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The 2018 BMW F90 M5 has recently been spotted testing on the tracks. The engineers of the Motorsport division are working very hard to perfect this new car and make it worthy of the M badge. The most common talk about the car is about the reduction of the total weight, but could it also be dropping the DCT Gearbox?
Sources say that this model will use CFRP extensively, even in its core, roof, and other core areas. Right now, we don’t know yet if the car will finally be available with all-wheel drive. BMW is still experimenting with such a prospect.
Recent interviews of Frank van Meel reveal that AWD is inevitable for the M5 but there is no confirmation yet. He only said that if ever this happens, it will not be under the xDrive. It will receive a new moniker that would emphasize the rear-wheel drive.
But the most recent video of the F90 M5 testing on the Nurburgring above shows it changing gears at a rapid pace. This looks like shifts aren’t as fast as the DCT gearbox should be and it might be that the ZF 8-speed unit was installed on-board instead. However, the difference cannot be felt significantly by the person behind the wheel.
The 7-speed DCT gearbox BMW has at the moment can’t be used with an all-wheel drive system. There is still the possibility of BMW developing a new dual-clutch transmission for its upcoming M cars that supports AWD. As the technology evolves, more M models might be coming out with xDrive.
