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BMW M5 going viral the right way

18 August, 2017

 


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The early 2000s were a simpler time. The internet was in its infancy which meant videos and ads didn’t have the avenues to go viral that they do these days. There are now billions of people making stupid people famous. We then make them rich(er?) by buying the products they promote online, thereby creating an endless cycle of shit.

Way back when, companies had to think about how they’d sell their products, and in doing so, they created some simply brilliant ads. And BMW got it right with these gems.

This BMW M5 ad must rate as one of the best car ads of all time. Perfect in its simplicity, we reckon.

Along with this, BMW made several short films for their 2001/02 model line up. Not just any student short films, mind you. They engaged the likes of action man John Woo, Ang Lee, Neill Blomkamp and Marilyn Manson (errr?) to direct character based films featuring the cars and some big Hollywood names like Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo and Forest Whittaker.

The best of the bunch was directed by Guy Richie and starring his wife at the time, Madonna, entitled The Star. The star of the show really though, is Clive Owen driving the M5 like it should be. Even though Madonna is a dreadful actor, this is still worth a few minutes of your time.

 


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A Legend Returns

15 October, 2025

The Ayrburn Classic, one of the most anticipated motoring events on the New Zealand calendar, is set to take things up a gear in 2026 with a line-up that promises to captivate enthusiasts and the general public alike. Following the success of the inaugural event, the Ayrburn Classic returns with a recently confirmed feature that is nothing short of extraordinary: the historic Ferrari Monza 750 – a masterpiece of motorsport and one of the most significant vehicles to race on New Zealand soil.
Legendary status
This particular Ferrari Monza 750, which arrived in New Zealand in 1957 and has remained here ever since, holds a legendary status in motorsport history. It competed in the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, and the Targa Florio – the ‘Big Three’ of European endurance racing during the golden era of the sport. Few cars can claim such provenance, and even fewer have such a deep and poignant connection to New Zealand’s own racing legacy.
Tragically, the Ferrari Monza 750 was involved in a fatal accident at Ardmore in 1957, marking the final moments of British driver Ken Wharton, whose last photograph was taken next to this very car. The vehicle has since been meticulously preserved, with images from the aftermath of the crash etched in motorsport history. Today, it stands as a symbol of both the bravery of that era and the enduring beauty of Italian automotive craftsmanship.

1986 Pontiac Firebird

9 October, 2025

Seeing the car with his own eyes already had Scott fizzing, but when the curator of the car let Scott sit in the driver’s seat it became a truly unforgettable day. There was no way Bo and Duke’s orange stunt jumper could compete with this. To top it off, a photograph of him sitting in the car turned up in the local paper, so he started a new school with an added aura as the kid in the Knight Rider car.
Scott still thought about the Knight Rider car from time to time, but if he had not gone with his wife Abbey to the Selwyn Motor Fest in 2018, it may have remained just a treasured memory. At the show, Abbey asked Scott what his favourite car was as they ambled round. The man she had married instantly connected with his nine-year-old self, but in a deeper voice he said, “KITT from Knight Rider”. Had she just said, “That’s nice dear,” and left it at that, life might have continued as normal. However, unaware of the hole she was about to start digging, she said that she had never heard of it.