SPY PICS: BMW i4 M spotted testing

The BMW i4 M50 was the first electric vehicle from the Bavarian brand to don an M badge, even if it was essentially a watered-down M Performance model as opposed to a full-fat M Sport.

There have been sightings of a fully-fledged electric M car before now, with BMW officially teasing one itself, but the engineering development car has not been shown in near-production trim – until now.

Our spy photographers have caught what many might describe as an electric M3 testing in the snow.

Catch is it’s not an electric M3, but rather a quad-motor M-spec version of the i4 four-door coupe wearing an M4 CSL front-end and various other pumped-up body panels one might expect of an i4 M (lumps, bumps, wings, spoilers, wide arches, splitters, etc).

Other M-spec touches include a huge braking package, lightweight wheels, M3 mirrors, the colour of the camouflage itself, rear diffuser and lowered suspension.

It’s unclear if the test vehicle is actually earmarked for production as an i4 M or if it’s simply a test mule for the next-generation M3 EV, which BMW executives have already promised will be the best example of the breed yet.

But there’s no denying it looks the part.

Either way, we already know the mystery vehicle packs more than 746kW (possibly 1000kW) and well over 1000Nm from its quad-motor powertrain – numbers that put it well ahead of the upcoming BMW M5 plug-in hybrid (560kW/1000Nm) and thereby underscore the fact it’s more likely to be a next-generation product.

Our sources tell us the prototype rides on a unique concoction of M3, M4 and i4 suspension componentry while the quad-motor drivetrain is said to offer near-limitless torque vectoring across both axles, tank turn functionality and immense levels of grip.

BMW still expects internal-combustion M Performance and M High Performance cars to make up the majority of M sales until 2028, when EVs are tipped to take the lead and account for an ever-increasing share until ICE cars are phased out from 2030 onwards.

Spy photos: Automedia

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