The symbolism of vehicles that are so fast that you can barely see them is not new in advertising and has been used in one form or another for several decades. Even though the core idea is not new, people still manage to find new ways to reinterpret it in funny ways, and some of the results are quite lovely.
It's the case of BMW's most recent commercial for the S1000RR superbike, with a setup that involves rigging a bus station with loudspeakers and a special splash device installed in a pothole.
As the speakers play the sound of an approaching superbike revved quite high, the small pump hidden in the pothole creates a splash. The moment is synchronized with the soundtrack so it leaves the impression that it's the motorcycle that rode through the puddle, creating the splash.
Needless to say, there's no bike on the street whatsoever, and the lack of any visual help is aimed at tricking the individuals in the bus station that the bike was so fast that they missed it in the blink of an eye. Even though the splash is nowhere near like it should have been had a superbike blazed through a puddle, the effect was pretty much spot on.
Seeing some guys stretching their necks and trying to get a glimpse of the bike that allegedly zoomed past them is proof that the trick worked just fine.
We're not sure how thrilling does 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds sound to the riders who are used to 200-ish horsepower motorcycles, but to the average man or woman, this definitely looks impressive.
Now, figures aside, the BMW S1000RR is an exceptional bike even in stock trim and has already created a cult following, battling shoulder-to-shoulder with the long-established stars of the superbike segment, such as the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Suzuki GSX-R1000, and the likes of those. Enjoy your laughs!
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