One of the systems of awd most famous market is the so-called quattro of Audi. Thanks to a good job of marketing, all I remember of the spot promo of this system, in which appears a model of the company going up a big slope fully-nevada, and of course, the effectiveness of the same system, who do not remember the same way the great reign of the Audi Sport Quattro S1, this system has earned the prestige and admiration of all. But it is not the only awd that is sold in our market and enjoying both the attention of customers and experience in the market. BMW also has the traction xDrive, a system that has a history which few know and which are really worth knowing.
One of every three units that are sold with the emblem of the blades is stamped on the front, mounted this system. Although up to the present day and enjoy this acceptance, the four-wheel-drive BMW has been evolving for nothing less than 30 years. In recent times, this system has been tightening with force, upgrading their operation to adapt to technological advances such as the advent of hybrid systems, or be attached to models that lead to good sportsmanship as a philosophy or simply in your origin move to front-wheel drive and not the propulsion, famous brand. Do you want to know how it all started? Don’t stop reading.
The all-wheel drive comes to BMW
To find the birth of all-wheel drive in the bavarian manufacturer we have to look back, specifically to 1985. The German company took advantage of the Frankfurt Auto show to present one of the most important novelties of its history, the BMW 325i “Allrad”. Yes, the father of the BMW X5 is a Series 3, and here’s the proof. Really, in this chapter of the history of BMW it was not the most significant model in itself, but what lurked under his skin, a system that , distributing the engine power between its four wheels in a ratio of 37:63 percent.
If the name will not sounds too perhaps it is because they do not last long, BMW 325i “Allrad” happened to be called officially BMW 325iX, consonant added that today continues to accompany these versions. Note that, in this era, the key of this system was the viscous coupling in the transfer case and rear differential, a solution that came to solve the problem of the speed difference in the wheels and that allowed the car to roll dynamically at the same time that traccionaba effectively.
The evolution
as in the case of Audi and its quattro all-wheel drive BMW is not focused to only one model, but which was gradually settling in the rest of the range. After this 325iX arrived three springs later, the 525iX, and brought a bread under the arm. We refer to the innovations to this version of the 5 Series he was accompanied by, changes that were to evolve the system of traction. A qualitative leap with which the brand put their all-wheel drive is among the best in the market.
And the evolution was carried out by the electronics as not. The 525iX introduced an electronic distribution of the force able to vary the delivery default of 36:64 between both shafts in order to find the maximum traction regardless of the surface that pisáramos. In a first moment, resorted to a multiplate clutch controlled hydraulically, although he later decided to modify this system by applying a selective braking, that is controlled in the same way electronically thanks to the sensors of the ABS.
And the 325iX became X5
In a first moment we could imagine that the birth of the all-wheel drive in the brand with headquarters in Munich was closely linked to his family,”off-road” X, but nothing to see. It was not until 1999 when the same firm decided to introduce a model of these characteristics. It had been over a decade since BMW would dare to mount an all-wheel drive in its 3 Series, more than ten jobs that were right at the end of the TWENTIETH century one of the most important chapters in the history of the germans, the arrival of the BMW X5.
The claims of the first X were to become the reference in the segment thanks to the good dynamic that came to him from the family combined with a great response in challenging terrain. The X5 I wanted to be your best friend, efficient, and fast on the road at the same time hard and adventurous out of it. In the next evolution of the system of traction integral, which introduced this model we spoke about a distribution of the strength of 38:62 and the input on game systems such as the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) or the HDC (Descent Control) which ensured that good dynamics on both surfaces stable as more complicated.
A step further and arrive to our days with the xDrive
Motivated by the resounding success of the BMW X5 the firm took advantage of the momentum for the launch of the BMW X3, a model inspired by the first X but in a more compact format. This allowed, in addition to extending the X family, reach more customers thanks to their smaller sizes and a more competitive price. The BMW X3 was unique in its kind, a title that accompanied it a few more years until competition started to respond. With him came to the system xDrive, an evolution of the until then all-wheel drive BMW from the first time also mounted the X5.
The xDrive, a designation current to the traction to the four wheels of the BMW, took the concept to the next step by entering the word “smart”. One of the keys that in the moment of his birth is emphasized over other systems and that today is still aventajándolo is the ability to give precedence to the time detecting risk of oversteer or understeer in the first signs. In addition, the same system is capable of correcting a situation of poor adhesion and, logically dangerous, redirecting the flow of the force of traction.
A wide range xDrive
In the following years, BMW has been introducing the system model in the rest of their models. The first to mount this system were the 3 Series and 5 Series, coming later in 2009 at the berlin representation of the BMW 7-Series. In the same way the versions Convertible and Coupe of the 6 Series have accepted this system since 2012, something that could not be otherwise have been made also the three alternatives of the BMW 4 Series. And this is not all, the other as the 2-Series Active Tourer, originally front-wheel-drive, nor have wanted to leave mount the xDrive, or the BMW i8, sport that consists of a hybrid system in which the combustion engine drives the rear wheels and the electric the rear completing a traction hybrid.
The arrival of models like the BMW X6, alternative of all-wheel drive that put sportsmanship as one of its reasons for being, have led to the system xDrive will become increasingly more efficient and dynamic. The fusion of the system of intelligent traction Control Dynamic Performance (DPC) came from the hand of this SUV is sporty and is improved with the BMW X5 M and X6 M, models pulled from the division’s sporty BMW that demonstrate that the total traction you can get the creeps, just as the propulsion of the rest of the range M.
The latest developments from BMW and xDrive have arrived with the launch of the BMW 7-Series. The berlin representation of the German house in addition to introduce great advancements in technology both on the inside as the outside is a pioneer in to combine the intelligent all-wheel-drive with Active Steering-Integral.
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