the first quarter of 2022. Prices will start from $65,900 plus a $995 destination for a total of $66,895, making it just $4,000 cheaper than the M3 Sedan ($69,900 before destination).

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