BMW did the unthinkable back in 2017 when it gave the M5 (F90) an xDrive setup. Purists might not have liked the adoption of AWD but to soften the blow, M engineered a pure RWD mode. For the new G90, there’s another major change since the seventh iteration of the super sedan is a plug-in hybrid. Despite the major power boost, it retains the tail-happy setup, accessible at the tap of a button on the center screen.
BMW M5 G90 Product Manager Daniela Schmid tells BMWBLOG the 2WD mode sends the full 717 hp and 737 lb-ft to the rear axle. Yes, the mountain-moving 1,000 Nm of torque goes strictly to the back wheels if you’re brave enough. As before, switching to a pure rear-wheel-drive setup is possible only after turning off the dynamic stability control system. Having supercar levels of power channeled exclusively to the rear wheels must make the new M5 an absolute blast to drive.
That’s provided you know what you’re doing. Huge output figures in combination with RWD and an inexperienced driver can quickly result in a crash. If you have the skills, it should be pretty easy to burn rubber by doing donuts. BMW confirmed the new M5 would retain the 2WD mode when the sports sedan was officially introduced. However, it didn’t specify whether the power delivered to the rear wheels would come from both the combustion engine and the electric motor. Now, we get to find out that everything goes to the rear axle.
We’ll remind you the twin-turbo 4.4-liter engine is good for 577 hp between 5,600 to 6,500 rpm. The peak torque of 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) is accessible from 1,800 to 5,400 rpm. The “S68” gas mill revs up to 7,200 rpm and sounds good, even in Europe, despite the gasoline particulate filter. As for the e-motor mounted in the transmission housing, it delivers 194 hp and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft).
The mechanically related BMW XM also has a variation of this V8 PHEV setup but as with the other SUVs from M, it lacks the dedicated 2WD mode. However, enthusiasts have found workarounds since there’s dedicated software on the aftermarket scene to unlock RWD mode. It’s available not just for SUVs but other types of modern BMW models with xDrive.
