The BMW M5 breaks the record for the greatest distance covered... drifting!

Drifting a car is one of those things we know we shouldn’t do but, when the circumstances allow and the place where we do it is safe, it is one of the most pleasurable sensations in the world. This very same thought has crossed the mind of BMW, except that the German brand wanted to do it on a grand scale. Among its line-up it has some of the most powerful rear-wheel-drive models in the world, and it has decided to break a new record.

The BMW M5 is the main star of this article, whose goal is to cover the greatest possible distance while drifting for eight hours straight. The German engineers have done an excellent job with this new generation of the sports saloon, which offers the option of keeping all-wheel drive engaged or sending torque solely to the rear wheels.

Without further delay, BMW didn’t think twice and threw itself wholeheartedly at the record. For eight long hours the rear wheels of the M5 were sideways without rest, which forced the BMW team members to refuel on the move. Without a doubt, this was no simple task and they had to carry out the manoeuvre on as many as five different occasions.

Although the organisation allowed stopping to refuel, the German brand decided to achieve the record by taking the most difficult route. However, this had no simple solution and, to resolve the dilemma, the BMW engineers drew on the manoeuvre that fighter jets perform to refuel in mid-flight. After redesigning a new duct to access the fuel tank more efficiently, a very special tanker truck was sought.

A BMW M5 F10 was the one tasked with supplying fuel to its successor, since there is no better helper for an M5 than another M5. The engineers installed a fuel tank in the boot of the F10 and, after practising the manoeuvre several times, they succeeded during the test. Specifically, they covered 374.172 kilometres over eight straight hours drifting in circles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obkLDeO58Wo

Without a doubt, the new M5 presented itself as the ideal candidate to achieve this record, thanks to its powerful 600 CV twin-turbo V8 engine and 750 Nm of torque. Even so, behind every machine there is a great driver, and on this occasion Johan Schwartz was at the wheel of the M5. In this way the German brand has achieved a new record and has left a video to document the event.