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Home›Duel›BMW i4 vs Mercedes S 580

Performance comparison

BMW i4 M50 xDrive G26 vs Mercedes S 580 e 4MATIC W223: which is truly faster?

Simulated drag race 0 → 1,000 m in real time. Synchronised speed counters and stopwatch. Physics calibration on 7 manufacturer measurements.

BMWBEVFaster

i4 M50 xDrive G26

544 hp · 795 Nm · 2,215 kg · 2024

VS
MercedesPHEV

S 580 e 4MATIC W223

510 hp · 750 Nm · 2,470 kg · 2024

MotorwayRange & chargingPerformance0-100, top speedConsumptionAnnual TCO

Parameters and assumptions

Simulation

Start
Standing, straight line
Surface
Dry asphalt, 23°C
Wind
None
Driver
1 person, 75 kg

Calibration

Splits
0–100, 0–200 manufacturer
Power curve
Real measurement (Caralogy)
VMax
Manufacturer limited
Transmission
Losses integrated in model

Physics model calibrated on manufacturer splits. The limited top speed is not the real aerodynamic top speed of the vehicles.

i4 M50 xDrive G26S 580 e 4MATIC W223
0–100 km/h3,92 s−0,95 s4,87 s
400 m standing start12,01 s−0,95 s12,96 s
1,000 m standing start21,97 s−1,14 s23,11 s
Top speed (electronically limited)225 km/h250 km/h−25 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio4,07 kg/hpbetter ratio4,84 kg/hp

Watch the race

Standing-start drag race, calibrated on manufacturer splits. The gap shows at each stage.

BMWBEVi4 M50 xDrive G26
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
MercedesPHEVS 580 e 4MATIC W223
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
100 m
200 m
300 m
400 m
500 m
600 m
700 m
800 m
900 m
1000 m
0m → 1000m
Gap0m

Stage-by-stage comparison

Simulated performance at each stage. Winner in green.

Palieri4 M50 xDrive G26S 580 e 4MATIC W223
0–30 km/h1,13 s1,38 s
0–50 km/h1,89 s2,17 s
0–80 km/h3,04 s3,58 s
0–100 km/h3,92 s4,87 s
0–120 km/h5,04 s6,33 s
0–160 km/h8,35 s10,27 s
0–200 km/h13,16 s15,71 s
400 m standing start12,01 s12,96 s
1,000 m standing start21,97 s23,11 s
Top speed limited225 km/h250 km/h

Under the bonnet

Manufacturer technical specifications. The power-to-weight ratio is the key physical factor in a drag race.

BMW

i4 M50 xDrive G26

4,07kg/hpratio better by 0,77 kg/hp
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power544 hpPending
Torque795 Nm
Weight2 215 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
GearboxAutomatic transmission, single-speed with fixed ratio
Mercedes

S 580 e 4MATIC W223

4,84kg/hpcompensated by −255 kg
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power510 hpPending
Torque750 Nm
Weight2 470 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
GearboxUnknown

The start: 0 to 100 km/h

Off the line, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive hits 100 km/h in 3.92 s versus 4.87 s for the S 580 e 4MATIC. At this point, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive leads by 0.95 s and sits roughly 8 m ahead.

From 100 km/h to 400 metres

At 200 metres, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive is doing 155 km/h against 144 km/h for the S 580 e 4MATIC. The gap is 0.68 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive crosses the line in 12.01 s versus 12.95 s. The 0.95 s gap represents roughly 47 m of track — a gap visible to the naked eye.

Beyond 400 metres: top speed comes into play

Past 400 metres, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 216 km/h versus 206 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive finishes in 21.97 s versus 23.10 s, with a 1.14 s lead. Despite a higher top speed (250 (i.e. 155 mph — industry threshold) km/h), the S 580 e 4MATIC never recovers its launch deficit.

What the numbers don’t tell you

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Bmw i4 M50 xDrive is capped at 225 km/h, the S 580 e 4MATIC at 250 (i.e. 155 mph — industry threshold) 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.

With two plug-in hybrid powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.07 kg/hp vs 4.84 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.15 seconds. The 0.95 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.

Compare with other alternatives

Swap one of the two models to explore an equivalent duel in the same segment.

Instead of i4 M50 xDrive G26
Tesla Model S P85DXiaomi SU7 Max AWDAudi RS e-tron GT
Instead of S 580 e 4MATIC W223
Audi RS 5 SedanBmw 550e xDriveVolvo S60 T8 AWD Recharge

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BmwVSMercedes

540i xDrive vs S 580 e 4MATIC

Frequently asked questions

Sur 0–100 km/h, i4 M50 xDrive G26 gagne (3,92 s vs 4,87 s).

i4 M50 xDrive G26 passe de 0 à 100 km/h en 3,92 secondes (simulation calibrée).

i4 M50 xDrive G26 : 544 hp, ratio 4,07 kg/hp. S 580 e 4MATIC W223 : 510 hp, ratio 4,84 kg/hp.

i4 M50 xDrive G26 : 225 km/h. S 580 e 4MATIC W223 : 250 km/h.