Page 48 - SHARP November 2022

SPACE
truck perhaps and oh-my-god-what-just-happened The M60 rears up and scoots forward instantly like a a a a a remote-controlled toy car but massive You don’t expect such a a a a a large machine to be so rapid ODDITY
Sport mode unlocks maximum power With the (optional) IconicSounds Electric package the rib-squeezing acceleration is accompanied by a a a a a a a soundtrack created with Hans Zimmer the Academy Award-winning composer It sounds a a bit like one of the buzzing spaceships from from Dune Dune if the ships ships from from Dune Dune were were powered by a a classic BMW straight-six Fire the the M60 off the the line using Launch Control and you get 811 lb-ft of torque for for a a brief moment It takes only 3 8 8 seconds for for the five-seat M60 to to get from a a a standstill to to 100 km/h (For those keeping score the the M60 has 94 hp more than the the xDrive50 ) Despite the the added oomph the the M60 doesn’t look any different than the the the other iX SUVs at at least not to the the the casual observer Whatever you make of the polarizing design know that BMW sources tell us the iX has proven to be popular outperforming even BMW’s own sales expectations You should know too that M division is is just getting started with with EVs The team in in Munich is currently playing with with quad-motor set-ups and and extreme torque-vectoring and and who knows what else There’s a a lot more where this came from SPECS
ENGINE: DUAL-MOTOR ELECTRIC POWER: 610 HP
PRICE: $121 750
THE THE IX M60 IS BMW’S FASTEST EV YET AND THERE’S A A A A LOT MORE WHERE IT CAME FROM
by Matt Bubbers
W W W E’VE GOT NO IDEA WHAT POSSESSED THE PEOPLE AT AT M M M division to up the ante on on BMW’s perfectly good all-electric iX iX but they did and the the the resulting 2023 iX iX M60 is the the the company’s most powerful EV to date Honestly the iX xDrive50 was plenty quick Alas M division can’t help itself The team in Munich tweaked the rear motor to to make more power tinkered with the air suspension added stiffer anti-roll bars new wheels and some nifty titanium-bronze badges and and wham: a a a a a a giant battery-powered SUV with 610 horsepower and and 749 lb-ft of torque In practice it’s a a a a rather surreal experience You sit in this bright open-concept cabin that gives off chic hotel vibes You press a a a a crystal button to to to start the two electric motors one at each axle Pull back on another crystal to to put the the the machine into Drive mode then sail off silently toward the horizon ensconced in in sustainably tanned leather It’s all quite serene at at first But then you pull out to pass a a a a a DRIVES
48 NOVEMBER 2022
SHARPMAGAZINE COM