The Drive Report: BMW i5 M60

There’s an inherent danger in electrifying an icon. Strip a nameplate of its internal combustion heart, and you risk diluting the visceral, hair-raising experience that made it legendary in the first place. BMW, however, seems unbothered by such existential dilemmas. Enter the i5 M60, the fully electric, M-badged 5 Series that promises both tire-shredding performance and a whisper-quiet future. The BMW i5 M60 isn’t just a car. It’s a ballistic missile. The name sounds like a weapon. The car goes like one.

The BMW i5 M60 comes to India at a time when the world is souring on electric mobility, particularly electric performance cars. Touted as one-trick ponies, they offer colon-crushing acceleration but not much else. BMW however, appears to have the secret sauce that makes EVs feel a bit more life-like – a bit more warm-blooded and ferocious. In fact, of all the legacy carmakers, BMW is arguably ahead of the curve, as evidenced by the success of the i7 and the iX1 in India. Even as BMW begins to re-invest in ICE engines and V8s, it’s good to know that we have a new benchmark for electric M cars. In fact this right here, is a blueprint for electrified M Performance.

The kidney grilles—now an illuminated beacon of intent—loom large, flanked by sleek, adaptive LED headlamps that stare down lesser machines. The M-specific bumpers and blacked-out trim hint at its capabilities without resorting to garish theatrics. It’s understated, yet unmistakably menacing—like an assassin in cashmere.

On the inside

Step inside, and you’re cocooned in an atmosphere of hushed opulence. The iDrive 8.5 infotainment system takes center stage, spread across a curved display that blends driver instrumentation and touchscreen controls into a seamless interface. Gone are the old-school buttons—replaced instead by haptic feedback panels and voice commands. It’s all very 2025, but crucially, the M60 still retains the tactile, driver-centric DNA that defines a proper 5 Series.

Performance

Two electric motors—one on each axle—summon a monstrous 601 hp and 820 Nm of torque. That’s good enough to slingshot this 2.3-ton luxury barge from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, leaving behind only a faint hum and a bewildered expression on your face. There’s no way something this large should be able to move this quickly. It’s borderline sorcery, especially when you engage the boost function, at which points it seems to jettison some of its tonnage and gain torpedo-like velocity. You have to keep in mind that at Rs 1.2 crore (ex-showroom) in India, the i5 M60 is a good Rs 80 lakh cheaper than the M5. That isn’t to say that the two are directly comparable, but the i5 M60 can shame many-a-supercar with effortless ease and still manage to ferry you around in peak bavarian luxury, thanks to adaptive air suspension. Of course, it isn’t without gimmicks. The Hans Zimmer-designed soundtrack gives it a very space-age vibe, which is occasionally amusing. It’s far better than imbuing the i5 with artificial sounds of a V8-powered M car.

The truly astonishing part is that warp-drive speed isn’t its only party trick. It just feels like it has an infinite reservoir of torque to offer, so it feels quite addictive even once the initial rush of adrenalin has faded. And thanks to its 50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity, it always feels incredibly well balanced and poised. Sure, the underbody does scrape speed breakers, but a little bit of caution, some crab walking and you’re back inhabiting your very own electric fever dream.

If there is a drawback it’s that at times an 81.2 kWh battery feels a tad undersized given how much juice is extracted from this car under heavy acceleration. Which means, if you drive it like an M car is supposed to be driven, you’re going to, at best, eke out a range that is around, possibly under the 300km mark and not 516km as the WLTP figures suggest. You’d better hope there’s a fast charger near-by, if you have a long way to go.

Verdict

The BMW i5 M60 is in no way a substitute for the M5. The world is realising that pedigreed, petrol-powered performance is hard to replace and for however long, ICE performance seems to have gotten a stay of execution. But the i5 M60, benefitting from a lowered GST bracket, brings you the kind of thrills that pretty much nothing at that price point can. Not that automotive performance is necessarily about ballistic linear speed, but if that’s your thing – the i5 M60 can deliver on thrills in a way few EVs can, and it can do so while offering all the comforts of a top-shelf luxury sedan.