BMW i4 M50 Versus M3 Drag Race Is Remarkably Close

This drag race really puts the future of BMW’s entire performance lineup into perspective.

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Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Feb 22, 2022 at 1:39pm ET

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For around $70,000 you can today pick up two very different M-badged BMW sports sedans: the M3 and the i4 M50. One has a raspy turbocharged straight six that makes up to 503 horsepower, while the other relies on a pair of electric motors that together make 536 horsepower.

The i4 also wins on torque, with 586 pound-feet (795 Nm) compared to the M3 Competition’s 479 pound-feet (650 Nm), but it’s also around 1,000 pounds heavier, weighing in at 4,883 pounds (the M3 Competition weighs 3,814 pounds). And on paper it all seems to even out - both vehicles have the same claimed acceleration time to 60 mph of 3.7 seconds (or 3.9 seconds to 100 km/h).

Carwow drag raced these two models and the on-paper result was reflected in their real-world acceleration. At least the first part of the race, because as speed builds, the i4’s weight starts to drag it back, and the M3 does start to gain a lead. The M3 takes two out of the three races, although the difference in acceleration isn’t as significant as the weight difference might have you believe.

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Surprisingly, even in spite of the extra weight, the i4 M50 still stopped quicker than the M3 in the braking test from 100 mph. Had Carwow also compared them on a twisty road, though, the lighter ICE vehicle’s agility would have still shone through, although the i4 is still admirably agile for a car of that weight.

If you want to know what our own Tom Moloughney thought of the BMW i4 M50, make sure to check out our video review below.

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