BMW Brings Its Electric Future To Saint-Tropez

BMW has been a partner of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez for 19 consecutive years, so the automaker clearly feels at home among the classic yachts, modern racing boats, and generally excessive levels of luxury that descend on the French Riviera. This year’s event, held from September 26 to October 4, gave BMW another opportunity to combine sailing, technology, and plenty of high-end hospitality.

Not that we’re surprised, but BMW’s presence also had a distinctly electric theme. The automaker used the event to showcase three of its newest EVs: the i3, iX3, and the larger iX5. In other words, while some of the boats in Saint-Tropez have been around for generations, BMW was busy showing off where it thinks the automotive industry is heading next.

The iX3 was arguably the star of the trio. As the first production model from the Neue Klasse family, it introduces much of the technology BMW plans to roll out across its lineup, including Panoramic iDrive, iDrive X, and Gen6 electric motors and batteries. It has been on sale for about a year, and its technology will trickle down to around 40 models by the end of 2027.

The First Electric BMW X5 Couldn’t Miss The Show

The new iX5 also made an appearance, giving visitors their first chance to see the fifth-generation X5 translated into a fully electric model. The iX5 60 xDrive combines an 800-volt electrical architecture with sixth-generation eDrive technology and can cover up to 845 km (525 miles) on a charge under the WLTP cycle. It’s also a pretty important model for BMW, considering the X5 has been one of the company’s biggest success stories for more than 25 years.

Then there’s the new i3, which is arguably the most important of the three from a historical perspective. It’s the first fully electric 3 Series for the Neue Klasse era and, in i3 50 xDrive guise, offers up to 912 km (567 miles) of WLTP range. That’s a pretty big number for a car carrying the i3 name, even if this new model has nothing in common with the quirky carbon-fiber hatchback that wore the badge until a few years ago.

The BMW VIP Treatment

BMW also provided an electrified chauffeur fleet for yacht owners, VIP guests, and other visitors. The lineup included the iX3 50 xDrive, i7 50 xDrive, i7 60 xDrive, 530e xDrive, i5 M60 xDrive, i5 xDrive40, iX xDrive45, and iX xDrive60. Nothing says “sailing regatta” quite like being driven around in an i7 while someone else worries about where to park the luxury yacht.

These glitzy events will be a perfect match for the fancier 7 Series version that BMW intends to launch next year. ALPINA is about to pamper the G70 and turn it into the G72, with an even nicer interior and exclusive exterior design details. It won’t be long before the ultra-luxe 7er shows up at these gatherings reserved for people with deeper pockets than 99% of the world’s population.