- The iX3 M60 xDrive marks the performance peak of BMW’s electric SUV.
- The M60 comes loaded with M performance parts that include adaptive dampers and variable sport steering.
- M60 goes from zero-to-62 mph in 3.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 149 mph.
The new 2027 BMW iX3 already features a new performance variant. The iX3 M60 xDrive debuted Wednesday, providing greater speed and promising better handling dynamics than the 2027 BMW iX3 M50 that went on sale last month.
A successor to the discontinued BMW iX SUV, the iX3 launched as an electric counterpart to the gas-only X3, which is BMW’s bestseller. The iX3 is the first model to usher in BMW’s Neue Klasse design language, and the M60 variant accents those clean lines and nostril — we mean kidney — grille with assertive lighting and available stripped running lights tinted yellow.
Framing the short overhangs are 21-inch alloy wheels, available with performance tires. On the expectedly long options list are 22-inch aerodynamic wheels that may preserve some range, which was conspicuously missing from press materials.
BMW iX3 M60 Power and Specs
The iX3 M60 uses the same 112.2-kwh battery pack that undergirds the long wheelbase iX3 M50, which has an estimated range of 398 miles.
Like the M50, the M60 uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup but with an enhanced rear motor. A new stator and more powerful inverter boost the output from 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque on the M50 to 603 hp and 645 lb-ft on the M60.
That translates to an estimated zero-to-62-mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph. The M50 does the same in 4.7 seconds and tops out at 130 mph.
BMW iX3 M60 Charging
Like other new EVs from BMW, the iX3 M60 benefits from an 800-volt architecture that provides quick though unspecified DC charging times. The iX3 M50 promises to charge from 10% to 80% in just 21 minutes, but that’s at a max DC power flow of 400 kW, which is more common in Europe than the U.S.
It comes with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port on the rear driver’s side, so there’s access to Tesla’s Supercharger network without needing an adapter. The M60 supports bidirectional charging, so you can power up air compressors or gear from the charge port.
The 15.4-kW AC charger should let you charge to full overnight at home on a Level 2 in about 10 hours.
M60 Handling, Steering, and Braking Upgrades
The M60 comes with an adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers overseen by the “Heart of Joy,” which is the big brain that regulates the drive system, steering and braking systems, charging, and regenerative braking. An electronically limited-slip rear differential should make it more spry in and out of corners and have more grip in wet surfaces.
The M60 has two more drive modes than the M50 — M Sport and M Sport Plus — that tap into throttle response and chassis dynamics for a presumably stiffer and more spirited ride. It can also be dialed back into everyday comfort modes.
Structural stiffeners include a front anti-roll bar and strut tower bracing.
A variable steering ratio provides more resistance in sport modes but then loosens up in other modes or at low speeds so it’s easy to turn the wheel and park.
The regenerative braking system enables a full stop without a driver needing to press the brake in what BMW calls the “smoothest stopping” action in its history.
Price of the 2027 BMW iX3 M60
BMW has not announced pricing, but expect it to cost at least $10,000 if not $20,000 more than the $62,850 BMW iX3 M50. Made in Hungary, the 2027 iX3 M60 goes on sale next spring.
