BMW M4 xDrive delivers smooth performance on track

The all-new BMW M4 xDrive all-wheel drive is here, and in this video, we’ll see it in action for the first time. BMW PRO Driver Bill Auberlen takes us for a spin at the Thermal Club race track in Palm Springs, California. A second BMW M4 xDrive, driven by BMW PRO Driver John Edwards, follows Bill around the track for a few circuits as well. Both drivers show off the new BMW M3 and M4’s all-wheel-drive prowess, including some drifting.

With the exception of the all-wheel-drive system, the new model is essentially the same as the M4 Competition. Under the hood, it carries a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged I6 to make 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential from the car’s eight-speed automatic transmission.

This M xDrive systems function quite similarly to that of an M5 in terms of how it engages the all-wheel-drive in these two new models. As with the M5 and M8, three driving modes are available: 4WD, 4WD Sport, and 2WD. Even in 4WD default mode, the engine’s available torque is supplied only to the rear wheels under typical driving conditions. For the most part of this video, the guys drove the course in 4WD Sport. However, Bill occasionally disabled traction control to do some drifting.

And to make things more fun, they also identified their drifting performance through the new BMW M Drift Analyzer. It analyzes your drifting and assigns you a score for your performance. This actually helps you improve your drifting skills, together with the use of the new M Traction Control system. Well, that’s if you can afford the tires and the track to drift every day. By the way, the updated M Traction Control system lets you control the car’s back end slippage. Bill’s video record is 185 yards, while the other M4 xDrive with them drifted 385 yards.