Two worlds collide in this comparison of models from the same brand: we pit the BMW i4 M50 against the BMW M3 Competition xDrive
On the one hand, the BMW i4 M50, one of the best electric cars that can be found on the market today; on the other, the BMW M3, the jewel in the crown among sports sedans. Electric vs combustion, future vs cult car, within the BMW family.
Engines and behavior
We are talking about more than 1,000 CV in total. The i4 M50’s two electric motors deliver 544bhp, the M3 Competition’s 3.0-litre makes 510bhp. Both are incredibly fast… but in different ways.
The i4 accelerates vehemently, but in an almost eerily casual way, effortlessly and silently, just a little hiss.
It drives cleanly balanced, full and comfortable, turns smoothly around corners and glides quietly through town. Elegant…and unspectacular.
The M3 is pretty much the opposite of that. Angry, biting, poisonous. It is even more brutal in the accelerations and accompanies them by a powerful, hoarse, concise and complete orchestra.
It weighs half a ton less, the chassis has an unmistakably firm setting, its steering is telepathic, it goes through the curves sharp as a knife. A heavenly and hellish experience at the same time.
Inside
When it comes to space and trunk, the M3 and i4 are not too different. In the rear of the i4 you sit very flat on the ground, taller people have to keep their heads down, at least, the big tailgate is very practical.
Both BMWs are remarkably well built, and the digital instruments on one and the other are somewhat difficult to read because of BMW’s peculiar set-up on its latest models.
The M3 Competition with all-wheel drive is listed from 96,800 euros, and the corresponding i4 M50 from 70,800 (in Germany, where we have made the comparison).
In the test, the M3 consumed 12.1 liters of Super Plus, the i4 spent 31.8 kWh per 100 kilometers.
If you add it all up, the i4 M50 costs 84 cents a kilometer, 34 cents less than the M3. Winner, therefore: the BMW i4 M50. Yes, the electric car.
Factors to decide the purchase
The M3 is a total work of art, the six in line is one of the best combustion engines on the market. The i4, on the other hand, embodies the current state of technology in the field of electric cars. In the current circumstances it is, arithmetically, the winner.