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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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“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.