In May of 2009, I drove my first EV. It was a Cube-based Nissan prototype propelled by an all-electric platform that spawned the LEAF three years later; America’s first modern electric car. A decade later and I’m not sure what’s more astonishing: that electric cars like this new i4 offer such incredible performance or that with such a large lead Nissan still can’t get the ARIYA to market?

2022 BMW i4 M50 Review: A True Unicorn in the Wild

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2022 BMW i4 M50 Review: A True Unicorn in the Wild
  • Horsepower: 536 @ 8000
  • Transmission: single-speed

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CHOOSE WHEELS WISELY

The 2022 i4 is what BMW refers to as a Gran Coupe – a body style featuring 4-doors and a rear hatch. It’s the smallest and sportiest member of the group’s 3-model, all-electric i sub-brand and with a starting MSRP of $55,900, it’s also the most attainable. It’s even available with the iconic letter M and that’s the trim I’m immersed in this week: the i4 M50 with the optional High-Performance Package - the key ingredient of which are these newly developed, 20” Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) summer-use tires, wider by 30mm in the rear. The i4’s wheel sizes range from 18” to 20” and with each augmentation, the car’s driving range decreases. The base, rear-wheel drive i4 eDrive40 on 18” wheels provides the greatest distance of 301 miles but at the opposite end of the spectrum this all-wheel drive M50, rolling on optional 20s, suffers a range drop to 227 miles – a tradeoff the worthiness of which only the buyer can assess. Indeed, the M50 is rightfully the fastest, most powerful i4, and paying an additional $2,500 for the top-shelf rubber, enhanced brakes and rear spoiler is an enticing proposition to the right shopper. But, know that choice alone saps 43 miles of driving range before ever starting the motors.

NEXT-GENERATION FAST

Eschewing the typical EV playbook of plethoric design and distinction, BMW presents the i4 as just another sports model – blue accents and the blocked off grille the only electric giveaways. But with one 308 hp motor on the rear axle and another 255 hp motor at the front, this isn’t a garden variety 4 Series Gran Coupe. This is much faster – and heavier – than a 440i. Considering the i4 weighs over 5,000 lbs. its rapidity is otherworldly; 586 lb.-ft of torque available from jump street has that effect. It’s a sports car unlike any BMW has ever made and its electric propulsion is the central figure. The i4’s combination of warp drive acceleration and interstellar soundtrack is more akin to commanding the USS Enterprise than a traditional 4 Series thanks to the Iconic Sounds setting that plays futuristic tones aligned with the drive mode and the movement of your right foot. Don’t care for it? Just toggle it off but then there’s just eerie silence as the M50 rockets down the strip, launching from 0-to-60 mph in only 3.7 seconds. In the next-level Sport Boost setting the i4 is completely unbridled maximizing the output of both motors for about 10 seconds for neck-snapping takeoffs. And from the outside, there’s nothing but wind and tire noise for a very stealthy presence. Of course, if used in this manner the miles rapidly tick off the EV counter so ECO PRO and COMFORT settings are required usage in order to achieve those 227 miles.

CHARGE-UP

As for the charging process, the i4 can be replenished from empty to 100% capacity in 10 hours with a 240V level II charger. At a true fast charger, one that can pump at a rate of at least 200 kW, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Electrify America is BMW’s chosen public charging partner and owners receive 2 years of free juice-ups at their stations. Those stations can be located and navigated to through the iDrive screen and even filtered by type. The charge port is located on the right rear quarter panel.

iDRIVE 8 DEBUTS

Speaking of iDrive, this new 8th generation version is laid out on a large curved display that connects the driver information center and the touchscreen. It can also be controlled via the familiar rotary dial on the center console and improved voice commands. Perhaps I’ll grow accustom to it but my first impression is that it’s busy and the pages of small icons – similar to a tablet screen - difficult to sort through. Wireless phone integration is more robust by including your apps with BMW’s without having to specifically select CarPlay or Android Auto – they’re all on the same page. Mapping software is also neatly integrated so if Apple Maps is the preferred navigation software driving directions are shown in the head-up display. Tire pressure monitoring is also advanced by providing deeper intel such as tire manufacturer, build date, temperature and vehicle-specific rotation schedule. A plethora of camera views also includes a car wash setting to help line up the front wheels with the track system. But what’s not found in iDrive 8 is an AM radio frequency keeping with BMW’s tradition of excluding it from their electric cars, purportedly because of an issue with electronic interference…though other companies’ EVs offer it?

WHAT’S A GRAN COUPE?

The Cognac-colored interior uses faux leather, recycled materials and, on my tester, carbon fiber trim creating a cabin that is instantly recognizable as BMW’s. Dissimilar to the new iX electric SUV which takes cabin design in a completely futuristic direction, other than the select blue accents, the i4 could be any 4 Series. Just know that the Gran Coupe has tight rear seats and unlike cars that are born electric the i4 remains saddled with a transmission tunnel restricting semi-comfortable seating to 2. But the true benefit of the Gran Coupe is its hatch-friendly cargo capacity, expandable by split-folding the rear seats completely flat. Also, there’s no frunk – just a big, plastic faux engine cover under the hood.

EASY TO DRIVE EXPERTLY

At least for driver and front passenger the trip is a comfortable journey with the ease of luxury sedan ingress, sport-appropriate side bolstering to the softly cushioned seats, a commanding view of the road, and the quietness afforded by engine-less cars. And the drive is exciting beyond its blistering acceleration. The adaptive suspension with air springs in the rear fosters hallmark BMW ride quality of being one with the road yet free of harshness. It’s driver-selectable so the shock settings can be personalized or kept to the configured drive modes. Supported by a lower center of gravity than a 3 Series, electric all-wheel drive with a wheel slip actuator at the rear and variable sport steering that automatically adjusts the ratio depending on vehicle speed the i4 M50 is a confident handling machine with neutral traits. Its excessive weight is initially felt on corner turn-in but the uprated brakes are super strong while electric xDrive gracefully pulls the car through without any white-knuckle moments. It’s a very easy car to drive expertly. The biggest disappoint lies in the regenerative braking which makes the i4 a spastic experience in commuter traffic. Like all EVs there are adjustable levels to its aggressiveness but BMW doesn’t use paddle shifters for quick setting changes, instead energy recovery choices are on the center screen. Regardless, in around-the-town driving decelerating is anything but smooth. As for one-pedal drive, where braking is accomplished exclusively by lifting off the accelerator, it’s triggered by shifting into ‘B’ on the console.

A UNICORN EV

This fully loaded i4 M50 in mesmerizing Frozen Portimao Blue matte-appearance paint stickers for $83,970 – a price that insures this car’s exclusivity among very specific buyers with eccentric tastes. Though its progressiveness is highly charismatic this is the kind of car that is destined for unicorn carspotting posts.