Makes › BMW › 750iL (E38) remote-controlled gadget car (Tomorrow Never Dies) · Royal, state & papal · Film & TV
BMW
750iL (E38) remote-controlled gadget car (Tomorrow Never Dies)
BMW 750iL fitted with Q-branch gadgets and driven by mobile-phone remote control in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997); 17 cars were used, four with the special equipment.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 17 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- V12 · 5,379 cc / 5.4 LFactory: 5,379 cc
- Power
- 240 kW / 326 PSFactory: 322 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 750iL is the car of Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), BMW's second Bond film. A mobile-phone remote control that let Bond steer the car from the rear seat produced the film's best-known stunt sequence and showed what later became driverless technology.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionBMW 750iL cars used for the film, four of them with the special gadget equipment (V8-engined) | 171 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
BMW used the film for product placement and supplied 17 of the heavy 750iL cars, four of them with the special equipment. Those four were fitted with cheaper V8 engines instead of the standard V12. Two of the converted cars and nearly all of the standard 7 Series from the film went back to Munich.
Filming in Hamburg began on 20 July 1997 on Mönckebergstraße with more than 10,000 spectators, and the chase at the Hotel Atlantic followed two days later, ending with the car jumping into an AVIS shop window. Most of the multi-storey scenes were actually shot at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north-west London.
The remote driving was a trick: pedals and selector were moved to the rear seat, where a hidden stunt driver watched a display fed by cameras in the mirrors. An extra brake pedal acting only on the front axle and an oversize handbrake lever let him slide the car round corners.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 750iL (E38) remote-controlled gadget car (Tomorrow Never Dies).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | V122 Independently researchedStandard 750iL; the four gadget cars used V8 engines |
| Displacement | 5,379 cc / 5.4 LFactory: 5,379 cc2 Independently researchedStandard model figure |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 240 kW / 326 PSFactory: 322 hp · converted2 Independently researchedAuto Zeitung gives 326 PS (240 kW) for the series V12 |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Automatic2 Independently researchedStandard model |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | 5.37 mFactory: 5.37 m3 Independently researchedStandard model |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Auto Zeitung: BMW 750iL James Bond Level C
- 17 BMW 750iL cars used for the film, four of them with the special gadget equipment (V8-engined)
-
2
Bond BMWs (Z3, 750iL, Z8) buyers feature Level C Classic & Sports Car
- 5379cc V12 has 322bhp
- silky 5379cc V12
- buttery auto gear shifts
-
3
BMW 750iL – James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies Level C Auto Zeitung
- 5,37 m lange V12-Luxuslimousine
Keep exploring
More from BMW
-
BMW · 1940
328 Kamm Coupé
1 Built
-
BMW · 1939–1940
328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé (Berlinetta)
1 Built
-
BMW · 2023
3.0 CSL (G82-based, 2023)
50 Built
-
BMW
M3 CRT (E90)
67 Built
More from Germany
-
Porsche · 1974
911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1
4 Built
-
Mercedes-Benz · 1989
190 E 2.5-16 Evolution (Evo I)
502 Built
-
Borgward
Hansa 2400
Production not yet verified
-
Audi
TT quattro Sport (8N)
Production not yet verified
75 other makes from Germany9ffAdlerAgria-WerkeAlbertAMGAMOAmphicarApolloArtegaAudiAuto UnionAutomobili PininfarinaBayerische AutowerkeBenzBenz & Cie.BitterBohseBoldmenBorgwardBrabusBrennaborBrütschCarlssonChampionDaimler-Motoren-GesellschaftDauerDKWFMR (Messerschmitt)FuldamobilGemballaGepardGlasGoggomobilGoliathGumpertGutbrodHanomagHeinkelHorchHWAAll makes →