The BMW X3 M died in 2024. Two years later, this is what replaced it: a 603-hp electric iX3 M60 that BMW insists is not a full M car. It debuted alongside the new iX4 and iX4 M60, part of the brand’s Neue Klasse rollout that is steadily electrifying every nameplate in the lineup.
Whether it fills the void left by the combustion X3 M depends entirely on what you loved about that car.
The numbers look strong on paper. The iX3 M60 produces 603 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, gains of 140 hp and 170 lb-ft over the iX3 50 xDrive. BMW claims 3.9 seconds to 62 mph, a full second quicker than its lesser sibling, with a top speed of 149 mph.
That makes it the most powerful X3 variant ever built, combustion or electric.
It still uses the same 108.7-kWh usable battery as the rest of the iX3 range. BMW has not confirmed U.S. range figures, but the WLTP rating sits at 754 km. That number will shrink every time you use the new Boost button on the steering wheel, which is exactly the kind of trade-off M Performance buyers have always accepted.
Visually, the M60 tries to separate itself without going overboard. Optional yellow running lights, called “M Yellow Lights” with zero irony, are the headline exterior feature and have so far only appeared on M and M Performance models. A dashed-line grille surround light, model-specific rear spoiler, M-striped mirror caps, and unique 21- or 22-inch wheels round out the look.
Gloss black accents finish the job. It implies speed rather than screaming it.
Inside, the changes are thinner. Sport seats with illuminated M logos in the headrests. A black and Adelaide Grey color scheme that nods to the old X3 M’s cabin pairs with an M-colored pattern across the dash.
The Panoramic iDrive display is shared with the standard car, but BMW has loaded it with M-specific graphics, fonts, colors, and a power meter to remind you of the premium you paid.
The tech additions lean hard into the enthusiast crowd. Two new drive modes, M Sport and M Sport Plus, join the roster. A drag meter app measures acceleration runs, and an M Cockpit app lets drivers configure their own dashboard layout.
These are the kinds of features that generate loyalty among people who actually track their quarter-mile times and couldn’t care less about ambient lighting options.
But the elephant in the room is what this car is not. It is not an M car. BMW still calls it M Performance, a tier below the full-fat M division treatment.
The real question is what the actual X3 M will look like when it arrives, and whether it will be electric, plug-in hybrid, or something else entirely. The iX3 M60 sits in that uncomfortable middle ground where it’s too fast to ignore and too restrained to fully satisfy.
BMW has been playing this game for years, layering the M brand across trim levels until the lines blur between marketing and engineering. The M60 badge used to mean something very specific. Now it means 603 hp in an electric SUV that shares its battery, platform, and most of its interior with the car one rung below.
The iX3 M60 will cost more than the 50 xDrive, though BMW has not released U.S. pricing. Given the pattern with other M Performance models, expect a substantial jump for those yellow lights and that extra second off the sprint time. Whether buyers see that as a performance bargain or a down payment on the M car they actually wanted remains an open question.
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