Mission: Implacable – the cars and bikes of Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Tom Cruise and the all-new BMW M5

The Mission: Impossible film series is known for two things among film audiences: the different visions that a new director brings to each new outing, and the unforgettable action sequences, most performed in real life by the lead actors.

One lead actor, in particular, stands out: Tom Cruise. He is the man who resurrected the Mission: Impossible (MI) name by turning a smart (if bland, by today’s standards) TV series into a thrilling movie.

Turning TV properties into films was not really a regular occurrence in those days. The set pieces were what made the MI movies.

There was the high-wire dangling control room heist, and helicopter vs train chase in the original film; the Ducati superbike chase in “MI 2”; the bridge assault and Vatican disappearing act beginning with a Lamborghini in part 3; the scaling of Burj Khalifa and a sandstorm car chase in “Ghost Protocol”; and Cruise hanging from the side of an A400 transport as it takes off in “Rogue Nation.”

The latter also featured the BMW M3 and the S 1000 RR in a mad race across Morocco.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) Scrambles against time in Paris on the BMW R nineT Scrambler.

Each movie is out to top the previous installment’s set pieces, and the new Mission: Impossible – Fallout fulfills its mission, and then some.

There’s that infamous high-jump across London rooftops that cost Tom Cruise a broken ankle; the high-altitude low-opening (Halo) skydiving sequence; and for the car chases, the MI team once again partners with BMW to come up with eye-popping action.

The all-new BMW M5 makes its film debut in Fallout, acting as a getaway vehicle for the Impossible: Mission force.

(The BMW M5 was recently unveiled in the Philippines by none other than BMW Philippines chairman Ramon Ang.)

Behind the M5’s black kidney grille is a 4.4-liter twin power turbo V8 with 606 ps, giving the sedan true supercar performance.

There seems to be a playful recall of a BMW sedan scene in a James Bond film, with the M5 on remote control.

Behind the wheel in real life, though, is South African race-car driver, stuntman, and second-unit film director Wade Eastwood.

Eastwood was especially delighted with another BMW sedan that plays a prominent role in the movie, the 1986 E28 5 Series.

The non-descript 5 Series is as inconspicuous as it gets when trying to blend in Paris traffic. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work, and hot pursuit ensues.

The great-great-great-grandfather of the current 5 Series is sprightly for its years in what follows: a car chase that pays homage to the two movies with all-time great car sequences: The French Connection and Ronin.

Joining in the fun is Rebecca Ferguson on her BMW superbike.

Tom Cruise, sans helmet and stuntman, counters by riding a BMW R nineT Scrambler in a hair-raising chase sequence in Paris.

Other nameplates do make cameos in Fallout, notably Range Rovers and the 7 Series sedan as transport for certain shadowy characters.

The Land Rover Defender, notably panned for being not quite up to speed in a car chase in Rogue Nation, comes into its own in a remote mountain sequence, actually filmed in New Zealand.

Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames run for safety from their ride, a BMW 5 Series circa 1986.

BMW has been a partner of the iconic film series since 2011, and in the upcoming film, BMW once again provides a range of vehicles and global marketing in support of the release.

“BMW and Mission: Impossible are a perfect fit. We are proud of our long-running partnership with Paramount Pictures, and that our powerful cars and motorcycles have been able to enhance this iconic film series time and again. For exciting chases, you need cars with impressive driving dynamics and handling,” said Uwe Dreher, head of Brand Communications BMW, BMW M, BMW i.

“This provides the ideal stage for our most dynamic business athlete: the BMW M5,” he added.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is set to join the classics of the action genre, thanks to its thrilling stunt work, with the actors, and not stuntmen, clearly visible as the ones doing all the daredevil work.

Light the fuse.