When can we expect an AWD M5?

[mondie]

Living in deep dark NE Scotland this is of more interest to me than those living down south. I understand the next M5 will be AWD but when will that be? I saw an AWD E63 in Austria a few months back so I guess we can expect an all paw E63 before to long too.

Cheers

[mondie]

paulmc said:

If the M5 was 4wd it would be sitting in my drive now( I actually ordered a new M5 again but cancelled as I knew lack of traction would annoy me like last time). My RS6 is pretty awesome but I just like BMW. On saying that part of the charm was its price. its a good bit cheaper than the RS once they chuck in 4wd will that change??

I considered the RS6 Paul but it was just too much money so we bought an A8 4.2 TDi and a weekend car. Once I can have an AWD M5 I will be back in. An adjustable centre diff would be great in the M5, adjustable from 80/20 to 50/50. Sorted! Be nice to think that BMW would make both AWD and RWD versions but I cannot see that happening, the volumes would be to small in RWD for both surely.

[mondie]

Thanks for the link Eric, despite the idly amusing histerics in this thread its nice to read some veiled hints that it may happen.

No doubt there are some PH threads buried in the archives from sone poster asking whether the next M5 will be turbo

[mondie]

Babw said:

If they can do a rear biased system like the GTR it's a no brainer in the UK with the amount of rainfall we seem to have. You can slide the GTR on demand and catapult out of corners without sliding on demand also. It takes more effort to drive around oversteering everywhere in the GTR but no more effort than to drive an M5 tidily + quickly in adverse conditions.

Thanks for interjecting some facts, I agree with all you say. BMW will not destroy the rear bias of the M5 by going AWD, they know the DNA of their target market intimately. Fact is we have reached the limits of what power can be put down with RWD. Its an nice problem to have

BTW, if I lived in the SW I probably would not have started this thread, I am in NE Scotland so realise my desire for an AWD version is different to many others.