MDrive and M Driving Dynamics Control

[mkoesel]

I figured this will be a frequently discussed topic, so I'll start. This is in the manual, but it's good to have it here too, if only for quick reference.

Using iDrive, Settings can be assigned to M Drive 1 or M Drive 2, each of which have a corresponding M Button on the steering wheel for convenient access. Settings can also be adjusted individually using buttons on the console (except HUD). Holding down an M Button briefly will store the currently active settings to that button.

From the factory, M Buttons each come with their own distinct configuration: button 1 is set up for comfort while button 2 is more aggressive. These configurations are also the defaults that get assigned if you select the "Reset" feature in iDrive for either button.

For safety reasons, an M Button with MDM or DSC OFF assigned must be pushed twice (once to load it, once to confirm the warning on the screen below the gauges) to activate its configuration.


Default settings (startup) in bold. Defaults cannot be changed.

DSC (Dynamic Stability Control)

• DSC ON
• MDM
• DSC OFF

Engine (M Engine Dynamics Control)

• Efficient
• Sport
• Sport Plus

Chassis (Adaptive M Suspension)

• Comfort
• Sport
• Sport Plus

Steering (M Servotronic)

• Comfort
• Sport
• Sport Plus

M DCT (Drivelogic)

• S1/D1
• S2/D2
• S3/S3

HUD (Head Up Display)

• Standard
• M View

Whereas the E9x M3 used small lights on the Power (throttle sensitivity) and EDC buttons to indicate the mode, the F8x (like the F1x M5/M6) show the current mode for Engine, Chassis, and Steering below the tachometer in the small LCD display.

[Sir Loin]

Thanks for the list. You can assign these settings to the M buttons on the steering wheel, right?

[mkoesel]

Yep. Thanks - I'll add that info to the OP.

[tisme]

Interesting. Getting my first M car in June makes we very excited; I hope the PDF M3 manual will be available soon for us to study before the cars become available.

[dhoggm3]

I hope you're right that the M buttons will be programmable. Some earlier posts said that the 6MT auto-rev feature will only disable in Sport+. If that's the case, then I'll be pushing it every time I start the car, so I'll want to program it my way to make the car less twitchy in traffic than it would be with the default Sport+ settings.

EDIT: Now that I've taken delivery, I'm going to find a way to code out the auto-blip in Sport mode, and the synthetic sound in all but Sport + mode.

[sameh]

Originally Posted by dhoggm3

I hope you're right that the M buttons will be programmable. Some earlier posts said that the 6MT auto-rev feature will only disable in Sport+. If that's the case, then I'll be pushing it every time I start the car, so I'll want to program it my way to make the car less twitchy in traffic than it would be with the default Sport+ settings.

Of course the M buttons will be programmable.

[sameh]

Mkoesel
Did I read that right? Defaults can not be changed!!
That's taking a step backward from the current E9x M3.
I have 70K miles on my E92 and only 300-500 miles of that were on comfort.

[RealStig]

Originally Posted by sameh

Mkoesel
Did I read that right? Defaults can not be changed!!
That's taking a step backward from the current E9x M3.
I have 70K miles on my E92 and only 300-500 miles of that were on comfort.

I don't think its that bad come on A little bit of a driver involvement!

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by sameh

Of course the M buttons will be programmable.

Right, that's the entire point of the buttons. Although, they will come from the factory programmed with two different configurations: button 1 is set up for comfort while button 2 is a more aggressive. I don't know what the individual settings will be for them, however. These configurations will also be the button defaults that get set if you select the "Reset" feature in iDrive for either button. Perhaps I should add this info to the first post.

Originally Posted by sameh

Mkoesel
Did I read that right? Defaults can not be changed!!
That's taking a step backward from the current E9x M3.
I have 70K miles on my E92 and only 300-500 miles of that were on comfort.

From all of my research on the F1x M cars, that will almost surely be the case for the F8x too, yes. For whatever reason, BMW does not seem to want to allow you to have their cars start up the way you want. This goes not just for M vehicles but all BMW's with DDC (Driving Dynamics Control), which is most of them these days. It's probably due to a combination of practicality, liability, and marketing. I'm not sure if other luxury car manufacturers follow this same philosophy or not - it may just be an industry trend.

Plus, for the E9x M3, the only ones you could really set at startup were the EDC and "Power" (throttle), and the latter would not allow you to set Sport Plus. So it was always a half-baked solution anyway.

Remember, you've got two M buttons now, so you can set one to your preferred daily settings and use the other for a more aggressive "hoonage mode" (for example, DSC OFF, Sport Plus dampening, etc.). And, these will be stored per key so your wife can have her own preferences (if you let her drive it ).

The other nice thing, for people who like to change the settings often, is that everything has a button on the console now. Recall that for the E9x, there is no console button to change the Servotronic to Sport, and the Power Button would not allow you to set Sport Plus, while the DSC Button would not allow you to set MDM. For the new car, every setting will be available from the buttons. And like I said, you can even hold down an M Button to program the currently selected settings to that button. It all sounds very sorted to me. If you remember the conversations back in the day, it's almost like they listen to our feedback, eh?

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Right, that's the entire point of the buttons. Although, they will come from the factory programmed with two different configurations: button 1 is set up for comfort while button 2 is a more aggressive. I don't know what the individual settings will be for them, however. These configurations will also be the button defaults that get set if you select the "Reset" feature in iDrive for either button. Perhaps I should add this info to the first post.

Since the default settings seem to have everything on the softer more comfort oriented settings to start with, it would be pretty useless to configure one of M buttons for Comfort IMO...

Originally Posted by mkoesel

From all of my research on the F1x M cars, that will almost surely be the case for the F8x too, yes. For whatever reason, BMW does not seem to want to allow you to have their cars start up the way you want. This goes not just for M vehicles but all BMW's with DDC (Driving Dynamics Control), which is most of them these days. It's probably due to a combination of practicality, liability, and marketing. I'm not sure if other luxury car manufacturers follow this same philosophy or not - it may just be an industry trend.

Plus, for the E9x M3, the only ones you could really set at startup were the EDC and "Power" (throttle), and the latter would not allow you to set Sport Plus. So it was always a half-baked solution anyway.

Remember, you've got two M buttons now, so you can set one to your preferred daily settings and use the other for a more aggressive "hoonage mode" (for example, DSC OFF, Sport Plus dampening, etc.). And, these will be stored per key so your wife can have her own preferences (if you let her drive it ).

The other nice thing, for people who like to change the settings often, if you that everything has a button on the console now. Recall that for the E9x, there is no console button to change the Servotronic to Sport, and the Power Button would not allow you to set Sport Plus, while the DSC Button would not allow you to set MDM. For the new car, every setting will be available from the buttons. And like I said, you can even hold down an M Button to program the currently selected settings to that button. It all sounds very sorted to me. If you remember the conversations back in the day, it's almost like they listen to our feedback, eh?

I think having 2 M-buttons is a big plus. I would have one programmed for "street" sporty/spirited driving and another for my "track" setting. In winter, I would change the "track" settings for "winter" driving. On my E92, I always need to doodle back and forth between these modes through the i-Drive. Not a major nuisance, but I will gladly take that additional M button .

While I find it slightly dissapointing that we would no longer be able to configure some of the start-up defaults as we were one the E9X, It won't be a nuisance for me. The start-up defaults quoted in the OP are pretty much how I would have them anyway.

Based on your input here, it seems BMW has improved the whole M-Drive package.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Since the default settings seem to have everything on the softer more comfort oriented settings to start with, it would be pretty useless to configure one of M buttons for Comfort IMO...

I somewhat agree, though one might want to tweak just one thing such as to set the suspension or steering or throttle response to the middle setting. I suspect the factory default configuration for M Drive 1 does something like this, but I haven't confirmed that yet.

Based on your input here, it seems BMW has improved the whole M-Drive package.

Very much so. It seems to work now like you would intuitively think it should.

[ss134]

Does selecting sport plus automatically mean you have to have DSC off? I'm sure this is the case with the regular 3 series.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by ss134

Does selecting sport plus automatically mean you have to have DSC off? I'm sure this is the case with the regular 3 series.

Is it? I don't think that's correct. I think that Sport Plus loosens the DSC intervention but does not turn it off.

Also, remember, the 3 Series (or any non-M BMW) has standard DDC (Driving Dynamics Control) rather than M DDC. This means that instead of being able to adjust individual parameters for things like engine (throttle response), suspension, and steering, you can only adjust them all together. So when you are talking about Sport Plus for a series car and Sport Plus for an M, it's two different situations. With the M, you could very well have DSC ON while engine, suspension and steering are all set to Sport Plus. Or, you could do the opposite - turn DSC OFF while the engine, suspension, and steering are set to Comfort/Efficient. Or any combination in between. It's up to you.

[Bimmer4John]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

From all of my research on the F1x M cars, that will almost surely be the case for the F8x too, yes. For whatever reason, BMW does not seem to want to allow you to have their cars start up the way you want. This goes not just for M vehicles but all BMW's with DDC (Driving Dynamics Control), which is most of them these days. It's probably due to a combination of practicality, liability, and marketing. I'm not sure if other luxury car manufacturers follow this same philosophy or not - it may just be an industry trend.

I can confirm that Audi does this too. I thought it had to do with the EPA ratings. They have to get rated in their default configuration.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Bimmer4John

I can confirm that Audi does this too. I thought it had to do with the EPA ratings. They have to get rated in their default configuration.

Well, there has been plenty of speculation about that. It may be a factor as well, sure. But it doesn't explain why I can't set my steering or suspension to Sport Plus at start up, for example. Also, the E9x M3 does, in fact, allow you to set the car to start in Sport throttle setting. Mine has been set that way from day one and I've never changed it.

[E36toF30]

Originally Posted by dhoggm3

I hope you're right that the M buttons will be programmable. Some earlier posts said that the 6MT auto-rev feature will only disable in Sport+. If that's the case, then I'll be pushing it every time I start the car, so I'll want to program it my way to make the car less twitchy in traffic than it would be with the default Sport+ settings.

I too would like to know how the 6MT rev matching fits in with the rest of this. They've said it will be off in sport plus and on in other modes, but that makes even less sense when you have separate comfort/sport/sport-plus settings for different things, rather than one setting (i.e. driving dynamics control) as on non-M cars.

I wish on the 6MT they would just make the rev matching another parameter you can adjust independently, in place of the D1/D2/D3 settings on the DCT basically.

[Nex]

Originally Posted by Bimmer4John

I can confirm that Audi does this too. I thought it had to do with the EPA ratings. They have to get rated in their default configuration.

Yup, the RS5 does the same thing. Always goes back to default setting. Kind of a nuisance to always having to switch back to dynamic/sport mode.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by E36toF30

I too would like to know how the 6MT rev matching fits in with the rest of this. They've said it will be off in sport plus and on in other modes, but that makes even less sense when you have separate comfort/sport/sport-plus settings for different things, rather than one setting (i.e. driving dynamics control) as on non-M cars.

For the rev matching, they are referring to the Sport Plus engine control as far as what disables it. The other M DDC settings, such as for suspension, steering, etc., won't factor into whether the rev matching is active or not.

I wish on the 6MT they would just make the rev matching another parameter you can adjust independently, in place of the D1/D2/D3 settings on the DCT basically.

That is a great idea. Unfortunately, from what we've heard so far, it does not sound like this is how they've designed the system, but we can hope that we are either wrong or they will do a software update later to add this feature.

[jbockrd]

I think that as long as you remember to hit M1 when you begin your drive to work every day after you set it up and M2 when you want to really shred, that should really be the only part that I'd have to get used to coming from an e92M

[ss134]

Originally Posted by jbockrd

I think that as long as you remember to hit M1 when you begin your drive to work every day after you set it up and M2 when you want to really shred, that should really be the only part that I'd have to get used to coming from an e92M

No change for me with the new cars, I used to get into my E90 M3 and hit the M button to get my favourite settings every time I got in the car anyway- only difference now is I can have a more extreme mode ready to go with M2 rather than having to configure on the move.

[E36toF30]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

For the rev matching, they are referring to the Sport Plus engine control as far as what disables it. The other M DDC settings, such as for suspension, steering, etc., won't factor into whether the rev matching is active or not.

Oh, ok. Thanks for the info. Not ideal, but I could probably live with that.

[Sedan_Clan]

Nice compilation mkoesel.