BMW Films is back with a short film titled "The Calm" now available on YouTube.
The film stars "Guardians of the Galaxy" actress Pom Klementieff and a BMW i7 M70 xDrive, the all-electric performance range-topper of the BMW 7-Series flagship sedan lineup. Klementieff plays a secret agent summoned to a meeting in Cannes, who has to fight off an assassination attempt along the way, eventually meeting up with another agent played by Uma Thurman.
BMW took this opportunity to show off some of the i7's tech, including gesture controls and the 31.3-inch screen that folds down from the headliner. The first viewings of "The Calm" happened in the back of i7 sedans, according to BMW. The automaker brought several of the cars to the Cannes Film Festival in France for the premiere.
Filmmakers also indulged in some artistic license when it comes to driver-assist tech. At one point Klementieff's secret agent and her would-be assassin fight while the car is in "auto drive" mode, moving along autonomously without the need for monitoring. No such technology is currently available in production cars.
Expected to launch in the U.S. as a 2024 model, the i70 M70 is the most powerful 7-Series model available—gasoline or electric. Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain generates 650 hp, which enables 0-60 mph in a BMW-estimated 3.5 seconds, on the way to a governed 155-mph top speed. BMW M engineers also dialed up the level of sportiness in the chassis with an M-specific air suspension with adjustable damping and automatic leveling, as well as a stiffer body shell and active anti-roll bars.
BMW Films launched in 2001, using top talent to showcase the automaker's vehicles in short films. The initial batch of eight was called "The Hire," and starred Clive Owen as an anonymous driver in the vein of the "Transporter" movies. An additional film called "The Escape," also starring Owen, was released in 2016.
