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The eighth-generation BMW 5 Series Sedan landed earlier this year with an M Performance derivative that doesn’t have a combustion engine. The i5 M60 is likely to be joined in 2024 by an M560e with a plug-in hybrid inline-six, but in the meantime, the sportiest G60 has electric motors instead of cylinders. It’s been taken on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn to show an M Lite 5er can be quick even without the M550i’s V8 underneath hits hood.
Painted in Frozen Deep Grey, this i5 M60 happened to have the optional IconicSounds Electric feature developed in collaboration with film music composer Hans Zimmer. It’s the reason why the high-performance EV sounds so futuristic while the driver pushes the accelerator pedal to the floor. With launch control turned on, the zero-emission M Performance 5 Series hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.85 seconds to nearly match the official sprint time for the i5 M60.
The German highway was damp that day but that wasn’t much of an issue since the sporty EV has all-wheel drive courtesy of one motor driving the front axle and the other powering the rear wheels. It did the quarter mile in 11.66 seconds and took 12.9 seconds to get from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h). Lest we forget the i5 M60 is a heavy sedan, weighing 2,305 kilograms (5,081 pounds) and measuring 5060 millimeters (199.2 inches) long in European specification. It’s a luxobarge through and through, with solid straight-line performance thanks to immense horsepower and instant torque.
EVs tend to run out of breath at higher speeds and the BMW i5 M60 is no exception since it didn’t go any faster than 142 mph (229 km/h). That’s when the electronic top speed limiter is programmed to kick in, and one of its roles is to preserve battery degradation over the years. By the way, the M Performance EV has a lithium-ion battery pack with a useable capacity of 81.2-kWh to feed the two motors making a combined 593 hp and 820 Nm (605 lb-ft).
An even more powerful 5 Series is on the way as next year will mark the introduction of the M5 Sedan (G90) and the hotly anticipated return of the M5 Touring (G99). Both will share a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 and an electric motor delivering an estimated system output of over 700 hp.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
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