Anyone figure out how to enable this? GLC63/S. With the addition of 4matic+ I thought someone might have figured a software update as it is available on other variants with the 4matic+

Just a pipe dream maybe :-) figured I'd ask.

 

There is definitely no drift mode on 2020 GLC63.

 

We can only dream. considering our sun visors have a huge rollover risk label, Mercedes is definitely not going to encourage throwing them sideways.
A C63 wagon would be a welcome offering in the US.

 

Yeah I know it isn't offered, nor will MB offer :-)

Just curious if anyone has found an enabler of it. Aftermarket. Think lowering module, chip tuning, etc etc.

 

Not sure if this is an automated item but from Mercede's GLC63 Coupe website:
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"Power to the pavement, precision in the moment

- AMG Performance 4MATIC turns torque into traction and agility. The GLC 43's 31:69 rear bias quickens takeoffs and clings to corners. Variable-torque 4MATIC+ in the GLC 63 and GLC 63 S can send up to 100% of the engine's torque to the rear axle . "

 

If I recall correctly you can only enable 100% rear wheel drive if in DYNO mode.

 

Every AWD system naturally sends torque to the wheels that can use it. That's the whole point. This torque distribution is traction based. If the front wheels don't have traction, then all the torque is naturally sent to the rear wheels. For example if both front wheels are on ice, then the rear wheels will receive pretty much 100% of the torque. AWD systems also have a default torque split that is active under normal conditions when all wheels have full traction. 4MATIC has a fixed 31:69 split, whereas 4MATIC+ has 0:100 and is effectively RWD under normal conditions, but as soon as the rear wheels loose traction, torque is redirected to the front wheels. Drift mode on the other hand physically disconnects the front axle using a clutch, so it is a 100% RWD and if the rear wheels loose traction, which is what happens during drifting, then the torque is not redirected to the front wheels, instead the rear wheels continue to get overpowered to maintain the drift. You won't find drift mode in a vehicle with a high center of gravity any time soon. They flip over too easily, if the wheels get caught mid drift. You are starting to somewhat see it in electric SUVs such as the new Audi e-tron S, which has two motors in the rear to do torque vectoring and it allows some drift angles. It will still start sending power to the front motor to straighten the car again, so it's not full drift mode, but given the lower center of gravity of the etron due to the batteries in the floor, there's less of a risk to flip over.

 

Your post is both accurate and sucinct. Being an old gear head, I'm still wondering about the 0:100 torque split of the 4MATIC+ installed in the GLC 63. A while back I saw a video which included a MB test driver who said that the system could switch from 100% rear torque to 100% front torque in micro seconds. It seems to me that for this to happen the front drive system (drive shaft, ring and pinion gears, and front half shafts) need to be constantly engaged--even iff it is only at the 1 or 2 percent torque level. I was curious as to perhaps the torque split start point might be different depending on which mode is selected--ie S or S+ but it seems AMG is reluctant to release any information on this other to say it is controlled by a complex matrix. Any thoughts?

PS: I'm pleased with the performance of my 31:69 torque split AMG C43, but I'm considering an AMG GLC 63 before the V8's go away!

 

So yes, the drive shaft etc. is still there and rotating, but when I say the front axle is physically decoupled means that the multi-plate clutch that ultimate transfers power/torque from the drive shaft to the front differential is fully open, so no power/torque is transferred. This does have a certain efficiency loss that's always there. Spinning all the gears and the front drive shaft in the transmission even if the front clutch is open is wasting some of the energy, but no power/torque is actually transferred to the front wheels. Audi has come up with a different system in their Quattro Ultra system, where they are using a second clutch to completely decouple the drive shaft and stop it from rotating, in their case it's the rear drive shaft, because the system is primarily FWD. This reduces the waste of energy that otherwise happens. There are videos on YouTube about Quattro Ultra if you are interested. They are not doing it to drift, though (FWD anyway), but to make the car more fuel efficient, by essentially reverting to FWD if the AWD is not needed. I believe in reality the default torque split of 4MATIC+ is actually more like 5:95. As far as I've seen they are always sending a little bit to the front, except in Drift Mode.

Now the clutch that transfers power/torque to the front wheels can be engaged in milliseconds. These are multi-plate clutches that are operated hydraulically with very high pressures, so they can go from fully open to fully engaged in milliseconds. The same technology is used in the electronic locking differential, which can adjust the locking ratio multiple times a second based on traction needs etc. However, there's again marketing speak with being able to send 100% to the front with 4MATIC+. That also needs to be explained more to understand. At maximum the clutch can fully close and effectively lock the rear axle to the front axle. That's equivalent to a center diff lock. In that case you have a 50:50 torque split. So a full clutch lockup can only send 50% to the front, The remaining 50% can only be achieved based on traction again as described in my post above. Once the clutch is fully engaged (50:50 split) and the rear wheels have zero traction, only then will the front wheels receive 100% of the torque/power. That is different from the 100% it can send to the rear, because it can decouple the front axle, so true 100% is forced to the rear regardless of traction.

 

What idiot thinks drifting an SUV is a good idea on public streets ? Hell few of you can even drive them properly to begin with.

 

I have a 2018 GLC43 and put it into Dyno mode using the process with the steering wheel buttons and ignition in pre-accessory. I was able to drive it on the streets and still had power steering.

I can confirm it makes the car behave in a “RWD only” mode. For anybody wants to do donuts or have more fun in the snow, this is the way to do it. Of course all your baby sitters are turned off and you better know what you’re doing, but it’s RWD only. And if the fronts doing anything, I didn’t notice.