BMW M5 Teased in America With High-Profile Drift Stunt
BMW USA previewed the new F90 M5’s drift capability with a video and record-breaking stunts, highlighting the saloon’s rear-drive mode and all-wheel drive flexibility.
BMW USA’s teaser campaign for the F90 M5 put the spotlight on the saloon’s ability to drift, despite its standard all-wheel drive. The video, released ahead of the model’s US launch in early 2018, showed the new M5 sliding in tandem with its predecessor, underlining the new car’s 2WD mode and the brand’s effort to reassure enthusiasts that the switch to all-wheel drive had not dulled the car’s rear-driven character.
Drift stunts and world records
The F90 M5’s headline technical change was its M xDrive all-wheel drive system, a first for the M5 outside BMW’s SUVs. The system can send all of the car’s 600hp and 750Nm of torque to the rear wheels, enabling controlled oversteer on demand. BMW USA’s teaser video made this the centrepiece, with the new car drifting side by side with the outgoing M5 in a tightly choreographed display. The full video was scheduled for release the week after the initial teaser, with close-up shots capturing the action.
BMW’s promotional push for the new M5 went beyond video teasers. At the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina, BMW instructor Johan Schwartz set a new Guinness World Record by drifting a 2018 M5 for 232.5 miles over eight hours. The previous record, set in a Toyota GT86, stood at 102.5 miles. To sustain the drift without refuelling stops, BMW and North Carolina’s Detroit Speed engineered an in-motion refuelling system based on those used by fighter jets. Five times during the attempt, a previous-generation M5 acted as a fuel tender, drifting in parallel while a technician transferred fuel to Schwartz’s car through the window.
After securing the solo record, BMW’s team set a second Guinness World Record for the longest twin-vehicle drift (water assisted), with Schwartz and BMW instructor Matt Mullins drifting in tandem for 49.3 miles over an hour. Both stunts were designed to show that the new M5’s all-wheel drive system could still deliver the tail-out performance expected of an M car.
Promotional videos and digital trickery
BMW UK’s promotional video added a further twist, with the M5 drifting around cones shaped like robots, some of which were remote-controlled and others added in post-production. While the video’s editing made the sequence more dramatic, the car’s underlying capability was not in doubt, thanks to its 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 and the ability to switch to rear-wheel drive for extended drifts.
The M5’s drift stunts and video teasers were aimed at fans concerned that the move to all-wheel drive would compromise the car’s playful handling. By combining technical demonstrations, world record attempts and creative video production, BMW made its case that the F90 M5 could still deliver the sideways action expected of the badge.
