Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

BMW rethinks all-wheel-drive M cars

BMW M hasn't been able to decide whether it wants to jump on the all-wheel-drive bandwagon or not (with the exceptions of the X5 M and the X6 M, which are based on AWD architecture). That might be changing though, since M's president Friedrich Nitschke recently realized that 70 to 80 percent of Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs are ordered with all-wheel drive. Earlier this year, Nitschke said that there were no new AWD M models planned, so this comes as somewhat of a surprise.

"On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive, but it won't come before we get the successor of the M5 and M6," Nitschke said in a Motoring report. "That's the timing and it's not practical to react in the current life cycles."

Nitschke says that obtaining a faster 0-60 miles-per-hour time isn't why BMW M is considering AWD option for the M5 and M6. But one has to wonder if that's part of the division's reasoning when the Audi RS6 Avant and RS7, the Porsche Panamera Turbo and the top Mercedes E63 AMG all perform the sprint in under 4.0 seconds with AWD, when the fastest M5 can only do it in 4.2 seconds.

The M division traditionally has been shaped by rear-wheel drive sports cars and sedans with powerful, naturally aspirated engines of bespoke designs that didn't make their way into regular production BMWs. In recent years, however, M has been straying from its roots, replacing the M5's Formula One-derived V10 with a more pedestrian (but more powerful) twin-turbo V8, coming out with the aforementioned AWD M sports utility vehicle and crossover and equipping the upcoming M3 sedan and M4 coupe with a twin-turbocharged straight six to replace the current naturally aspirated V8.

Before the current generation M5 was released in late 2011, BMW had reportedly been toying with plans to make an AWD version, but this latest report confirms that BMW will wait until the next generation comes out.

For the M purists out there, Nitschke reportedly assures you that the M3 and M4 will "never" come with AWD, because, he says, "To accelerate out of corners with this rear-end architecture concept is so fantastic that it [all-wheel drive] is not needed." Instead of taking his word on that, we'll just wait another four to six months and see if the story has changed.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/b...-drive-m-cars/

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i thought all new amg are awd now?

either way, sigh..... just sigh.... i still don't know what to think about it. audi quattro is great. but i haven't been impressed with bmw xdrive and mb 4matic. i am still not sure about awd on these cars. but i can see problem with traction...

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

4matic is only standard on AMGs that are sold in the U.S. It is optional in the rest of the world.

Huge power is useless without enough traction, there is a limitation eventually, it is inevitable. Just like stick shift going away.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

damn! lol

yeah who knows, cars of the future may be AWD and DCT only

rominl

iTrader: (4)

porsche gt2 is still rwd right?

of course power is useless without traction, but i think big part of it has to do with driving capability too. my feeling is it's more about more and more people don't know how to handle / drive high power cars, rather than an absolute need of awd.

if that's the case, another proof that a lot of these buyers are about the bragging rights and badge, not the car driving itself

rominl

iTrader: (4)

and they are all autopilot

you know, think i-robot

nabbun

I wish M division would go back to lightweight, NA cars that were balanced drivers cars. Scalpels for the road instead of these sledgehammers. AWD is most likely going to make it into all make cars as at least an option.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I could settle for M's to be Scalpels and AMG's to be Sledgehammers

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

The factor here is weight. Only heavy performance car (4000+ lbs) that needs to provide huge acceleration require 4WD traction to put the huge torque (500+ lb-ft) down to the ground to get it off the line...........aka all the Twin Turbo Luxury cars...........M5, E63, RS6, S8, Conti-GT........etc.

Cars that are light weight (under 3500 lbs) don't need lots of traction to get them off the line, which is why all the GT2, 458, 12C, Mclaren F1.........are 2WD and don't have much traction problem, they all hook up pretty good. Which is also why the 3500 lbs M3 don't need 4WD.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

two folds. weight is definitely a problem, but i would disagree the exotic cars you mention are "easy" to drive. a lot of people say the gt2 is a pretty hard car to drive given so much power and 2wd. same with porsche gt, one very hard car to drive as well. even take a 430 scuderia and ppl will tell you be careful. bottom line to me is about people know how to handle power or not. these manufacturers they don't want to see too many people complain "why this car crashes so often"

carderoni

Just to chime in re: weight, cars have been putting on a lot of weight over the past couple decades due to ever increasing safety and emissions standards. An example for Lexus would be the 96+ SC's adding extra side impact bracing and, therefore, weight. BMW could absolutely cut weight on their cars but it would be just about impossible to bring them down to E34 levels or something similar.

spwolf

AWD is quick, but not as much fun as RWD.

LexFather

Hey internet peak horsepower quoting junkies should be happy....you get to have more HP to post about but you now will have AWD so you can actually use it.

Give me a slower manual F10 M5 anyday thank you......

Then in 10 years, they all will go back to RWD to save weight and get better MPG Its all a vicious circle

Oh well, they all kick *** one way or the other...

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

I didn't say they are "easy" to drive, I was just saying they have much less traction issue then the heavy high power car. All REALLY fast high power cars are not easy to drive fast, period, except maybe the robot Nissan GTR. The GT2 is hard to drive have a lot to do with it being a 911, even a low power 911 is hard to drive with the engine hanging out behind the rear axle.

All I know is, you floor a 600 hp 2WD AMG from a stop, you get huge amount of wheel spin, in a 458, it just hook up and go with very little wheel spin. But the 458 also have the mid engine weight distribution advantage that helps traction.

LexFather

^^^ 458 isn't the example I would use. It has a really trick diff. that makes it seems like its AWD. The amount of grip it gives is utterly amazing.