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BMW i4 M Performance Confirmed for Next Year, Might Be a Let-Down, Though

BMW is working on its new wave of electric models, the ones supposed to bury the memory of the i3 and turn the Bavarian manufacturer into one of the industry's main players into the EV segment.
BMW i4 Concept 49 photos
Photo: BMW
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So far, though, iX3's launch failed to make too many ripples, with the BEV version of the X3 SUV proving a largely underwhelming offering under almost every aspect. Next up in BMW's electric plans is the i4 sedan, the battery-powered version of the brand's 4-Series model that should be a direct competitor for both the Tesla Model 3 and Porsche's Taycan.

In a piece of news that's bound to lift the spirits a little, we now learn that an M version of the upcoming model is a lot closer than anyone thought. Markus Flasch, the BMW M CEO, revealed the timeline for the i4 M during a discussion with the Australian media ahead of yesterday's launch of the M3 and M4.

However, don't get your hopes up too high. According to carsales.com.au, Flasch was quick to add that the 2021 BMW i4 M would only be a "performance car," and not a "high-performance car". In other words, if you think about the difference between the BMW M340i and the full-blown M3, this i4 M would be the equivalent of the former and, therefore, wear the Performance moniker.

Judging by Mr. Flash's position, it sounds as if BMW M is mirroring Ferrari's position of claiming that battery technology isn't yet advanced enough to equip their vehicles without a huge dent in their ethos. He's not dismissing the idea of a full M model running on battery power, he just says we'll have to wait a little longer until that happens.

The BMW M CEO seems to think that the sheer weight of a BEV would seriously hamper the handling of such a car, even though both the Porsche Taycan and the Tesla Model 3 have proven they are more than a match for sporty ICE vehicles around a track.

But even if we won't have fully-fledged M cars with electric powertrains anytime soon, Markus Flasch did confirm once more that hybrid powertrains are to be expected, though he didn't mention any particular model.

Little by little, electric power is rearing its head into BMW's performance vehicle lineup, with the first of them seemingly launching sometime next year. The specs of the i4 M Performance are still a mystery, but judging by everything the BMW M CEO said, we should expect something similar but inferior to those of the recently introduced M3 and M4.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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