The BMW M350 xDrive will receive the Drift Moment feature, which turns the all-wheel-drive sedan into a rear-wheel-drive car with one press of the icon in iDrive X. According to BMW, when activated the DSC system is fully disabled, and the controlled M multi-disc clutch redirects torque away from the front axle, so all 437 hp (326 kW / 443 PS) goes to the rear wheels. Nothing remains in the background to hold a slide.
The feature is not yet available on any car. BMW will activate it via a wireless update in mid-2027 on all M350s, including those delivered earlier. Production of the M350 begins in November at the Dingolfing plant, so the first customer cars will initially operate only as all-wheel-drive sedans. Owners will not need to visit a dealer: BMW says Drift Moment will be enabled through a remote software update for cars already delivered, meaning all the necessary hardware is already installed at the factory.
The operating principle differs from the familiar way of getting rear-wheel drive on the M3 and M5 models. In the G80 M3 Competition xDrive and M5, the end result is similar, since the 2WD mode of M xDrive also sends all traction to the rear axle. However, to engage it you first have to turn off DSC, then open the M Setup menu, select 2WD and, if desired, save the combination to the M1 or M2 button. On the M350, all these steps are combined into a single command, so nothing needs to be configured.
According to BMW, this approach is justified because the M350 is designed as an entry point into the M world, and its buyers are far less likely than M3 owners to explore settings menus. BMW also notes that rear-wheel-drive operation was previously available only on high-performance M GmbH cars, and promises to keep Drift Moment exclusive to M Performance models.
Drift Moment does not work together with engaged all-wheel drive: it is either a purely rear-wheel-drive mode or nothing. M xDrive has a 4WD Sport mode in which the rear can slide while the front axle continues to pull, but there is no version of Drift Moment that keeps the front axle engaged. Stability control is also not relaxed but completely switched off, so there is no safety net. As a result, 437 hp and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) are transmitted to the rear tyres of a 1,860 kg sedan without a driver.
The Boost function on the M steering wheel adds no power. Pressing Boost merely prepares the drivetrain for maximum output on demand. The overall output of 437 hp already includes the 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder B58 engine and a 13 kW electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic, and Boost does not change it. According to BMW Blog, there are no time or cooling-cycle limits.
This differs from Sport Boost on BMW M Performance electric models. In the i4 M50 and i4 M60, Sport Boost raises system output by 50 kW, to 400 kW (536 hp), for about ten seconds. Boost on the M350 does not change the figures in the technical specifications, but only determines how ready the car is to use all of the power it already has.