cars news 10: Ford Mustang GT Rips Through Paris in Tribute to Famous French Film

In 1976, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch released a short film starring a Ferrari driving through Paris at high speed. The shoot was unsanctioned and the film has become legendary among car enthusiasts and rebel filmmakers alike. Now, 40 years later, Ford has recreated the driving action in C’etait un Rendez-Vous with a Mustang GT for a virtual reality experience it calls ReRendezvous.

Because this isn’t 1976 and Ford doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of the law, it got all of the proper permits this time around and says “no laws or speed limits were broken in the making of this film.” While that may take away some of the allure of the original, which showed a driver speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road, and running traffic lights in a single continuous nine-minute shot, it’s still cool to see a Mustang GT zipping past famous Parisian landmarks, albeit in controlled traffic conditions. The car’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine note adds a nice soundtrack, though perhaps not quite as aurally pleasing as the V-12 song of the 1976 film. Then again, those Ferrari sound effects were dubbed over the actual noises produced by the Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 camera car (did we just blow your mind?).

Just like the original, the new film ends at the park across from Sacré Coeur Basilica. A long-lost love is there to meet the driver and they embrace passionately. In a progressive twist, this time the roles are reversed and the driver is a woman.

The viewing experience is probably better if you have a VR headset and the FordVR app, but we’ve posted the video, along with the original C’etait un Rendez-Vous, below. What do you think of Ford’s tribute to the celebrated short film? Tell us in the comments section.

Source: Ford