VIDEO: SHOW-STOPPER!
CALL it a marvel, of sorts. BMWs blanketed the New Kingston Drive-in in St Andrew for the latest Marvel Studio instalment, Black Widow , last Thursday.
The exclusive occasion — hosted by BMW Jamaica, a branch of ATL Automotive Group — was held a day before its worldwide release of the film.
“This event is special to us here at BMW Jamaica. It’s the exclusive viewing of the movie, Marvel’s Black Widow. It’s being shown here to all our BMW customers, our M customers, and specially invited guests,” said Jeanel Bowla, sales manager — BMW Jamaica, told the Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto magazine.
The brand’s latest BMW X3 and 2 Series Grand Coupé appeared in the blockbuster film.
“The Marvel superhero movie franchise is one of the greatest action film series of all-time, and Black Widow has started a new phase as they continue to expand the Marvel cinematic universe. We’re happy to be a part of this BMW worldwide event, as this now combines the best performance cars with the best action movies. We expect our customers to see more of what the X3 can do, to be as excited about the direction in which the brand is going,” said Sloane Jackson, head of business at ATL Autobahn.
ATL Autobahn is the division responsible for BMW and the MINI marquee.
The X3 plays a pivotal role in the action-packed spy thriller as one of the early action scenes sees it flex its performance and handling prowess as stars Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) and Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova) race through the city of Budapest, trying to escape the villain, the Taskmaster. The X3 is pushed to the limit, dashing through the city streets and traffic.
“The X3 just came off being the number one selling BMW in 2019. It was only second to the X4 in 2020, and this year it has continued to grow strength to strength. The numbers look very good and later this year, we might have the opportunity to get into triple digits for the first time as a unit,” Jackson explained.
The enthusiasm for the X3 was felt throughout the whole movie, as by intermission several owners popped out of theirs to take a quick respite from the non-stop action. Ingrid Rattry was one such owner, having purchased her X3 three years ago and appreciating it to this day.
“It’s really good, drives great, and I haven’t had any issues with it, so I’m enjoying it,” she said.
Her sentiments were mirrored by Donovan Marshall and Dr Terryann Johnson-Harrison.
Marshall, a recent X3 owner, went for power, purchasing the M Performance M40i version of the popular sport utility vehicle.
“It’s uncrashable,” Marshall joked after seeing the X3 put through its paces on screen.
Dr Johnson-Harrison is long time X3 owner, having been brought into the BMW fold when she purchased what was then the second X3 unit in the island in 2017.
“It’s more stylish. It’s bigger, and it can really go, making it a nice car,” she said.
The 2 Series Grand Coupé was featured in a sisterly moment between Johansson and Pugh.
“The 2 Series Grand Coupé is our latest compact sedan. We expect that more customers, when trying to make the jump from Japanese to premium will find that an easier jump than into a 3 Series as that is now a $10-million car, whereas the 2 Series can start at $75,000 per month,” explained Jackson.
The 2 Series was also on hand at the premiere.
“We are now the only dealership in Jamaica that is a supplier for the rest of the Caribbean. Our after-sales package is second-to-none. What we provide for our customers you see here tonight. They pay absolutely nothing to service their cars for three to five years depending on the package they have, and there’s nothing like driving a BMW,” said Jackson.