The BMW iX3 M60 Gets 603 Horsepower And Yellow Lights

BMW's new electric crossover is getting the M treatment thanks to a redesigned electric motor and other sporty upgrades.

Photo by: BMW

By: Andrei Nedelea

Oct 8, at 3:07am ET

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The BMW iX3 M60 packs 603 hp and hits 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, a full second quicker than the 50 xDrive.
Its 468-mile maximum WLTP range is only about 6% lower than the 50 xDrive’s.
The i3 M60 could be quicker still, while BMW’s more extreme four-motor M cars remain in development.

BMW has revealed the specifics of the M60 powertrain for the iX3, iX4, and i3 electric models. It adds another 140 horsepower and extra torque over the 50 variant, but it still isn’t the most extreme electric BMW the M division has planned.

Announced alongside the new BMW iX4, the M60 becomes the most powerful iX3 variant revealed so far. Its two motors produce 603 horsepower and 645 pound-feet (875 Nm) of torque, enough for a claimed 0–62 mph (100 km/h) sprint of 3.9 seconds and a 149-mph top speed (240 km/h). That’s a full second quicker to 62 mph than the iX3 50 xDrive. The iX4 M60 has the same performance figures as the iX3.

Photo by: BMW

The extra power comes from a revised rear motor and a more powerful inverter, and it comes standard with adaptive M suspension, M-tuned variable-ratio steering, M Sport brakes, and an electronically controlled rear differential. BMW has also added front-end bracing and revised chassis tuning to make the extra power useful beyond straight-line driving.

The M60 also looks the part, with optional yellow daytime running lights, standard 21-inch M wheels, a black rear diffuser, and an M-specific roof spoiler with two aerodynamic blades.

Official U.S. market press materials say the iX3 M60 battery pack has more usable capacity: 112.2 kilowatt-hours versus 108.7 kWh in Europe. Whether that reflects different hardware, a different usable buffer, or a documentation error is unclear. It supports 400-kilowatt charging and has a WLTP range rating of 468 miles (754 km). That’s around 32 miles (51 km), or 6%, less than the 50 xDrive’s 500 miles (805 km).

BMW has also confirmed and shown the M60 version of the i3 sedan. With its lower and lighter body, it should be even quicker than the iX3. It’s around two-tenths quicker to sprint, so we can expect the i3 M60 to go from a standstill to 62 mph in around 3.7 seconds.

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It’s worth noting that while these won’t be the highest-performance variants of their respective model lines, BMW considers them true M models. However, BMW plans more extreme, full-fat M versions, with crazy four-motor setups and a predisposition to go sideways.

The first of these true Neue Klasse-based M cars is the electric M3, which has already started shedding camouflage ahead of its full reveal sometime in 2027. An iX3 M is also in the works, but we haven’t seen spy photos of an iX4 M, though that doesn’t mean it isn't coming.