BMW M has been developing electric cars for longer than you might think. No, we’re not talking about M Performance cars. The i4 M50, i5 M60, iX M60, and i7 M70 may all have an M badge, but they’re not the whole shebang. Here is a prototype of a true M that took nearly three years to develop. However, it’s not the first EV effort from the M team.
This camouflaged i4 with the M4’s kidney grille is billed as a second-generation prototype. Interestingly, BMW remains tight-lipped about the identity of the original, older car. However, we can’t help but notice a white M2 F87 in the video below. It boasts a ducktail spoiler and lacks the signature quad exhausts. Some of you will recall there were some spy shots of an electric M2 test mule from Northern Europe back in 2021. But the latest electric M has more in common with the bigger M3 and M5 rather than the previous-gen M2.
In an interview for the BMW M website, Dirk Häcker, Head of Development at BMW M GmbH, shared an interesting detail. The i4 M50 with quad motors has wider wheel arches for a functional purpose instead of just an aggressive stance. The fenders were deliberately bulged to accommodate the wider axles of the M3 and M5.
Although not mentioned, the test vehicle has carbon-ceramic brakes, judging by the gold calipers. We’re bringing this up because the i4 M50 can’t be ordered with the upgraded brakes found on true M gas cars. Even the battery cells are different than those used for the M Performance i4 on sale today. By the way, the i4 M50 was the best-selling car from the M division in 2022, 2023, and the first half of 2024.
But the first production electric M won’t be an i4. BMW has already confirmed that its first true M car without a combustion engine will be an M3-like model. It’s reportedly codenamed “ZA0” and could come out as early as 2027. According to M boss Frank van Meel, it won’t bear the “iM3” moniker, as the two letters won’t ever be combined.
Source: BMW
