Wednesday 29th June 2011

Video: BMW 1M Sideways On A Skyscraper

We genuinely hope this video isn't a special effect...

---

We're not sure exactly how real this footage is (being as we live in such a cynical CGI age), but if it is real, then this spot of drifting around the edge of 1000ft-high helipad is a darned impressive piece of driving.

It's all intended to demonstrate the BMW 1-series M Coupe's credentials as a pukka M car and, presumably, the large cojones of the stunt driver. It's been shot on the US Bank Tower in LA which is, apparently, the tallest building in California.

Quite a feat, really, but for spectacular precision driving we must say that the prevailing PH office opinion is that 'MPowered Performance Part 1' (the bottom-most video) is somewhat better, though perhaps a little less death-defying...

 

 

[JohneeBoy]

It can't possibly be real. If it was and he got it all wrong the car would make a mess of whatever it hit when it reached the bottom!

[Jellymonster]

That made me feel vertiginous.

[steveb8189]

Surely this can't be real? That second video put Tiffs drifting to shame!

[TonyTony]

The beginning of the first video looks real but towards the end it and especially when its coming to a stop, something doesn't look right! xD

[Mermaid]

So is this what the IM will be known for - drifting?

[anonymous-user]

Jalopnik reckons it could be fake too.

http://jalopnik.com/5816247/is-this-video-of-a-bmw...

[BigBazza]

Of course it's real, precision drivers wouldn't struggle with that and if it goes wrong, he's gonna drop 20ft off the helipad onto the roof. Hardly deadly.

[iain1970]

Bring on the wall!

[Johnboy Mac]

Mermaid said:

So is this what the IM will be known for - drifting?

[Dagnut]

They are really putting a lot of promo work into such a small volume car..

[Petrol_fumes]

I love the fact that the driver has a helmet on.

useful when plunging off a high building (assuming it's not fake...)

[Fetchez la vache]

TonyTony said:

The beginning of the first video looks real but towards the end it and especially when its coming to a stop, something doesn't look right! xD

My thoughts too.
Remind me of the Continental tyres ad a few years back... which was also a fake.

[Draexin]

As spectacular as it may be, I cannot imagine LA officials being ok with a lunatic powersliding a car on top of a building
Still, nice vid and wonderful car!

[Rollcage]

Look real enough to me.

[Rumblestripe]

Fake!

Can you imagine safety conscious California authorising a stunt like that? Probably filmed on a helipad on the ground and then computer trickery-ised onto the skyscraper.

[TonyTony]

Gave it another watch and on all the far away shots the car looks like CGI.

The only ones where it is obviously real is really close up where you can't see over the edge, so they could easily have made a dummy helipad on the floor to film them parts.

[XTR2Turbo]

I notice he had an extra yellow line to follow with the front whell but still impressive precision drifting.

[DanGT]

Any one got an M1 I will give it a go. Thats what protected no-clames is for.

[666 SVT]

It's just a shame that in reality it will be stuck in traffic on the M25 driven by an accountant in the greyest of grey suits

[Decibel]

want