Yep, this is what BMW M cars look like these days, get used to it people. This is the BMW iX M60 – a 610bhp SUV that apparently blends the worlds of BMW i, X and M. Fusion cooking at its, er, finest?

Curious about what the regular iX is like, click on this blue stuff.

It’s the most powerful version of the iX yet, with two electric motors sending that aforementioned 610bhp and a maximum of 1100Nm ft of torque (in Sport mode) to all four wheels. Rather astonishingly for something so portly, the 0-100km/h sprint is dispatched in 3.8 seconds and it’ll run on to a limited top speed of 250km/h. That’s no doubt helped by the slippery drag coefficient of 0.26.

But what does all that extra power do to the range? Well, the M60 is supplied by the same 105.2kWh battery pack as the mid-level 523bhp xDrive50. That car claims 612 km on a single charge, but BMW reckons you’ll still get 575km from the M60. Just don’t use all 1100 torques all of the time.

The M60 also gets launch control and M-tuned air suspension, which BMW says helps with “outstanding cornering dynamics and handling”. You get blue brake calipers, plenty of metallic M badging and optional 22-inch aero wheels too.Doesn’t look as though the M department were let loose on the interior though, does it? It’s all fairly standard iX in there, with big screens, big chairs and many sustainable materials. 

So, the big question remains. Could 610bhp change your mind about the iX?

TEXT Greg Potts