All wheel drive conversion using BMW parts?

[PhantomPurple]

Probably be best to buy a rear-ended xDrive M3/M4/M340i/M440i. You need the transmission/front driveshaft/front diff, oil pan, and probably a few front suspension components. I suspect that the transmission mounts would have to be beefed up.

Rear driveshaft, front axles, and front suspension links would have to be custom. Front frame might be very different . Faking the computers might be the hardest part.

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[underdonk]

Love this idea. Can't wait to see someone put something together, as I'm sure they will eventually.

 

[Tsuki]

You would basically be making a better-looking, but worse M240i xDrive, without a back seat, for MUCH more money. Plus the M240i is available in purple.

 

[kaj]

You would basically be making a better-looking, but worse M240i xDrive, without a back seat, for MUCH more money. Plus the M240i is available in purple.

Yep. I'm not seeing the point. Plenty of better, cheaper AWD cars out there already.

 

[Tsuki]

Yep. I'm not seeing the point. Plenty of better, cheaper AWD cars out there already.

Yeah, don't get me wrong, it will be a really cool one-off project for some Youtuber to get rich off of, but it's miles away from something that will be practical or reasonable to build in any regard.

I remember the forums back in the day, littered with people who wanted to convert their FWD DSMs and 3000GTs to AWD. Those were platforms already made for AWD, and it was overwhelmingly expensive and complicated. Granted, being based on FWD definitely made these more difficult, so added a LOT to the expense and complication - but these were MUCH simpler times, with MUCH simpler cars.

I definitely won't stop anyone from trying, but it's not even remotely or inexpensive as easy as it seems - and it doesn't seem very easy or inexpensive.

If it was me? Find a wrecked, last-gen M240i xDrive, and pull it all, including all of the computers and wiring harnesses. You'll almost definitely still need custom front axles (and likely a custom front subframe), but that's likely to be as easy as it will get.

You're going to need tons of parts, and tons of custom fab. I'd love to see it happen, I just don't think it will, unless some Rob Dahm-type person picks it up to make one simply because they can.

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