2022 BMW i4 M Performance Won’t Be a Drag Strip King

3 years, 10 months ago - 31 December 2020, autoevolution

The 2022 BMW i4 will not only be the first all-electric production sedan to wear the blue roundel badge, but will also have an M Performance electric version, which is another first for BMW.

Even though the i4 and i4 M Performance are both destined to steal some of Tesla's slice in the sporty EV market, you shouldn't expect them to be drag strip kings like the Tesla Model S or the Porsche Taycan.

For example, the BMW Concept i4, which previewed over 90 percent of the upcoming production car's design, was rear-wheel-drive only, powered by a single electric motor.

Despite having a rather hefty 530 metric horsepower, or as much as the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in the M550i or M850i, the Concept i4 was restricted by not having all-paw traction, so its 0-100 kph (62 mph) acceleration was no better than 4 seconds flat. The production model should post similar numbers.

While that is not slow by any measure, it's still a lot slower than the low 3s you can experience in an all-wheel-drive Porsche Taycan or Tesla.

It is expected that both the 2022 BMW i4 and i4 M Performance will share the single-motor setup, with the M model getting beefier brakes, sports tuned suspension, and a slightly angrier-looking body kit.

Both should take their energy from a lithium-ion battery that stores 80 kWh of electric juice, which should be more than enough to give the cars a range of up to 600 km (373 miles) in the WLTP cycle.

An i4 M Performance pre-production prototype was recently spotted somewhere in Germany, and the only way you can tell it's not a regular i4 is by checking out the blue M brake calipers, as the car is completely drenched in full-body camouflage.

Expect the model to look quasi-identical to the upcoming 4 Series Gran Coupe, minus the tailpipes, with a set of different wheels and some extra blue accents here and there. Even the massive kidney grille will be very similar, despite the I4 not actually needing as much cooling as an ICE-powered vehicle.

There are some rumors mentioning a full-on M electric car to arrive at some point in time, but that won't happen for at least three years since the battery technology is still not there yet according to BMW.