Thi EV es in the Temple

AT A GLANCE, OUR TEST CARS LOOK LIKE a pair of generic 4 Series Gran Coupés wearing prototype disguise. But look closer: there are no exhaust pipes in the rear diffuser. And listen: no diesel grumble, no petrol snarl, no appetite-whetting vibes of the old-fashioned kind.

Inside, you get the same disconcerting feeling of the familiar knocked slightly off-kilter. The gear selector still squats where you expect it, but where are the shift paddles? The digital speedometer is bracketed by two upright Technicolor columns, but what exactly do they stand for?

Press the starter button and there are no vibrations and no engine noises — either real or fake. Instead, a new alien noise fills the air. Electronic, wavy, and richly textured, it reflects driver inputs like throttle