We have lately seen lots of spy photos of BMWs undergoing cold weather testing in Sweden. Seeing shots of Bimmers in varying degrees of camouflage is nothing new, especially for cars that are due to be launched within the next year to 18 months. What may be unusual is the presence of a current model M5 in the Swedish winter test area. This particular M5 was hiding something: All-wheel drive.
The intrepid photographer that took these photos wasn’t afraid to get down in the snow to find the real reason why this M5 was interesting. A front transfer case and half-shafts to the front wheels is not standard equipment on your run-of-the-mill F10 M5. It’s not even optional.
Does this mean that BMW is getting ready to spring an xDrive version of the current M5? Probably not. The new G30 5 Series is due to be launched sometime—probably late—next year as a 2017 model. So is the car spotted in Sweden a test mule for the next generation M5? There’s no way of knowing for sure, but these photos make it seem a possibility.
Albert Biermann, former head of engineering for BMW M told us a while ago that there would be no all-wheel drive F10 M5. Obviously he was wrong but maybe he simply meant there would be no all-wheel drive F10 M5 for sale. But what does Biermann know? He works for Hyundai now.
On the other hand, Franciscus van Meel, the current head of BMW M, recently hinted at the prospect of all-wheel drive M cars. He said, "If we continue the power increases in the future—especially regarding torque and also horsepower—then probably the next generation M5 and M6 will have so much torque and power that we need to think about those solutions." He did mention that an all-wheel drive system for an M car would have to send most of the power to the rear wheels, "Whatever technology we’re talking about, the properties of an M car must remain rear-wheel drive; very agile, very precise. And I don’t like the phrase ‘four-wheel drive’. Emotionally it sounds stoic, neutral, and understeery. If we are talking about M I think we’re talking about rear-wheel drive with added traction. We are looking into those things because power and torque will only increase, and we will run into the necessity of these kind of systems."
BMW has used the letter “X” to denote all-wheel drive vehicles ever since the E30 325iX more than 25 years ago. The current crop of cars and sport activity vehicles continue that tradition, even to the point where BMW calls its all-wheel drive system “xDrive.”
So we leave these images of an all-wheel drive M5 with more questions than answers. Will BMW put all-wheel drive into the next generation of M cars to handle their power and torque? If so, will it be a tweaked xDrive, or will BMW create a completely new all-wheel drive system for M cars? Either way, we’re guessing the letter “X” will be in the name somewhere.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of Bimmerpost.]
