There’s a steel and aluminum bulldog in my driveway with an aggressive face, muscular shoulders and streamlined haunches that’s ready to take a bite outta some asphalt, concrete and my gas credit card.

The BMW X6M Competition is full of power and pace under its aluminum bonnet. It’s also full of grace in its red and black leather and carbon fiber-bedecked interior under a lowered, rounded roofline.

Introduced as Bayerische Motoren Werke’s mid-size luxury crossover in 2007, the X6 was essentially an X5 with a coupe-style roof – a fastback 5-door that looked sleeker from the beltline up. It’s definitely a niche product for BMW, with just over 9,000 of its three generations sold since that first-gen came out 18 years ago. The current third-gen edition was introduced in 2019 and got a significant refresh last year.

OK, so some folks may not like the bulldog reference, but let’s look closely.

2025 BMW X6M Competition Sports Aggressive Stance

There’s a discrete (compared to some other BMWs) set of classic 4-vane  kidney grilles done in gloss black with a tri-color X6M badge, flanked by thin quad-element LED headlights with double arrow LED DRLs under glass. They’re white while running, amber when turn signaling. Under the grille gloss black flares into a huge lower intake with a central drive-safety sensor, flaring into angular side slits. The design juts out like a bulldog jaw. Side intakes with visible turbocharger intercoolers live on angular outer bumper edges, while aero slits funnel air over front rubber.

See Also: BMW 430i Convertible Is One Fun GT | More BMW coverage

Tightly fitted inside the squared-off flared fender lips are wide, staggered P295/35ZR21-inch front/P 315/30ZR22-inch Michelin Pilot Sport rubber along with gloss black fender vents behind those front skins, again with tricolor M badges. The flanks gets gentle sculpting over tightly flared sill. There are gloss black framed low side windows over a tightly curved roofline.

The Dravit Gray Metallic paint looks OK under clouds, but gains beautifully-deep bronze hints in the sun when shown at our local Jax Speed Shop car show. That’s where many noticed the rising beltline that flares into muscular rear fender shoulders over wider 22-inch rubber, along with those forked 10-spoke flack and buff silver alloy wheels with huge cross-drilled disc brakes visible.

That rising beltline ends in a high tail with slim black spoiler perched at the very end, meeting a very fast-backed rear window. LED strips glow within slim taillights that wrap around rear corners over a big X6 badge and corner reflectors that mimic the front’s side intakes. An aero-sculpted black lower fascia hosts big quad exhaust pipes that play music to many gearheads’ ears.

This BMW is an M in looks – and many parts elsewhere – but it’s so tall I could not clean the top center of the windshield, or the power moonroof of this Sports Activity Coupe, which is just over two inches lower than the X5M that shares the great stuff underneath.

2025 BMW X6M Competition’s Interior Checks All The Right Boxes

If the exterior is bulldog aggressive, the interior is almost Italian exotic with red and black leather, carbon fiber and alloy in particular. But that sexier lower (1.4-inches less headroom) roofline meant I had to duck my 6-foot frame to get in, then over the bolstered sport bucket seats, both up front with heat, cooling, massage and multiple power adjustments. There are memory presets for the driver. They held me superbly in corners, yet were comfy and not confining on road trips. I also liked the Alcantara suede headliner, racing striped seat belts, illuminated M insignias in the seatbacks, and sculpted black leather door and seat accents in black.

The driver faces a power tilt/telescoping, fat leather-rimmed steering wheel with all the usual audio, cruise and screen controls, plus small, dual carbon fiber peddle shifters and my fave: M1 and M2 buttons to preset engine/steering/suspension/exhaust modes. Then comes the 27-inch curved screen, part of last year’s updates, combining driver’s gauges and the like in front, sweeping into the central infotainment touchscreen.

The gauge screen can be formatted multiple ways, from simple digital speedometer, to a Sport and Track display with a big central gear position over the speedo. A bar graph 8,000-rpm (6,800-rpm redline) is on one side, and varied information is to the left. My favorite selection is G-Force. Another dsiplay parks speed and gear displays east and west framed by a v-shaped tachometer and speed graphs. You have your choice of trip or cruise control inforomation inside the display, or a front camera view.

The center touchscreen can host a wide navigation map, or segments of information like a map, audio, phone and drive mode, which are swipable left or right. It handles climate, vent position and seat heat/cool control, although those need a menu tap, then tap again. And while you can power up seat massage, again you need screen taps to fine-tune it.

BMW’s iDrive means hand gestures for volume, station scan up or down and more, while a solid voice command system handles so much more from fan speed and temperature to massage and phone calls. The 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system rocked me to the core. I loved the backlit speakers under alloy screens at night, with accent lighting nearby, plus soft-close doors and a Sky Lounge LED roof – lights glow around and through the special power moonroof with pop-up front.

The red leather-framed center console has a fiddly electronic gear shifter, drive mode and exhaust sound selection, plus a few other performance selectors and a tap/spin rotary controller that falls readily to hand. Dual cup holders under a sliding carbon fiber door can cool or warm a can or bottle, joined by an inductive phone charger. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a concise color head-up display that also tells you how far away rough roads are..

That sloping rear roofline meant I really had to duck to get into the red and black leather rear seat. But once back there I found great leg and head room, plus full climate and seat heat/cool controls with big vents. There are side window shades along with a fold-down armrest with cup holders that includes quilted leather and metal trim. Rear seatbacks fold to expand the adequate rear cargo area, which is compromised by the sloping rear roof. I’d love a rear wiper, as that hatchback window’s ability to hold onto morning dew really cuts down on rearward vision. The rear window is also a bit narrow, negatively impacting the rearward view.

2025 BMW X6M Competition Performance & Handling

The BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 is paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. The electric motor mounted is in an 8-speed automatic transmission, meaning combined output is a potent and healthy-sounding 617 hp and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. You can see the turbos and the plastic shroud looks cool. Also on display is the thick cross-shock tower brace, and beautifully cut steel front bulkhead bracing shows this beast means business.

Like I said, this M has lots of drive modes, from Efficient, Road, Sport/Sport+ and Track, plus Manual Shift Mode, and Launch Control power heading to an M xDrive system with Active M differential. The differential is electronically controlled with limited-slip that monitors driving conditions. It uses an electric motor to adjust the degree of lock on the rear axle to send power to the rear wheels that need it for handling.

I ended up doing most of my daily driving in the Efficient setting, which backs off throttle and shifts. The result was still a very quick SUV with fluid-yet-quick downshifts when requested, and a healthy exhaust note. And it’s quite quick, moving its 5,454 pounds quickly off the line to hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with no drama.

Switch to Sport mode – my M1 button pre-selection – and the X6M moves out even quicker from launch to hit 60 mph in a fast 3.5 seconds, with no wheelspin. If you use launch control, which is easy to set up, the X6M makes a brutally quick, yet controlled lunge off the line with the briefest whisper of wheelspin front and rear to hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Four-wheel-drive and those meaty tires help. The G-force meter read .99Gs on launch, accompanied by a melodious exhaust bellow, the quad pipes “whoomping” at each firm upshift. There’s a throttle blip on smooth downshifts. With a mix of aggressive modes, then back to Efficient drive mode, and we saw 17 mpg at best.

Behind those big tires is a double-wishbone front suspension, and multi-link rear suspension with active anti-roll bars all-round, plus Adaptive M Suspension with electronically controlled dampers and active roll stabilization. The result is a firm ride in Comfort mode, quick rebound off bumps, with some buffering. But drive in Sport, Sport+ or Track mode, and the ride really firms up, making a good handling SUV work even better, and feel smaller than it is. The ride gets stiff in those sport modes, passengers feeling road imperfections, while those wide tires do transmit some bumps inside, and hiss a bit at highway speed. A friend heard that while on a Bluetooth phone call.

Toss this SUV into a corner, and the X6M shows what all that four-wheel-drive, big rubber and adaptive suspension can do. It’s flat in curves, agile even, with a precise steering feel with plenty of firmness and feedback in sport modes. On our skidpad, when really pushed, we had a hint of understeer – and 1.05Gs of lateral grip – in an SUV! In Sport modes that suspension stiffness, plus a rattle-free structure, means drama-free handling on the curvy bits, aided by an xDrive system that made our 12,000-mile-old SUV have a bit more rear-wheel-drive rotation in turns, but easy to catch. You know this is a heavy SUV at heart, but it plays so well, like an M, with a tight turning circle.

You Might Also Like: 2025 BMW M5 (story continues after video)

With 15.6-inch front/15-inch rear cross-drilled, ventilated M Compound disc brakes with 6-piston front calipers, and adjustable brake feel, we had a very controllable pedal with bite up high and great control – stops from 60 mph were short, straight and quick with no fade after repeated hard use, a hang-in-your-belt 1.18Gs on the meter.

Pricewise, a base BMW X6 40i starts at $76,400; our X6M Competition starts at almost twice that: $129,700. Almost all we had is standard but the Executive Package ($3,100) adds heated front seats with massage, heated/cooled cupholders, soft-close doors, side window shades, and the LED roof. It also has the $1,700 driving assistance package with active cruise and lane-keep; and $1,950 paint for a MSRP total of $147,025.

Bottom line: All I can say is wow. When you push the X6M Competition, expecting 5,400-plus pounds of SUV to feel big, instead, it is controllably fast, amazingly agile and able to stop like an M2 Coupe. And that quad pipe symphony under a starry moonroof puts on quite a show!

2025 BMW X6M Competition Specifications

Vehicle type – 5-door, 5-passenger sports activity coupe

Base price – $129,700 (as tested: $147,025)

Engine type – twin-turbocharged, intercooled DOHC 32-valve aluminum block V-8

Displacement – 4.4 liter

Horsepower (net) – 617 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) –553 @ 1,800 – 5,800 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic w/manual shift and paddle shifters

Wheelbase – 117 inches

Overall length 194.8 inches

Overall width – 87.1 inches w/mirrors

Height – 66.7 inches

Front headroom – 38.3 inches

Front legroom – 40.4 inches

Rear headroom – 37.5 inches

Rear legroom – 35.7 inches

Ground clearance – 8.4 inches

Cargo capacity – 27.4 cu. ft./59.8 w/rear seat folded

Curb weight – 5,454 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 21.9 gallons

Mileage rating – 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway

The post 2025 BMW X6M Competition Defies Its Weight appeared first on EV Rider.

Do the math: 577 gasoline horsepower plus 4.4 liters, plus 347 volts, plus 194 EV horsepower, plus all-wheel-drive. It equals the 7^th generation BMW M5.

It’s a $154,000 plug-in hybrid super sedan with 717-hp of EV and gas combined that can hit 60 mph almost drama-free in just over three seconds, and top out at 190 mph (on a track, if you’re here in the U.S.). This carbon-fiber-roofed sedan brings the heat with an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission and an EPA-rated 25 miles of EV cruising.

BMW M5 Grows In Size For 2025

This BMW M5 is the result of 40 years of development over seven generations.

Folks we showed off the car to really love the M5’s new color – Twilight Purple Pearl Metallic. It gets attention, such as the boy in the SUV next to me at a stoplight who lowered his window and yelled, “Wow, what a cool car!” It’s 4.2 inches longer than the last-gen model, and gains 2.7 inches in width. It’s 1.4 inches taller than the old M5 with just under an inch more wheelbase.

The trademark twin kidney grilles are there with the tops partially covered like sleepy eyelids for aerodynamics. LED headlights framed by thin DRLs look intense. So does the lower center air intake, which is deep, wide and aggressive in gloss black, with side intakes for brake cooling, and edgy corner air dams.

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Staggered rubber gets 10-spoke black and silver alloy wheels that clearly show huge cross-drilled carbon ceramic disc brakes. They have perfect flared fender-to-tread clearance, those wheel arches connected by flared lower center sills under curved doors.

The sculpted hood flows into a nicely raked windscreen that joins a fine-weave carbon fiber roof – an M5 constant with a shallow channel in the middle for airflow and stiffening. The rear window flows into a high bootlid with a carbon fiber spoiler. Thin LED taillights wrap around corners. The lower fascia is another aggressive gloss black aero piece pierced with quad black steel exhaust tips. After dark, the grill is outlined in white LED while puddle lights shine classic M emblems on the ground.

The 2025 model is a bit smoother than the outgoing 2024, and still certainly aggressive. It’s low, lean and well-planted.

The deep intakes in the nose scoop up leaves and bugs, so beware you’ll probably want to give it a look when washing the M5. And FYI – this PHEV is the only version of the M5. There is no gas-only model for 2025.

2025 BMW M5 Interior Ups Tech And Luxury

The interior has sweeping screens, plus M-badged sport bucket seats and a faceted band of accent lighting. If you tap in Sport driving mode, the center goes red and blue to match M Sport’s logo colors. The fairly plush front office starts with a thick-rimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel that power tilts and telescopes, with a red leather stripe at top-center to aid in steering straight. A swath of a deeply woven carbon fiber circles the cabin.

Light gray leather accents the door armrests, while dark piping accents superb sports seats with power adjustment, heat and cooling, and solid side bolstering that holds you in. There’s a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, flowing smoothly into a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen atop the dashboard’s center. A simple “Hi BMW” allows voice commands without hands leaving steering wheel. Or just twist/tap/scroll the iDrive controller atop the center console to vary screens on the center display, including climate control, audio including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, phone, and more.

There’s a big, clear color head-up display offering speed, safety alerts and full maps. Climate control vents are slim and designed into the fascia with rubberized knobs nearby to direct up/down flow. The A/C cooled us down well on 90-degree days, but not as good when we hit 101.

Back seat room is decent under the suede headliner, with acceptable leg room unless a tall person is up front. There are side and rear window shades, plus climate control, heated/cooled outboard seats, and multiple USB ports. The power trunk opens to a deep, usable space with ski pass-though, but batteries take up under-floor room.

M5 Uses EV Motor, Turbochargers To Boost V8’s Performance, Economy

Videos can be shown on the control display when the car is stationary. In-car gaming is available, fed via smartphone. The My BMW App provides information on vehicle status, such as remaining range and service requirements. The app can also be used to control charging. Up to ten devices can connect via a mobile hotspot.

Everyone wanted to see the engine in what I consider to be a German Hellcat, but it’s under a plastic shield, twin-turbo ducting and cross-braces all-round. The 32-valve V-8 has a cross-bank exhaust manifold and reinforced crankshaft drive, turbochargers mounted close to the exhaust manifold. Peak gas engine torque of 553 lb-ft is available between 1,800 and 5,400 rpm.

What helps launch this BMW off the line instantly, like a member of the M family, is its plug-in-hybrid system. The synchronous motor is integrated into 8-speed transmission, adding its 194 hp to make a maximum combined 717 hp between 5,600-6,500 rpm, and max system torque of 738 lb-ft between 1,800-5,400 rpm.

The base Road drive setting gave us great power for daily running. I could set transmission, steering, suspension and braking to whatever level I wanted to get sportier handling. It gives a basic driver display with info screen framed with 200-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm (6,500-rpm redline) tachometer, inset power and regenerative braking use in one corner, while we could add a lap timer, trip or economy data, collision or front camera view, G-force, audio, navigation map, even nose camera.

Set in Hybrid/Comfort/Road mode, put the pedal down and the sedan did what an M5 is known for – leaping off the line fast to hit 60 mph in a quick 3.4 seconds.

Tap in Sport mode and you get a bigger bar tach and larger gauge displays, plus exhaust attitude that snarls musically. It boosts gas and EV power along with torque to really wake up the 5,390-lb. all-wheel-drive sedan. It streaked off the line with immediate power, with all four tires squiggling momentarily before they grabbed en route to a very fast 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Launch Control takes a few button taps, including disabling traction control, then it’s warp speed – left-foot brake as you right-foot gas, and a mighty 1G launch gave us 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and 100 mph in an amazing 7. The tires squiggled a bit on launch, then it just quickly hammered through sharp upshifts, each with great exhaust whomps. A “base” M5 is limited to 155 mph – our optional ($2,500) M Drivers Package made it 190 mph.

That said, the last-gen 4,096-lb. M5 with a gas-only 627 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque does 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, and 100 mph in less than 6.5 – quicker than this 1,294-lb.-heavier PHEV successor with its 90 more ponies. Still impressive, since the closest all-EV competitor I have tested – a 2025 Mercedes AMG EQE with 677 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque – saw 60 mph in 3 seconds, and 100 mph in 7.2. A 4,610 pound Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye I tested with 797-hp and 707 ft-lbs. of torque did 60 mph in 4 seconds, and 100 mph in 8.2 with launch control.

The 2025 M5 matches that last-gen in one way – both averaged 17 mpg combined, although highway driving sometimes saw our PHEV M5 indicate as high as 27 mpg. With 15.9-gallon fuel tank filled, hybrid cruising range is an indicated 270 miles.

M5 Handling Traits

This is a stiff sports sedan. The double-wishbone front axle has added longitudinal and lateral rigidity, while the 5-link rear axle also employs special forged links and wheel carriers, plus there’s new track control arms, camber control arms, and guide arms. There’s also electronically controlled dampers that reduce body roll through corners.

We had a firm enough, but nice ride in Comfort mode, although it does bounce a bit after some bigger bumps. But Sport modes firm things up nicely, neatly handling speed bumps in tightly, but buffered bumps. And with all-wheel-drive aided by sticky Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z tires – P285/40ZR-20 fronts, and P295/35ZR-21 rears, plus low-mounted lithium-ion batteries, this M5 really handles! Yes, we felt the weight, but M5 shrugs it off in Sport or Sport Plus, neither of which felt harsh.

In 4WD Sport mode, there’s a bit more rear-bias in the all-wheel-drive, aided by a rear differential lock to vary distribution of drive between left and right. Simply put, it stays glued in corners, carving flat and neutrally. Push harder, and you can let the rear Hankooks play a bit, but it’s catchable as it arrows straight off. And in our tight skidpad, it was stable with a hint of controllable understeer, easily pulling .9Gs in expressway ramps without bother. It also had active rear steering, which turns them in either the same, or the opposite direction to the front wheels, to help in lane changse and cornering – it seamlessly did.

Steering has a nice feel in Comfort, direct but gently boosted. In Sport modes it firms up, sharp and responsive, but not nervous, with a tight turning circle. Six-piston fixed-calipers clamping cross-drilled 16.5-inch disc brakes in front, and single-piston floating-calipers on 15.7-inchers at the rear, stopped fast and fade-free. The pedal bit high, with lots of control, and no nose dive at the limit as we pulled 1.22Gs – we hung in our belts.

As to the EV part of the M5, it gave us an indicated 33-mile range after just over two hours of Level II charging – and its real range pretty much matched that on my mixed suburban/highway route. It launches quickly and quietly in full EV mode, the 8-speed gearbox quickly moving up and down as needed, passing power smooth and quick to respond to pedal pressure with just a subtle EV motor whine as we went. Push too hard and you’ll invoke the V-8, but in daily running, it’s perfect. Basically, I could use the M5 for two days of EV-only commute, saving gas. And I loved the full regen braking setting. The electric motor becomes a generator the second you lift off the gas pedal. We got used to using it instead of braking to slow down for stops. It engages down to about 7 mph. Then it’s time to gently tap the brakes to stop. It delivered to 5 miles of regenerated EV range on the commute home.

My only issues: there are too many combos of drive settings on screen and controller for my taste. And you have to reset max regen every time you get back in. The good news: two “M” buttons in front of the big paddle shifters can be preset for two favorite setups from the drivetrain, suspension, and driver assistance menus.

2025 BMW M5 Pricing

The 2025 BMW M5 starts at $119,500 – ours was $146,225 with options like $3,100 carbon fiber package, $1,850 Executive Package(heated/cooled seats and glowing grill), and $85,00 carbon ceramic brakes – plus $2,600 gas guzzler tax.

Bottom line: Power, grace and space; with amazingly user-friendly torque, handling and braking; plus enough EV to cruise quietly. Get it in purple!

2025 BMW M5 Specifications

Vehicle type- 4-door, 5-passenger all-wheel-drive sports sedan

Base price – $119,500 (As driven – $146,225)

Gas engine type – dual turbocharged 32-valve V-8

Displacement – 4.4-liter

Horsepower (net) – 577 hp at 5,600-6,500 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 553 at 1,800 – 5,400 rpm

EV power – up to 194 hp/up to 207 lb-ft  max torque from 347-volt Lithium-ion battery w/14.8 kWh usable energy capacity

Transmission – 8-speed automatic w/paddle shifting

Wheelbase – 117.4 in.

Overall length – 200.6 in.

Overall width – 77.6 in.

Height – 59.4 in.

Cargo capacity – 16.5 cubic feet

Curb weight – 5,390 pounds

Fuel capacity – 15.9 gallons

Mileage rating – 14 mpg average gas-only/50 MPGe hybrid

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The post 2025 BMW M5: Twin-Turbo V8 With EV Motor Blasts Off appeared first on EV Rider.

The 2002 is one of BMW’s most iconic sports coupes – the German automaker’s halo car from 1966 to 1977.

Now, almost 50 years later, the 2002’s spiritual successor may be the 4-Series Coupe and Convertible with 360,000 sold in 2023. That number jumped to 370,000 last year.

This second-generation 4 Series Convertible was redesigned in 2021. Changes are subtle in the refresh of this 188-inch-long drop-top for 2025, starting with a new take on BMW’s classic twin-kidney shaped grille, now 18 inches tall. Public reviews of the tall black mesh grills have been mixed. Some feel its the more sedate of some Bimmer grille designs out there now – others think it’s a bit brash.

For 2025, BMW tweaked the side intakes, while redesigned LED headlights get bolder Daylight Running Light (DRL) slashes. BMW M Sport alloy wheels and staggered 19-inch Pirelli P ZERO rubber tightly fill gentle flares front and rear. Rear fenders get gentle shoulder lines as creases flow into slim LED taillights. The short rear deck ends in a subtle spoiler above meaty steel exhaust tips.

The black power top drops quickly under a solid tonneau, looking very sleek. Top up, it’s tight and curves nicely into the rear deck. With the aluminum hood, front fenders and doors saving about 44 lbs. compared to the previous model, the whole shape is familiar and just sporty enough in its Tanzanite Blue Metallic paint.

430i Convertible Interior

Co-workers loved the reworked black over cognac interior, with matte-finish wood. You can drop all four windows and the top remotely via the key fob, then close it up the same way. Ambient dashboard lighting glowing inside as you step into firm, supportive leather-like Sensatec buckets with manually-adjustable thigh supports, plus power settings, heat and cooling. The flat-bottom M Sport steering wheel has a thick stitched leather rim that feels reassuring with alloy paddle shifters in back.

The big change from last year is that sweeping 30-inch-wide digital display. Half is a configurable 12.3-inch gauge display, bracketed by 160-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach (6,500-rpm redline) straight ahead, flowing into the navigation/Home screen, which is gently curved toward the driver. You can also select a basic speed reading, or other designs.

Move right, and a wide touchscreen shows navigation, audio, phone and more, with Amazon Alexa, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An iDrive Controller on the center console also handles center screen functions.

The Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo system punched out clean audio even with the top down. There’s an inductive phone charger under a textured wood door on the wide center console. Also new is a small drive selector switch as compared to the previous shift knob.

The redesign makes for a cleaner, nicely detailed look. The rear seat can hold an adult if the front seat passenger gives up a bit of leg room. The front seats motor slowly up to allow access in back while there’s a pass-through to a 9-cubic-foot trunk.

430i Performance & Handling

The twin-turbocharged 2-liter inline four offered 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission has a sport shift option on top of Eco, Comfort and Sport drive modes to adapt engine, exhaust note, accelerator response and gearshift characteristics. This is a GT – grand tourer – and not a hard-edged sports convertible. But the 4-cylinder engine had more than enough power to create some fun.

In Eco mode, the 430i leaves the line moderately, then powers up to hit 60 mph in 6.4 seconds with a subtly sporty snarl. We got a more authoritative launch in Sport mode, plus deeper exhaust growl enroute to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. And with launch control, we hit 60 mph in a quick 5.6 seconds. Driven in Eco mode, we saw a consistent 25 mpg.

There’s strut-type front and multi-link rear suspension. With solid torsional rigidity for a ragtop, we had no cowl shake even over bad roads. Its firmer sport tuning still gave a comfortably supple yet taut ride that easily ironed out speed with nary a harsh edge.

The car delivered precise handling, fairly neutral with little body roll on high-speed corners, the G-Force meter showing a solid .75Gs in neutral road holding. When we really pushed it in some turns in Sport mode, we pulled a good .98Gs as the convertible tracked cleanly through with a hint of power oversteer that was easy to hold.

Electric power steering was direct, with nice feedback and solid feel. I could tailor it to a firmer feel in Eco mode. The 430i’s brakes had great pedal feel, progressive bite and sure-footed stops from even high speeds with no fade after repeated high-speed use.

The soft-top design has multiple layers of insulation and is very quiet at speed. The top drops in 18 seconds up to 31 mph. At speed there’s not much of a breeze inside. It’s quite cozy with the heater on and top down during chilly weather.

A base BMW 430i Convertible starts at $58,700. Ours had lots of nice standards, plus the $2,450 M Sport package with special wheels/tires, wood, M sport suspension and steering wheel and a few more items for a final $68,520 price.

The Bottom Line

This fun GT droptop gave lots of fun with good style, power and handling – I could live with this commuting or weekending.

2025 BMW 430i Convertible Specifications

Vehicle type – four-passenger compact sports convertible
Base price – $58,700 (As driven – $68,520)
Engine type – Turbocharged aluminum inline four
Displacement – 2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 255 hp at 4,700 – 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 295 at 1,800 – 5,000 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic with sport mode and paddle shifters
Wheelbase – 112.2 in.
Overall length – 187.9 in.
Overall width – 72.9 in.
Height – 54.6 in.
Front headroom – 40.6 in.
Front legroom – 41.8 in.
Rear headroom – 36.1 in.
Rear legroom – 32.5 in.
Trunk capacity – 9 cubic feet
Curb weight – 3,918 pounds
Fuel capacity – 15.8 gallons
Mileage rating – 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway

The post 2025 BMW 430i Convertible Is One Fun GT appeared first on EV Rider.

There have been quite a few headlines lately implying that the EV movement is in trouble. Is it? Let’s take a look at the facts. 

First, here’s a small sampling of some of the recent headlines out there: 

 “Mustang Mach-E is in trouble” – Motor Biscuit

“Ford just shut down EV production” –  Charge Drive

“Slowdown in electric car sales is a symptom of a much uglier problem” – Business Insider 

“Even Tesla knows EV Sales Are In Trouble” – Jalopnik

Based on those headlines and others you might think EVs are doomed to be a blip in history but let’s look at the actual sales numbers. 

Starting with Tesla, America’s biggest producer of EVs delivered a record-setting 1.8 million EVs in 2023. That’s a 38% year-over-year increase, according to the automaker. The flip side: its profits dropped 22% as it aggressively cut prices.  

Next, let’s look at Ford, which has taken a beating on some media outlets over its EV performance.  

Sales of its Mustang Mach-E were up 3.3% year over year to 40,771 units. An interesting footnote, its electric pony outsold the gasoline Mustang in December despite Ford giving the gas-powered Mustangs a redesign. 

Meanwhile, F-150 Lightning sales increased by 54.7% year over year. Ford sold 24,165 EV pickups in 2023, according to Ford Authority, and set a new record for EV sales in the 4th quarter of 2023.

BMW saw its U.S. EV sales surge 65% year over year, selling 14,374 EVs. 

BMW plug-in hybrids U.S. sales accounted for 25,318 vehicles. Taken together, plug-ins and EVs accounted for almost 20% of BMW’s U.S. sales in 2023, according to BMW of North America. 

Over at Volkswagen, its ID.4 sales shot up 84.2.% year-over-year in the U.S. to 37,789, the company said. 

Total deliveries at Rivian were up 147% year over year to 50,122. Rivian produced a total of 57,232 EVs, up 135% from 2022, according to InsideEVs. 

Final numbers for 2023 are still coming in as the automakers work on their annual reports but there’s no question the EV industry as a whole easily achieved another year of record growth record. 

As the time of this story’s publishing, Cox Automotive was forecasting that final numbers will put EVs at about 8% of all U.S. vehicle sales in 2023. 

In many cases the supply of EVs has finally caught up with demand, meaning it’s now often possible to find a selection of EVs on dealer lots without dealer markups or perhaps even with discounts. From a consumer perspective, that’s good and necessary for EVs to move beyond early adopters to mainstream automotive buyers. 

There will be peaks and valleys in growth, profit, loss, and supply chains as the auto industry works through the challenges of transitioning to EVs but none of detracts from the actual numbers that show EVs are continuing to rapidly gain market share.

The post Growth Of EVs: The Real Story appeared first on EV Rider.

Automotive reviews are fun to do but many times I learn more about vehicles by actually spending time with their owners.

Post your questions or comments about BMW’s iX xDrive 50

This week on EV Rider we’re taking a ride in a 2023 BMW iX xDrive 50 owned by Cory France, who previously had a Tesla Model Y.

“We wanted something bigger than a Model Y and we wanted something with better range and we had a BMW gas powered car, an X3 and we love BMW’s driving dynamics. So we thought we’d give it a try. We test drove one up here in Jacksonville and we’re just blown away by the technology,” said Cory.

The video in this post provides a much deeper dive, but as far as a quick summary goes, BMW says the iX xDrive50 has 516 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. 

It can get to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. Depending on how it’s optioned the iX xDrive50 has an estimated EPA range of up to 324 miles and can add up to 90 miles of range in ten minutes when DC fast charging.

The 111.5 kWh battery has a claimed peak charging speed of 195 kW.    

Like many EVs these days, the iX xDrive50 includes self-parking. BMW takes it a step further in the iX xDrive 50 by allowing the driver to record complex parking maneuvers such as parking in your garage. A demo of how it works is in the video.

The iX xDrive 50 includes BMW’s latest driver-assistance technology; including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking.

BMW’s regenerative braking system is also more sophisticated than what is found in many EVs. See the video for details on how it works and if you enjoy the video please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel.

The post Why Tesla Model Y Owner Switched To BMW iX appeared first on EV Rider.

This week EV Rider is teaming up with our friends at AutomotiveAddicts.com to bring you a road test of BMW’s i4 M50.

Written review & photos by Malcolm Hogan, Automotive Addicts

Believe it or not, BMW has long been in the EV (Electric Vehicle) movement with the i3 EV introduced a decade ago. Since the conception of the i3, a lot has changed, and BMW has repositioned itself to be a serious contender in the race to bring the masses new performance luxury EVs that look and feel the part of current ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles. In comes the new BMW i4, a vehicle that is essentially an electric version of the current 4 Series Gran Coupe ICE vehicle.

Related: BMW i8 Coupe, Roadster Owners Share Their Experiences

The new 2022 BMW i4 is hard for most to tell that it’s an EV. In fact, if you don’t pay close attention to the subtle differences, such as the unique ‘closed’ grille and lack of exhaust pipes out the back, you can easily be tricked into thinking that a new i4 is just a new 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is a decent vehicle that I enjoyed reviewing a few months ago.

Performance and Driving Character

The new BMW i4 comes in two trim levels, the base i4 eDrive40 touts a single motor for a rear-wheel-drive setup with 335 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque that gets a range of about 301 miles. That base model can hit 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds.

Moving to my test vehicle’s i4 M50 top trim level you get two electric motors for an all-wheel-drive setup that gets 536 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque, which is available at its full capacity for up to 10 seconds while the vehicle is in its Sport Boost drive mode. Otherwise, the BMW i4 M50 has a steady output of 469 horsepower and the same 586 lb-ft of torque in other non-sport drive modes.

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Put the vehicle into Sport Boost and enable launch mode and you will expect to hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, or less as claimed in other independent tests. If you’re taking note, that is just as fast, or faster, than the new BMW M3 with a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. Either way you slice it, the BMW i4 M50 is fast, and enabling launch mode while holding the brake pedal the electric motors purposely pulsate the vehicle to shake it much like how most ICE vehicles do when performing a launch. BMW, you have my attention.

While BMW decided to utilize the look of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, the i4 is actually a different beast that utilizes a different architecture from its adaptive damper suspension setup with auto-leveling air springs in the rear to a unique setup to fit the 81.4 kWh battery pack low in the floor. That packaging of the battery is an oddity because BMW retained most of the interior setup that you find in the new 4 Series Gran Coupe, which incorporates a drive shaft tunnel bump in the rear seating floor, which isn’t necessary for an electric vehicle because there’s no physical connection/drive-shaft between the front and rear axles as each is powered by their own electric motor in the all-wheel-drive i4 M50 trim.

Driving the new BMW i4 M50 is a rewarding endeavor, which I didn’t expect out of a new EV. However, BMW instills a driving passion in their vehicles that you must experience to understand, even in the new i4 EV. While the i4 M50 is quite heavy, tipping the scale at 5,018 pounds – that’s 1,178 pounds more than the new BMW M3 xDrive Competition – it does a magical act of hiding that extra heft through its compliant and adaptive suspension system, and my test vehicle’s optional larger 20-inch wheels (255/35 front and 285/35 rear). Having those larger 20-inch wheels over the standard 19-inch wheels have a negative effect on the range where my test vehicle gets a total range of 227 miles versus the i4 M50 with standard 19-inch wheels gets 271 miles of estimated range. The computer of the i4 M50 recognizes the wheel and tire size and adjusts the range accordingly but I found my test vehicle estimated as much as 240 miles for my total range and I was on a path to getting about 235 miles of range if I were to run the battery down past the 5% state of charge.

The regenerative braking can be a little inconsistent at times, but you tend to learn how much pressure to give the brakes for a smoother stop. There is basically a one-pedal drive feature by bumping the transmission shifter over the left into its B-mode. The vehicle will add optimal regen when you left off the throttle and come to a complete stop if you let it. Otherwise, you have a manual setting of the regen strength through the drive settings and a clever Adaptive mode that adds more regen as the front radar detects you approaching a vehicle.

The i4 M50 rides pretty well and the rear air suspension, which isn’t user-adjustable, keeps the body level no matter what you load in the rather large rear cargo hatch. You can feel some of the 5,000 pounds of heft when you put the i4 M50 into a sharp turn at speed where it feels it may plow a little with a taste of understeer but surprises with reactive grip from its rather large and wide staggered tires. The steering feels mostly numb and less connected than it does in the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

There’s also an interesting soundtrack inside of the i4 M50 called “Iconic Sounds,” which is an electronic-type roar that somewhat mimics the sound that you expect out of a Star Wars Podracer or a Speeder Bike from “Return of the Jedi,” or maybe the Starship Enterprise when you ask for more warp speed. The unique sounds were actually created by award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, which is amplified depending on your drive mode. In Sport Boost mode the sounds are almost to the point of being comical as they are very loud but are tuned to following the power generated through the EV motors. There’s even a unique “alert” sound that’s emitted if you curb a wheel or get into an accident, which I chose not to test out. For those who think the sounds are too gimmicky, you can switch them off.

Interior and Tech

The inside of the new BMW i4 M50 is mostly the same as what you find in the 4 Series Gran Coupe. BMW did bring us the new iDrive 8 infotainment system, which brings the integration of a new curved infotainment screen setup that flows into a 12.3-inch digital driver’s gauge cluster. The infotainment screen, now at 14.9-inches, brings a new interface that may be a bit overwhelming at first and does require going through a short learning curve. The overwhelming part is mostly from the abundance of app icons, which you can sort out the primary vehicle features/functions to simplify the long list. The new iDrive setup is quite deep in its functionality with some customization options. The screen setup looks like it almost floats through the soft-touch dashboard but still looks well integrated to “fit” the space and offer a close enough touchscreen that you don’t have to reach too far.

There’s the expected wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and a return of the same physical iDrive controls. Where things take the longest to get used to is the automatic climate controls are only accessed through the touchscreen but have their own dedicated row of quickly accessing the temperature settings and a climate menu to bring up the rest of the functions. The climate menu must be accessed to bring up simple features like the heated seat controls and even the fan speed, which used to be dedicated physical buttons in the previous iDrive setup. The only physical buttons are the front/rear defrost, hazard lights, audio system forward/reverse seek/track, and a volume knob.

Overall, BMW’s new iDrive 8 system remains very responsive and makes way for over-the-air updates that may even add additional functions, such as updates to the voice response that now controls additional vehicle features through a simple “Hey BMW” voice prompt.

Electric Consumption and Efficiency

The BMW i4 M50 has a 400-volt architecture and an onboard charger with a 200 kWh DC fast charger rate, which will get you a charge from 10% state of charge up to 80% in about 30 minutes using a DC fast charging station (preferably a 350 kW DC fast charger). You’ll add about 109 miles or range in just 10 minutes of DC fast charging.

The i4 M50 with the 20-inch wheels gets the EPA estimates of 79 MPGe city and 80 MPGe highway. Again, as I mentioned the BMW i4 M50 with the 20-inch wheels appears to easily get slightly more range than the 227 miles if you drive carefully. The BMW i4 comes with a charging cable for your home 110v outlet and an adaptor for a NEMA 14-50 outlet to enable a charge from that 240v that takes just under 8 hours to charge from 0% to 100%. You’d be safe to estimate a total range of 227 miles on a 100% charge in the new i4 M50 equipped with the 20-inch wheels option.

Safety

Just like any other BMW, the i4 brings all of the active safety features to the table in addition to having the optional Parking Assist Package to add the welcomed 360-degree camera system, a drive recorder system, and parking assistant plus with active parking distance control. You also get adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning/lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors, forward warning with emergency braking and pedestrian detection, and rear cross-path traffic alert with emergency braking.

Price

The new BMW i4 is actually priced decently considering its starting point at $55,900 for the base i4 eDrive40 RWD model, which comes in cheaper than a comparable Tesla when you factor in the $7,500 federal tax credit that you can get on a new i4. Even with my loaded-up i4 M50 test vehicle coming in at $78,520, you have respected price point with the tax credit giving you one of the least expensive luxury EVs you can buy at the time of this post’s publication.

Related Video You Might Enjoy

The post Sport Boost Shifts BMW i4 EV Into M Territory appeared first on EV Rider.

What’s better than one BMW i8? Why two of course.

On this episode of EV Rider, Kevin Kumara, owner of JaxSpec, and Maiko Roberston take us for a ride in her 2016 i8 coupe and his 2019 i8 Roadster and discuss what they’re like to own and drive.

The BMW i8 was a low-volume, plug-in hybrid sports car made from 2014 through 2020, with a total production run of less than 21,000 coupes and Roadsters worldwide. The Roadster, which went on sale in 2018, is even rarer with fewer than 4,000 produced.

Related: Sport Boost Shifts BMW i4 EV Into M Territory

The early cars featured a 7.1 kWh battery. That size was later increased to 11.6 kilowatt hours for models sold from 2018 through the final 2020 model year. 

i8s featured all-wheel drive with a carbon fiber reinforced plastic passenger cell to keep the weight down.

What made them special outside of the supercar styling was their three cylinder turbocharged engine that worked in unison with an electric motor that when combined is good for 369-horsepower and 0-60 times in the low- to mid-fours, for the 2020 model, all while returning up to the equivalent of 69 EPA-rated miles per gallon when running in pure EV mode.

While their fuel economy is certainly noteworthy, it’s the styling and performance that prompted Kevin and Maiko to buy their i8s. For the rest of the story watch the video at the top of this post.

If you enjoy this episode of EV Rider please give the video a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

The post BMW i8 Coupe, Roadster Owners Share Their Experiences appeared first on EV Rider.