BMW’s fabled M division might be among the last of the Mohicans to fall down the electric pit, but rest assured, its full-fledged electric M models will still be as quick as any other M machine on the planet. Well, we’re assuming four motors will do that to you.
While the M Performance line-up has toyed with the idea of electric M models in the form of the i5 M60 and i7 M70, a genuine M-badged model is expected later this decade. Development, though, appears to be well underway under the guise of one of M’s best-sellers, the i4 M50.
BMW M just released a behind-the-scenes video of the development of their first-ever bona fide electric M. In the video, BMW M Head of Overall Vehicle Development, Carston Wolf, shares that all electric M models will have a quad-motor setup that delivers “unprecedented performance, quality and features that you can’t even imagine today.”
Apart from the M3’s kidney grille on the i4 M50 mule, the electric M is set to feature carbon-ceramic brakes, a reinforced body for extra rigidity and new subframes at both ends. That’s all they’ve shared for now but expect way more goodies.
You’ve got to give it to M for their honesty though, as they readily admit testing doesn’t always go smoothly. In the video, a X7 rolls up to jump-start the i4 mule. Wolf said the engineers have tried to change the air-conditioning compressor, but that failed to do the trick, instead requiring both front motors replaced.
M head honcho Frank van Meel has signed on the dotted line for an electric sedan similar to the M3, and it will come around the later part of this decade.
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Power figures are far from finalised but as with any M model, expect it to be asphalt-shattering. The only thing many might be wondering is the weight. Current M models aren’t exactly light, with the current M5 Touring already packing some 2,500kg of heft, and a battery pack won’t be cutting the poundage.
Fret not about the internal combustion engine-powered BMW M3 though, it’s not going anywhere. A new M3 is in the works with an automatic and all-wheel drive. You might not like that bit of info, but beggars can’t exactly be choosers in an electrified world.
