BMW i4 M60 bests Tesla Model 3

BMW’s latest move is not a one-off review clip. For 2026, the company replaced the i4 M50 with the new i4 M60, its top performance version of the electric 4 Series Gran Coupe. (bmwusa.com) (edmunds.com) BMW says the i4 M60 makes 593 horsepower and reaches 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. U.S. pricing starts at $70,700 before destination, with listed range at 232 to 278 miles depending on configuration. (bmwusa.com 1) (bmwusa.com 2) Tesla’s current Model 3 page shows the standard car at up to 321 miles of Environmental Protection Agency range, while Tesla’s 2024 launch post for the new Model 3 Performance said it was built as a more driver-focused trim with adaptive dampers, stiffer mounts and a rear-biased torque split. (tesla.com 1) (tesla.com 2) That puts the BMW-Tesla fight on two tracks at once: BMW is selling more power and a more traditional premium cabin, while Tesla is still leaning on efficiency, software and its performance chassis story. (bmwusa.com) (tesla.com) The 2026 change also matters because BMW did not launch a clean-sheet replacement. Edmunds notes the headline update is that the M50 was renamed M60 and made more powerful, while the rest of the i4 line gained range improvements. (edmunds.com) (insideevs.com) That means shoppers comparing a Model 3 Performance with an i4 are no longer looking at BMW’s early EV effort. They are looking at a car BMW has kept tuning on power, efficiency and positioning since the i4’s 2022 launch. (edmunds.com) (insideevs.com) The driving verdict is less settled than the social-media framing suggests. Evo praised the i4 M60’s ride and straight-line speed in March 2026 but called its handling “lacklustre,” while Edmunds said the M60 “falls short of handling expectations.” (evo.co.uk) (edmunds.com) Tesla, for its part, made the handling case explicit when it launched the updated Model 3 Performance on April 23, 2024. The company highlighted adaptive dampers, lighter bespoke chassis hardware and software that adjusts torque split hundreds of times per second. (tesla.com) So the cleaner explainer is this: the i4 M60 is BMW’s newest, strongest direct shot at the Model 3 Performance, but whether it “bests” Tesla depends on which metric a driver cares about most. On paper, BMW now leads on peak power and hatchback practicality, while Tesla still advertises the longer-range mainstream Model 3 and centers its pitch on chassis tech and efficiency. (bmwusa.com) (tesla.com 1) (tesla.com 2)