Audi and product placement on the silver screen go hand-in-hand, particularly this summer with multiple Marvel superhero movies featuring new and future e-tron models. Seemingly out of left field though is participation in the upcoming Charlie’s Angels re-boot due out November 15. Sony pictures dropped the trailer yesterday, and from that we’ve been able to confirm at least two Audi models in the movie.
For children of the 1970s, Charlie’s Angels were badass crime fighters of the private investigator TV ilk. Those who missed the 70s may associate them more with a campy re-boot from the oughts produced by Drew Barrymore. This time around, the Angels get badass again… albeit with funding more more akin to James Bond’s MI:6 than Magnum P.I.’s Robin Masters.
This new re-re-boot is produced by actress Elizabeth Banks and comes from Sony Pictures… yes the same film house that does the also-Audi-placed Spider-Man movies that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In this case, spoiler alert, Banks also acts and portrays the once nebulous Charlie character. The angels are played by Kristen Stewart, former Power Ranger Naomi Scott and British-born Ella Balinska.
Enough with the background on the movie. We’re guessing you want to know more about the cars. If you’ve watched the trailer above, then you know that an R8 Spyder appears to be Charlie’s ride of choice, while there’s an intense car chase scene in Germany where a Q5 is the Angel’s ride.
The specifics on the cars make this movie and, more specifically, the placement a bit of a puzzle. That R8 isn’t the just refreshed R8 Spyder facelift, but the previous R8 Mk2 pre-facelift.
The Q5’s spec is even more strange. From the back it has B8.5 taillights, but from the front it appears to may even be pre-facelift. Also strange if this was a paid spot by Audi, it’s tuned… built to widebody ABT Sportsline spec.
Usually Audi uses product placement for current or new models. In this case, neither car is current and movie cars placed by the Audi factory have never been tuner-built that we’re aware. ABT Sportsline does enjoy a close relationship with Audi, including being an Audi dealer themselves and of course race support for series like the DTM, Formula E and VLN.
In other cases, Audi was chosen by the film producers and wasn’t paid placement like the iconic S8 chase scene in Ronin. We’re wondering if this wasn’t the latter. Maybe Elizabeth Banks is just a fan of the brand.
