BMW drifts M4 across an aircraft carrier for an ad, sparking debates on authenticity

BMW once drifted an M4 across the top of an aircraft carrier for an advert, but it looked so impressive that it people questioned whether it was legit.

The advert in question was made back in 2014 and featured an F82 M4 tearing its way around a track on an aircraft carrier in the sea. 

In the clip, the BMW can be seen getting dangerously close to the edge of the aircraft carrier. 

But not everyone was convinced that what they were watching was legit.

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The BMW M4 racing around the track was memorizing

When done well, drifting a car can be a real art form.

For those not in the know, drifting involves deliberately oversteering your car so that it loses traction and then controlling it to go around corners sideways.

Back in 2014, BMW decided it wanted to showcase its F82 M4 by having it speed around a track with the driver utilizing some impressive drifting skills.

However, BMW wanted to add a twist: the whole thing would take place on top of an aircraft carrier on the ocean.

The resulting advert is not only a great example of driving, but also of marketing, because – let’s be honest – the BMW M4 looks absolutely amazing speeding around the makeshift track.

But shortly after the clip was shared online, folks began to question whether or not it was real.

“This is completely generated by a computer or done with some green screen magic at best,” said one eagle-eyed follower on YouTube. 

“It’s pretty obvious it’s CGI,” someone else added.

While a third wrote that it was ‘impressive, even though it’s fake’.

So, was it real or was it fake?

Aside from the fact that it would be an expensive stunt to pull off, there are a few things that make it appear fake.

For one, aircraft carriers don’t tend to have rounded edges, like the one in the clip.

Nor are they designed with a full drifting track in mind.

After the clip sparked debate, Adweek reached out to Cundari, BMW’s agency in Canada, to ask if the advert was real or not. 

But the carmaker wanted to keep up the air of mystery about the ad and opted against revealing the truth.

We know there is debate, and we encourage that,” said Cundari’s chief creative officer, Andrew Simon. 

“One thing that is for sure is that the M4’s dynamic performance on the Ultimate Racetrack is thrilling viewers all around the world, and for that, we’re thrilled!”

Real or not, the advert was still incredibly slick and it got people talking, so we’d say it was a job well done for BMW.

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