THE white car is a BMW i4. The red car is a BMW 430i.
Aside from the color, they look the same.
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Sit in the driver’s seat and everything feels naturalCredit: Mark Fagelson
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As you would expect from an electric motor, the power is instantaneous, smooth and quietCredit: Mark Fagelson
Both are exactly what you think a BMW should be: stylish, well made, sporty but practical. And just great to drive. But they are different.
The 430i runs on petrol, with an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.
The i4 also has rear-wheel drive. But it’s electric. No tailpipes, see? It’s a car I’ve been waiting for.
There are many clumsy electric crossovers out there. And lots of small electric cars. But sporty, family-sized electric cars are hard to find. Yes, there’s the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. Their rocket performance and widescreen interior will impress your friends.
But once you’re hooked on acceleration, it’s a bit unsatisfying to drive. And if you just want to turn up the heat or change the music track, the touchscreen controls get annoying.
Whereas the BMW i4 is very good at it. . . a BMW. I’ll talk about that first, then I’ll get to the electrical part later. Sit in the driver’s seat and everything feels natural.
It is low-slung, close-fitting and elegantly trimmed. You can control most of the electronics via the familiar iDrive system, although there’s a touchscreen too.
Soft and quiet
It’s fast. It actually accelerates faster than the petrol 430i.
As you would expect from an electric motor, the power is instantaneous, smooth and quiet. The suspension is just great. It directs like an extension of your brain, confident and accurate.
It sticks to the road magnetically and offers all the grip you need. But it’s also playful, giving you subtle but clear feedback.
Many sporty cars are stiff and uneven. But this one is quiet. It spears cleanly down a bumpy B-road, glides silently down the freeway and does a decent job of smothering city potholes.
Well, the electric bit. In official testing, it gets around 340 miles on a charge, but I got around 240 on a wintry highway.
Mixed driving gets you more, and in the summer you can count on 300. Those are good numbers for an electric car. Usual EV disclaimer: Honestly, if you can’t charge at home or in close proximity, you probably shouldn’t get an electric car just yet.
The suspension is just great. It directs like an extension of your brain, confident and accurate.
But if you can a full charge would be £15. Less if you use cheap night juice. The slower, louder 430i would cost at least £50 of gas for the same distance.
And the difference in company car tax is crippling. A 40 per cent taxpayer would pay £6,665 for the 430i. But a piffling £427 on the i4.
As good as the 430i is, it looks like this red car could leave you red-faced.
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It’s low, snug and elegantly trimmed, and you can control most of the electronics via the familiar iDrive system, although there’s a touchscreen tooCredit: Mark Fagelson
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It’s fast, it actually accelerates faster than the red 430i petrolCredit: Mark Fagelson
Key facts: BMW i4 eDRIVE40 M SPORT
Price: £53,405
Battery: 81 kWh
Power: 340 hp, 430 Nm
0-100km/h: 5.7 sec
Top speed: 118km/h
Area: 337 miles
CO2: 0g/km
Out: now
SUN SHINES. . . AND SO WILL ROSSI BE
THE first half of January is always a strange time for us bikers. As I write this there is a fine layer of frost everywhere. Driving in this weather is doable but not fun.
However, there is still two-wheel action out there. Briton Sam Sunderland has just won the Dakar Rally on a Gas Gas.
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Briton Sam Sunderland has just won the Dakar Rally on a Gas GasCredit: EPA
After almost 8,000 km spread over two weeks, the boy from Bournemouth took first place in the world’s toughest off-road race for the second time in his career.
Speaking of racers, news also broke this week that Valentino Rossi is signing up to compete in the 2022 GT World Championship in an Audi R8. His goal is to win the series and I have no doubt that he will be at the forefront.
More importantly, he will be driving at Brands Hatch in Kent on Sunday 1st May. Rossi has never raced at Brands Hatch and the fact that he will be traveling in a car rather than a bike certainly won’t put me off and will be cheering for him.
I received my copy of the book covering every single one of his races this week and cannot recommend it highly enough. It was written by Mat Oxley who I think is the best racing journalist in the world. It’s like reading the report card of the most popular kid in school, written by the coolest teacher that everyone likes. If you have a spare Christmas bonus, spend it on this.
In the land of road bikes, Ducati announced this week that 2021 was a record year for them. They sold a total of 59,447, increasing in each country they sold. The amazing Multistrada V4 was their best selling bike, followed by the Scrambler and then the Monster.
Ducati sold 30 per cent more bikes in the UK than in 2020, with 2,941 models. So it’s cold and wet outside, but it’s not all bad. Unless you do Dry January like me.
Braking news
Rachel Burgess
- After a mega year of UK and European sales, Tesla will release a revised product roadmap before the end of the month. We were finally able to find out when the long-awaited Cybertruck, Roadster and Semi will be released.
- RENAULT is the latest automaker to confirm it will be fully electric in Europe by 2030, advancing an earlier plan to reach 90 percent EV sales by the end of the decade. The French company plans to launch 24 new vehicles by 2025, expanding its range of electric vehicles and reinventing Alpine as an all-electric performance brand.
- PEUGEOT’s all-electric 308, which will be launched in 2023, will be sold as a hatch and estate and offers a range of around 400 kilometers. The same goes for the new Vauxhall Astra.
- THE next Range Rover Sport – fast becoming one of its most popular models – is geared up for 2023, with a full-fat SVR variant delivering 616PS and a 4.4-litre V8 from BMW. An electric version will follow. More details in this week’s Autocar Magazine, out Wednesday.
Tesla is postponing production of the Cybertruck to 2023
