The Story Behind James Bond Actor Pierce Brosnan Speeding In A BMW 850 Ci
Pierce Brosnan is an actor best known for his role as British super spy James Bond. He starred in the role from 1995 to 2002 before passing the torch to Daniel Craig. Being an action star can sometimes go to an actor's head, which is what happened when Brosnan received a brand new BMW sedan. Thanks to a Redditor resurfacing an old video clip from a 1997 episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," the Irish actor recounted the time police pulled him over for speeding.
The German car manufacturer made a three-film deal with the United Artists and Eon Production studios at the time, putting James Bond behind the wheel of a BMW for the first time in James Bond history. As a sign of gratitude, BMW gifted Brosnan with an 850 Ci sedan, or a "little gift," as the actor put it. While an 850 Ci didn't have a reputation for speed like the Z3 Roadster (one of the more affordable Bond cars), Brosnan briefly drove in "Goldeneye," or the Z8 (which BMW discontinued in 2003) from "The World is not Enough," he managed to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Bond, out on bond
Following the success of 1995's Goldeneye, Brosnan landed himself another starring role in the volcano thriller "Dante's Peak." According to Brosnan, on the first day of filming, there was a knock on his trailer door, and the Chief of Police politely asked the actor to exit. The chief clocked Brosnan driving 120 mph in the BMW 850 Ci, but the actor claimed he wasn't aware he was driving so fast.
It likely wasn't difficult for the actor to let his speed get away from him in Idaho, where they filmed "Dante's Peak," since the roads are more open compared to Los Angeles traffic. According to his interview with Conan O'Brien, Brosnan didn't realize he was driving over the speed limit because of how smoothly the car handled. However, it's difficult to believe he didn't know he was driving over the speed limit because BMW designed the 850 Ci to automatically raise its windows once the speedometer reached 100 mph. Much to Brosnan's luck, the chief was starstruck and let the actor off with a warning.
The chief and other officers present did ask some questions, which the actor was more than happy to answer in exchange for a simple warning. They wanted to know how Brosnan and the crew managed to pull off the bungee jump scene at the beginning of "Goldeneye." According to the film's director, they shot the scene in one take because it seemed like the stunt double, Wayne Michaels, didn't want to do it a second time.