[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by ZCD1

So that points to the BMW’s motor’s lower maximum motor rpm as the biggest reason for its “limited” top speed.

It was another poster who asked for the reason for the i4’s relatively low maximum speed, so it’s not a “moot” statistic for this discussion (or in Germany).

The motor designs are similar, so it is most likely a BMW imposed limit rather than a "technically incapable" one. Spinning a motor at 18,500rpm on steel bearings is pushing the limits. I guess BMW have less appetite for risk.

The other factor could just be car / drivetrain dynamics. The cD and frontal area are different on both cars, worse for BMW. At top speed that makes a huge difference, especially so on electric motors that shed torque with rpm much more than an ICE. It is possible that even unrestricted the BMW M50 is not capable of accelerating much beyond 140mph, so it was pegged at a round number (225km/h).

As for my point about relevance of top speed. Any EV would be using up massive amounts of power at those speeds. It isn't something you could sustain for long periods as your range would be dropping like a Mig 29 on afterburner. You are also likely to start having LIMP mode from overheated battery/ motor, so not the most effective way to travel in real world situations.