Famed tuner houses are having a tough time showcasing their versions of electric vehicles because there isn't much that can be done on the performance front. But custom houses like Brabus have found ways to overcome this hurdle by focusing completely on style and aerodynamics, and they showcased it with a rather bold makeover of the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan.
And now AC Schnitzer is also joining the bold run with their makeover of the BMW i4. These guys have decades of experience fiddling and making BMWs more desirable. But with AC Schnitzer's newest EV build, things are quite subtle. For the record, this isn't AC Schnitzer's first attempt at modifying an electrified BMW, as they have fiddled with the now-defunct BMW i3 and the sporty BMW i8 sportscar earlier. But the i4 is surely going to be their first successful and popular EV build.
As for their i4 build, the focus is confined to aesthetics, and we must say that it has elevated the aggression for this electric Bimmer. The i4 gets improved aerodynamic appeal with the new custom carbon fiber exterior add-ons. The only mechanical tweaks that have been added here are confined to the suspension setup.
As for the interior, there are subtle sporty AC Schnitzer aluminum bits, and that's about it! There are no tweaks to the electric powertrain which sounds like a bummer, but electric powertrains are too risky to be fiddled with right now. So, AC Schnitzer, just like the Brabus-tuned EQS sedan, has played it safe on the powertrain front.
AC Schnitzer tunes the BMW i4 to look cooler and ride lower, but without any performance tweaks.
AC Schnitzer i4: More Aero-appeal And Coolness
The BMW 4-Series has a bold and sporty design language which has also been inherited by the i4. Now that we are over the beaver face, this Bimmer is a cool-looking sedan from the factory. And that's why AC Schnitzer has not fiddled much with exterior appeal here.
They have managed to elevate its sportiness with a subtle addition of carbon fiber parts around the body, which also improves its aerodynamics. The front fascia is not angrier with an extended front splitter and placards. At the rear, the BMW i4 by AC Schnitzer gets a humble roof spoiler that can be further dramatized by adding the optional rear lip spoiler and winglets.
All the cool custom body mods are made of carbon fiber and add a cool contrasting look when coupled with BMW's color palette. The side profile is fairly stock except for cool new wheels. Two different wheel designs are offered. The first, called the AC4, has a five-spoke layout in pairs of twos and comes in 8.5X20 inch front and 9.5X20 inch rear sizes.
The second design called the AC1, has a similar dual five-spoke layout but is much slimmer, and is also offered in 19- and 20-inch sizes. The AC4 wheels can be had in either silver-and-black or all-black shades, and the AC1 wheels come in sliver-and-anthracite or anthracite-only shades.
AC Schnitzer Adds A Lowering Spring Kit To The i4
The only mechanical mod done by AC Schnitzer on the BMW i4 is in the handling department. The suspension setup has been tweaked with a new spring kit that lowers the car by about 20-25 mm (up to an inch). This might not sound like much, but bring about a notable difference in driving dynamics that can be best experienced on the racetracks. In short, the car's center of gravity gets lower which aids in improved cornering and agile handling characteristics.
AC Schnitzer BMW i4 Interior Gets Subtle Tweaks
There are no major mods for the BMW i4 interior by AC Schnitzer. The only tweaks on offer are a slew of aluminum parts like pedals, footrest, cover for the i-Driver System Controller, and the keyholder. The rest of the cabin is as stock as it can be! The software is also untouched, and we are more than happy with AC Schnitzer's decision to let the interior be as BMW makes some of the coolest, most intuitive, and driver-centric cabins out there, even among EVs.
No Performance Mods For The BMW i4 By AC Schnitzer
AC Schnitzer has decided to play it safe and has left the all-electric powertrain of the BMW i4 untouched. This means that there are three drivetrain options for this modified i4. First and the least powerful is a newly introduced eDriver35 trim with a single-motor RWD layout that churns out 281 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
Next up is the eDrive40 trim that also packs a base single electric motor RWD layout and churns out 340 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The other is a performance-centric M50 trim that comes with a twin-motor AWD layout and pumps out 544 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque.
The quickest of the lot, M50, can do 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, whereas the other two can achieve it under 6 seconds. Don't expect any major changes in these numbers with AC Schnitzer's mods, but there will be a difference when it comes to driving dynamics, thanks to the aero-spec carbon-fiber exterior mods.
AC Schnitzer-tuned BMW i4: Pricing And Availability
AC Schnitzer has not disclosed the pricing of its kit for the BMW i4, but they encourage interested individuals to get in touch to know more about adding more cool to their BMW EV. The 2023 BMW i4 starts with an MSRP of $51,400 for the newly-introduced Drive35 trim and tops out at $67,300 for the sporty i4 M50 trim. As the German tuner's kit is mostly aesthetic, we can expect fairly moderate pricing on it.
Sources: AC Schnitzer, BMW