BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring G60 vs BMW 730Ld xDrive G11: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 730Ld xDrive hits 100 km/h in 5.87 s versus 6.12 s for the i5 eDrive40 Touring. Despite lacking instant torque, 265 hp of power compensates. At this point, the 730Ld xDrive leads by 0.25 s and sits roughly 14 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 730Ld xDrive is doing 128 km/h against 134 km/h for the i5 eDrive40 Touring. The gap is 0.37 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the 730Ld xDrive crosses the line in 14.15 s versus 14.33 s. The 0.18 s gap represents roughly 8 m of track - barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, the gap narrows. The i5 eDrive40 Touring maxes out at 193 km/h while the 730Ld xDrive keeps accelerating towards 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h. At 600 metres, the gap is down to 0.03 s from 0.18 s at 400 metres.

At 1,000 metres, the 730Ld xDrive finishes in 25.94 s versus 25.96 s, with just 0.02 s to spare. The i5 eDrive40 Touring fails to fully close the launch gap.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the i5 eDrive40 Touring is capped at 193 km/h, the 730Ld xDrive 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.

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 9.46 seconds. The 0.25 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.