Few car journalists push cars harder than Chris Harris. Whether it’s a circuit or a British B Road, Harris has decades worth of experience pushing the latest and greatest cars to their limit. Many of us have been mesmerized by him hanging the rear end of a half-million-dollar Porsche out as he negotiates a turn, rear tires seeking but failing to find traction as the man behind the wheel modulates both power and the yaw angle in a way few are able.
The automotive world doesn’t just look to Chris Harris for his exceptional track- and competition-tested driving skills however, as his take on the latest performance cars is what enthusiasts are really after. Being able to push a car in such a way few journalists at few other establishments are capable (much less permitted) to do tends to reveal characteristics the rest of us will miss, and this is one major reason why we tune in.
Harris has also displayed a strong penchant for BMW over the years. Whether we’re talking about rallying an E30 M3, revisiting the E28 M5, or comparing the F90 M5 to the competition, Harris always drives an M car the way they were built and intended to be driven. What’s even more convincing is that Harris, a man who’s owned some of the best from Ferrari to Porsche, has put his money where his mouth is, and currently owns the cult classic BMW 1 Series M Coupe (1M).
Stream the video below to your big screen and and turn up the surround sound. There’s nothing like watching slow-motion, high-frame rate sequences of an M car heat cycling (read: destroying) its rear Michelins around a circuit—even if you’ve seen it all before. This one starts off with one of Harris’s best videos, in which he compares the M2 to the 1M.—Alex Tock
[Photos and video courtesy BMW AG, TopGear on YouTube.]