A job interview can be a stressful experience. You’re grilled with many questions — and do your best to answer them to give you a good shot to get the job — and not make a fool of yourself. However, few of us endured as extreme of an interview as these job candidates. In an unusual hiring method, a boss interviewed candidates in the backseat of a BMW M5 Competition speeding 110 mph on a racetrack.

‘Hot lap’ job interviews in the back of a BMW M5 Competition at Cadwell Park racetrack

Big Motoring World, a used car dealership in the United Kingdom, aimed to fill openings for sales executive roles. For the interview, the dealership wanted to do something unique — a method that would truly test the candidate’s meddle. 

So, befitting a job at a car dealership, Graeme Mitchell, the Company Director at Big Motoring World, conducted “hot lap” interviews in the back of a black BMW M5 Competition. The M5 Competition is the ultra-performance version of the BMW 5 Series midsize luxury sports sedan. It features a potent 617-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engine — with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of only 2.8 seconds. 

As detailed by Mirror, the intense interviews in the M5 Competition were at the Cadwell Park racetrack in Lincolnshire, England. Cadwell Park features dramatic crests and dips — with sharp gradient changes. Also, with its mix of curves and corners, it earned the nickname “Mini-Nürburgring, named after the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. 

Candidates endured 2 high-speed laps in the M5: ‘I feel like I’m going to throw up’ 

A YouTube video shows job candidates wearing crash helmets while still dressed in business attire. Mitchell interviewed the candidates in the back of the BMW M5 Competition — while driver Sid North took the high-performance luxury car around the curves and corners of the Cadwell Park racetrack.

North certainly didn’t hold back because of the presence of the interviewees. He drove at speeds of up to 110 mph. North also drifted the corners with the M5 Competition at 70 mph. Plus, he managed to shave off six seconds of his previous time at Cadwell Park — finishing in 1:48.26, compared to 1:54.13 for his earlier time at the racetrack. 

As the M5 hurled around the track, the candidates shouted and swore in terror — while they dutifully answered questions from their prospective boss. At times, the job hunters struggled to answer the questions, as they felt the extreme force of the M5 driving at high speeds and making sharp turns. 

Some of the candidates seemed to thoroughly enjoy the intense experience, including cheering North on as he drove the ultra-performance luxury car. However, one of them said, “I feel like I’m going to throw up.” Nonetheless, they all survived two laps around the racetrack. 

You’re all hired!

In an ordinary interview, if you struggled to answer the questions, you probably wouldn’t get the job. However, Mitchell was impressed with how well the candidates handled themselves. As a result, he hired all four of them on the spot.

Ben Goodwin, the Sales Director at Big Motoring World, explained why the dealership conducted the unusual BMW M5 Competition racetrack interviews. He also was happy with the results.

“One of the most important attributes of an ideal candidate is their ability to perform under pressure,” said Goodwin. He continued: “We wanted to give our candidates a challenge that blended both pressure and fun and are delighted with how it turned out. Everyone had a chance to prove themselves in a challenging environment, something we hope will help in their new roles. We’re pleased to say they all passed with flying colors.”