BMW's 2018 M5 Will Allow You To Put All 600 HP To The Ground In Either 2WD Or 4WD Modes

The new BMW M5 hasn't been officially unveiled yet, but to tease you, the German automaker has released some of the most important details on the highly-anticipated performance sedan. Those mainly being that the new M5 will have around 600 horsepower going to all four wheels, according to Car & Driver and a BMW press release shared Tuesday.

The new M5, internally coded as F90, gets its 600 horsepower through a turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. But its all-wheel-drive system is what we're really curious about.

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TheSteve - 5/17/2017 2:11:09 PM

+2 Boost

"Smart" AWD is not new. Porsche's AWD is strongly rear biased, and it adds more power to the front wheels "intelligently," as required, to keep the car stable. They have a multi-mode system that includes Normal, Sport, and Super-Sport (+ Individual). In Super-Sport mode, you're driving a RWD demon... at your own risk. -- best to know what you're doing when you use all available power this way!

Personally, I'm not a track star nor a road racer. I like a car that helps me out in those moments when I do not correctly assess road conditions, or when I have a momentary lapse of reason and do something stupid.

I used to tell motorcyclists that ABS on a motorcycle is a great thing -- you should never feel it engage. If it does, it's telling you it just saved your butt. If it engages a often, you're often driving beyond your limits. Still, "purists" argue against it, just like some people who claim RWD is the *only* way to go, rather than being their preference.

PUGPROUD - 5/17/2017 7:28:09 PM

0 Boost

Great while under warranty...not so nice when not!

TheSteve - 5/18/2017 4:47:47 PM

+2 Boost

I can't speak to the M series or recent BMWs, but I've owned 4 BMWs in my life. All were very reliable, with few defects, and they lasted a long time (I owned one for 18 years). However, on the rare occasion when something needing fixing, it was always surprisingly expensive, as was routine maintenance.

My take-away was that my BMWs were a pleasure to drive and own, but you better have deep pockets if you plan on getting one.