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By Jonathan Crouch

BMW offers ultimate i5 power with this M60 model. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 56

BMW's i5 lets rip in this top twin-motor AWD M60 eDrive form. There's a prodigious 601hp beneath your right foot at the wheel of one of these, but it's still not quite a full M-car. The M60 gets pretty close though - and looks a strong bet against its pricier, less involving Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 arch-rival.

Backgroundword count: 103

Those who know their fast BMW's will know that there are M - and Ms: full-fat M cars like the M2 and M3. And lesser 'M Performance' models which, though still fast, aren't quite as intensively motorsport M-developed. With the old seventh generation G30 5 Series, the M Performance model that sat below the ultimate M5 was an M550i twin turbo V8. It's a mark of the change in development to the current G60 MK8 'Five' that the M Performance variant in the range now doesn't have an engine at all. It's the all-electric model we look at here, the i5 M60 xDrive.

Driving Experienceword count: 203

There's no shortage of power here, the M60 propelled by a pair of motors respectively developing 261 and 340hp, energised by an 81.2kWh battery. The extra motor's added 175kgs of weight drops the EV range to 315 miles. Total output to all four wheels stands at a monster 601hp and 62mph from rest flashes by in just 3.8s en route to 142mph. Adaptive damping and all-wheel steering are standard-fit and as an option, you can add the brand's M- developed active anti-roll bars to reduce cornering roll. To keep over 2.2-tonnes in check at these kinds of speeds, you might need those. There are drive modes of course, though not all of the offered 'MyMode' settings have much to do with driving; choose from 'Personal', 'Sport', 'Efficient', 'Relaxed', 'Expressive' and 'Digital Art'. For this top i5, there's also a Hans Zimmer-curated IconicSounds driveline soundtrack; and screen-selectable energy recovery settings, though it's easiest simply to leave the system in its automatic 'Adaptive' mode. This i5 M60 also gains a 'Boost' function, operable via this red-highlighted left hand steering wheel paddle. Pull it back for maximum thrust, at which point the dash lights up, the soundtrack goes spooky and you're simply hurled at the horizon.

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