BMW purists are no doubt still bemoaning the news that the upcoming F90 M5 will be fitted with a potentially fun-sapping all-wheel-drive system. But it seems they needn’t worry.
According to a source within BMW South Africa, the new M5 will come standard with a “switchable” version of the Munich-based automaker’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, allowing the driver to choose from three distinct settings.
The source told CARmag.co.za that the normal or default mode would see 60% of the engine’s grunt directed to the rear axle, while selecting sport mode would bump this figure up to 80%. And the final setting? Well, it would effectively render the M5 fully rear-wheel drive, with 100% sent to the hind wheels. A spot of drifting, anyone?
Of course, Mercedes-AMG recently introduced a similar, fully variable system on the new E63 S (including a so-called “drift mode”), with which the upcoming M5 will compete.
Our source went on to confirm that the F90 M5 will deliver somewhere in the region of 450 kW (right on par with the E63 S, then, and presumably from the latest, hottest version of the brand’s 4,4-litre biturbo V8), and will come standard with a weight-saving carbon-fibre roof, adding that we can expect a claimed 0-100 km/h time of less than 3,5 seconds.
We also expect the seven-speed DCT to be dropped in favour of a new eight-speed automatic transmission, in line with recent comments from a certain BMW M executive.
Rumour has it that the new BMW M5 will make its official debut in Frankfurt in September, and our source tells us we can expect an SA introduction in the first quarter of 2018.
