BMW’s Neue Klasse offensive has found its first genuinely quick model, and it isn’t wearing a full M badge. The iX3 M60 has been revealed as a 603bhp performance flagship for the electric crossover range, arriving alongside a coupe-styled iX4 M60 that shares the same mechanical package. Think of it as BMW’s electric answer to the old M340i: a “medium-hot” model with meaningful M division input rather than a ground-up M car.
That distinction matters, because there is a bigger fish coming. A quad-motor iX3 M with more than 1,000bhp is expected to follow, and the M60 exists to fill the gap until it lands.
603bhp from twin motors, and a petrol scalp to go with it
The iX3 M60 runs a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup producing 603bhp and 875Nm of torque. BMW quotes 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and an electronically limited 149mph top speed, the latter helped by a longer gear ratio than the standard car runs.
The numbers worth dwelling on are the comparisons. The M60 makes 100bhp and 225Nm more than the outgoing petrol X3 M Competition, a car that carried a full M badge and a six-figure reputation for aggression. BMW has effectively leapfrogged its own performance SUV flagship with a trim level that sits below the top of the range.
Instant electric torque delivery means the real-world gap will feel wider still. The X3 M Competition needed revs and a working gearbox to access its peak output; the M60 simply has it available from a standstill.
Chassis work that goes beyond a power upgrade
BMW has not simply bolted bigger motors into an iX3 and called it a day. Adaptive M suspension is standard, with model-specific spring and damper tuning rather than a generic sport setting borrowed from elsewhere in the range. There are new front-axle anti-roll bar links, and the steering runs a variable ratio sport setup.
The most interesting technical detail is the electronically controlled rear differential, which delivers torque vectoring without leaning on the brakes. That is a meaningful distinction on an electric car, where brake-based interventions can feel clumsy and cost range. By shuffling drive between the rear wheels electronically, the M60 can rotate into a corner more naturally and put power down on exit without the friction losses of a braking-based system.
It is the kind of hardware that suggests BMW wants this car to be judged on more than its acceleration figure, which is a sensible approach when plenty of electric crossovers now post sub-four-second times.
M cues inside and out, including a Le Mans nod
Visually, the M60 gets redesigned light signatures, unique wheels, a new rear spoiler and light bars that echo the M logo. The optional M Yellow Lights are the standout detail, a direct reference to BMW’s racing heritage including the M Hybrid V8 that competed at Le Mans and the company’s GT3 machinery.
Inside, buyers can specify M Sport seats with thicker bolsters, paired with a steering wheel that uses more conventional spokes and carries M Sport branding. There is a Boost Mode button, and paddles that adjust the M eDrive responses, giving the driver a way to dial the powertrain up or down without diving into menus.
It is a familiar formula: enough visual and tactile differentiation to justify the badge, without tipping into the theatrical excess of a full M model.
Pricing and when it arrives
BMW has not announced pricing for the M60. In the United States, an iX3 50 xDrive with the M Sport package starts at $65,350, with speculation the M60 could land closer to $80,000. Those figures apply to the US market only, and UK pricing has not been confirmed.
The iX3 M60 is due to reach dealers early next year as a 2027 model year car. It arrives as part of a wider Neue Klasse push that now extends well beyond electric SUVs. The new BMW 3 Series shows how far the design language and technology have spread, with the eighth-generation saloon adopting the Neue Klasse approach.
The coupe-styled sibling is worth watching too. The 2027 BMW iX4 outlines how the sloped-roof variant will follow a similar path, with the M60 xDrive expected to join the range.
The 1,000bhp iX3 M still looms
The M60 is a warm-up act, and BMW is not pretending otherwise. A full iX3 M is expected with a quad-motor setup producing more than 1,000bhp, which would put it in a completely different performance bracket to anything the company has sold before.
BMW has teased a production electric M car for years. The most recent signal was the M Concept Neue Klasse, which appeared close to production and looked very much like a first electric M3. An earlier M concept also featured a quad-motor arrangement, and a BMW executive floated a figure of around 1,300bhp back in 2024.
That is the direction of travel, and it explains the M60’s positioning. BMW is building an electric performance hierarchy rather than replacing its M division overnight, and the M60 sits in the middle of it: quick enough to embarrass a petrol X3 M Competition, sophisticated enough to justify the chassis hardware, but deliberately leaving headroom for something far more extreme.
For buyers who want serious electric performance without waiting for the quad-motor flagship, the iX3 M60 looks like the sensible middle ground. For everyone else, the countdown to 1,000bhp has well and truly started.
