When the name BMW is mentioned, what it calls to mind for most petrol heads is high revving M division cars such as the M3 and M5. The kind of cars that carry their owner all the way to the Nurburgring in comfort and then blast around it at the speed of sound!
One factor that BMW had always stuck to was the fact that its cars were rear wheel drive, as this was the best option for driver enjoyment. With the rear wheels controlling the power and the front wheels controlling the steering the division of labour was very clear and the results were phenomenal. The original M5 was a car that redefined what a saloon car could do, with the engine from a supercar (M1) it is no surprise that the car is now a legend.
Recent years have seen BMW give more of a focus to four wheel drive and the benefits that come along with this, and it has many petrol heads worried. In this blog we are going to delve into the situation a little further and see if the good old rear drive beemer really is under threat, or if 4WD and RWD can live in harmony.
Past
In 1999 BMW released their first 4×4, the X5, to a mixed reaction from crowds at the unveiling, but the sceptics were silenced when they drove the original. The X5 was a car that really redefined what it was possible to achieve with a 4×4; with incredible driving dynamics, off road ability and practicality it is considered by many to be the first real ‘sporty’ 4×4. The rest as they say is history, and the X5 is one of the great sales success stories for BMW, currently in its third generation.
Present
Over the last decade BMW has steadily increased its 4×4 range and it now includes the X1, 4, 5, and 6, each with a different character and purpose. As well as these 4×4 models BMW now offers four wheel drive on many other models previously only available in rear wheel drive.
The continued focus on four wheel drive hasn’t taken away from BMW’s image as the king of rear drive, and the M3, M4, M5 and M6 are all incredibly exciting rear drive monsters. As well as this the new I8 couples hybrid four wheel drive and incredible styling and speed, to further prove that four wheel drive can be exciting.
Future
At the recent Detroit motor show BMW hinted that the rollout of 4WD wasn’t close to over yet, and that models such as the legendary M5 and M6 could well have all four wheels connected to drive shafts in their next generation. This announcement has many worried that rear wheel drive will simply not be an option within a decade, and that the days of perfect weight distribution and division of labour will be a distant memory.
Here at CWS we think that the most likely thing that will happen is that 4WD will only ever be offered as an option on M cars, with the emphasis remaining on rear wheel drive for the main part. The silver lining is of course that a powerful BMW M car that you can use all year round, come rain, snow or shine, is surely no bad thing.
As experts in 4×4 salvage we are excited about the prospect of more and more 4x4s on the road, and those vehicles becoming ever more exciting and useful. If you are the proud owner of a 4×4 that needs a little TLC then don’t hesitate to contact us today and we will be happy to help.