2023 BMW iX M60 Is Very Bizarre, Freaking Fast And Efficient

The 2023 BMW iX M60 is arguably the weirdest product BMW has put into market in years. But that doesn’t matter, because it may be precisely what the famous German carmaker needs to lure Tesla owners back into its showrooms. Because, let’s face it boys and girls: Tesla is currently dominating the EV world. However, in my book, there’s no reason this iX M60 can’t compete against a Tesla Model X.

Out Of This World Styling

Ok, so let’s begin with the iX’s looks. It’s definitely in your face and, well, odd. At this point, many of you are probably thinking: WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?! But, hear me out. It’s precisely the kind of weird BMW needs if it wants to attract people that currently own the equally bizarre Tesla Model X.And, honestly, the more I had this thing in my possession, the more I found myself drawn towards it. Not because the design grew on me, because it didn’t. It’s ugly. But because the damn thing is just so fucking fascinating.Dressed up in the M60 moniker, the iX does get some neat gold touches here and there. In my case, it harmonized well with the Storm Gray paint job. The 21-inch “fan” wheels were part of the winter package, meaning they aren’t the original 22-inch set the iX M60 normally comes with. They look…fine.

However they do help at improving the car’s claimed range. According to Natural Resources Canada, the 2023 BMW iX M60 will pull 463 kilometers in ideal conditions on 21-inchers, and 441 kilometers wearing the larger, 22-inch wheels.To achieve such range, the iX M60 is powered by one hell of a battery. Remember, this is supposed to be a high-performance M vehicle. Weighing in at a whopping 5,697 pounds, the iX needs serious power to get up and go. And it has it. Underneath its strange body sits a 105.2-kWh usable (111.5 kWh total) liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack. That’s massive. It powers two electric motors – one installed on each axle – for a combined output of 610 horsepower and an Earth-shattering 749 lb-ft of torque. Big numbers.Such numbers allow this behemoth to launch out of the hole up to 100 km/h in an absolutely batshit crazy 3.4 seconds. Three point four! And as for charging, the iX will accept a fast charging rate of up to 195 kilowatts on a compatible charger. This translates to a 39-min 10 to 80% charge. On a standard level 2 home charger, it’ll accept 11 kilowatts, taking 11 hours to charge from 10 to 100%.To nobody’s surprise, the iX M60 is very expensive. It kicks off at a stout $124,551 including freight. My tester stickered at an even steeper $139,802. However, that’s still somewhat of a bargain next to the $156,000 Tesla Model X.

Stunningly Fast, Shockingly Efficient

Normally, when BMW slaps the M letter onto one of its vehicles, it doesn’t mess around. And the 2023 BMW iX M60 is no exception. This thing is so god-damn fast that it creates pains in your neck during the process. But perhaps what’s even more impressive than the Tesla-rivaling velocity, is the experience behind the wheel.You see, because EVs make no sound, BMW figured it would be cool to team up with famous movie score composer Hans Zimmer to create ambient sounds when gunning the throttle. These sounds change according to the car’s different drive modes. Obviously the most extreme soundtrack is activated when Sport mode is on. I mean, I can’t express in words how cool this is, but it does make you feel like you’re at the helm of some sort of futuristic transportation device. And that’s downright awesome.That all being said, the iX M60 only performs well in a straight line, and perhaps during braking maneuvers. What I mean by that is when hitting a corner hard with it, it feels clumsy and not suited for the task at hand. Its handling characteristics have more in common with a concrete block than an actual sports car.Where this thing really impressed me, however, was in its energy efficiency. During a 157-km trip composed of mostly highway runs – an electric car’s worst nightmare -, at an ambient temperature that averaged -6 degrees Celsius, my iX recorded a 26.7 kWh/100 km. That translates to a real world range estimate of 394 kilometers. That’s totally decent considering the weather.Inside, the iX is just as weird as it is outside in the sense that nothing really looks like a BMW product. The iX was the first model of its lineup to incorporate the gigantic Curved display. It’s actually two screens in one, housing both the fully customizable digital gauge cluster and the always excellent iDrive infotainment system.BMW is trying to impose voice controls in its cars. And to its credit, it works rather well. The commands allow you to change the cabin’s climate, set a destination point in the navigation system and even change drive modes. But it’s not always consistent, with much improvement still needed.Back to the weirdness of this cabin: you sit upright in it, like in a Ford Econoline panel van. And just like the U-Haul truck you used to move your furniture last month, there’s a massive opening underneath the dashboard. That’s one of the many benefits of electric-dedicated platforms.There’s just more space now for whatever you need to carry around. In the iX’s case, it gives way to an airy and spacious cabin, with a floating center console that houses most of the car’s physical controls, and massive storage space underneath.Fake wood trim on that console looks a tad cheap, and so do the crystal-like seat controls on the door. Oh, and don’t get me started on the steering wheel. It looks like something taken straight out of an acid trip.Out the rear, that vastness is replicated with massive head and leg clearance. But while the iX makes use of all its available space, the fact that it’s a tad smaller than a Model X means it doesn’t get third row seating. Its cargo space, while large at 1,750 liters, is considerably behind that of its main American rival (up to 2,431 liters).If you’re fed up with Elon Musk’s Twitter shenanigans and don’t really want to support Tesla anymore, then BMW has a solution for you. It’s called the 2023 BMW iX M60 and it’s everything a Tesla owner could want, with BMW’s devotion to performance and drivetrain efficiency as an added bonus.