BMW M3 xDrive 2021 review

First all-wheel drive M3 doesn't dilute the lineage - and in some ways makes it a more usable daily driver This, for the first time in the BMW M3’s history, is an M3 with four-wheel drive. The BMW M3 Competition xDrive saloon, also available as an M4 coupe, has had additional traction added because the latest-generation car, which we like a lot, has 503bhp and 479lb ft from its 3.0-litre straight sixengine. Rather big numbers. I think BMW supposes the rear tyres might need some help from the fronts under acceleration. Something akin to Audi RS levels of security.Certainly the figures suggest the xDrive 4wd system is effective. With only the rear wheels driven, the M3 saloon can go from 0-62mph in 3.9sec. In this xDrive form, that drops to just 3.5sec, a fairly whopping gain. In everyday driving, though, the idea is that you won’t know the system is there a great deal. Normally, drive goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, just like it does in the regular, rear-drive M3. But with xDrive there’s a multi-plate clutch ready to send power forwards too, through drive shafts and to a front suspension redesigned to accommodate the half shafts. The amount of power diverted forwards varies depending on how much slip the rears would otherwise have, but can be adjusted by the driver too, through three modes – normal 4wd, Sport 4wd (which is slightly more rear biased), or if with stability control switched off then it can be abandoned altogether and the M3 returned to rear-wheel drive, complete with its nifty system for rating how well the driver can drift. As an xDrive, the M3 Competition costs from £78,425, a £2765 premium over the regular M3 saloon. The system adds 55kg to the M3, making the kerbweight 1780kg.