BMW i3s I01 vs BMW 218d xDrive F44: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the i3s hits 100 km/h in 6.81 s versus 9.04 s for the 218d xDrive. The instant torque of 270 Nm from the electric motor makes the difference. At this point, the i3s leads by 2.23 s and sits roughly 9 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the i3s is doing 124 km/h against 109 km/h for the 218d xDrive. The gap is 0.80 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the i3s crosses the line in 15.05 s versus 16.54 s. The 1.50 s gap represents roughly 55 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the i3s continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 160 km/h versus 151 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the i3s finishes in 28.59 s versus 30.52 s, with a 1.93 s lead. Despite a higher top speed (209 km/h), the 218d xDrive never recovers its launch deficit.

The 218d xDrive features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the i3s’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the i3s is capped at 160 km/h, the 218d xDrive at 211 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 15.31 seconds. The 2.23 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.