[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by chrisny

He said photo shopped not staged.

That said, snow can also be brushed off a car.

It appears as if the car in the background was perhaps parked out doors overnight and later cleaned off, while the 435i may have been parked in a garage, hence no snow on its exterior. Who knows really. It does not look photoshopped at all to me.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by Bjornizz

Unless the whole car is of the ground that can't be true. I drove my car in snow to over my licence plate and it had no problems what so ever. I even stopped in that hill just to test it a bit extra with hillstart. No problem with that either, so I have to say that xDrive has got me addicted to 4wd cars. I still have mye RWD 520i, but I can't even get out of the neighborhood with it even though it has brand new test winning winter tires.

Exactly. I agree.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by PAMidge

Of course it's true, it's simply a moron, there are millions of them worldwide, actually more of them than there are BMWs. That's what happens when you don't know how to drive in the snow, and don't account for ground clearance.

I'm not in this situation right now, but if I were the driver, enabling DTC and rocking back and forth while trying to find the traction with the front wheels by turning them in all directions is the way to get unstuck.

Not to bash this person, nor to say I've never gotten stuck (well I haven't but that's neither here nor there, and I will knock on wood), but you need to know how to drive in your current conditions.

I would like to believe you, but this is not "simply a moron". The clowns pictured here are supposedly professional auto journalists, so I would hope they knew a thing or two about cars, traction, winter driving, ...

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

The snow in the picture is wet, heavy snow and possibly snow that has been through a thaw and refreeze. Dry powder will blow out of the way. Heavy snow will not. You'll ride up on it and you're done. Tires don't matter. You'll never overcome the friction of the whole car dragging on the snow.

I believe that's way too much information to extrapolate from just one photograph. But even if true, it still does not explain this picture. And given the fact that the rear wheel drive (and much lower) Corvette reportedly did OK under similar circumstances leads me to believe this is not the case here.


I'm calling BS on their tweeted picture.

[JalopnikMatt]

Matt from Jalopnik here, I've definitely enjoyed some of these theories (Oh I wish we had those kinds of photoshop skills).

The photo is 100% real and BavarianFanatic 100% got it right when he noticed the snow is up to the wheels, making any AWD system useless. I'll explain in greater detail below, because it's hilarious.

I had a new C7 Corvette convertible (with Pilot Alpin snow tires) and Travis had the 4-series with xDrive (and Sottozeros, IIRC). We had a day of driving around the snow with no problems and then we pulled into a lot where I tend to park my press cars.

This is the same lot where the week prior I'd done some great snowy donuts in a WRX, which Travis saw pics of.

Being clever, and knowing that a layer of ice had formed under the snow, I'd already shoveled out a nice ice-free spot for the Corvette and backed it in.

I had neglected to tell Travis about this and he drove right into the middle of it. Or, well, tried. Between the hard, wet snow lifting his car like a wedge, and the ice underneath it, there wasn't much the car was going to do without some shoveling.

The car eventually got free, obviously. The biggest blame lies with Travis driving it into hard snow (as he references in the tweet replies to this picture

). It was the first time he'd gotten a car stuck, but if you go out to have ridiculous fun you should expect some trouble.

The lesson? Snow tires and AWD are not a guarantee that you can't get stuck. Ride height and preparation also play into it.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by JalopnikMatt

Matt from Jalopnik here, I've definitely enjoyed some of these theories (Oh I wish we had those kinds of photoshop skills).

The photo is 100% real and BavarianFanatic 100% got it right when he noticed the snow is up to the wheels, making any AWD system useless. I'll explain in greater detail below, because it's hilarious.

I had a new C7 Corvette convertible (with Pilot Alpin snow tires) and Travis had the 4-series with xDrive (and Sottozeros, IIRC). We had a day of driving around the snow with no problems and then we pulled into a lot where I tend to park my press cars.

This is the same lot where the week prior I'd done some great snowy donuts in a WRX, which Travis saw pics of.

Being clever, and knowing that a layer of ice had formed under the snow, I'd already shoveled out a nice ice-free spot for the Corvette and backed it in.

I had neglected to tell Travis about this and he drove right into the middle of it. Or, well, tried. Between the hard, wet snow lifting his car like a wedge, and the ice underneath it, there wasn't much the car was going to do without some shoveling.

The car eventually got free, obviously. The biggest blame lies with Travis driving it into hard snow (as he references in the tweet replies to this picture

). It was the first time he'd gotten a car stuck, but if you go out to have ridiculous fun you should expect some trouble.

The lesson? Snow tires and AWD are not a guarantee that you can't get stuck. Ride height and preparation also play into it.

Matt, thanks for the clarification! And kudos to BavarianFanatic - I was skeptical of his explanation.


I am both relieved and shocked that the picture is in fact true, but given your explanation, it makes sense. Hilarious indeed!


Jalopnik fan here, BTW.

[Seagull]

Originally Posted by ToyotaBMW

If this video cast your doubt on Quattro than you should know that the xdrive AWD system is like the Haldex system that is also under the Quattro name. The Haldex system is what Audi uses on their lower end cars like the A3 and TT and all the AWD VW's use Haldex type of AWD. In higher end Audi's they all use the Torsen mechanical AWD which also falls under the Quattro brand. If you think Audi who has been in the AWD game much longer than BMW uses an inferior mechanical AWD in their upper end cars and uses superior Haldex in their lower end cars than you are led in the wrong direction by these videos. The reality is mechanical AWD is better than eletrically controlled AWD unless you are talking GTR speciall AWD system which uses an electrically controlled AWD but they don't have a conventional electrically controlled AWD system, and it is much more complex.
If these videos was so accurate ever wonder why they don't use real life situations with snow to show the benefits of Xdrive? The reason is because they know in real life situations Xdrive is not superior to Quattro. Subaru who probably has the best AWD system also uses a mechanical system.

LOL

[Steve33]

Originally Posted by JalopnikMatt

Matt from Jalopnik here, I've definitely enjoyed some of these theories (Oh I wish we had those kinds of photoshop skills).

The photo is 100% real and BavarianFanatic 100% got it right when he noticed the snow is up to the wheels, making any AWD system useless. I'll explain in greater detail below, because it's hilarious.

I had a new C7 Corvette convertible (with Pilot Alpin snow tires) and Travis had the 4-series with xDrive (and Sottozeros, IIRC). We had a day of driving around the snow with no problems and then we pulled into a lot where I tend to park my press cars.

This is the same lot where the week prior I'd done some great snowy donuts in a WRX, which Travis saw pics of.

Being clever, and knowing that a layer of ice had formed under the snow, I'd already shoveled out a nice ice-free spot for the Corvette and backed it in.

I had neglected to tell Travis about this and he drove right into the middle of it. Or, well, tried. Between the hard, wet snow lifting his car like a wedge, and the ice underneath it, there wasn't much the car was going to do without some shoveling.

The car eventually got free, obviously. The biggest blame lies with Travis driving it into hard snow (as he references in the tweet replies to this picture

). It was the first time he'd gotten a car stuck, but if you go out to have ridiculous fun you should expect some trouble.

The lesson? Snow tires and AWD are not a guarantee that you can't get stuck. Ride height and preparation also play into it.

You mean you can't drive on snow like it's dry pavement?!

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by Steve33

You mean you can't drive on snow like it's dry pavement?!

Only if you don't subscribe to Newton's theories...

[btbossman]

My 335xi with 19" all seasons had no problems(albeit taking my time) in snow at least this high on my street last week. Things still get dicey when braking though.

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

Nope

Its come a long way. This reconfirms xdrive as an inclement weather aid.

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

I would like to believe you, but this is not "simply a moron". The clowns pictured here are supposedly professional auto journalists, so I would hope they knew a thing or two about cars, traction, winter driving, ...

professional journalists? In a roughed up parking lot with roughed up rollers using a handicam? Looks kind of amateurish to me. I understand the results (not sure what they prove) but not professionally done.
As a an inclement weather aid using brakes to control individual wheel spin works well but when it comes to being a performance tool mechanical is a better way to go. Having said that, i doubt any of us would be able to tell the difference.

[drob23]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Only if you don't subscribe to Newton's theories...

Einstein already debunked those myths

[DesertSmokeBBQ]

Originally Posted by Steve33

^this

Hell, I've even had a Tahoe stuck in snow just like this.

Wait, there's snow in Texas??? Maybe you meant Newport?? (I was through NB yesterday and experienced the cold snap, it was 63 degrees!!!! I dunno how you guys survived...) :

[OC40]

Originally Posted by DesertSmokeBBQ

Wait, there's snow in Texas??? Maybe you meant Newport?? (I was through NB yesterday and experienced the cold snap, it was 63 degrees!!!! I dunno how you guys survived...) :

Just walked to grab a sandwich in Irvine. It's slightly warmer at 66F, but still frigid. I wore a parka.

[Bahn360Photo]

depends on the tires, summer performance tires are crap in the snow

[R12ax7]

Originally Posted by chrisny

He said photo shopped not staged.

That said, snow can also be brushed off a car.

If its shopped its a good job, check out the reflection of the snow shovel in the rear bumper. There's no reason someone didnt drive it out of a garage into the snow.


But forget all of that, who says its even stuck? I had to clear some snow out from my rear tires at one point this winter (RWD with Blizzaks), but I wouldnt say I was absolutely stuck.

[R12ax7]

Originally Posted by Bahn360Photo

depends on the tires, summer performance tires are crap in the snow

I dont think you can get those wheels on a 4 series M sport so they are most likely snow tires....possibly even RWD since thats the end he is clearing around.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by R12ax7

If its shopped its a good job, check out the reflection of the snow shovel in the rear bumper. There's no reason someone didnt drive it out of a garage into the snow.


But forget all of that, who says its even stuck? I had to clear some snow out from my rear tires at one point this winter (RWD with Blizzaks), but I wouldnt say I was absolutely stuck.

Keep reading...

[drkeng]

Originally Posted by boss335xDrive

This is photo-shopped. The BMW is completely CLEAN!!! There is absolutely no snow on the car...look at the other car in the picture, to the right of the guy shoveling. When you have been driving in the snow, or left the car in the parking lot, IT GETS SNOW ON IT!

I agree. Yeah, you can brush off a car, but not that well. There's not a trace of snow anywhere.

[Bahn360Photo]

Originally Posted by R12ax7

I dont think you can get those wheels on a 4 series M sport so they are most likely snow tires....possibly even RWD since thats the end he is clearing around.

thats true, snow tires should walk right over that snow, doesn't seem like much

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by 34.50

We have had quite a bit of snow upstate NY (I live very close to Lake Ontario). My '13 335i xDrive has NEVER been stuck once this winter. Even in the brutal cold mornings with tons of snow on the ground, my car has managed to dig itself out of parking spots. I've infact spent more time helping my neighbors digging their cars out of parking spots.

I'm pleasantly surprised with the xDrive system!

Agreed. I have driven a car like my xdrive where it inspires confidence.