The toughest days of the Romanian winter this year: over 50 cm of snow in only 24 hours and temperatures of -20 °C and below. These were also some of the most spectacular moments for filming. The Stanislav Cociorva and Ecaterina Cernei creative couple, known as “neat.graphics” or simply Stanly & Katya, tackled these challenges, exploring the unique frozen landscapes of the Romanian mountains.
The hero of the project was the BMW X6 M50d xDrive. It faced down the extreme winter conditions and snow covered mountain roads taking the team to the perfect shooting locations. The result is a stunning short movie about the wild, snow covered mountains of Romania.
“As we already had acquired experience filming Romania in the summer, we were tempted to make another movie in winter. Using the knowledge we had gained during our previous trips we chose locations which offered a rich diversity of natural landscapes and cultural landmarks”, explained Katya.
The project was filmed in 10 locations, and extended over 2 weeks covering a distance of 2500 km. It included high-altitude mountain roads winding their way up to 2000 m. Among them, the famous and wild “Transfagarasan” which Jeremy Clarkson called “the most beautiful road in the world”, now almost completely covered in snow. The remote mountain castles also feature spectacularly in the film. The (in)famous Dracula Castle, Bran, probably received the most elaborate shoot.
“The greatest challenge we faced during our trip was the weather. Specifically mountain hairpin turns covered with snow and ice. The BMW X 6 M50d is not only an epic presence in the film, but also got us to remote locations uncompromisingly and helped realise our project on time. Regardless of the extreme winter conditions and rough state of the mountain roads, we always managed to reach our destination”, continues Stanly.
The final result of the project, the short film “Frozen Romania”, can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/206027365
About the BMW X6 M50d.
Since its launch, the BMW X6 M50d has been the most powerful three litre diesel in its segment. It delivers a maximum output of 280 kW/381 hp and a peak torque of 740 Newton metres. The key here is an innovative turbocharging system; two relatively small turbochargers and one large turbo dovetail precisely to deliver the amount of power required. The low moment of inertia of the small turbochargers is exploited to the full to deliver razor-sharp responses. The link-up with the large turbo is maximised to generate as much charge pressure as possible – just as the driving situation demands.
The BMW X6 M50d accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.2 seconds and boasts impressive power reserves for sporty mid-range sprints, even at higher speeds. At the same time, the average fuel consumption of the BMW M Performance Automobile has been reduced by 14 per cent and now stands at just 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres (42.8 mpg imp). CO2 emissions come in at 174 grams per kilometre. The BMW X6 M50d thus displays a genuine commitment to delivering impressive efficiency at this extremely high level of performance.
Filming locations: Bucegi Natural Park: Zanoagei Pass, Tatarul Mare Pass, Bolboci Lake, 713 mountain road. Transfagara?an road and surroundings, Vânatoarea lui Buteanu Peak, Caprei Peak, Iezer Peak. Castles: castelul Pele?, castelul Bran, cetatea Râ?nov Others: Olt River, Bicaz Pass.
