New BMW M5 Sets Two World Records With Aid Of Custom Mid-drift Refuelling System

BMW M5 Refuels Mid-Drift

The popular saying ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’ has again been proven true, as when BMW found themselves wanting to reclaim a Guiness World Record, they invented a system that allowed them to refuel an M5, in mid-drift!

Not wanting to make any stops for fuel during the run, BMW sought out the help and expertise of North Carolina based vehicle fabricators Detroit Speed.

And so, while the record attempting car driven by BMW Precision Driving Instructor, Johan Schwartz was being slid around the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina, a previous-gen M5, piloted by Chief Driving Instructor Matt Mullins, that had been customised to carry the refuelling system, headed out and drifted alongside when the tank was getting low.

Where then, brave Matt Butts of Detroit Speed would, while attached to a safety tether, lean out the rear window, bridge the gap between the two cars, and attach the fuel pump. This was done on FIVE separate occasions.

Emergency crews were on standby just in case, as with only the skill of the two drivers and Butts keeping the whole operation together there was little margin for error, and so to have successfully completed this deserves major respect to all involved.

After the completion of the main record, both drivers went out and got themselves a second title, lapping together to gather the title for ‘Longest twin vehicle drift (water assisted)’. Not a bad day at the office, eh?

[via BMW GROUP Press]

UPDATE 1 - 12/1/18: Changed second YouTube video as previous one was removed for some (???) reason.