[redcarrera]

I kind of highjacked an earlier thread, so thought I'd start a new one. Sorry!
I came from a rwd Carrera S to my 2021 M5C. We also have Carrera 4S so I've driven similar 2wd & 4wd cars back to back for years.
What do folks here prefer; 2wd or 4wd?
I set M2 for "fun mode" 2wd & spend most of my driving time there, unless I want DSC or 4wd.
I live in the country & spend most of my time in the mountains & canyons, or highways without much other traffic to deal with.....it's all on me not to f##k up.

[Poleposition]

Dangerous. Car can lose its rear quite easily with no electronic nannies. I rarely if ever drive in 2wd mode. Plenty of fun to be had in MDM 4wd sport. I can still get the tail out in MDM.

[SenorFunkyPants]

The M5 is rear wheel drive unless the Mxdrive system detect slip at the rear wheels, only then is some power sent to the front wheels
So the F90 M5 is in rwd most of the time anyway...you can often tell when drive is being sent to the front wheels through a change in steering feel.
Setting the system to rwd will make the car slower.
Running the car in MDM will allow a decent amount of slip at the rear while still maintaining good traction.

[ChalkyM5]

Originally Posted by Poleposition

Dangerous. Car can lose its rear quite easily with no electronic nannies. I rarely if ever drive in 2wd mode. Plenty of fun to be had in MDM 4wd sport. I can still get the tail out in MDM.

100% agree, I drive almost exclusively in MDM 4wd sport and can slide the rear around at will.

[redcarrera]

I guess we all have our own comfort levels. I like 2wd for, how it feels to me, the more tactile response. I work on most every (fun) corner thinking about keeping the car balanced and smoothly carrying corner speed, not in trying to get the tail out.

[redcarrera]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

The M5 is rear wheel drive unless the Mxdrive system detect slip at the rear wheels, only then is some power sent to the front wheels
So the F90 M5 is in rwd most of the time anyway...you can often tell when drive is being sent to the front wheels through a change in steering feel.
Setting the system to rwd will make the car slower.
Running the car in MDM will allow a decent amount of slip at the rear while still maintaining good traction.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks for supporting my butt-o-meter. I don't drive on a track anymore; just wanna have fun.

[MackSea70]

I took Performance Center delivery back in December. My delivery consultant was also a HPDE and full time racer. While we were setting up the car he was asking how I had my F80 set up (obviously we have x-drive on the F90). I mentioned how on my F80 I almost exclusively ran MDM unless it was raining then full DSC. He mentioned on the x-drive F90 the "best" (read - fastest) is 4WD, DSC OFF (not MDM). I drove it for a few weeks in 4WD, MDM - it was nice (I'm still working breaking in miles) but I find it to be just a touch squirmy-er in 4WD, DSC OFF. In his words, the x-drive is still there to catch you and DSC OFF keeps the nannies from shutting down the fun too soon.

My driving skill is not up to 2WD, DSC off. (but I sure wish people would stop saying it's not usable that way - the OP said he has a 2WD 911 - that's about as non-friendly a 2WD car can be (once the limits are crossed).

(not that I condone hooniganism on public roads).

[Ex_Stig]

Originally Posted by redcarrera

I'll give it a shot. Thanks for supporting my butt-o-meter. I don't drive on a track anymore; just wanna have fun.

Driving on the track wasn't fun anymore? Weird. Never heard anyone say that.

[Aronis]

I think there may be something to the statement above, that this car is all RWD until there is slippage. Today I was driving in MDM mode with snow tires with good tread life, 33 degrees, clear roads, coasting down from 55 mph road to an exit ramp I have taken 1000 times. See video. I drove my '03 RS6 for 15 years and never had this happen. I have another video, have to dig it up, of a similar slippage driving the M5 (at least that was during a snow storm on black ice) Today it was on clear roads with a spec of something on the road at this slip point. I have found after 4 winters with this car that the AWD in BMW's (particular the M5) is not nearly as good in the winter as my prior Audi's ( '00 A6 sport, '03 RS6, '08 A4 cab, '13 A8L, '15 Q7) all of which I drove in all sorts of bad snowy conditions. Shit my '16 M2 with snows did not do this to me LMAO. And I have yet to push this M5 on ramps as fast as I have gone in the RS6 in DRY weather. Just saying.....not to bash BMW, but their AWD electronic gadgetry is NOTHING compared to Audi's all mechanical setup.

To add to the discussion re: RWD, I no longer put this car in 2wd mode, ever. BMW should be ashamed that they offer that mode with NO traction control option. WTF? They clearly could have that mode with nannies and without. The without has no practical use especially with 600 plus hp on tap. Find my crash thread, not a fan of RWD mode.

[Aronis]

Found it....this was in the winter during a snow / rain storm, I was traveling below the posted speed limit with snow tires on in comfort mode across the board. I am not sure any AWD system likes black ice, but again perhaps all luck, never had this happen in my prior Audis. Was this car in 100 RWD mode?????

Fortunately we made it the rest of the way without event. We were very fortunate that no one was on the other side of the road and if there was more of a bend in the road I am fairly confident I would have been in the grass.....or worse.

[Aronis]

I cut the audio on both videos.....bad language happens.

Mike

[pbonsalb]

I like AWD to put the power down, and almost never put my F90 in RWD. I have spent enough time trying to manage big power with RWD in my 700 rwhp turbo 99 M3 that I just don’t feel the need to be as active as possible managing power and traction. Plus this is a comfy cruiser 4000 lb sedan, not a McLaren or Corvette or similar high power light weight RWD sports car.

[Aronis]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I like AWD to put the power down, and almost never put my F90 in RWD. I have spent enough time trying to manage big power with RWD in my 700 rwhp turbo 99 M3 that I just don’t feel the need to be as active as possible managing power and traction. Plus this is a comfy cruiser 4000 lb sedan, not a McLaren or Corvette or similar high power light weight RWD sports car.

Does your tuned M3 shut down the traction control? or can you choose that?

A friend here as a new Supra (same 3.0 liter engine) and tuned that, now he has trouble driving it on dry roads LOL. So off the line my Sienna is faster (AWD LOL).

Mike

[redcarrera]

Originally Posted by Ex Stig

Driving on the track wasn't fun anymore? Weird. Never heard anyone say that.

I started racing motorcycles when I was 11 & ski racing at 13. I've been active in PCA DE'S since 1987. I'm 63 now & bought the M5 as a GT car for running around the Rocky Mtns, not as an overweight track toy.

[Ex_Stig]

Originally Posted by redcarrera

I started racing motorcycles when I was 11 & ski racing at 13. I've been active in PCA DE'S since 1987. I'm 63 now & bought the M5 as a GT car for running around the Rocky Mtns, not as an overweight track toy.

At least you've got the qualifications. Usually these threads get updated a few months later with a pic of a wrecked car and the person saying that they don't know what happened or how then ended up in that ditch.

Enjoy in good health and keep it shinny side up!

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by Aronis

Does your tuned M3 shut down the traction control? or can you choose that?

A friend here as a new Supra (same 3.0 liter engine) and tuned that, now he has trouble driving it on dry roads LOL. So off the line my Sienna is faster (AWD LOL).

Mike

99M3 has factory traction control that is too intrusive to use — it pretty much just shuts off power. I deleted mine 15 years ago. Modern TC like on the F90 are great. Even on my modded E90 M3, I left it on almost all the time because it was not overly intrusive, though I did code it to Euro MDM. A couple of years ago, I did add an aftermarket TC system to the 99 M3 that is made by Racelogic and cuts ignition pulses based on wheel speed differences detected by ABS sensors. I can set the percentage slip.

[Used2be]

Originally Posted by redcarrera

I guess we all have our own comfort levels. I like 2wd for, how it feels to me, the more tactile response. I work on most every (fun) corner thinking about keeping the car balanced and smoothly carrying corner speed, not in trying to get the tail out.

If your enjoyment is derived from working on every fun corner trying to keep the car balanced and smooth while carrying corner speed, I’d suggest 4WD DSC off in the F90. The pull from the front when needed will help balance the car and, as was mentioned, the MDM doesn’t kick in to suppress the car. If you prefer the challenge that RWD gives you, go for it. You won’t be as fast but if it gives you a sense of achievement it’s worth it.

Isn’t what you enjoy from driving just what is needed for fun on a track? Sure, the M5 is heavy, I wouldn’t want to actually race it, but it’s still fun for a track day. You might find you like it.

[AngryInch]

I drive in 2wd all summer long, unless I’m drag racing then I use AWD obviously.

Don’t listen to the babies on here and can’t handle a car in 2wd with no Nannie’s. If you can’t handle a car with no Nannie’s and 2wd, maybe you should learn to drive before moving up!

I am not suggesting driving in a torrential rain storm in 2wd, with Nannie’s off….


The car is a blast to get a little lose in the corners.

[Poleposition]

Everyone can choose to drive their car however they want in whatever settings they want. Thats the beauty of this car. You can choose and it can be different every time you get behind the wheel. There are no wrong answers here. If youre driving your M5 without any traction control in 2wd, please be capable. Thats all. And maybe dont drive next to me.

[Hammer110!]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

99M3 has factory traction control that is too intrusive to use — it pretty much just shuts off power. I deleted mine 15 years ago. Modern TC like on the F90 are great. Even on my modded E90 M3, I left it on almost all the time because it was not overly intrusive, though I did code it to Euro MDM. A couple of years ago, I did add an aftermarket TC system to the 99 M3 that is made by Racelogic and cuts ignition pulses based on wheel speed differences detected by ABS sensors. I can set the percentage slip.

I would imagine most on here have not experienced euro MDM which in my experience is night and day to US spec MDM. I’m not sure why all the comments on “not safe” to run in 2WD mode though? My lightly breathed on F10 gets run in Euro MDM mode, DSC off for both M1 & M2 modes just maxed out shift and dampening settings on the M1 mode. Other than the wife’s M50i X7 I’ve never owned a 4 wheel drive BMW although I plan to order a F90 through Dan Knight once the world goes right side up and all currently non available options become re-available.

[CLS3]

My 2Wd just seems to cut power even with everything supposed fully off, I tend to do all my driving in 4WD and it puts power down fine

[SenorFunkyPants]

This is a fun video of F90 M5 wet vrs dry and 2wd vrs awd.
The guy does a lot of tyre tests with M cars and is pretty good.