The BMW i5 M60 xDrive came to town where it would prove to be efficient, but the M badging abound meant we needed to leave said town and head to the hills. Here is what the closest fünfer to an electric M5 feels like.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Handsome car, this. I wouldn’t say “beautiful”. There’s something about the new 5 Series in its electrified form that seems different. I squint at it from a front-three-quarter angle. Elements of E60 5er are present—my favourite one for styling alone—and I smile. This is the first-ever fully electric 5 Series and while it seems to be named after Intel’s mid-range processor, it isn’t. While the rest of the internal combustion engine (ICE) model range has dropped the “i” suffix, which initially stood for “injection” and indicated a petrol model to the diesel’s “d” and plug-in hybrid’s “e”, that letter now belongs solely to BMW i and their range of battery electric vehicles. For now.
This then is the first-ever BMW i5 M60 xDrive and it was designed to be as innovative as me and other owners. The striking illuminated BMW kidney grille sets the scene with its unique radiance when I approach from as far as six feet away with the Adaptive LED Headlights with blue accents turning on in recognition. Very ceremonial, the whole procedure. The front is stylistically inspired by a shark’s nose and projects far forward. The functions of the standard Adaptive LED Headlights extend to include a cornering light, Matrix high beam, glare-free High Beam Assist, and BMW Selective Beam. In addition, blue design elements below the LED units stage the light sources impressively and create the hallmark four-eye face in a more modern form. The daytime lights and turn indicators are each generated by two nearly vertical LED elements.
The car appears expansive and the overall length of 5,060 millimetres makes this standard wheelbase model significantly longer than its predecessors. The 1,900-mm width and 1.5-metre height lend it a distinct side profile and silhouette with its 2,995-mm wheelbase creating more cabin room and expanding the visual form. Defined contours and tightly designed surfaces make for a clear yet reduced design language with dynamically elongated proportions, a long bonnet, and an almost upright face. The flat rear lights interpret BMW’s hallmark L-shaped lights with a distinctly modern take.
The standard M Sport Pro Package means that the i5 M60 features a host of M specific design features, most notably the large air intakes at the front, strikingly flared side skirts in high-gloss black, and a rear apron with diffuser insert and the M high-gloss Shadow Line. Further, the illuminated BMW kidney grille with black surround, the dynamic welcome carpet light, high-gloss black exterior mirror caps, and a black-painted M rear spoiler are also available. The wheel-arches are filled with 20-inch M light alloy wheels wrapped in mixed rubber: 245/40 front and 275/35 rear—apt for the motor configuration, with the rear motor being the more powerful one.
