RWD vs AWD: BMW M4 Convertible xDrive on Acceleration Tests

With a weight of 4,232 pounds, the M4 Convertible with xDrive is the heaviest car in the 3 Series/4 Series family. Despite a 40% reduction in the hardtop from the previous generation vehicle. The updated M3 Touring weighs a modest 55 kg (121 lbs) more than the all-electric i3 Sedan marketed in China. However, BMW claims it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. 

To verify that claimed acceleration, Australian publication Performance Drive took the keys to an all-wheel-drive (AWD) M4 with a retractable soft top and put it through its paces. The car’s ability to complete the sprint in 3.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the official specs sheet, was hardly a surprise.

Deactivating xDrive in favour of rear-wheel drive reduced performance since the vehicle was less able to transmit the 510 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque produced by the inline-six engine. From 0 to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour), the M4 Convertible needed 4.14 seconds, or around six-tenths of a second longer. Not bad for a large ICE vehicle with power going to only two wheels.

In further xDrive-mode acceleration tests, a roofless M4 reached 124 mph (200 km/h) in 11.82 seconds. Driving it took 60 to 110 km/h (37 to 68 mph) is more relevant to real-world driving because that’s where many overtakes are made. Incredibly, the car only took 2.24 seconds to complete the task. It achieved a quarter mile time of 11.53 seconds in the M4 Convertible xDrive, with a trap speed of 122.3 mph (196.9 km/h). The vehicle travelled roughly 100 metres (62 miles) in 2.7 seconds when subjected to a brake test (111 feet).