JayGT4

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The Porsche Taycan has become our default choice as an EV sports saloon because, above all else, it still drives like a Porsche.

But might that change with the arrival of the BMW i4, particularly in this fast, four-wheel drive M50 specification, which pits the quickest i4 more or less against the lowliest Taycan.

The BMW i4 M50 makes 536bhp from two electric motors, can go from 0-62mph in 3.9sec and has a 140mph top speed. Its 80.7kWh battery means the range is 259-324 miles and it has a maximum charging speed of 200kW. With a liftback hatch, it's also arguably more practical than the Porsche. The BMW i4 M50 costs £63,905.

This base Porsche Taycan (with Performance Battery Plus) is our favourite variant of our favourite EV. Rear-drive only it has 375bhp (469bhp on overboost) and 484lb ft of torque.

It's slower accelerating than the BMW. The Taycan can go from 0-62mph in 5.4sec but with a two-speed transmission has a higher top speed, 143mph. Its 87.3kWh battery gives it a range of up to 301 miles and it can be charged at up to 270kW. The Taycan costs £76,899 with the Performance Battery Plus.

Which is better? Join Matt Saunders and Matt Prior as they find out.

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batteredhaddock

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Always nice to have reinforcement of your decision..
Good to see the Beemer though, definitely a decent car and hopefully one that will bring a new tranche of people to EVs ??. PS, Look forward to one being 2cm from my bumper before I smash the accelerator ?
 

Rob28

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I initially put a deposit down on the i4 M50 and was invited to the dealership to see the car and explore the preproduction models (no test drive). After seeing it in person, there was zero 'wow factor'. It looked like a 3 series with a different screen on the interior. That same day, I got my deposit back from BMW. When I sat in and test drove the Taycan, it was a completely different experience unlike that of any car I've been in before. Not for a second do I question the price for the Taycan (double what the i4 would have cost me) or the comparison of these two cars. Will take the Taycan any day over the i4. jmho :p
 

pdavison

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Great watch and just makes me want mine to arrive even more!
 


rich_r

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The reviewers were a bit painful to watch! Also kind of strange that they didn't swap cars to give different perspectives. But, yeah, I'd say the main advantages of the BMW (other than cheaper price) are: smaller size, hatchback and possibly a slightly more comfortable rear seat (gives the Taycans odd foot garages that dont extend underneath the front seats). It doesn't surprise me that the Taycan was more fun to drive and I liked how they contrasted the top spec i4 with the bottom spec Taycan...drove home that point even more. Last I tried speccing both of these cars out w/ the minimum options i'd want I think the i4 50 came to about 75k and the Taycan was about 100k (before tax credits). Not an insignficant gap. I suppose the RWD 40i version of the i4 might be a bit more "apples to apples" but with a 0-60 time of 5.8s I think it falls in the category of "too slow" for a premium EV in 2022.
 

batteredhaddock

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I thought the RSymons detailed review of the i4 M50 was very good (like most of his content). Compared in that case to the M3 Perf but he also does a range test where his 4S is chucked in there. Still seems a very decent car and nice to have alternatives from the too ubiquitous M3 but hopefully they’ll refine it over next few years into a proper M version. Taycan definitely at the high price end as others have noted, especially once options are added, so it really should be superior….(and a relief it is ?)

 

fullmetalbaal

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As a recovering BMW enthusiast, these new BMW cars are sooo hard to watch/see. Their design is just atrocious. It looks like a really bad tuner trying to make something like a BMW by sticking an overly large kidney grill onto the front.

Ignoring that thing for a second, the rest of the car has none of the design sophistication and fit & finish that BMW used to have in spades.

As an example, look above the headlights, where the hood meets the side of the car. Instead of 'completing the line' smoothly, there's a small discontinuity. The car has that all over the place.

Or the mirrors: they looks like they got added from a parts bin and don't quite fit the design either. They should have stuck to a design that's wider on the bottom.

It's not only ugly, it's also poorly executed. I can't tell if that's because all the designers left for greener pastures, or because they are now chasing a different market that has horrible different taste.

And 5000lb curb weight. What the F. They managed to make it even heavier than the Taycan. Somebody needs to tell the Germans that lightness was a FEATURE.

The only thing that compares favorably is the 0-60 acceleration, and the range.
I do wish that Porsche would unlock a bit more acceleration on the RWD and the 4S.
 


Annalore

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Did anyone notice the atrocious spoiler gap on the Taycan in the video?
A major bug bear for me.. 1st service due on my 4S soon and I am snagging it
 

schad

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Did anyone notice the atrocious spoiler gap on the Taycan in the video?
A major bug bear for me.. 1st service due on my 4S soon and I am snagging it
Looks like it might be in the cleaning position. Maybe they lifted it up to give the car a spit-shine prior to all those close up glamour shots, and forgot (or couldn't figure out how) to retract it?
 

Annalore

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Looks like it might be in the cleaning position. Maybe they lifted it up to give the car a spit-shine prior to all those close up glamour shots, and forgot (or couldn't figure out how) to retract it?
Perhaps it was, here’s what mine looks like on a frosty morning

Porsche Taycan BMW i4 M50 v Porsche Taycan review - The world's best fast EV? [Autocar] 8341D4CF-311E-4BFB-A246-780BDB5A9D6E


Porsche Taycan BMW i4 M50 v Porsche Taycan review - The world's best fast EV? [Autocar] 188BF3C2-3A04-4831-B00F-838D6059D526
 

dutchcourage

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The only thing that compares favorably is the 0-60 acceleration, and the range.
The range specified by BMW is far from the reality. I did a testdrive and was very disappointed. 28 kwh/100km av. with no speeding, max speed 110km/h on high way (70% of test drive), no acceleration tests, 10˚C distance of 200km
 

timc3

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As a recovering BMW enthusiast, these new BMW cars are sooo hard to watch/see. Their design is just atrocious. It looks like a really bad tuner trying to make something like a BMW by sticking an overly large kidney grill onto the front.

Ignoring that thing for a second, the rest of the car has none of the design sophistication and fit & finish that BMW used to have in spades.

As an example, look above the headlights, where the hood meets the side of the car. Instead of 'completing the line' smoothly, there's a small discontinuity. The car has that all over the place.

Or the mirrors: they looks like they got added from a parts bin and don't quite fit the design either. They should have stuck to a design that's wider on the bottom.

It's not only ugly, it's also poorly executed. I can't tell if that's because all the designers left for greener pastures, or because they are now chasing a different market that has horrible different taste.

And 5000lb curb weight. What the F. They managed to make it even heavier than the Taycan. Somebody needs to tell the Germans that lightness was a FEATURE.

The only thing that compares favorably is the 0-60 acceleration, and the range.
I do wish that Porsche would unlock a bit more acceleration on the RWD and the 4S.
It's crazy isn't it. When you really look at it, you realise what a complete mess of a design it is and wonder what the hell the designers are doing, or do they each get 30cm square to work on?

The big grill I can kind of look past but the rest of it, no way. I am looking for two new cars and BMW should be at the top of the list but I haven't even bothered to go into their showroom (though I must admit the BMW M5 CS would be on the list if I was looking at pure petrol car). I even went into an Audi showroom the other day.
 

FrozenRobert

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IIRC even Matt Watson of CarWow (yes, I know, he's a charming but annoying toff) did a video with this BMW recently -- he distinctly noted that the design, especially interior, was 99% a stock 3-series with a different screen and not much else. He also found it heavy, although he noted it had gobs of power and tracked well.

As a reformed X5 owner (never again) I wouldn't encourage any potential EV buyers to consider the BMW, it's easily apparent that this is early days for BMW and they don't have their heads on correctly yet.

And I can't see past the rabbit fangs either. I just can't.
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