It was a daring plan: Klaus-Günter Jacobi helped his best friend flee East Germany by smuggling him across the Berlin Wall – the barrier that divided a city and a country – in a modified BMW Isetta. When the first car barrels through, you can try to predict where it will spin and end up, but you never know. He cut an opening into the trim behind the seat bench, shifted the shelf upwards and removed the spare wheel, heating and air filter. Only a few millimeters of metal protect him from the searching eyes of the guards. The last modification is made on the day of the escape: the large 3.5 gallon tank, which Jacobi has already detached from its holder, is unplugged from the gas hose. At the same time, Jacobi is waiting on the west side of the Bornholmer Bridge, smoking one cigarette after another. Watch the debut of ‘The Escape’ on October 23 at 6 p.m. EST at BMWFilms.com. “Nine East Berliners escape in an Isetta” read the headline of the evening edition on October 27, 1964. Both students meet with Koster in Pankow and drive him outside of town and down a dirt road where he can hide himself in the Isetta without anyone noticing. “Klaus!” comes the muffled reply from inside the Isetta. At least 140 people died at the Berlin Wall, many of whom were shot by the East German border patrol. BMW Films shares with us their latest short film “The Escape” that is sure to entertain any fan of action movies. The stunts are tight, and the budget actually looked pretty big for something like this. ‘Star,’ with Madonna, shot by Guy Ritchie. A gloomy and rainy evening. It reminds him of how closely the history of the two Germanies is linked with his own. Karpfenteich pond in Heinersdorf, 9 pm. Maybe he would have an idea. With BMWs, you have the ability to turn the traction and stability control completely off, which blew the minds of the some of the producers. the best marketing team in the world! Jacobi saw his first Isetta (also known as a “bubble car,” and a "cuddle coach" in Germany) in 1961 in the showroom window of a dealer right next to his favorite bar, The Bathtub. BMW should be proud.Clive Owen does his best Jason Statham, channeling Frank Martin from the Transporter films. All that remains: the key to the engine hatch is all that remains of Jacobi's BMW Isetta. Jacobi likes his view. God and Geoffrey watch over and interact with a developing civilization. Koster squishes himself into the hiding spot in the Isetta. We’ll teach you the skills and show you how to execute everything safely. You can read his incredible story here. Neill Blomkamp directed this, which isn't surprising when you see the action scenes. This is something one should always also keep in mind in the current debate. [Laughs]. And that is the night when Jacobi hatched the plan to use his BMW Isetta to smuggle his friend through the border. I was focused on doing just one thing - getting my buddy out of East Germany.”. By Restaging an Evel Knievel Stunt, One Man Can Redeem His Father. Our movie recognizes the drive and courage of the people who made this successful escape possible”, says Jens Thiemer, Head of BMW Brand Management. Muffled voices from outside drift through the air to his cramped hiding place. The detailed story of Klaus-Günter Jacob, his BMW Isetta and the spectacular escape of his friend across the internal German border is told on www.bmw.com. Freedom-bound: Jacobi reconstructs the route they took on the big table in his living room. Shortly after crossing, he freed his friend Manfred from his hiding place behind the seat bench and took him in his arms delirious with joy. Teufelsberg, or Devil's Mountain, was a spy station during the Cold War where the US listened in on and jammed the radio signals coming from the Eastern Bloc controlled by the Soviet Union. The film, which continues the plot of BMW's series of adverts titled The Hire, was posted on BMW USA's YouTube channel on October 23, 2016. He carefully rolls it around in his hands as he reflects on his role in this story. Guard dogs bark. Unsurprisingly, BMW is reprising the concept this fall with a new, 11-minute film, 'The Escape,' that sees Owen back behind the wheel as The Driver and renowned director Neill Blomkamp behind the lens. Bruce Bildsten – executive producer If you ever think driving looks cool in the movies and want to do it for real, don’t do it on a public road. Illustrations: Jan Steins; Author: Laslo Seyda. They used a different Isetta, but the same principle. Today this car is on display in the Berlin Wall Museum. This was the only time Jacobi’s BMW Isetta was used as an escape car, but his achievement was to inspire imitators. What only few people are aware of: Jacobi does not only know all about many escape attempts, but that it was his idea to hide a person inside the tiny bubble car and to cross the border with the unnoticed passenger. What would surprise people most about the car? On the upper floor near the window, which overlooks Checkpoint Charlie, there is the smallest escape car ever used: a BMW Isetta. While fighting the Vietnam war, both sides face a new kind of threat that neither of them were prepared for. There's still a couple of drops of gas left in the tank, so Klaus-Günter takes Manfred on a victory round, this time with him on the front seat. The hiding place for his friend was built behind the seat bench directly next to the engine. How do 400 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque strike you? 30 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, BMW recounts the tale of Klaus-Günter Jacobi, his friend Manfred Koster and the mini-car, which helped nine people escape the GDR. BMW in your country Learn more about BMW models, products and services: Learn more about BMW models, products and services: May 23 1963. He brought us District 9 (2009), Elysium (2013), and Chappie (2015), and clearly has an eye for action scene structure and execution.Definitely worth a watch, as it's such a minimal time investment anyway. His father was an army officer and his mother was a housewife. So when Hans came to visit him, Manfred took Hans' West German ID and used it for one night to get across. So we hooked up with Matt Mullins, chief driving instructor for BMW’s Performance Driving School and Owen’s stunt driver, to talk about challenging film sequences, how ‘The Hire’ affected his current garage, and why the camera crew was worried about the BMW hero car. The birth of an idea: the Isetta in the Wall Museum is a replica of a BMW Isetta that was used to smuggle nine people out of East Germany. The film was written by Neill Blomkamp and David Carter. She is surprised to learn that Dr. Phillips is the actual customer, who takes maternal custody of Lily. Your email address will not be published. Your stunt coordinator was Guy Norris. Then on May 23, just a week before Manfred was supposed to report, the phone suddenly ring early in the morning. (as Taylor David), Mercenary (H1) We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. (right) Clear message: Klaus-Günter Jacobi wants people to remember the injustice of East Germany – and that there were people who were fighting for freedom. Holt pursues the Driver and tries to stop the car with a sniper rifle via helicopter, but the Driver incapacitates Holt's comrades and leaves him in the middle of the road to be arrested by the FBI, after a long and intense chase. What did he bring to the production? It was 18 months later when one of their drivers was discovered: during an attempted escape the car, which was supposedly empty, started to wobble. He showed up completely unannounced at Jacobi's door. Was this review helpful to you? At some point, Jacobi gutted his Isetta and sent it to the scrap heap. The car which stars here is G30 BMW 540i M Sport. Experience the performance, luxury, and innovation of the Ultimate Driving Machine today. Learn how your comment data is processed. Evel Knievel pinned his infamous 1974 Snake River Canyon failure on an engineer named Robert Truax. The Driver is back, this time in the employ of ruthless mercenaries charged with delivering a living human clone: a teenage girl that knows only about the world she sees for the first time from what she's read. They drive back to the border. We’re not allowed to talk about the new hero car, because that information hasn’t been released, but what can you reveal about the film? From the balcony you can just make out Teufelsberg in the distance. Filming Locations: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Produced by: Unsurprisingly, BMW is reprising the concept this fall with a new, 11-minute film, 'The Escape,' that sees Owen back behind the wheel as The Driver … The Escape seems to follow the previously established codes for brand content top flight: a Hollywood cast, a BMW, and action. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 20, 2016… BMW of North America announced today the return of BMW Films with “The Escape,” a short film from Academy Award® nominated director Neill Blomkamp (“District 9,” “Elysium”) featuring original BMW Films star and Oscar® nominated actor Clive Owen (“Closer,” “Children of Men”), who reprises his role as The Driver. Klaus-Günter Jacobi – 6 foot 5 with a mane of white hair – sits at a round table with a green granite top.