Dual motors, one on each axle, give the 2027 BMW iX3 M60 xDrive a maximum output of 603 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, according to the U.S. release BMW issued on Oct. 7. The company says the SUV sprints from 0 to 62 mph, the same as 0 to 100 km/h, in 3.9 seconds and runs out to an electronically governed 149 mph. Those two numbers, 603 hp and 3.9 seconds, are the claims at the center of the M60’s pitch as the range-topping iX3.
BMW gave no 0-to-60 mph time, so the 3.9 seconds is a metric-benchmark claim that American stopwatches may read slightly differently. Autoblog notes that BMW “tends to be rather conservative in its power and acceleration estimates.”
Gen6 M eDrive and the 420-amp inverter
The M60 runs the Gen6 BMW M eDrive system, and BMW’s U.S. release describes a new electrically excited synchronous motor at the rear with a redeveloped stator, an inverter uprated from 300 to 420 amps, a longer gear ratio and a higher maximum rotor speed, the last two aimed at the 149-mph top speed.
The power figure depends on which BMW document is read. The company’s global release lists 450 kW, which it converts to 612 metric horsepower and labels provisional, while the North American releases round the same system to 603 hp. Torque is 875 Nm, or 645 lb-ft, in both. The kilowatt rating is the engineering number; the 603 hp figure is the one BMW attached to the SUV in its North American announcements.
The battery is a 112.2-kWh usable pack of cylindrical cells on an 800-volt architecture in the American and Canadian releases; the global document gives 108.7 kWh and a provisional WLTP range of up to 754 km (468 miles). BMW has published no EPA range for the M60. Peak DC charging is 400 kW, and the global document says ten minutes at an 800-volt station adds up to 340 km (211 miles). Standard AC charging runs at up to 15.4 kW in the North American cars, and the Gen6 system supports bidirectional charging, so the pack can in principle feed a home or another load. BMW does not state a charging time for the M60 beyond the distance figure.
Heart of Joy, the rear differential and the rest of the M hardware
What separates the M60 from the iX3 50 xDrive is mostly chassis work. A computer BMW calls the Heart of Joy works with BMW M Dynamic Performance Control and, per the release, processes driving inputs up to ten times faster than earlier systems. Standard equipment includes Adaptive M Suspension with electronically controlled dampers, variable-ratio sport steering and an electronically controlled M Sport differential on the rear axle.
BMW also fitted model-specific springs and dampers, revised front anti-roll bar links and extra bracing at the front end for stiffness. M Sport brakes with blue calipers are standard, with red optional, and 21-inch M light-alloy wheels come on every car, with a 22-inch M aerodynamic wheel offered only on this model. Two driving modes, M Sport and M Sport Plus, are exclusive to the M60, and the steering wheel carries dedicated Boost Mode and M Mode buttons. A Powermeter display shows output, reserves and recuperation, while the optional BMW Digital Premium package unlocks M Cockpit and M Drag Meter apps.
Outside, the roof-edge spoiler has two aeroblades, the diffuser is black and the M60 badge sits on the tailgate. Optional M Yellow Lights borrow their look from the BMW M Hybrid V8 race car. The standard Harman Kardon system has 13 speakers, 430 watts and Dolby Atmos support. The release lists the body at 188.3 inches long, 74.6 inches wide and 64.4 inches tall on a 114.1-inch wheelbase.
Orders from January 2027 and an unannounced price
Customers can order the car from the end of January 2027, and production starts in spring 2027 at BMW Group Plant Debrecen in Hungary. BMW has not announced a U.S. price. The iX3 50 xDrive that the M60 sits above was priced in BMW’s May pricing release at $61,500 plus $1,350 for destination and handling. Autoblog expects the M60 to land above $65,000, though that figure is the outlet’s own estimate.
The numbers also set the M60 against BMW’s own history. Autoblog puts the 603 hp at 100 more than the F97 X3 M Competition and 127 more than the base X3 M, and calls the new car “the most extreme X3 yet.” The Canadian release carries the same 603 hp, 645 lb-ft and 3.9-second figures, and none of the three BMW documents attaches a test-condition footnote to the acceleration claim. The global document also notes that its performance, range and charging values are provisional because binding certification numbers were not yet available when it was issued on Oct. 8, a caveat that applies to the kilowatt rating, the 754-km WLTP range and the 340 km added in ten minutes.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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