BMW iX M60 | The Panzerkampfwagen
You're definitely wondering, what's a Panzerkampfwagen? Well, the Panzerkampfwagen is a German tank used in World War II. It was also the first word that came up when I saw the BMW iX M60. Not the word “Panzerkampfwagen” to be clear, but more like: Damn! This car is a tank! An electrified tank to be specific with specs you can only dream of. Let's go for a ride in this reinvented and electrified German tank!
Modern Massive
To start with, you either love the iX M60 or you hate it. This car has a “special” look and some people will even call it “ugly”. This one got the BMW Individual Storm Bay metallic exterior color and I really liked it. It suits this very big and bulky car pretty well! The front looks different, to say the least, and it has that typical new BMW grille, which I’m not a fan of in general but I’m getting used to it more and more. Because it’s an EV the grille in this massive front is completely closed and it's also really eye-catching, that's either a good or a bad thing. At the front, we also got those modern-looking and sporty headlights, they make the nose of the car look a lot cleaner and more aggressive. Those lights aren't just normal LED lights but they're laser lights. I expected a lot of brightness in front of me, but my expectations were a bit too high. I’ve driven cars with just “normal” LED headlights that are a lot brighter than these. Don’t get me wrong, they’re really bright, but I expected just that little bit more from laser lights.
When we take a look at the side of the car, you'll see the 21” bicolor midnight grey rims. They're good-looking and great in combination with the exterior color of the car. You can also choose an optionally 22” upgrade, which includes sportier tires. Other good-looking parts are those gold bronze door handles, the M logo and the door trim from the mirrors to the trunk.
Let’s move to the back, which I liked a lot more than the front because at the rear the curves of the car look smoother and fit the car a lot better. The taillights are very narrow en sporty looking, they also break the big trunk door. Speaking about the trunk, it’s a fully automatic one. Don't be afraid it would hit something when you open it, it's smart enough to adjust its height to prevent a collision with a wall or ceiling.
Comfortable Tank
Let’s take a look at the inside of this German tank. First things first, the steering wheel and curved infotainment system will immediately catch your eye. The steering wheel has a special square-like shape with all the buttons you need. Behind that good-feeling steering wheel, you’ll find a 12,3” cluster which is smoothly connected to the 14,9” touchscreen right next to it. It gives you the impression that you have one big curved screen. On the infotainment screen you will find “my mode” which changes the sound of the car and the color of the interior lights, but let me tell you more about that later.
The next thing that really popped were the crystal details in the car. The buttons on the doors to adjust the position of the seats, the button to change drive mode and also the big scroll wheel to navigate through the infotainment system are all made of real crystals. It looks so stunning and luxurious, and that's just the feeling this whole car gives you. The feeling of luxury and high class. The exclusive olive leaf-tanned natural leather on the instrument panel, door trims, center console and seats creates an atmosphere of pure luxury. The very comfortable seats with gold bronze accents in the headrests are equipped with massage function, heating and cooling. Even the armrests on the doors and the center console are heated.
BMW shows that luxury and technology go hand in hand. When you take a look above you, you will see that big panoramic roof named “Sky Lounge”. It lets you enjoy the sun during the day and lets you watch the stars at night. But the most amazing thing about that panoramic roof is that you can change the glass from transparent to opaque with a touch of a button. When you choose opaque, it will keep the sun out but still lets enough light through.
Mind-Blowing Power and Features
Driving the car is a whole experience on its own. You can drive up to 561 km (WLTP) with a fully charged battery of 111,5 kWh. With its two powerful M eDrive motors you get 619hp and 1100Nm torque. This car is a real bomb that ignites with a big push of your right foot. It’s really crazy, feeling such a big and heavy car accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 3,8s. Not only the power of this car is amazing but also the experience you get when just driving normally. The “my mode” I was going to tell you more about is the key to this whole experience. With this you can change the vibe of the car in 5 different driving modes: personal, sport, efficient, expressive and relax. When choosing a specific mode, the colors of the infotainment, colors of the interior lights and the motor sound will change. For example, when you put it in relax-mode it will give you calming colors and when you accelerate the sound of the motor will be harmonious sound. If you put it in sport, on the other hand, you will get very vibrant colors and a sportive engine sound. All those engine sounds were designed in collaboration with composer and Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer. Talking about sound, this car has an amazing Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System. It consists of 30 speakers all over the car including 8 speakers worked into the headrest for the ultimate surround sound. There's also a shaking system in the front seats for a 4D feeling of the bass and It's AMAZING!
Back to driving this car, did you know you can do an amazing launch control with this one? I know, launching an EV, sounds weird doesn't it? But BMW thought this through. When you hit the brakes and push the gas pedal fully down, the front wheels start to shake. You get the feeling the car wants to get away and It gives you kind of the same experience a launch with a “normal“ car would give you. The moment you let go of the brake, the insane amount of 1100Nm of torque will push you into your seat. I’m saying it again, this car is so extremely fast and definitely recalibrates your frame of reference.
The iX M60 not only offers great power and performance but also a lot of comfort. The adaptive air suspension makes it possible to drive comfortably with a pronounced dynamic driving behavior. It also keeps the height of the car constant with each load and automatically adjusts it depending on the driving mode. Another great feature is integral active steering. At speeds below 60 km/h, the rear wheels steer in opposite directions and provide more flexibility and maneuverability. From about 60 to 80 km/h, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels, which increases driving stability and comfort.
Best German Tank
This car really blew my mind. It’s so well-built, so luxurious and so sportive at the same time. BMW did such an amazing job on this car and of course this comes with a price, starting at €140.600 (BE) this car isn’t just your average daily car. With all the technology and luxury you’re getting, it’s a correct but nonetheless high price.
