Video: In 2001 and 2002, BMW made a series of short films to promote its performance cars — like the barnstorming E39 M5 and the Z3 Roadster. If you’re any kind of car nut, you’ll have seen them. Now, 15 years later, BMW is doing the same thing again, but with a new fleet of cars and an even larger budget.
Back in 2001 and 2002, The Hire was amazing. These were films with Hollywood directors and amazing cinematography and incredible stunts; big-name directors like Tony Scott and Guy Ritchie, and of course each starring Clive Owen in his prime as The Driver, the unnamed BMW-skidding transporter from before The Transporter was a thing. I watched all of The Hire films in high school as a crappy low-resolution Limewire download, and I genuinely credit them for helping build the love of cars that I have today. I’m properly excited to see what The Escape is like, and the first few seconds of it look like bloody good fun.
Did you come here because you remember the original The Hire films and want to know where to find them? Well. Look no further. Here in chronological order is Ambush, Chosen, The Follow, Star, Powder Keg, Hostage, Ticker and Beat The Devil.