M6 and Xdrive?
Discussion
Lostprophet said:
What do you think about the driver-ability in the wet of the M6/M5.
I am keen to get the M6 however reluctant due to its traction in the wet. For this reason I think the RS6 is a better bet. Not sure I want an estate. Its a tricky choice.
The M5 (and probably the M6 but I've not driven an M6 in the wet) isn't an issue at all. I'm happy giving it large but you need to respect the fact you've got big boots and 560bhp.I am keen to get the M6 however reluctant due to its traction in the wet. For this reason I think the RS6 is a better bet. Not sure I want an estate. Its a tricky choice.
On the way back from Italy last week I went through some really, really appalling weather in France and at 75mph my bum went 50p/5p more than once and I slowed down. This is simply down to the fact I've got around 3mm of tread on the rears/shagged fronts and they can't cope with moving large amounts of water - the same goes for any fat tyre as I'm sure you're aware.
Day before yesterday I had 4 new Michelin Super Sports fitted and during the months rain we had yesterday driving through flooded Surrey it was a completely different car and really stable.
During the winter months I then move onto full winters and it's transformed again
I'm no driving god by any means, albeit quite confident and I do push on but the car far exceeds my ability.
That said, physics will play a part and if you are a t
t, you'll end up in a hedge 
AMD1 said:
HoHoHo said:
That said, physics will play a part and if you are a tt, you'll end up in a hedge
Very true.t, you'll end up in a hedge I bought a set of 19" winter wheels and tyres ready for the cold weather. So when do you normally swap to winters and back again?
In my opinion they are worth every penny, some would say not but winter tyres offer a significant and superior level of grip in poor weather
No issue with traction other than the obvious driving a car with mucho power/torque.
If you try to nail it off the line in the wet/cold then expect to spend a while stood still looking like a knobber, however some throttle modulation gets you off the line more than quickly enough. I'm not one for drifting off roundabouts, however i guess if you try this with a boot full of throttle in the wet then you'll look an even bigger knobber than you did at the lights.
You of course have to apply some respect & take into account the physics of a RWD car, but in all but the very worst conditions you'll make equal progress to your AWD cousins. Just Google torque steer on the C7 RS6 & you'll see that mashing the loud peddle on them has thrown up some interesting results, albeit in a different manner to the RWD M5.
Drive a high powered AWD car in poor conditions like you've stolen it & the ending won't be much different to doing the same in a RWD car. What you may lose in an initial launch you'll make back once rolling as the AWD car is losing far more of it's power/torque through the drivetrain than the RWD car.
I've owned many AWD cars, such as Audi RS's & the famed R35 GT-R (all tuned) & i still make as good if not better progress in my F10 M5 & that with a bigger smile on my face in all but the very worst weather conditions.
One thing i am wondering however is what difference the 19" wheels make over the 20"s when it comes to traction as i really am not suffering in any way, however 95% of M5's & 6's appear to have the 20 inch wheels so perhaps something in that.
If you try to nail it off the line in the wet/cold then expect to spend a while stood still looking like a knobber, however some throttle modulation gets you off the line more than quickly enough. I'm not one for drifting off roundabouts, however i guess if you try this with a boot full of throttle in the wet then you'll look an even bigger knobber than you did at the lights.
You of course have to apply some respect & take into account the physics of a RWD car, but in all but the very worst conditions you'll make equal progress to your AWD cousins. Just Google torque steer on the C7 RS6 & you'll see that mashing the loud peddle on them has thrown up some interesting results, albeit in a different manner to the RWD M5.
Drive a high powered AWD car in poor conditions like you've stolen it & the ending won't be much different to doing the same in a RWD car. What you may lose in an initial launch you'll make back once rolling as the AWD car is losing far more of it's power/torque through the drivetrain than the RWD car.
I've owned many AWD cars, such as Audi RS's & the famed R35 GT-R (all tuned) & i still make as good if not better progress in my F10 M5 & that with a bigger smile on my face in all but the very worst weather conditions.
One thing i am wondering however is what difference the 19" wheels make over the 20"s when it comes to traction as i really am not suffering in any way, however 95% of M5's & 6's appear to have the 20 inch wheels so perhaps something in that.
Lostprophet said:
I am keen to get the M6 however reluctant due to its traction in the wet. For this reason I think the RS6 is a better bet. Not sure I want an estate. Its a tricky choice.
Easy solution - stop driving like a knob in the rain and save it for the sunny days.Not sure why you would want to test the limits of traction in the wet anyway.
Some really good reassuring posts. I am not a driving king either, far from it, however I do like thee feel of power.
My reservation really comes due to losing my S2000 once around a bend. No damage but it was scary as it flipped 270 degrees. That and also the back swinging out on the road when a little bit of power was put down.
I have an Audi S5. It has never slipped once. The car is constantly planted. It might be because it's not particularly powerful, i.e. 350bhp and as its a NA engine its not torque heavy either. That and its heavy.
I imagine 560bhp in the RS6 would also be an issue if fully planted. That said, from what I see, its more accessible for amateurs like myself. I am not that experienced to comment.
I have driven a Z4M on a damp road. That was a handful. I guess the M6 is nothing like the Z4M in terms of traction.
This is interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzDkbcP7H_Q
My reservation really comes due to losing my S2000 once around a bend. No damage but it was scary as it flipped 270 degrees. That and also the back swinging out on the road when a little bit of power was put down.
I have an Audi S5. It has never slipped once. The car is constantly planted. It might be because it's not particularly powerful, i.e. 350bhp and as its a NA engine its not torque heavy either. That and its heavy.
I imagine 560bhp in the RS6 would also be an issue if fully planted. That said, from what I see, its more accessible for amateurs like myself. I am not that experienced to comment.
I have driven a Z4M on a damp road. That was a handful. I guess the M6 is nothing like the Z4M in terms of traction.
This is interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzDkbcP7H_Q
Lostprophet said:
or my ex who is now a whale.. so i hear!
LOL, not bitter then. 
My mapped M6 is very good in the wet with decent MPSS tyres. Travelling with some friends in Italy last month in pouring rain they commented my speed didn't change much and they struggled a little. Granted I try to drive as smooth as possible all the time but who goes mad in the wet on public roads anyhow?
As someone else has said, it's down allot to having newish high quality tyres on the car, it really does make a difference.
S800VXR said:
LOL, not bitter then.
My mapped M6 is very good in the wet with decent MPSS tyres. Travelling with some friends in Italy last month in pouring rain they commented my speed didn't change much and they struggled a little. Granted I try to drive as smooth as possible all the time but who goes mad in the wet on public roads anyhow?
As someone else has said, it's down allot to having newish high quality tyres on the car, it really does make a difference.
What he said. Traction really isn't an issue on these cars with the MPSS tyres. Sure you can't defy physics, but my car's only scared me once in 15 months & that was when i hit standing water during a downpour on the M6 earlier in the year & the car got fully out of shape but composure was regained. That said i don't think the scenario would have been any different in an AWD car (excluding say a big ass proper off roader)My mapped M6 is very good in the wet with decent MPSS tyres. Travelling with some friends in Italy last month in pouring rain they commented my speed didn't change much and they struggled a little. Granted I try to drive as smooth as possible all the time but who goes mad in the wet on public roads anyhow?
As someone else has said, it's down allot to having newish high quality tyres on the car, it really does make a difference.
W8PMC said:
What he said. Traction really isn't an issue on these cars with the MPSS tyres. Sure you can't defy physics, but my car's only scared me once in 15 months & that was when i hit standing water during a downpour on the M6 earlier in the year & the car got fully out of shape but composure was regained. That said i don't think the scenario would have been any different in an AWD car (excluding say a big ass proper off roader)
Were you going fast? How fast..! When you say it went fully out of shape... what do you mean? What happened! Sounds hairy. Don't you think with Quattro AWD in an RS6 you would have better traction and therefore grip in such a situation i.e. no out of shape business for the car!
Lostprophet said:
Were you going fast? How fast..! When you say it went fully out of shape... what do you mean? What happened! Sounds hairy.
Don't you think with Quattro AWD in an RS6 you would have better traction and therefore grip in such a situation i.e. no out of shape business for the car!
When you hit what's basically standing water, the only factor is the tyres totally losing contact with the tarmac so AWD/RWD would have made no difference.Don't you think with Quattro AWD in an RS6 you would have better traction and therefore grip in such a situation i.e. no out of shape business for the car!
Was travelling at around 70mph on the M6 when i arrived at what's best described as a stream of water crossing all 3 lanes. The car lost all grip & started to move into a spin, however at around 45 degrees out of shape i applied some opposite lock & the front wheels regained just enough grip to stop the rear sliding & then the rears gripped so all back pointing in the right direction. when all 4 wheels lose traction, it becomes irrelevant how many driven wheels the car has so AWD wouldn't have made a jot of difference in this scenario.
I'd say it was 50/50 me & the car's Stability systems that kept me on the road.
W8PMC said:
When you hit what's basically standing water, the only factor is the tyres totally losing contact with the tarmac so AWD/RWD would have made no difference.
Was travelling at around 70mph on the M6 when i arrived at what's best described as a stream of water crossing all 3 lanes. The car lost all grip & started to move into a spin, however at around 45 degrees out of shape i applied some opposite lock & the front wheels regained just enough grip to stop the rear sliding & then the rears gripped so all back pointing in the right direction. when all 4 wheels lose traction, it becomes irrelevant how many driven wheels the car has so AWD wouldn't have made a jot of difference in this scenario.
I'd say it was 50/50 me & the car's Stability systems that kept me on the road.
On the way back from Italy a couple of weeks ago we had so much rain I aquaplaned at 70mph and the car felt very loose and slippery at 60mph Was travelling at around 70mph on the M6 when i arrived at what's best described as a stream of water crossing all 3 lanes. The car lost all grip & started to move into a spin, however at around 45 degrees out of shape i applied some opposite lock & the front wheels regained just enough grip to stop the rear sliding & then the rears gripped so all back pointing in the right direction. when all 4 wheels lose traction, it becomes irrelevant how many driven wheels the car has so AWD wouldn't have made a jot of difference in this scenario.
I'd say it was 50/50 me & the car's Stability systems that kept me on the road.
f
k all tread on the front and not much more on the rear may not have helped 
4WD is great for getting off the line fast when the roads less than ideal and for getting consistent 0-to whatever times in the dry although the latest TC systems have mitigated allot of that now. Apart from that if you can drive half decently then the 4WD is just added weight, and complication.
Saying that, if they brought out a lightweight CSL M6 with 4WD I wouldn't say no...
Saying that, if they brought out a lightweight CSL M6 with 4WD I wouldn't say no...
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