It's a Battle of BMW M Cars in the Latest Round of Edmunds U-Drags

Can the electric i5 M60 beat the gas-powered M4?

Edmunds U-Drags: BMW i5 M60 vs. BMW M4 Competition
  • Our latest U-Drags race pits internal combustion fury against modern electric performance.
  • BMW's rear-wheel-drive M4 Competition is fierce, but how does it compare with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive i5 M60?
  • This race is definitely a close one.

This certainly isn't the first time we've pitted gas- and battery-powered performance cars against each other on the Edmunds U-Drags track. But this time, we're taking a look at how these two propulsion types go head-to-head when they come from the same automaker.

In one corner, there's the BMW M4 Competition, with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine and rear-wheel drive, making 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. In the other, it's our long-term BMW i5 M60 xDrive, a fully electric sedan with two electric motors producing a total of 593 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. That gives the i5 a massive power advantage over the M4, but the coupe is a full 1,447 pounds lighter, and it's got better tires, to boot.

Which car takes the cake on the Edmunds U-Drags track? It might not be the one you think. This one is really, really close.

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Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

edited by

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

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