The writing was on the wall, frankly. With horsepower and torque going up from generation to generation, it was to be expected for the F90 M5 to adopt a performance-spec all-wheel-drive system.
Following years of speculation on the subject, the mad professors at the M division came clean about what’s in the offing for the all-new M5. Baptized M xDrive and coming as standard whether you like it or not, the driver can set the system in three distinct modes.
First and foremost, 4WD needs no explanation whatsoever. 4WD Sport, meanwhile, is set to channel more drive to the rear wheels for more dynamic handling and a sporting driving experience. As for the mode called 2WD, this setting is designed to send all the engine’s goodies to where purists like it most: the rear axle. In the case of the front axle, the F90 M5 employs a chain-driven clutch.
“The core component of M xDrive is a central intelligence unit with M-specific software delivering integrated control of longitudinal and lateral dynamics,” said Frank van Meel, chairman of the board of management of BMW M GmbH. “As a result, the new BMW M5 can be piloted with the familiar blend of sportiness and unerring accuracy on both the race track and the open road.”
Planned to be revealed later in the 2017, the sixth-generation M5 features an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission. It’s true, ladies and gents, you can say goodbye to the good ole days when the mid-sized performance sedan was also available with a stick shift. Considering that the take-up rate for the manual in the case of the F10 M5 is negligible, it was clear that BMW could not make the business case for developing a manual F90 M5 as well.
Last, but certainly not least, the Bavarian automaker revealed that the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 lives on in the all-new model. Based on the S63 engine the current generation is gifted with, the updated plant “outperforms its predecessor in terms of power output and torque.” Bearing in mind the 30 Jahre special edition churns out 600 PS (591 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet), it’s not that hard to imagine what the F90 M5 is packing under its hood.
Later Edit
Word has it the V8 develops 608 PS (600 hp) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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