[DVD/Video] Rendezvous

[adstubbs]

I saw something in Autocar a few weeks back, saying that a bunch of Dutch researchers had proved that the car in Rendezvous was in fact a Renault Alpine, not a Ferrari as was always thought to be the case - has anyone else seen anything more about this? Given the incredible engine note on the film, I can't believe this myself!

[Aysedasi]

I still haven't seen it!

[Wrex]

I have it on DVD, and would be very suprised if that was true.

If it were, would'nt that make it more impressive?

[thebear]

Originally posted by adstubbs
I saw something in Autocar a few weeks back, saying that a bunch of Dutch researchers had proved that the car in Rendezvous was in fact a Renault Alpine, not a Ferrari as was always thought to be the case - has anyone else seen anything more about this? Given the incredible engine note on the film, I can't believe this myself!

At a recent sports car club party, I played the DVD and got some interesting comments. All liked it but one thought the car was traveling about 65mph, the film sped up and the soundtrack was dubbed later. Frightening thought. The true measure would be if one would play the DVD with a Paris streetmap and actually plot the course and measure it. In addition, thinking about it the sound is awfuly close to that of a Porsche 917 on an audio CD I purchased at Le Mans - it features 20 tracks of various cars at speed.

[racer69]

I find it hard to believe it is sped up. When watching it, watch the other things in the picture, the pedestrians, the other cars, to me they don't seem to be moving too fast to be the picture being sped up.

Whether it was a Renault or a Ferrari, find the garbage truck driver and ask him

[Wrex]

... or the women with a dog smarter than she is?

[JAG]

It should also be pointed put that if it was a 60s Ferrari it would only have 350BHP or so, therefore would not be massively fast compared to a modern supercar. The car probably sounds a lot more powerful than it is.

Also the camera, although placed on the front of the car, is actually focused some way ahead of the car, which sometimes makes the audio appear out of sync with the visuals.

[thebear]

Originally posted by JAG
It should also be pointed put that if it was a 60s Ferrari it would only have 350BHP or so, therefore would not be massively fast compared to a modern supercar. The car probably sounds a lot more powerful than it is.

Also the camera, although placed on the front of the car, is actually focused some way ahead of the car, which sometimes makes the audio appear out of sync with the visuals.

Alleged to be '69-'72.

[gttouring]

well who wants to put a trip together with me to paris?
we'll plot the course, measure it, and drive it in a citroen and time it.
then we can see the variable, and ask the coppers if they'll let us try it in an Alpine and time that (filming all these of course, and finally by elimination we will see if it wasn't a car in question.
But test a ferrari thought there? never, but we will squash the myth of any other car- simply to leave the mystery.

[GTV27]

I haven't seen it for a few years (bluddy 'ell, about 10 years - how time flies), but I remember it was a topic of much debate within my circle of friends at the time.

Based on extensive viewing, we concluded that it was not sped up (as the anciliary action seemed to be in normal speed), but that the car was not travelling at much more than 100 to 130 km/h for much of the film (however, given the nature of the terrain, that is not to damn with faint praise).

A factor which we took into account was not only the hp of the car (275GTB was our guess) relative to modern supercars, but also the quality of the tyres.

The point that was made above about the focus of the camera causing a vision to sound sync problem could have forshortened debate considerably as that was the main argument ref dubiousness put forward by the naysayers.

A tuned Alpine could have outran a contemporary Ferarri (they won the Monte after all), so I don't think it would diminish it too much - don't know how the sound was done though)

[racer69]

Adstubbs - We get Autocar a month or two late down here, what was the date of the mag in which the Rendezvous article appeared?

[adstubbs]

It was in the January 20th issue, page 19 in the Week in Pictures section. It's the issue with the Porsche Carrera GT road test (nice...)

[EERO]

I figured out the route from a Paris Street Map pretty easily, its basicaly L'Etoile-Champs Elysees-Place de la Concorde-Louvre, Avenue Opera and then west again, (I forget the street) and winds up into Monmartre. Knowing the basic route, you can figure out the details while viewing the film. I doubt it was speeded up and think that with the exception of the section along the Champs Elysees, that 65MPH would be pretty darned fast. 100 or so on the Champs Elysses would be about right.

[thebear]

Originally posted by EERO
I doubt it was speeded up and think that with the exception of the section along the Champs Elysees, that 65MPH would be pretty darned fast. 100 or so on the Champs Elysses would be about right.

(makes appropriate car sounds)

[thebear]

For a very scientific analysis, click HERE . It is a very compelling answer to many of the prior questions.