BMW’s first generation of i-badged vehicles were the quirky and delightful i3 and attractive but curiously-positioned i8. I’m not sure either can qualify as hits, but they both have a place in history and provided BMW with valuable experience making EVs they are now applying to the rest of their range. Plus, the BMW i3 had maybe the best interior of any car on sale for a couple of years. The i4 is BMW’s first, ahem, normal car. The company’s crossover/SUV business may be a money gun that never runs out of ammo, but when most people think of BMW they think of the 3/4-Series. The i4 is, essentially, an electrified BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe, but with a battery. I’m going to have the sportier version of the i4, the M50, for a week and am going to learn as much about the ultimate electric driving machine as I can. In this trim there’s a 255 hp electric motor powering the front axle and a 308 hp motor powering the rear, with electron storage courtesy of an 81.5 kWh (net) battery.
This one is nicely optioned with the M Carbon Exterior Package ($2,800) and High Performance Package ($2,500), which includes the larger 21-inch M wheels. There’s also the ($3,600) Frozen Portimao Blue paint which, frankly, I’d be tempted to scoff at if it didn’t look fantastic. The interior is classic BMW and, like all i-cars, seems to be a lovely place to hang out. We’ll find out. What do you want to know? As a general use EV, how is it meaning range (advertised vs actual), charge times, driving, trip, people hauler…? If it was your money, would you buy one? The lack of engagement is my biggest hang up when it comes to eventually making the switch…followed closely by the fact that manufacturers are hell bent on making EVs into Spaceships with Apple Stores on board. This is more of the “make a regular ICE car into an EV” approach which appeals to me way more personally if it feels familiar. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel and descend into techbro hell world with EVs. Come again? Seriously though it’s one of those nebulous things that’s hard to define but easy to spot. When a car’s characteristics and values align with our own we form an attachment to it, and on an emotional level it speaks to us, we consider it to have a soul. BMW have long since abandoned the traits and features unique to them in the pursuit of gaudy emptiness which is all on the surface, so they don’t have the depth of appeal they used to have. Or it’s a typo. Looks like the BMW website shows those as 20″ wheels. Also, what’s the over/under on the first wiring issue in this thing? – The i4 M50 starts at $67,300 Is this actually a 4 series stuffed with batteries or is it a bespoke EV platform? – 4 Series stuffed with battery How does it compare to an M4 in regards to curb weight. If it’s heavier, does it have appropriately larger tires so as to offer similar grip levels to an M4? – It has the same wheel/tire package as the M440i Lastly, is this meant to be comparable a true M4, or is it more like an M-sport? – M Sport. They’ve shown off a mule with 4 motors that’s supposedly going to be their “M” version. Shortly after this, someone said “what if we made a larger 4-series, some customers are complaining that it’s too hard to get their mistresses into the back seat of the 4-series.” Now, you may ask “why wouldn’t they just buy a 3-series”, but that’s because you’re a plebian who has no concept of class. See, 3 is less than 4, so there’s no way a 4-series customer would be seen in a 3-series. So BMW decided to make a 4-door version of the 2-door version of the 4-door 3-series. It’s a little less practical than the 3-series due to a lower roofline, and definitely more expensive, so it checks all of the boxes for the status-obsessed and makes more money for BMW in the process. It’s a win-win. As for calling it a “Gran Coupe”, you can blame Mercedes for bastardizing the term “coupe”. They’re also the ones who gave us the GLE “Coupe”, which is the more eye-assaultingly ugly abomination to grace our luxurious streets since the Aztec. And now you have an understanding of how we ended up in this horrible hellscape of nonsensery. I also dislike the crazy weight. My daily weighs under 1900lbs. Personally I think Golf-sized EV for commuter if one has home charging makes tons of sense. And second car (wagon) for trips with more stuff and range. Less weight with EV:s are rather beneficial for the efficiency and with home charging the range isn’t really a thing. Also what the hell do you daily? Some trike? Also, 39 inch wheels?
