BMW’s First M Performance Electric SUV Hits 612 HP And 3.9-Second 0–100 Times
BMW has revealed the iX3 M60 xDrive, the first M Performance version of its new Neue Klasse electric architecture and the most powerful iX3 built yet. Unveiled on October 8, 2026, the SUV pairs a front and rear electric motor for a combined 612 hp and 875 Nm (645 lb-ft) of torque, enough to send it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds on the way to a 240 km/h (149 mph) top speed. BMW says all figures are still provisional, but the numbers already put the iX3 M60 in territory that gas-powered M SUVs have occupied for years.
What makes this launch matter more than another horsepower bump is how BMW is framing it. The company built the iX3 M60 around the idea that an M Performance badge shouldn’t be watered down just because the drivetrain runs on electrons instead of fuel. Adaptive M suspension, a locking M Sport differential, and a computer system BMW calls the Heart of Joy are all standard, and orders open at the end of January 2027 ahead of production starting that spring at BMW’s Debrecen, Hungary plant.
A Dual-Motor Powertrain Built For Speed And Range
The iX3 M60 xDrive runs BMW’s sixth-generation M eDrive system, with one electric motor driving the front axle and a newly developed EESM (electrically excited synchronous motor) at the rear. That rear motor gets a stronger inverter, rated at 420 amps instead of 300, along with a new stator and a longer gear ratio that raises the car’s usable rotor speed. The result is the extra output that separates the M60 from the standard iX3 lineup, and it’s also what pushes top speed up to 240 km/h.
Range doesn’t take a back seat to that performance. The 108.7 kWh battery is rated for up to 754 km (468 miles) on the WLTP cycle, and the car can charge at up to 400 kW on an 800V DC fast charger. BMW says ten minutes at a high-power station adds roughly 340 km (211 miles) of range. For a 612-hp performance SUV, that’s a combination of power and usable range that few electric rivals currently match.
The Heart Of Joy Coordinates Everything In Milliseconds
BMW’s name for the car’s central nervous system is the Heart of Joy, a high-performance computer that works alongside the BMW M Dynamic Performance Control software to manage the drive system, braking, steering, and even charging and recuperation. BMW says it processes driving-related inputs ten times faster than the systems in its previous electric models, translating torque delivery and chassis response into something closer to the immediacy expected from a combustion M car.
That speed is meant to be felt, not just measured. Shift paddles on the steering wheel let the driver actively shape how the M eDrive system responds, and two dedicated buttons trigger Boost Mode and M Mode directly. The car also has a Soft Stop recuperative braking feature that BMW calls the smoothest stopping action in its history, relying on regenerative braking for nearly all everyday deceleration and saving the physical M Sport brakes, available in red or blue, for hard stops or spirited driving.
Adaptive M Suspension And A Chassis Built To Back Up The Numbers
Horsepower figures mean little without a chassis that can use them, and BMW gave the iX3 M60 the hardware to match its drivetrain. Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers comes standard, recalculating damping forces in a matter of milliseconds based on driving conditions. It’s paired with variable sport steering that adjusts its rack ratio for lower effort at low speeds and sharper response at higher ones, plus an electronically controlled M Sport differential at the rear axle that improves traction through corners and on slippery surfaces.
BMW’s engineers also reinforced the chassis itself, adding anti-roll bar links at the front axle and a bracing package that increases torsional and transverse stiffness. Two M-specific My Modes, M Sport and M Sport Plus, retune the drivetrain, chassis, and steering together at the push of a button, which is the kind of one-touch customization BMW buyers expect from its combustion M lineup.
Race-Inspired Looks And A Cabin Built Around The Driver
Visually, the iX3 M60 leans on the same track-derived cues BMW has used to separate its M Performance models from standard trims. The signature feature is a set of new M Yellow Lights up front, inspired by the BMW M Hybrid V8 endurance racer and only usable alongside the low beams depending on market. Standard 21-inch M wheels, an M-specific roof spoiler with aeroblades, a black diffuser, and an M60 badge at the rear round out an exterior that’s clearly meant to be read as the performance flagship of the iX3 range.
Inside, M Sport seats with ten-way adjustment and illuminated M logos on the head restraints pair with an M Sport steering wheel carrying the dedicated Boost and M Mode buttons. A 17.9-inch curved Central Display and BMW’s Panoramic Vision system handle driver information, while a standard Harman Kardon system with 13 speakers and Dolby Atmos support covers the sound. It’s a cabin that reads less like a tech showcase and more like a driver’s seat first.
BMW isn’t just adding another trim to the iX3 range here; it’s using the M60 to argue that electric drivetrains can carry real M character rather than just borrowing the badge. With orders opening in late January 2027 and production starting that spring in Hungary, the next few months will show whether buyers are ready to pay M Performance money for an SUV with no exhaust note at all.
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