The BMW M2 is back in the headlines with another bizarre record-breaking stunt. It’s already claimed the world record — or so BMW says — for popping 79 balloons in 60 seconds with a laser on its front grille. Now, the laser is gone, and in its place is a blade that’s attached to the rear of the coupe. The goal this time is to cut down more than 87 bamboo poles in 60 seconds. Did the BMW M2 Competition do it? Let’s find out.

You can always count on BMW to find out all these meaningless records and find a way to make them mean something. I thought the balloon-popping record was stretching it out already, but somehow, someway, BMW outdid itself this time.

I also didn’t know that there was a record to begin with. But there is, apparently. So BMW took a shot at the record with the M2 Competition, and if you believe stunt coordinator Marc Higgins, breaking the record isn’t as easy as it looks.

“This is a very tricky bit of driving; it is virtually impossible,” Higgins said. “The demands on the M2 Competition are immense. Every drift has to be performed with absolute precision; there is no room for error. A strong presence and agility naturally helps a lot.”

Nevertheless, the BMW M2 Competition took a slash — no pun intended — at the record, and just like the balloon-popping laser stunt, the M2 Competition not only beat the record, but the coupe eviscerated it completely. The performance coupe managed to destroy 117 rolled-up bamboo mats by drifting near the mats, which were arranged in semi-circles, and using the blade attached to the rear to cut them. The M2 Competition did all of them in under 60 seconds, ensuring that the new world record now rests in BMW’s hands.

As weird as these stunts are on the surface, they do have their purpose. In BMW’s case, that purpose is to showcase the M2 Competition, specifically its agility and maneuverability in tight spaces. Sure, there are probably other ways to showcase that kind of capability, but what’s the fun in doing those when you’re not breaking world records along the way?

Further reading

Read our full review of the BMW M2 Competion

Read our expert review of the standard BMW M2

Read more BMW news.