Safety cars in motorsports are usually gasoline powered, as are most vehicles in motorsports apart from Formula E perhaps. But as the world moves towards electric power trains and automotive manufacturers move towards a more sustainable future, we have the BMW i4 M50 which is from the performance M marquee of the German motoring giant. The car will debut on August 15 as the FIM Enel Motor E World Cup safety car in the motorcycle Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull ring which recently also hosted two back to back Formula One races.
The i4 M50 replaces another electric car the BMW i8 which was previously seen in the motorcycle series that acts as a supporting series to MotoGP. This new safety car for FIM Enel MotorE World Cup is going to be based on the production i4 M50 which is slated to be launched in November 2021.
It should be noted that the car isn't in the same league as some of the other M-performance badged vehicles, though the road going i4 M50 does generate similar figures to any other M-Performance vehicle. It features an eAWD system thanks to twin electric motors, one on each axle producing 400 kW or 536 bhp and 795-newton meters of torque.
The i4 M50 replaces the BMW i8 electric safety car at the Moto E World Cup
It also gets the M-specific chassis technology and a drive sound specifically designed for the electric M branded cars by BMW. It gets powered by a high violated 83.9 kWh battery and the i4 M50 can do 0-100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds using a sport boost mode, though it must be said this is no Tesla Model S Plaid which can do the same in just 1.9 seconds.
"While the production version of the four-door Gran Coupe will hit the market in the autumn, our fans can enjoy its world premiere at the racetrack this summer. There could not be a more appropriate safety car for MotoE than the BMW i4 M50 - pure performance, fully electric. We are looking forward to the premiere in Spielberg," said Markus Flasch, the CEO of BMW M GmbH.
The FIM MotorE World Cup has been part of the MotoGP world championship since 2019.
This car also shows that the BMW group is slightly ahead of the Daimler Group in its quest to become a modern electric car company, though remains leagues behind the likes of Tesla and Volkswagen Group.
