Fast forward to today and we have the X5 M and X6 M duo, soon a naturally aspirated engine only in the M3 (and even that won’t last for much longer) and an M5 with brake energy recovery and engine stop-start technologies.
Perhaps it’s a sign of the times, but if you thought that was it, things are about to get even stranger.
Speaking with Autocar, BMW M development chief Albert Biermann stated: “There will be some all-wheel drive surprises on M cars in the future”.
While we already have all-wheel drive M cars in the form of the X5 M and X6 M, the new M5 is eventually expected to spawn an all-wheel drive version too. The move is in response to strong demand for such vehicles from the northern regions of the U.S. where all-wheel drive AMG and RS models from Mercedes-Benz and Audi are doing rather well.
You can expect BMW M’s all-wheel drive technology to be significantly more sophisticated than the standard xDrive setups already available on certain BMW models--and a lot more rear-biased. Either way, if it works for Ferrari then we’re sure BMW will have no problem selling all-wheel drive M5s.
For more details on the upcoming 2012 BMW M5, click here.
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