The blistering acceleration of multiple electric motors making maximum torque from a standstill can make for an exhilarating straight-line driving experience, but as many BMW owners will testify, there’s more to the thrill of going fast. For generations, BMW has effectively specialized in making cars that are almost transcendent in their capability when driven at or near the limit, and just because things are going electric doesn’t mean the quintessential BMW driving experience has to vanish.
In the case of the i4 M50, which stands in stark contrast to a number of other comparable EVs thanks to its specific tilt towards performance courtesy of BMW M, the driving experience is said to be alive and well. In a recent video from BMW, racing driver Charlie Martin puts an i4 M50 through its paces around the Salzburgring in Austria, where various BMW models including the 3.0CSL secured a total of ten European Touring Car Championship wins.
The video isn’t particularly long at just one minute and 30 seconds, but it shows the i4 M50 in an environment where other cars, specifically EVs, have their weaknesses revealed as opposed to their strengths demonstrated. Of course, we’re still waiting for test results, and like other BMW M Performance models, the i4 M50 isn’t an electric version of an M4 Gran Coupé according to Road & Track, just as we suggested when we compared the i4 with the G80 M3. Nevertheless, BMW’s new electric sport sedan still drives a hard bargain in its segment, and we’re glad such a vehicle exists in today’s automotive landscape.—Alex Tock
[Photo and video courtesy BMW AG.]
