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BMW i4 M50 Review

25 March 2022

BMW i4 M50 Review

The BMW i4 M50 combines the power of the BMW M and the BMW i. The car is a fully electric drive that is powered by two BMW eDrive motors. This is the first-ever electric car to wear the M badge, and boy does it deserve it. I’ll be taking you through each and every detail of the vehicle to provide the readers with the best knowledge and information in order to form your own outlook of the car. The most important question before we get into the nitty-gritty details is: when is the BMW i4 M50’s release date, UK. Well, deliveries start in March 2022 so you will have needed to place our order a couple of years ago to receive the car this early on. However, no fear, the BMW i4 M50 will still be available to order, it just adds you to the back of the queue. 

Price

The question that everyone is waiting for however is…. How much is the BMW i4 M50? Well, the starting price isn’t so bad for an EV but with added extras, it starts to build up. The BMW i4 M50’s price is £63,905. With customised alloy wheels, exterior colour, upholstery, interims, carbon exterior, towbar, M sport seats, and a smart wallbox package the final configuration can reach up to £80,175. These prices are expensive compared to rival EVs such as the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2 but when the driving is as impressive as the i4 M50, we think it is worth the price.

BMW i4 M50 Interior

BMW i4 M50 interior side view

BMW I4 M50 interior view front on multifunctional steering wheel and infotainment screen BMW i4 M50 interior side view of infotainment screen

As stated with the exterior design of the vehicle about the BMW i4 M50, it is similar to the 4 series. This is the same with the interior. The quality of the material is excellent, it makes the car feel of premium standard. What your eyes are drawn to when entering the vehicle is the infotainment screen on the dashboard. We have seen the introduction of the new full-length screen on their BMW iX and we LOVE it. It’s the latest generation of BMW Live Cockpit professionals with a BMW curved 12.3” instrument display and a 4.9” touchscreen under one common frameless glass surface. It takes a lot of getting used to as you have to know where certain settings are/have to move the apps around to memorise where they are. This is so you do not get as distracted when you are driving. Otherwise, it could be considered dangerous. With the exception of the heating controls being at the middle-bottom of the screen – this makes it more accessible and do not get distracted when driving.  This infotainment screen is as good as a smartphone. It can perform all functions of the phone but even takes it a step further and has non-reflective glass so you can see the screen in high resolution and even when the sun is shining directly onto it. BMW has introduced the iDrive in a lot of their new cars. It functions the same as the MBUX in Mercedes vehicles and the Audi Connect in Audi vehicles. 

 

The BMW M Leather multifunctional steering wheel is also a head-turner. It is a reinforced steering wheel rim in black Nappa leather with contrast stitching in M colours. We see the bringing back of the physical buttons onto their wheel. They had removed them for the futuristic iX vehicle and a lot of negative reviews about reaching over during driving instead of being able to press physical buttons from your subconscious memory. The buttons on this steering wheel are all different, meaning you will be able to memorise the touch/feel of each one and its function. Creating an easier and more relaxed driving experience. Accompanying this feature are the M Sport Seats. With an integrated headrest for a better driving experience for driver and passenger. There are blue and red stripes on the seat belt are also what makes the M model stand out. 

 

There are lots of carbon fibre details throughout the interior of the car. On the centre console, the dash and the trims. The high-quality carbon fibre M interior trims with Pearl Chrome trim finishers are the ideal match to accompany the M Sport Seats and the MultiFunctional M Steering Wheel. It provides extra sportiness to the interior of the car. In addition to this sporty feel the carbon fibre also makes the interior look sleek, professional and more put together. 

BMW i4 M50 Sound System

The sound is powered by BMW M IconicSounds Electric. The sound of the electric car itself was developed by Hans Zimmer, similar to the iX. The soundscapes have been created for sport and comfort mode and are meant to help define the difference between the modes. It’s a highly emotive world for sound and therefore needs to be prioritised in an electric vehicle as they are primarily silent. The soundscapes can be adapted via the driving experience control. Ranging from powerfully dynamic with clear loud feedback in SPORT mode to harmonious acoustics with slight load feedback in comfort mode. Whereas ECO Pro mode is completely silent. The variety and differences between modes and with braking are what helps the driver to experience the car to its full potential and capability. The soundscapes allow you to feel like you are driving a Sport/M car as it’s hard to experience this in an electric vehicle. However, we at Auto Export think that the sounds that have been produced do not have the authenticity that a diesel or petrol sport engine gives.

BMW i4 M50 vs Tesla Model 3 Space

In terms of passenger space inside the electric vehicle’s the Tesla Model 3 completely out-performs the i4. The Tesla has a very first-class cabin-like space- with lots of legroom. Whereas the BMW i4 M50 takes the same spatial capacity and underpinnings as its brother model the 3 series. Its boot space, however, is very impressive. With 470-litres of space, the i4 M50 outdoes the Porsche Taycan and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Driving

The driving ability of the BMW i4 M50 is very impressive. The car drives with a thrust that gives you a gamified feel to the car. When stepping on the accelerator, the nose of the vehicle lifts to the sky. BMW has said that this is because of the sheer amount of torque the M50 is deploying with such little fanfare. With the vehicle being predicted to do 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. However, we were able to do it in an astonishing 3.62 seconds. Showing the immediate power being given out by this vehicle – something that a petrol or diesel car will not be able to achieve. The BMW i4 M50’s top speed varies from 130-140mph, again showing the sheer power dynamic of the vehicle. A smooth and exhilarating drive is achievable in this innovative BMW electric vehicle. EVs don’t have to be extravagant in looks to impress, this car is a prime example as it looks just like the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. For us personally, EVs just have to have an incredible drivability and infotainment system. The I4 M50 has a high-performance drivetrain, the combination of a large high-voltage battery with a high range ensures driving pleasure even for longer journeys. Helping to provide a good range and monster performance even on a 2.2-tonne car. The weight of it is close to that of the BMW iX, which sits at 2.5 tonnes. This surprised me as the iX looks insanely larger than the i4 M50. The i4 M50 is in fact heavier than the BMW x5 40i. This helps in terms of understanding the car through comparisons of its sister vehicles. 

 

Included in this vehicle is the BMW eDrive, based on the eDrive technology. There are 6 driving modes altogether, with one of them being a sub-mode that shifts to one-pedal driving. The first mode is 1. Comfort. This is for everyday driving, through residential roads and areas. The second mode is 2. Sport. This adds a little bit of throttle and power, similar to the average sports mode in all cars. The third mode is 3. Sport Boost. This mode helps to get the vehicle at a fast pace very quickly and because the vehicle is electric, this power happens instantaneously. This mode has 544hp and gives a whopping 799 Nm of torque. This mode benefits from the two powerful BMW M eDrive motors on the front of and rear axles. Because the vehicle is electric, the amount of power given depends on the battery life. Therefore, when the car battery is low, expect the car to decrease in power. Anything below 90% the car will slowly become less powerful and the battery life to decrease at a fast rate. The fourth mode is 4. Sport Individual. In this mode you can configure your own sporty settings. The 5th mode is similar to the last 5. Configure Individuals. In which you configure from the bottom up the settings, no influence based on the sport mode. The 6th and final mode is 6. B Mode. This mode offers extra regenerative braking. When lifting off of the accelerator the car slows even more than normal and can actually bring the car to a stop quite fast. The 6th mode would be most efficient when in traffic and residential areas. It is a form of one-pedal driving. 

 

Another feature that has been added to the BMW i4 M50 that is worth mentioning is the cruise control element. This feature holds assisted driving and steering to support the driver when the feature is active. If you’re driving on the motorway or main road and there has been a speed restriction, the car recognises this restriction and adjusts accordingly. 

Braking and Wheels

The M Sport Brake uses four-piston fixed callipers at the front and single-piston floating callipers at the rear in a blue high-gloss with an M logo which helps to give good braking even on wet surfaces. This along with the rear-biassed setup of the all-wheel-drive highlights the defining sporty character of the i4 M50. A standard of 19” M Light alloy wheels are available with also an optional extra of having 20” M light-alloy wheels with a double-spoke style. The M sport brake on the front axle is then further reinforced thanks to the larger brake discs. 

 

With the i4 M50, there has been an adaptive M suspension with a specific setup added onto the vehicle. Alongside this, an additional variable sport steering with an M sport brake is included ensuring the greatest possible precision when driving. I believe that it is the add-ons like these that really boost the vehicle’s possibility and credibility.

Exterior

 

A lot of the additional features can be added to the configurator as packages. I believe that a lot of these are worth having. If you are going to buy an electric vehicle, you might as well make the most out of this experience and apply for these. The first package that I suggest will make your vehicle stand out is the M Carbon exterior package. The M Carbon exterior package features side spoiler elements on the air curtain, exterior mirror caps made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), and side trims at the rear. The rear spoiler and M mirror caps both boast a specific geometry design that gives a premium edge to the vehicle. Not only that, but it finishes off the exterior and gives a complete and breath-taking look to the car. 

The next package is the M Aerodynamics package. Which comes with an M-specific front and rear apron in the vehicle colour, design elements on the side sills in high-gloss Black, and a two-piece diffuser insert in Dark Shadow Metallic and high-gloss Black. 

 

The final package we suggest getting is the M lights Shadow Line and BMW Laserlight. If you want your car to really have a head-turning edge about it, then getting different headlights is the way to go. This trend is up-and-coming and it’s good to get in there first. This feature includes black chrome elements in the headlights. In the laser high-beam mode, the adaptive BMW Laserlight illuminates a range of up to 550m, nearly twice as far as that of conventional headlights. There are also blue accents and the lettering of BMW Laser in the headlight, these little elements add premium character to the vehicle and will certainly get heads turning when you drive by. 

Exterior Design

What strikes you immediately about this car is the famous BMW kidney grills at the front of the vehicle. Similar to its sister the iX. This is a classic new design for electric vehicles at BMW. The large kidney grills are there to protect the sensors behind the material. Accompanying this is the sculptured tail lights, giving the vehicle a shape to its face. At the rear-end of the car, we can see a bootleg spoiler integrated into the shape of the boot. Reinforcing this sporty and streamlined character to the car. 

Exterior Colours

The BMW i4 M50 colours come in a variety. 

  1. Alpine White
  2. Mineral White Metallic 
  3. Sunset Orange Metallic 
  4. Black Sapphire Metallic
  5. Sanremo Green Metallic 
  6. Portimao Blue Metallic 
  7. Brooklyn Grey Metallic 
  8. BMW Individual Dravit Grey Metallic 
  9. BMW Individual Frozen Portimao Blue Metallic 
  10. BMW Individual Aventurine Red Metallic 
  11. BMW Individual Tanzanite Blue Metallic 
  12. BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey Metallic 

Charging

The BMW i4 M50’s range is another element of the car that is incredibly impressive. On a full charge, the vehicle is predicted to travel up to 316 miles. A realistic range of about 250 miles if driven sensibly, as we know with electric vehicles you need to take off at least 25% for a more accurate result of range. The battery capacity is 80kWh and would take you 13 hours to charge fully using a basic 7kWh wall charger at home. Meaning if you charge it at night, you’ll have a full charge by morning. BMW has a partnership with a charging company called IONITY. There are hundreds scattered over the UK, therefore if you can get your car to an IONITY high-power charging station you can go from 10% charge to 80% in just 31 minutes. Not a major impact on your long-distance journeys as you can relax, get some food like you normally would at a service station. For a 62 mile range, it would take a wallbox charger 2 hours and 24 minutes. For the same range but with a standard charging cable or flexible fast charger on a household socket, it would take 8 hours and 7 minutes to charge. With a high-power charging station for a 62-mile range, the vehicle would only take 5 minutes to charge. At a rapid charging station for the same amount, it would take 21 minutes. 

BMW Digital Service

BMW has a variety of inventive tech and one of the features that have stuck out to me is the BMW Personal Assistant. Similar to the ‘Hey, Mercedes’ feature in the S 500. A car being able to respond to your voice commands similar to the iPhone Siri feature is future-gen tech. It can also be very useful for when you’re driving. Stopping you from being distracted by sifting through apps on the infotainment screen, you can simply ask your BMW personal assistant to complete this task for you. Even better, you can call your personal assistant whichever name you would like. Therefore, living your avengers dream and being able to state ‘Hey Jarvis’ just adds that little element of fun to the vehicle. We have been so impressed with the technology available in the BMW iX, so the question arises… does the i4 M50 use the same technology as the iX? It uses all the same Gen5 BMW electric drive tech. Therefore, set to impress with its reveal. 

 

Thank you

I hope you have enjoyed this detailed review/blog of the BMW i4 M50 and I hope that this has left you with more information about BMW’s first-ever electric M vehicle. If you’re interested in purchasing a BMW vehicle then head over to our contact us page and we will try and source this for you! If you want to read similar blogs to this one then click on our news section on the navigation bar or click here. 

 

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