BMW, Drone Racing League Partner To Create World's Fastest Drone

Drones are everywhere right now. They're buzzing about capturing high-definition video of scenic, awe-inspiring landscapes, creeping on unsuspecting beachgoers, and causing a ruckus for airports and security personnel around the world. The decreasing price of technology is putting these high-flying machines in the hands of just about anybody who wants one – for better or worse. With the new technology comes competition, spurred on by the Drone Racing League, which set a record last year for the fastest drone, recording a speed of 163.5 miles per hour. Not bad for a drone that weighs just 1.76 pounds (800 grams).

Now, the Drone Racing League is looking to break its record. To do so, the racing league is teaming up with BMW. The German automaker will provide its technical expertise and access to its wind tunnel at its Aerodynamic Test Center.

"The partnership with DRL will enhance BMW's racing involvement with future-oriented formats," says Jörg Reimann, Head of BMW International Brand Experience. "Drone racing is a very competitive type of racing, characterized by the interplay of extremely high-performance material and digital technology. This represents an environment in which BMW has assumed a pioneering position for many years in its core business. We are very much looking forward to this collaboration and to the new event formats that we will be developing together with our partners."

The sport has gained popularity in the last few years. The league has even signed a deal with ESPN. Whenever there is some new technology that can be raced, there should be little doubt people will get together to see who has the better drone and skills.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with BMW, a world-class motorsports brand with a rich legacy of innovation," said DRL CEO and founder, Nicholas Horbaczewski. "We look forward to bringing the futuristic sport of drone racing to BMW Welt and putting our proprietary technology to the test to make history with BMW."

While the partnership between the two companies is cool, we doubt BMW will dive into the drone business anytime soon.