01/03/2024 The BMW i5 M60 is an astonishingly capable electric car – that’s the one line review! We’ve been testing the BMW i5 in its high performance M60 guise this week and there is lots of to absorb. The starting price for this stunning EV version of the new BMW 5 Series is just north of €119,000 (the i5 range starts from just over €91K), throw in a few options and our M60 weighed in at over €135,000. For this substantial amount of money you get an EV with M-car high performance wrapped up in a smart business suit that affords the owners access all areas. This is a serious car for those who want to impress.
The M60 is utter overkill in terms of its power but show me any premium car that doesn’t have an excess of power! Let’s look at the numbers. The all wheel drive i5 M60 pushes out 600hp from its twin electric motors and produces 820nm of torque! It does the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.8 seconds. These max power figures and performance comes via a pull of the boost paddle shift lever by the steering wheel and max power is only available for 10 seconds – believe me that’s enough.
Electrical consumption is quoted at 18.2kWh/100km with a aximum range of 516km available in ideal conditions. A large black grille, carbon fibre wing mirrors and subtle boot spoiler let you know this i5 is an M60 model.
Inside the cabin is ultra modern with a broad digital display screen and an interior lighting design a Russian oligarch would approve of. The cabin is really comfy thanks to great seats. There is great connectivity and gadgetry for mobile devices. The cabin feels more luxury than simply premium. There will be an estate version too that will offer greater cargo carrying ability as the boot in the i5 is not particulaly large. The surround sound systme is excellent.
On the road the i5 M60 is effortless to cruise in. The car has a firm and sophisticated ride quality, and the slightest dab on the throttle will deliver a serious shove in the back. There are selectable drive modes adn you can also tune in the artificial EV sounds that the car generates.
The i5 M60 ticks all the boxes and then some. Do you need all of its capability? No! Get a cheaper i5 and you will be very happy. Maxed out numbers in premium models are really designed for intercity bigwigs to do their commute in style. With the advances in EVs you can get similar sprint performance from cars half the price but you have to look at the whole package to really apreciate where the BMW i5 M60 sits. Michael Sheridan
