The Reality Behind The Crazy Drone Shot On BMW’s Viral M2 Drift Competition Video
Those of you who have tried drifting will know it can be super challenging to get the hang of at first, and it takes plenty of failures.
It turns out, shooting unique viral drifting videos is much the same, even with a pro behind the wheel. You know what they say, “If at first you don’t succeed…”
Many of you (myself included) appreciated the effort that went into shooting BMW’s recent viral video, where they unveiled the ‘Ultimate Drift Machine’ M2. I even mentioned that it was “insanely impressive cinematography” in the article.
But I had no idea about the sheer amount of effort they put into recording a single scene. If you’ve already watched the video, you’ll probably know the one I’m referring to.
At first, I wondered whether it was done with AI or CGI trickery. However, this short clip from Red Bull Deutschland shows exactly what went down, and it turns out it was far from simple.
In the scene where Eli’s drifting with his doors removed, the shot shows the camera flying in one side and out the other. While it looks great, it also looks like they mastered it in one take.
That’s far from the reality of what happened.
Attempt 1: Trying to get into the cabin, the drone hits the head support on Eli’s seat
Attempt 2: This time, it crashes into the steering wheel.
Attempt 3: It ends up inside the M2 and starts buzzing like a bee around the cabin while bouncing off the rollcage – not ideal when you’re trying to control a drift car in the BMW factory!
Attempt 4: He tries to catch the drone while drifting before it flies into him again.
Attempt 5: SUCCESS! The drone finally manages to fly through the cabin, providing the final result that wowed viewers in the initial video.
Needless to say, I’ve got a bigger appreciation than ever for drone pilots now!
As the roof-mounted exhausts pop flames, it’s off to record the next scene (which was hopefully a little easier).
The M2 ‘Drift Competition’ is a one-off build created specifically for competition with support from BMW’s M division. It’s set to compete in next year’s Drift Masters series with ‘Driftbrother’ Elias Hountondji behind the wheel.
Under the hood, it packs a BMW S58 twin-turbo inline-six producing 1,100 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque, wrapped in a custom widebody kit with the flame-spitting quad roof-exit exhausts seen in the video.
Here’s the full clip in case you’re like us and want to watch it again. Skip to the 1:00 mark to re-watch the simple drone shot.
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Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
