Get ready for the real story behind one of BMW’s most legendary achievements – the Guinness World Record for the longest drift!
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Matt Mullins, BMW’s Chief Driving Instructor at the BMW Performance Driving Schools. From his early passion for driving to over two decades of experience shaping drivers of all skill levels, Matt shares insights from a career that’s taken him from racetracks to Hollywood film sets.
We cover Matt’s incredible journey, including:
How he discovered his passion for professional driving.
Why he’s stayed loyal to BMW for more than 20 years.
Training everyone from pro athletes to Secret Service agents.
His experience performing high-octane stunts in the BMW Films revival “The Escape” with Clive Owen.
Behind-the-scenes details from blockbuster movies
The technical and mental challenges of setting BMW’s Guinness World Record eight-hour drift, including the jaw-dropping mid-drift refueling stunt.
Matt also shares advice for BMW M car owners on unlocking their vehicle’s true performance potential through proper training, and offers inspiration for anyone dreaming of a career in performance driving or stunt work.
Finally, we ask the ultimate BMW enthusiast questions:
What’s Matt’s favorite BMW of all time?
What’s his dream track to drive it on?
Don’t miss this deep dive into the passion, precision, and performance that define BMW’s driving culture – told by one of the brand’s most accomplished insiders.
00:00 Welcome to Episode 14 with Matt Mullins
01:30 The BMW M5 World Drift Record Explained
03:45 Johan Schwartz’s Original Drift Record Idea
06:20 The Car-to-Car Refueling Concept
08:15 Convincing BMW to Approve the Stunt
11:30 Engineering the Refueling Rig with Detroit Speed
15:10 GoPro Joins the Project, Testing Begins
17:00 Technical Challenges: Heat, Grip, and Control
20:30 Meet Matt Butts, The Man Hanging Out the Window
24:00 How They Pulled Off the 8-Hour Drift Record
28:15 Breaking the Tandem Drift Record
31:20 Johan Schwartz’s Endurance Behind the Wheel
33:45 Behind the Scenes of BMW Films: The Escape
38:00 Driving with Dakota Fanning and John Bernthal
42:10 Matt Mullins' Racing Origins and Career Start
48:00 From NASCAR to BMW Chief Driving Instructor
51:45 Evolution of BMW's Driving Schools Since 2001
56:00 Why BMW’s Schools Beat Traditional Track Days
59:45 Overconfident Drivers: The Reality Check
1:03:15 The Value of BMW’s Teen Driver Training
1:07:10 Practicing High-Speed Emergency Maneuvers
1:10:30 Why Driver Skill Still Matters in Modern Cars
1:13:00 Even Pros Make Mistakes: Pike’s Peak and MotoGP Crashes
1:17:45 Horatiu’s X4 M Off-Track Moment
1:21:00 BMW’s Culture of Pushing Limits and Learning
Find out more at https://bmwblog-podcast.pinecast.co
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