The Chinese branch of BMW has chosen to celebrate what appears to be a rather normal day: the 52nd birthday of the M division. It invited a couple of drift car drivers to blow out the candles on the birthday cake.
Why celebrate 52 years old and not wait until a neat anniversary, like 60 or at least 55? There are actually multiple reasons, although you have to be Chinese to understand some. For one, the number 52 is considered lucky in the country. For another, the number 520 and the phrase “I love you” are read pretty much the same in Mandarin. Reading the abbreviation “52M” out loud may sound to a Chinese ear as “I love [BMW] M”.
The stunts in the video were performed by a BMW M4 Competition duo. Both the coupe and the convertible were the latest versions and sent 530 PS (523 hp / 390 kW) to the wheels along with up to 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. Screeching down a specially prepared track in a controlled slide, the cars blew out strategically placed candles with the inrush of air. The track had 51 candles in total, with the 52nd and final one hidden in a hangar.