RE: Rendezvous? Not in that old banger

RE: Rendezvous? Not in that old banger

Monday 3rd December 2012

Rendezvous? Not in that old banger

Hoons' classic re-released as a stocking filler as Paris mayor calls for ban of pre-97 cars



Fancy a re-make of C'etait un Rendezvous? You'll not be doing it in an old Ferrari if Paris's mayor gets his way. Or, indeed, a Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, as was actually used to film the underground classic thanks to its smoother ride making it a more stable camera platform.

6.9 was the real underground star in Rendezvous
6.9 was the real underground star in Rendezvous
As we discovered for ourselves not that long ago, for all its speed and tank-like build (no sniggering about Panzers on the Champs Elysees at the back...) the 6.9 doesn't really make much in the way of exciting noises, its three-speed auto slurring its shifts like a Belle Epoque hedonist after too much absinthe. Hence the overdub of screaming Ferrari V12 and gratuitous gearshifting.

Rendezvous is enjoying another seasonal re-release on DVD and BluRay, the film's promoters offering further enticements with a competition offering a weekend with a Ferrari for the winner and free copies for 25 runners up. See here. (Note; closing date is actually December 8, not November 23 as it says on the confirmation screen!)

All very well but if Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe gets his way neither 6.9s nor classic Ferraris will be welcome on the city's streets, no matter how carefully driven. The move, already much discussed, is dressed as an environmental incentive to get rid of the 370,000 or so smoky old French cars still on Parisian streets. Hopefully to be replaced by 370,000 shiny new French cars, cynics may argue.

Proud owners of valuable classics probably wouldn't want to risk them on Parisian streets anyway but if you were thinking of whisking your significant other off for a romantic weekend in your early 90s MX-5 (other roadsters are available) you'd best do it sooner rather than later.


Author
Discussion

B17NNS

Original Poster:

18,506 posts

246 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
Competition closed on 23rd November.

Edited by B17NNS on Monday 3rd December 17:58

OdramaSwimLaden

1,971 posts

168 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
It'll never happen; about as likely as the Green Party getting their way here.

The public outcry would be huge. The French love a cause almost as much as they love their old stters!

storminnorman

2,357 posts

151 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
I love that 2cv prototype.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
Competition closed on 23rd November.

Edited by B17NNS on Monday 3rd December 17:58
We're just looking into this for you; apologies.

Cheers,

Dan

Madmatt74

273 posts

156 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
Any excuse to get 370,00 french cars off the street should be welcomed.

Just keep the classics and get rid of the newer stuff! biggrin



I wonder if Boris will follow and ban French cars in London too! biggrin


stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
We should have Gifted That country to germany...They have short memories about fighting for freedom etc!!
OFFS another war obsessed numpty.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
Spoken with the film folk: the competition closes on December 8 and the November date was a typo so go ahead and enter! This will be corrected/updated in due course but I understand entries will have been logged either way.

Thanks!

Dan

BlueMR2

8,644 posts

201 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
Guess whats going to be filmed on the first day of the ban.

Part 2.

EDLT

15,421 posts

205 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
Why would you buy Redevous on DVD when it is on the internet for free?

I don't want to bump the thread attached to the 450SEL article, but a Mercedes saloon isn't faster than a Pantera race car, no matter who was driving. Why write such bks?

mrmr96

13,736 posts

203 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
EDLT said:
Why would you buy Redevous on DVD when it is on the internet for free?

I don't want to bump the thread attached to the 450SEL article, but a Mercedes saloon isn't faster than a Pantera race car, no matter who was driving. Why write such bks?
Remastered version is on DVD.

EDLT

15,421 posts

205 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
mrmr96 said:
EDLT said:
Why would you buy Redevous on DVD when it is on the internet for free?

I don't want to bump the thread attached to the 450SEL article, but a Mercedes saloon isn't faster than a Pantera race car, no matter who was driving. Why write such bks?
Remastered version is on DVD.
When is it released? Give it an hour and it'll be on the internet too.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

203 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
EDLT said:
mrmr96 said:
EDLT said:
Why would you buy Redevous on DVD when it is on the internet for free?

I don't want to bump the thread attached to the 450SEL article, but a Mercedes saloon isn't faster than a Pantera race car, no matter who was driving. Why write such bks?
Remastered version is on DVD.
When is it released? Give it an hour and it'll be on the internet too.
Why buy any DVD's then hey?

Talk about missing the point.

soxboy

6,063 posts

218 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
I always thought it was a Merc 300 SEL 6.3 rather than the later 450SEL 6.9?

mollytherocker

14,365 posts

208 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
If you watch this film closely, the car is not actually travelling that fast at all. The low camera, howling engine and squealing tyres are what provide the drama. Oh, and the near misses too!

I would bet that most of it is no more than 40-50 mph.

Still love it though.

Ari

19,328 posts

214 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
mollytherocker said:
If you watch this film closely, the car is not actually travelling that fast at all. The low camera, howling engine and squealing tyres are what provide the drama. Oh, and the near misses too!

I would bet that most of it is no more than 40-50 mph.

Still love it though.
Probably not even that, pretty obviously speeded up in places.

Lot of fuss at one point about how the driver was kept anonymous because of the speeds traveled in public, but clearly that was just a publicity ruse, doubt he went much over 30mph.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
quotequote all
mollytherocker said:
If you watch this film closely, the car is not actually travelling that fast at all. The low camera, howling engine and squealing tyres are what provide the drama. Oh, and the near misses too!

I would bet that most of it is no more than 40-50 mph.

Still love it though.
Occasional bursts of 80mph, I believe.

cml

715 posts

261 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
Being an older type person, I think of 1997 as not that long ago. The newest car I have ever owned was built in 1996.

Getting the number of diesels down would be an effective measure too, but that looks unlikely since governments appear to think they are better (can't they see the puffs of black smoke?).

There is already something like this in Germany I believe - where you need to buy a permit thing to enter a city centre, classed by 'emissions', which precludes older cars.

Even the Germans - and they love their motors.

I know I sound like a right old duffer here - but I find the average modern car dumpy, fat, overly-complicated, and hence expensive to repair, and dull to drive to boot.

Then again I did see the attraction of traction control for a few seconds the other day when I found myself doing a 180 on some ice smile

One thing that does grate is the EU test for emissions, and hence tax - it is quite clear that lots of 'cheating' (careful optimisation would be a more charitable way of putting it I guess) goes on to get modern cars classified into low brackets. Some are very good at this (cough*BMW*cough).

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
FFS
Does it really matter if the camera car was doing 40mph? It's the ability of the footage to give you that 'feel good' factor that matters, a touch of fantasy and escapism. We all know the latest James Bond car chases aren't real, does it make them any less enthralling?
To me, it takes me back to a time when, even if things werent actually better, my (nearly 50 year old) memory certainly lets me believe it was.

Edited by rtz62 on Tuesday 4th December 08:05

dave stew

1,502 posts

166 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
rtz62 said:
FFS
Does it really matter if the camera car was doing 40mph? It's the ability of the footage to give you that 'feel good' factor that matters, a touch of fantasy and escapism. We all know the latest James Bond car chases aren't real, dies it make them any less enthralling?
To me, it takes me back to a time when, even if things extent actually better, my (nearly 50 year old) memory certainly lets me believe it was.
The chase sequence filmed in Istanbul at the start of Skyfall used such realistic CGI that it involved several Audi A5s, Landy Defenders and an ex Stig stunt driver to work the computer mouse!

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
I may be getting the wrong end of the stick but I didn't mean CGI, although that holds true.
I meant that the footage isn't 'real world' Luke, for instance 'Worlds Greatest Police Chases'.
It's immaterial as its meant just as entertainment and escapism.