McLaren 540C vs BMW i Series

What's the difference?

The 540C is desirable on so many levels. Its dynamic ability, blistering performance, and stunning design make the cost of entry a value-for-money ticket. And the refreshing thing is, choosing a McLaren, with its focus on function and pure engineering, sidesteps the wankery that so often goes with ownership of an 'established' exotic brand. We absolutely love it.

BMW’s iX M60 isn’t just the brand’s flagship all-electric SUV, it’s a statement that the electric future is here and it doesn’t have to be boring.

Pricing aside, the top-spec iX serves up practical space and prodigious performance in a package that is punctuated with panache.

The sizeable battery also allays any concerns over range, while the cabin’s appointments and fit and finish are definitely befitting of a BMW.

It’s not designed to be for everyone, and that’s okay, too, because the small customer base willing to part with around $230,000 for an electric SUV in 2022 will find a lot to like about the iX.

In 2010 the recent rise (and rise) of McLaren Automotive really began, when its design director, the hugely respected Frank Stephenson, started to send things in a compelling direction.

He says McLarens are 'designed by air' and that intricately sculpted, wind-tunnel-driven approach to supercar beauty is clear in the 540C's shape.

It's aimed at so-called everyday supercars like the Audi R8, and Porsche 911 Turbo, yet it incorporates all the subtle aero tricks that define the brand's dynamic personality.

A serious front spoiler and a mix of large intakes low in the nose create a delicate balance between downforce and corridors for cooling air.

The dihedral design doors swinging up to their fully open position is a camera phone attracting, jaw dropping, traffic-stopper.

Broad strakes down the side, standing proud of the main bodywork, are reminiscent of a formula one car's turbulence reducing barge boards, and giant intake ducts channel air through to the radiators in the cleanest, most efficient way possible.

And the look is suitably spectacular. You could hang the dramatically carved doors in a contemporary art museum.

Barely noticeable flying buttresses extending from the rear of the main roofline make a big contribution to downforce, cooling and stability with a minimal drag penalty.

There's a delicate lip spoiler on the trailing edge of the main deck, and a giant multi-channel diffuser proves air flow under the car is just as carefully managed as that going over it.

But the 540C doesn't lack traditional supercar drama. The dihedral design doors swinging up to their fully open position is a camera phone attracting, jaw dropping, traffic-stopper.

The interior is simple, striking and single-mindedly driver-focused. The chunky wheel is completely unadorned, the digital instruments are crystal clear, and the seats are the perfect combination of support and comfort.

The vertical 7.0-inch 'IRIS' touchscreen is cool to the point of minimalism, managing everything from audio and nav, to media streaming and air-con, with low-key efficiency.

Close your eyes and ask your eight-year-old self what an electric BMW SUV would look like, and chances are something like the iX will come to mind.

Sleek and slender, but still very BMW is the best way we can describe the iX.

Of course, we cannot talk about styling on a BMW without mentioning its front grille.

With a more vertically stacked orientation, the iX’s grille has been described as ‘toothy’ or even an ‘eye sore’ by the public in the past. But honestly, we think this attention-grabbing front end suits the swagger of the M60.

The gold highlights throughout are especially baller, and the grille serves as double-duty to hide a lot of the front-facing cameras and sensors required for more of the high-tech driving features like semi-autonomous driving.

The grille is flanked by BMW’s usual quad-headlight design for a menacing appearance on the road, and we particularly like the contrasting colours and sharp lines of our grey-coloured test car.

Another cool feature is the front badge, which can be popped up and serves as an inlet for the windscreen washer jets.

In profile, the 22-inch wheels look almost too small against the huge swathes of bodywork, but BMW has done a good job in slimming down the M60 thanks to the gloss-black stripe that runs along the bottom of the doors.

Speaking of, the handles might not pop-out like some of its rivals, but the recessed handle is highlighted nicely with gold-copper accents that also run along the beltline and door mirrors.

The D-pillar is also broken up with a blacked-out section that divides the roof, also helping slim down the behemoth BMW, and up close the section is embossed with ‘iX’.

At the rear, the clamshell boot might look large and bulky, but the design is helped by the very slender tail-lights and bumper broken up with more gloss-black.

Step inside the cabin, and the iX’s aesthetics are similarly unconventional, but the interior design also follows function.

For starters, the odd-shaped steering wheel is the feature that stands out the most, but you quickly realise the flat bottom helps with entry and exit into the driver’s seat.

As an all-electric model, there is no transmission tunnel, with the footwell between the driver and front passenger easily accessible for a more open-feeling cabin.

There is an armrest of course, while the area for multimedia controls is adorned with a one-piece, wood-like finish to contrast the crystal control knob. It’s a mix of technology and the natural environment, you see, much like the iX itself.

Do we love the styling of the iX M60? Much in the same way Louis Vuitton’s latest fashion range might not appeal to the masses, the iX M60 is likewise a polarising proposition.

To answer the question, yes, the iX M60 is a very stylish SUV that draws the eye and turns heads like nearly nothing else on the road – and that is exactly the point.

There are some cursory concessions to practicality… like a glovebox, a single cupholder under the dash at the leading edge of the centre console, a small bin between the seats, housing multiple USB outlets, and other storage options here and there.

The latter includes a shelf at the top of the bulkhead behind the seats, marked with a specific label saying (words to the effect of) 'don't put stuff here', but that's more about objects flying forward in a high-G deceleration, which in this car is more likely to be the result of hitting the brakes, rather than a crash.

But the 'big' surprise is the 144-litre boot in the nose, complete with light and 12 volt power outlet. It easily swallowed the CarsGuide medium sized, 68-litre hard shell suitcase.

In terms of getting in and out, make sure you've done you warm-ups because frankly it's an athletic challenge to maintain composure and get the job done either way. Despite best efforts, I hit my head a couple of times, and aside from the pain it's worth pointing out that being a follicularly-challenged person I'm forced to display abrasions in full public view.

Despite what it might look like on the outside or how it drives behind the wheel, BMW’s iX is undoubtedly a large SUV in shape.

Measuring nearly five metres long, and featuring a 1967mm width and 1696mm height, the iX M60 is certainly a sizeable machine.

However, it is the three-metre long wheelbase that is the most important measurement here, as it enables a vast and expansive interior space fit for the family.

The front passengers have ample room to get comfortable, and like we said in the design section of the review, there is nothing dividing the footwells of occupants up front.

This makes it the perfect place to park a backpack, handbag or even nappy bag when on the go, and means the front passenger doesn’t lose out on any legroom.

Even the armrest affords storage solutions for all the little things you might have you in pockets, while a wireless smartphone charger means you always have somewhere to place your device.

The front seats, finished in a quilted leather, might look plain, but are wonderfully supportive – even when the speedo climbs and you're carving up corners.

And in the rear, the story is largely the same, with seats that look and feel great and plenty of room for passengers to get comfortable.

My 163cm frame had no problems with leg-, head- or shoulder-room, but the base middle seat is raised a little.

We’ll also call out the great way BMW has hidden the ISOFIX mounting points for child seats, which is hidden by a flap that can be raised or lowered depending on what is needed.

It’s an elegant solution to something that can be an eyesore in other models, and shows the lengths BMW has gone to for the little details.

There is also a fold-down armrest for passengers back there, while the back of the front seats feature two USB-C charging ports, map pockets and spots to insert entertainment screens. 

Open the clamshell boot and there is a cavity that will swallow 500 litres of volume, plenty for a small family like ours, with the charging cables hidden neatly under the floor.

The boot floor is very long, too, meaning large objects will easily fit into the rear, while the 40/20/40 rear seats can be folded down to increase carrying capacity to 1750L.

To put that into perspective, something like the Ford Ranger is rated for more than 1200L in its tray, and while we would never condone the use of an iX to carry worksite tools, it does make carrying a surfboard or Ikea furniture that much easier.

However, it's worth pointing out that there is no front trunk in the iX, as there are electric motor and mechanical bits found in there. 

It’s just a shame that in a car of this size, BMW has not managed to position things with room left for a bit of usable space under the bonnet.

The 2023 BMW iX is available in four flavours, with the entry-level xDrive40 variant coming in at $135,900, before on-road costs.

The same powertrain is also available in Sport trim for $149,900, while a higher-output xDrive50 Sport sits at $174,900.

However, the top dog of the iX range is the M60, priced at a substantial $222,900.

As you can probably tell by the M badging, the iX M60 has more of a performance bent than its more affordable siblings, but it still commands a nearly $90,000 premium over the entry-level BMW electric SUV.

You are also getting a long list of equipment for the spend, though, with standard equipment including keyless entry, push-button start, heated and cooled front seats, a head-up display, and four-zone climate control – all things expected of a luxury model like the BMW iX.

The over-the-top extras you get on the M60 however, include soft-close doors, 22-inch alloy wheels and an electrochromic glass roof which can change its opacity by sending electricity through the middle layer of film. How high tech!

We also like that the iX can use the front-facing camera as a dashcam so you do not have an unsightly camera with long cables attached to the windscreen.

The iX M60 also features a curved 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and massive 14.9-inch multimedia touchscreen with the latest 'iDrive 8' software.

Look, there’s no denying the iX M60 is a pricey vehicle, especially when stacked up against the Audi e-tron S ($173,900) and Jaguar I-Pace HSE ($160,217), but the BMW does kick it up a notch in performance compared to its perceived rivals.

Tesla’s upcoming Model X Plaid will no doubt have something to say about that, but pricing and timing for that model is yet to be revealed. For reference, the last Model X offered in Australia was in 2020, and the top-spec Performance variant was priced at $177,375.

So, does the BMW iX M60 represent good value for money? Not really. But buying a brand-new iPhone whatever on the day it launches is also not good value for money.

Early adopters and people who appreciate having the very latest in technology will always be asked to pay a premium.

Aside from you and a passenger, the most important thing sitting between the 540C's axles is the 3.8-litre (M838TE) twin-turbo V8.

Developed in collaboration with British high-tech engineering specialist, Ricardo, McLaren's used it in various states of tune across different models, including the P1, and even in this 'entry-level' spec it produces enough power to light up a small town.

In 540C trim, the all-alloy unit delivers 397kW (540 metric horsepower, hence the model designation) at 7500rpm, and 540Nm from 3500-6500rpm. It uses race-derived dry sump lubrication, and a compact flat plane crank design, favoured by Ferrari and others in high-performance engines.

While vibration damping can be an issue with this configuration, it allows a much higher rev ceiling relative to the more common cross plane arrangement, and this engine screams up to 8500rpm, a stratospheric number for a road-going turbo.

The seven-speed 'Seamless-Shift' dual-clutch transmission sends drive exclusively to the rear wheels and comes from Italian gearbox gurus Oerlikon Graziano. It's been progressively refined and upgraded since its first appearance in the MP4-12C in 2011.

A large part of why the iX M60 is so much more expensive than its siblings, is because of its powertrain.

With two electric motors spinning all four wheels, the iX M60 makes a staggering 455kW of power and (are you sitting down?) 1100Nm of torque.

This means the iX M60 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds. Not bad for a 2.5-tonne SUV, and it puts many petrol-powered rivals to shame.

This also makes it much more potent than the xDrive40 (240kW/630Nm) and xDrive50 (285kW/765Nm), while also blowing away the Audi e-tron S (370kW/973Nm).

The only electric car that comes close right now in Australia is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S (560kW/1050Nm), but the Tesla Model X Plaid supposedly makes 760kW/1020Nm from three electric motors.

And while the Tesla is not yet available, the Taycan Turbo S is more than $100,000 pricier than the iX M60, and doesn’t offer the same levels of practicality.

McLaren claims 10.7L/100km for the combined (urban/extra urban) fuel economy cycle, emitting 249g/km of CO2 at the same time.

For the record, that's six per cent better than the Ferrari 488 GTB (11.4L/100km – 260g/km), and if you take it easy on a constant freeway cruise, you can lower it even further.

But most of the time, we, ahem, didn't do better than that, averaging 14.5L/100km via the trip computer in just over 300km of city, suburban and freeway running.

Equipped with a 112kWh battery pack, the iX M60 features 566km of driving range according to the WLTP cycle.

In reality, we saw closer to 540km of driving range on the dash readout with a full charge, but of course this is all subject to things like the level of regenerative braking you apply, ambient temperature, the driving mode chosen, air conditioning and weight.

Officially, the BMW iX M60 consumes 26.5kWh per 100km, but our week with the car saw an average of 25.6kWh/100km with driving mainly focussed on short, inner-city trips that are advantageous to an electric car.

This betters the energy consumption of models like the Taycan Turbo S, which features a combined-cycle test of 28.5kWh//100km, but is much more energy-hungry than something like a Nissan Leaf (18kWh/100km).

This figure is also very dependent on driving style and environment, but for a 2.5-tonne SUV that will ferry the family and more, consumption isn’t too bad.

Charging options include 11kW for AC and 200kW DC fast-charging – the latter of which can juice the iX M60 from 10-80- per cent capacity in just 35 minutes, if you can find a compatible outlet, of course.

The best word to describe driving this McLaren is orchestration. The 540C's dynamic elements flow seamlessly together to transform its operator into a conductor guiding a well-honed mechanical orchestra through an energetic concerto.

And slipping (carefully) over the carpeted bulkhead into the driver's seat is like dropping into an ergonomic masterclass. It feels like you're putting the car on, rather than getting into it.

Like all other current McLarens, the 540C is constructed around a one-piece, carbon-fibre tub, which it calls MonoCell II. It's super stiff, and just as importantly, light.

McLaren quotes a dry weight (no fuel, lubricants, or coolant) for the 540C of 1311kg, with the kerb weight a stated 1525kg (including a 75kg passenger). Not featherweight, but with this kind of power sitting a few centimetres behind your head, it's not a lot.

The engine sounds brilliantly guttural, with lots of exhaust roar managing to find a way past the turbos.

A sophisticated launch control system means zero to licence loss is achieved in a flash (0-100km/h – 3.5sec), with jail time lurking if you ever decide to explore the 540C's 320km/h maximum velocity. And in case you're wondering, it'll blast from 0-200km/h, in just 10.5sec.

The engine sounds brilliantly guttural, with lots of exhaust roar managing to find a way past the turbos. Maximum torque is available across a flat plateau from 3500-6500rpm, and mid-range punch is strong. However, the 540C is anything but a one-trick pony, or is that 540 ponies?

The double wishbone suspension, complete with the adaptive 'Active Dynamics Control' system lets you channel all that forward thrust into huge cornering speed.

The switch from Normal, through Sport to Track progressively buttons everything down harder, and an ideal weight distribution (42f/58r) delivers fantastic agility.

Feel from the electro-hydraulic steering is amazing, the fat Pirelli P Zero rubber (225/35 x 19 front / 285/35 x 20 rear), developed specifically for this car, grips like a Mr T handshake, and the standard 'Brake Steer' torque vectoring system, which applies braking force to optimise drive and minimise understeer, is undetectable in the best possible way.

A console switchable 'Powertrain Control System' also offers three settings, and in the upper modes, shifts from the seven speed dual clutch 'box are eye-blink rapid.

The steering wheel paddles come in the form of a genuine rocker, so you're able to change up and down ratios on either side of the wheel, or one-handed.

You'll love catching a glimpse of the heat haze shimmering up off the engine in the rear-view mirror at the lights.

Hammer towards a quick corner and the reassuringly progressive steel rotor brakes bleed off speed with complete authority. Flick down a couple of gears, then turn in and the front end sweeps towards the apex without a hint of drama. Squeeze in the power and the fat rear rubber keeps the car planted, and perfectly neutral mid-corner. Then pin the throttle and the 540C rockets towards the next bend… which can't come quickly enough. Repeat, and enjoy.

But slotting everything into 'Normal' mode transforms this dramatic wedge into a compliant daily driver. Smooth throttle response, surprisingly good vision and excellent ride comfort make the McLaren a pleasure to steer around town.

You'll love catching a glimpse of the heat haze shimmering up off the engine in the rear-view mirror at the lights, and the (optional) nose-lift system makes traversing awkward driveways and speed bumps manageable.

Maybe it’s just us, but as soon as we step into the driver’s seat of the iX M60, the “Gotta Go Fast” theme song for the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon just comes to mind.

And that’s probably because this BMW all-electric SUV seems to want to do one thing... go fast.

Sure, there are various driving modes on offer, including 'Sport' and 'Efficient' (as well as 'Expressive' and 'Relax', weird names, but okay BMW), but no matter what mode you are in, there is just an eagerness and urgency in the iX.

And this feeling of immediacy isn’t just because the iX is an electric car. We’ve experienced that before in other EVs. This is because it’s an M-badged BMW.

The iX M60 is wonderfully responsive to throttle inputs, and the 1100Nm (!) available makes it almost comical getting up to speed from a freeway on-ramp.

And in day-to-day traffic situations, it feels like you’ve got cheat codes on while driving.

Waiting to turn into traffic and see a gap that you wouldn’t normally be able to squeeze into? The BMW iX M60 can do it.

How about cruising along and need to change lanes, so you nudge forward a bit for the opening in traffic? Put the foot down and in the span of half a second, the BMW iX M60 has surged forward enough to flick the indicator on.

And take the iX M60 out to some twisties and that brute force will get you to the end of the road in a time you didn’t think was possible in a 2.5-tonne large SUV.

It’s almost unfair how the instant torque makes it everything so much easier on the blacktop.

But that eagerness is a double-edged sword, as when you want things to calm down and operate the iX in the smoothest manner possible, it’s harder than you might think.

Because the throttle is so sensitive and the powertrain so potent, even the slightest twitch of the right foot can lead to a quick burst of speed that knocks you back into your seat.

Even with things dialled down to the Efficient drive mode, it didn’t do much to curb the unruly iX M60 from wanting to break free at the first moment of carelessness.

Don’t get me wrong, it never gets dangerous or unpredictable, but it’s a bit like toilet training a toddler – you’ve always got to be on top of it.

And for some, that’s fine, but for others when you’ve just had a full-on day at work and have to commute home to the family, it can get tiring. 

BMW’s iX range, including the M60, was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP when tested in 2021.

The adult and child occupant protection tests notched the highest results (91 and 88 per cent respectively), while the vulnerable road user score (73 per cent) and safety assist (78 per cent) examinations also yielded respectable scores.

Standard safety features include all the usual suspects such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view monitor and traffic sign recognition.

However, there is no rear AEB offered on the iX, which is odd in a vehicle that offers all the bells and whistles in terms of equipment. 

Littered throughout the cabin, there are nine airbags in total, including a front centre airbag to protect against passengers colliding in the event of an accident, as well as second-row chest and head cushioning units.

McLaren offers a three year/unlimited km warranty on the 540C, and servicing is recommended every 15,000 km or two years, whichever comes first. No capped price servicing program is offered.

That's a lot of kays for a premium exotic like this, and some may not see 15,000km on the odometer… ever.

Like all new BMWs, the iX now comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist over that period.

BMW held out at three years/unlimited km long after competitors had moved to five years. But this finally matches the assurance periods offered by premium rivals Audi, Genesis, Jaguar, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, and is up two years from the BMW warranty offered just earlier this year.

The iX uses BMW’s 'Condition Based Servicing' system, which means the vehicle will notify owners of when it needs maintenance, therefore there aren’t any scheduled servicing intervals.

However, services are bundled into four- and six-year plans, priced at $1520 and $2195 respectively. An annual average of $380 for the former, and $367 for the latter, is competitive in this part of the market.