Performance-focused version of the BMW all-wheel drive system gives the next M5 greater grip and get-up-and-go.
The 2018 M5 is coming to BMW dealerships later this year. It’ll have refreshed looks and more power – and four driven wheels.
If you want it to, that is. That’s because the next M5 will be equipped with M xDrive, a high-performance version of BMW’s all-wheel drive system. If you haven’t already, just take a look at the YOUCAR video above. It shows the various ways the M5’s M xDrive can be used…or not used.
The M5 offers the choice of three DSC modes: DSC on, DSC off, and MDM, which stands for M Dynamic Mode. The M xDrive system has three settings. In the 4WD mode, the M5 offers traction and power delivery at all four corners. When MDM and 4WD Sport are engaged, the M5 becomes more agile and transfers more power to the back tires while allowing more wheel slip for enthusiastic driving.
According to BMW, “The M xDrive system enables a wonderfully fleet-footed rear-biased set-up by only bringing the front wheels into play when the rear wheels aren’t able to transmit any more power to the road and additional tractive force is required.” The M xDrive can be shut off completely by putting it into its 2WD mode. An Active M Differential splits power between the rear wheels, even sending as little as 0 or as much as 100 percent power to one wheel if the driving conditions demand it.
Engineers combine that hardware with a revised version of the familiar twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 from the current M5. They’ve worked the power plant over and given it higher injection pressure, new turbos, a more powerful cooling system, and a lighter exhaust setup. As a result, horsepower and torque have gone up. BMW hasn’t released the exact numbers, but whatever they end up being, they’ll be routed through a new 8-speed M Steptronic transmission.
If the 575-horsepower Jaguar F-TYPE SVR is an all-weather supercar, then it’s safe to assume the next BMW M5 will be an all-weather super sedan.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
