BMW i4

Check out this modified BMW i4 electric police car

AC Schnitzer signs up to Germany’s TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative with a bodykitted EV in Polizei livery

Sadly, the modified BMW i4 by AC Schnitzer that you see above will not be silently hunting down crims at any point soon. That’s because although it’s wearing a full Polizei livery, it’s actually a concept car for Germany’s snappily-titled and seemingly effusive TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative.

Said initiative is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Germany and basically asks the tuning companies to present a legally-modified car in full police paint in order to promote safe tuning.

AC Schnitzer has now created eight of these police concepts, and this latest one adds a proper bodykit to the i4 complete with a front splitter, a number of rear spoilers and lots of additional carbon fibre bits.


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BMW M Division Announces its Best-Selling Car of 2022

The BMW M division registered record sales in 2022, despite the German group’s overall sales dipping year on year. So, what was the best-selling M division car last year?

The BMW M division marked its 50th anniversary with a record sales year, registering as many as 177 257 units across its performance portfolio globally in 2022. That figure represents an impressive 8.4% increase compared with 2021. So, which model was the strongest seller for the division?

Well, the German group has revealed the i4 M50 was the best-selling BMW M automobile (remember, the division is responsible for both the M Performance and full-fat M line-ups) in 2022, marking the performance arm’s “successful start into the age of electric mobility”. Unfortunately, the company opted not to release an exact sales figure for the i40 M50.

“The best-selling BMW M automobile of 2022 is the all-electric BMW i4 M50. For us, this is a clear signal that the unique M feeling has arrived in the world of electrified vehicles,” said Timo Resch, Head of Customer, Brand and Sales at BMW M GmbH, with the brand adding the vehicle’s driving dynamics proved to be a “real crowd-puller right from the outset”.

As a reminder, the all-wheel-drive i4 M50 boasts an electric motor on each axle, which together generate maximum peak outputs of 400 kW and 795 Nm. According to BMW, the battery-powered fastback will hit 100 kph from standstill in 3.9 seconds, before topping out at 225 kph. In South Africa, it is priced from R1 637 900 (January 2023).

 
What was the best-selling BMW M car of 2022?

Nope, not that. Or that either. BMW M had a record year with a surprise No.1…

BMW M sold a whopping 177,257 cars last year, which was an 8.4 per cent increase over 2021 “despite the continuing challenging conditions in the area of logistics and supply chains”. You will have heard of these CHALLENGING CONDITIONS.

However, what might challenge your perception is the car BMW M sold the most. Also known as the most popular BMW M car. Which last year was… drumroll please… the BMW i4 M50. Weren't expecting that, were you?

A sure sign then, that customers have fully embraced BMW M’s march into electromobility, or just a sign that the M50 is a really very fast car with a BMW and M badge? Think you know the answer to that.

And it is really very fast. There’s a twin-motor setup – one e-motor on the front axle, one on the back – powered by a 83.9kWh battery able to propel the four-door saloon from 0-62mph in just 3.9s. That’s exactly how long it takes the 503bhp BMW M3 to hit 62mph too.

 
BMW i4 review

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

“We like the Model 3 and Polestar 2, but there's still room for a sweet-driving alternative. The i4 is that alternative”

We like the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, but there's still a vacancy for a really sweet-driving alternative. In e40 guise it rides very well and handles more deftly than any other comparative EV. A little heavier handling and slightly numb on steering compared to an ICE 3 Series, but otherwise good.

The new screen interface is a mixed blessing, but otherwise the cabin has all the qualities of a typical BMW. It's snug and well-made. The frameless doors are a nice touch, and, well, it’s not as offensive as some of the stuff BMW’s been churning out recently.

Meanwhile, this is a car with the sort of range that should allow almost anyone to do almost any of their road trips. It charges fast, and brisk driving or low temperatures don't harm the range as badly as some EVs. It runs Tesla’s battery tech close for year-round use.

It doesn't look like a spaceship, but lots of people don't want that. This car’s secret superpower is that it’s a proper BMW.

 
BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport (2023) Price & Specs

BMW South Africa has quietly launched an entry-level version of its i4. Here’s how much the i4 eDrive35 M Sport – for now the least expensive fully electric BMW offered in SA – costs…

The BMW i4 has been on the market in South Africa since mid-2022, though just a single derivative – an M Performance variant called the i4 M50 – has been available locally. Now, that’s changed with the introduction of a new entry-level version called the i4 eDrive35.

Available exclusively in M Sport trim, the rear-wheel-drive i4 eDrive35 arrives as the least expensive fully electric BMW in the local range (until the launch of the new iX1, we suspect). Big thanks to our eagle-eyed friends over at duoporta.com for alerting us to the new variant’s stealthy arrival.

So, how much does this version of the Munich-based firm’s electric gran coupé cost? Well, the i4 eDrive35 M Sport starts at R1 293 300, which makes it R352 900 less expensive than the 400 kW i4 M50 (which, incidentally, was the M division’s best-selling model globally in 2022). That starting price furthermore sees the newcomer slot in just below the iX3 M Sport, which kicks off at R1 306 400.

The i4 eDrive35’s base price is actually listed as R1 285 000, but the BMW SA configurator forces the selection of the R8 300 Parking Assist Plus package.

How much does the BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport cost in SA?

BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport – R1 293 300

The purchase price includes a 2-year/unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty, an 8-year/100 000 km battery warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.

 
REVIEW: BMW i4 M50 is a dynamic, head-turning electric saloon

And here’s the thing. It’s not limited to the i4 M50 but many of BMW’s offerings don’t provide any form of spare wheel, puncture repair kit or compressor.

You’re at the mercy of BMW On Call which is okay-ish if you’re safely at home but not so much if you’re alone at night or on the N14 in the Northern Cape.

That aside, the BMW i4 M50 shows how electric mobility has advanced over the past few years and if EVs are your thing, the future is bright.

It comes with a two-year/unlimited kilometres warranty, an eight-year/100 000km battery warranty and a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan.

Price: R1 646 200

 
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