BMW’s South Korean branch is privileged in the sense that it has its very own Driving Center. Inaugurated back in 2014, the facility boasts a 2.6-kilometer (1.61-mile) test track where the automaker’s local division puts the latest cars through their paces. It was the i5’s turn to perform a hot lap of the circuit, and coincidentally (albeit predictably), it matched the i4 eDrive40’s lap time.
It crossed the finish line in 1 minute and 33.2 seconds, exactly the same as the i4 eDrive40. We were expecting them to have similar lap times but not identical. BMW fits both EVs with a single motor mounted at the rear, making 335 hp and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) in both instances. Despite having the same setup, their 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) times are different because the i5 is a larger and heavier car. It does the job in six seconds flat whereas the i4 takes 5.7 seconds.
The recently launched all-wheel-drive version, dubbed i5 xDrive40, should perform better in a time attack courtesy of its all-wheel-drive system. Those who want an even faster electric 5 Series will have to step up to the M Performance version with as much as 593 hp and 605 lb-ft from its pair of motors. It’ll be interesting to see how many seconds the i5 M60 will be able to shave off from the lap time.
BMW South Korea has tested a lot of cars at the circuit in Incheon. The fastest of the bunch (so far) has been the M4 Coupe with a lap time of 1 minute and 25.06 seconds, about a second quicker than the new M2 G87. As for the slowest, a 420i Convertible needed 1 minute and 39.10 seconds to get the job done.
As to which car has the potential of being the fastest model around a track, the M4 CS coming next year has already been teased as the fastest production BMW at the Nürburgring. With rumors indicating an M2 xDrive is coming in 2026, that might turn out to be even faster.
Source: BMW South Korea / YouTube
