AC Schnitzer Switches On To EVs With BMW i4 Upgrades

AC Schnitzer has carved out a solid reputation for modifying BMW’s ICE-powered machines over the last 35 years. But now the Aachen-based firm is turning its attention to BMW’s new generation of electric cars, specifically the BMW i4 sedan.

Owners of the Tesla Model 3-rivalling German EV can cherry pick from a catalogue that includes aero add-ons like front splitters, side wings for the front bumpers, a rear roof spoiler, a rear trunk-lid lip spoiler and matching side blades on the rear quarters.

AC Schnitzer’s AC1 five-spoke wheels are available in two different finishes and in 19- and 20-inch sizes, or you can go for the AC4 Flow Forming rims, again in silver or black finishes, but with a wider-set double-five-spoke design, thoughts rims only come in 20-inch formats.

And to maximise the dynamic benefit of those wheels you’ll be wanting ACS’s spring kit, which drops the ride height by 20-25 mm (0.8-1.0-inches), while available wheel spacers push the wheels out to the edge of the arches to increase the track width and better fit the fender line.

Interior options include aluminium pedals, an aluminium footrest, a key holder also made from aluminium, and a “Black Line” cover for the iDrive rotary controller. In fact, about the only part of the i4 AC Schnitzer has left alone is the electric drivetrain. While the exhaust and ECU tuning package the firm released for the M240i helped liberate an additional 45 hp (45 PS) from the turbo straight six for a total of 414 hp (420 PS), the i4’s electric motors have been left alone.

That means owners will have to be content with the 281 hp (285 PS) and 335 hp (340 PS) generated by the standard single-motor, rear-wheel drive i4 eDrive35 and eDrive40 models, or the 536 hp (544 PS) the dual-motor M50 version sends to its four wheels. But since all three can hit 60 mph (100 km/h) in less than 6.0 seconds or less, and the M50 can do the job in 3.7 seconds, they probably already have enough go to justify the extra swagger provided by AC Schnitzer’s visual upgrades.

This isn’t ACS’s first attempt at modifying an electric BMW. The company already offers packages for the recently deceased i3, and the i8 hybrid sports car.