Yahoo Autos The New BMW M5 Might Have All-Wheel Drive but Still Looks Like a Lot of Fun
We've been expecting a new 5-Series for quite a while now. The current F10 body style has been around since the 2011 model year, so a replacement is due out any day. BMW's got it covered, though, because it's been testing the new performance 5-Series, the M5, on the Nürburgring for months.
The newest addition to BMW's M family is rumored to have some significant changes coming to the drivetrain. The engine will probably be similar to today's car, but the real difference is the driven wheels. Every M car ever made (save for the X5 M and X6 M SUVs) have been rear-wheel-drive only. Coming up for 2018, however, BMW is expected to offer xDrive (BMW's all-wheel-drive system) on their newest performance sedan flagship.
While the purists might break down in tears, there's some very reasonable explanations for BMW's decision to put power through the front wheels. The M5's main competitors, such as the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Audi RS7, already use all-wheel-drive to improve performance, traction, and 0-60 times. It's also a positive selling point to those where weather is less than favorable in the winter months.
We've already seen photographs of a test mule with xDrive equipped, so we're fully expecting the M5 to at least offer it as an option to customers. In this 'Ring video, the car seems to be getting pretty sideways on throttle, hinting the AWD system could be heavily biased towards the rear.
We'll just have to wait and see what BMW decides, but in the meantime, watch the executive luxury sedan get flogged around the Nürburgring as it inches ever closer to its announcement.
via BMW Blog
