Unofficialbmw.com

[bigzin]

My 12 year old son gets angry everytime we watch The Transporter. The dialogoue reveals that the car is a 1999 735I. My son says that the 700 series has not had a 3.5 motor for many years. He is quite a car nut and has his numbers right most of the time.He just cannot accept the fact that the Hollywood people would make such a stupid mistake.I told him that before he wrote a poison pen letter that I would try to verify it.I told him it is quite possible that it is a European model, since the film takes place in France.Any 7 experts out there??

[mwong]

The car in the movie certainly has some fictional characteristics. After all, it’s only a movie.

When they showed the back of his head in the car looking out the windshield, the seat was clearly a sports seat. When they showed his face, it was the standard 10-way power seat, not the sports or comfort seat. They likely used several cars for the filming.

When they showed the inside console, the car they showed had to have been a 740 or lower because there was no S EDC or other buttons on the console. Just a power sunshade button, I believe.

It is likely a European model. The manual transmission was not available from the factory in the USA but it was available in other parts of the world.

Some say the car looks like an i in certain shots, and an iL in others.

The vehicle shown would likely be a 1995-1998. In 1999 they started the scooped trim under the headlights, as opposed to the rectangular trim in the movie.

One who has done a USA conversion to a 6 speed manual stated:
“The car is a 1995 (or even 1994, which existed overseas) 5.0 M70 engine in a V12. The 5.0 was never fitted to a US E38, just the E32. With the M70, the 6-speed is a direct bolt-on, requiring nothing other than a simple custom driveshaft.

The difficulty, expense, and necessary expertise of the custom case and custom flywheel component manufacturing and design required to fit the 6-speed to the M73 5.4l V12 are, I would think, beyond the needs or desires of a movie production when one considers how easy it is with the M70.

Another possibility is that the commentary is wrong. The car could be a 735, or may even be a manual 740 (easily available in overseas markets). The V12 comment may simply be a mistake. A 740 (or even a 735 with a short enough gear set) could easily generate the tire-spinning smoke that some of the shots showed.” (Rob Levinson, UUC Motorworks)

The steel (non-glass) sunroof was standard in 1995 in the USA. Possibly an option other years in other markets. Especially with the Protection models.

For example, a 2001 735iL




Let your son know there are alot of other BMW E38 owners debating the same thing he brings up!



[ 08-13-2003: Message edited by: M.Wong ]