Watch the BMW M5 Set Two World Records for Drifting
The new 600-horsepower 2018 BMW M5 has set two world records for drifting.
The first record was for the “greatest distance vehicle drift in 8 hours” and the second was “longest twin vehicle drift (water assisted).” BMW driving instructor Johan Schwartz continuously drifted the new M5 for eight hours and 232.5 miles around a skid pad, beating the old record by 143 miles and reclaiming the record he originally set in 2013.
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The second record (1 hour/49.25 miles) came about because to drift for that long, the M5 would need to refuel. Instead of stopping to refuel (because that would be boring and too easy), BMW invented a car-to-car refueling system where another M5 loaded up with a special fuel tank drifted in tandem to the record-setting M5 and helped it refuel mid-drift, kind of like how fighter jets do it. They refueled five times during the eight-hour drift and Detroit Speed’s Matt Butts, who was tethered to the fueling M5, would stick his head out of the rear window after the tandem drift was set up to attach the fuel hose manually.
The 2018 BMW M5 is the first M5 with AWD, but the luxury sport sedan has an active locking differential that allows the rear axle to be driven exclusively. The sedan is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.
Watch the record-breaking drift and some behind-the-scenes footage in the playlist below:
Discuss this article on our BMW M5 Forum
Jodi has been obsessed with cars since she was little and has been an automotive journalist for the past 12 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and a jury member for the prestigious North American Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY). Besides hosting videos, and writing news, reviews and features, Jodi is the Editor-in-Chief of AutoGuide.com and takes care of the site's day-to-day operations.
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As there will always be impressionable immature people around, does it seem just somewhat foolhardy for BMW (or any reputable manufacturer / persons) to be doing this? And just what is accomplished by doing so? Yeah I know some will say this was by "professionals on a closed circuit and not to be attempted by others" but it still begs the question...couldn't something more original and also resonsible be done to represent a luxury sport manufacturer like BMW launching a new six figure M5?