BMW TO DITCH RWD M5 FOR AWD?

BMW is currently launching the all-new M5 in Spain for the international media. At the event, M5 Project Leader Mr Max Ahme dropped a bombshell that very few M5 fans are prepared to hear: the car could possibly ditch rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and instead feature all-wheel-drive (AWD). Gasp!

Ahme was quoted as saying the company is thinking about an M5 xDrive (not the official name) because the more you increase power, the more you might need AWD. Which explains why Lamborghini uses it, but does not tell us why McLaren and Ferrari don’t.

The problem, or at least one of them of course, is that AWD would add over 100kg to the car’s overall weight, all over the front axle. That would make it not very sporty, bulky and possibly even too grippy. The only car with AWD in this segment at the moment is the Audi RS 6. Others like the Jaguar XF-R and Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG are rear wheel driven.

We’ll see when the next M5 hits the streets around 2016.