BMW DEBUTS NEW 7 SERIES AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
words by FELICITY CARTER
BMW is back on the Croisette this year with more than 150 electrified vehicles transporting guests across Cannes. The festival also marks the European debut of the new BMW 7 Series, alongside the brand’s Cannes conversation event, The Human Lens: Cinema in the Age of Technological Revolution.
BMW is back at the Cannes Film Festival for the fifth time as the festival’s official mobility partner, ferrying filmmakers, actors, guests and industry insiders across the Côte d’Azur.
This year’s fleet includes more than 150 electrified vehicles, including the fully electric BMW i7 and BMW iX, alongside the BMW XM plug-in hybrid. According to the company, the fleet is intended to offer premium transport with lower local emissions during the festival. And the main focus for BMW this year? Well, it’s all about the European debut of the updated BMW 7 Series, presented along the Croisette during the festival, the luxury sedan offers several technologies that’ll later appear across future BMW models.
BMW says the updated 7 Series focuses on design, comfort and electrified performance, with new crystal headlights, the illuminated Kidney Iconic Glow grille and an upgraded Panoramic iDrive display among the additions. The range includes mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric models, with BMW claiming an electric range of more than 720km under WLTP testing, alongside updated driver assistance and onboard technology.
BMW is also shining a light on the relationship between the 7 Series and film history during the festival, cue cars from productions including Stranger Things, Mission: Impossible and Red Sparrow that are display in Cannes, including the original E38 BMW 7 Series used in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
Ramping up the culture factor, BMW has also announced that its BMW Art Makers programme will expand into film from next year, supporting emerging filmmakers and new productions. The brand is also hosting The Human Lens: Cinema in the Age of Technological Revolution at Plage des Palmes in Cannes, with those from the realms of film, design and culture discussing creativity during a period of technological change.
