According to bimmertoday the M5 will be a 4x2. This means that you can switch between four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive at the push of a button.
source:
http://www.bimmertoday.de/2016/12/12...uf-knopfdruck/
The complete article translated:
"The change of the BMW M5 F90 to four-wheel drive is supposed to make the power sedan from Garching even more appealing, but some customers are annoyed by the absence of the rear wheel drive, but there is good news for this clientele, because if our information is correct The new BMW M5 F90 at the push of a button: Depending on the driving mode, the driver can decide whether he wants to distribute the power of the V8-Biturbo to all four wheels or prefer the full power on the rear axle.
We assume that the corresponding mode with pure rear wheel drive can also be stored on one of the steering wheel buttons. If you want to be particularly dynamic, you can activate the driving mode for maximum driving pleasure with two short thumb movements and also enjoy the BMW M5 F90 with rear-wheel drive.
The option of rear-wheel drive at the push of a button is designed to take the wind out of the sails that make the new BMW M5 F90 less exciting than its predecessor due to its standard all-wheel drive. In many situations, however, the four driven wheels will offer advantages, not least in terms of acceleration. On dry asphalt, a maximum of 3.5 seconds will pass before the three-digit speeds are reached. Apart from this, the all-wheel drive naturally offers great traction advantages on slippery ground, which is to open up new customers in the alpine area and the North American Snow Belt.
The power sedan is powered by a further developed V8-Biturbo with a displacement of 4.4 liters, which is expected to press almost 600 hp on the crankshaft at the beginning of the market in 2018. Later variants such as the BMW M5 CS will continue to turn at the power screw and underpin the special wheel of the BMW M5 as a sports car in the business dress.
In order to be able to look even better on stretches with tight corners, the M GmbH has also parted with the weight of the BMW M5 F90. The top model of the new 5 Series G30 not only benefits from all lightweight construction measures of the large series, but also adds additional elements with elements such as the standard carbon roof. On the bottom line, the M5 should bring a few kilograms less than the predecessor despite the more complex drive train with all-wheel drive and more extensive series equipment. It goes without saying that the experts at M GmbH also do a lot of fine work on the chassis and thus also want to improve performance."