GPL: Grand Prix Movie FINALLY on German TV

Man, it had been so hard to read posts on r.a.s. about that movie without being able to watch it. But last night they FINALLY put it on TV here in Germany. This movie sure has it's similarities with, well, *** films <g>: nobody really wants to see the talking (LOL). I had the VCR running, and I already see myself cutting out all other scenes but those on the racetracks...but no question, for us GPL'ers it's absolutely worth the (almost) three hours spent in front of the telly instead of our kompjooters. My hat goes off to the cameramen - brilliant work! How did they do it back then? Wow! The movie also shows how good Papy modelled the tracks - I'm amazed! Only that banking at Monza...I know this has been discussed before, but could someone please tell me a) where exactly those two turns were located and b) why they are flat in GPL? And the track in SPA seemed to be much more "rugged" than in the sim (in my opinion ALL tracks in the sim look a bit too "clean/new"). If I wasn't already totally ***ed to GPL, that movie would have done the job! How about a "Limited Edition" of GPL bundled with the movie <g> Mea***er

"kompjooters"?

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> Man, it had been so hard to read posts on r.a.s. about that movie without > being able to watch it. But last night they FINALLY put it on TV here in > Germany. > This movie sure has it's similarities with, well, *** films <g>: nobody > really wants to see the talking (LOL). I had the VCR running, and I already > see myself cutting out all other scenes but those on the racetracks...but no > question, for us GPL'ers it's absolutely worth the (almost) three hours > spent in front of the telly instead of our kompjooters.

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On Thu, 3 Dec 1998 10:24:10 +0100, "Mea***er" >Man, it had been so hard to read posts on r.a.s. about that movie without >being able to watch it. But last night they FINALLY put it on TV here in >Germany. I can only hope you got the widescreen version (just like GPL!). Not as good as the original Cinerama (sort of an early IMAX), I've heard, but better than the regular TV-size broadcast. I'm sure someone can give you a better description of the old Monza track, but in GPL you do pass underneath the banking right in the middle of the Seraglio. It's the deadly concrete "bridge" with Coca-Cola advertising. The entry of this same banked turn can be seen on the right as you barrel down the main straightaway. The first time I did Spa in the Ferrari and passed a certain brown house, I couldn't help thinking about those two brothers Sarti hit! Martin Nigel Mansell RIP!

> The movie also shows how good Papy modelled the tracks - I'm amazed! Only > that banking at Monza...I know this has been discussed before, but could > someone please tell me a) where exactly those two turns were located and The banking was part of an additional oval portion of the track. About half way down the front straight (on the way to Curva Grande) you entered the oval by turning right. The oval proceeds clockwise, passing over the main portion of the track on the concrete bridge that you see in the game that is between the second Lesmo and the kink, and then rejoins the main straight past the Parabolica on the left. Here is a link to a diagram of the track: http://cbr.cls.com.au/legends/monza.htm And here is a link to a picture of a Ferrari driving on the track: [link lost in import] The oval isn't present in GPL because in 1967 that portion of the track was no longer in use. The last year they used the oval at Monza in F1 was 1961. In the movie, "Grand Prix", they just added it for more e***ment. You can even hear the track announcer in the movie mention that this is the first year that the oval has been used since 1961. That's probably from all of us going off-road and mowing the grass. ;-) Dave Ewing

Thanks Dave for the info!

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>> The movie also shows how good Papy modelled the tracks - I'm amazed! Only >> that banking at Monza...I know this has been discussed before, but could >> someone please tell me a) where exactly those two turns were located and >The banking was part of an additional oval portion of the track. About >half way down the front straight (on the way to Curva Grande) you >entered the oval by turning right. The oval proceeds clockwise, passing >over the main portion of the track on the concrete bridge that you see >in the game that is between the second Lesmo and the kink, and then >rejoins the main straight past the Parabolica on the left. Here is a >link to a diagram of the track: >http://cbr.cls.com.au/legends/monza.htm

Alternatively (or additionally), you can see a lot of beautifully modeled racetracks on the wall of "Sarti's" house in the movie. The Monza track there features the "normal" track as well as the oval. One thing I didn't quite get: how did they drive the oval and the standard track at once in one race? Did the drivers have to go around the one track first, and then the other, with the start-finish straight as some sort of intersection? Scary thought... -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

>One thing I didn't quite get: how did they drive the oval and the >standard track at once in one race? Did the drivers have to go around >the one track first, and then the other, with the start-finish >straight as some sort of intersection? Scary thought... It seems to me that they went around the road circuit first, exited the Parabolica and stayed to the right. They then entered the oval past the pits, went around it and exited the oval on the main straight to the left of the Parabolica exit (you can see this in GPL). That finished the lap and they went across the start/finish line. Jeff Haas

>>One thing I didn't quite get: how did they drive the oval and the >>standard track at once in one race? Did the drivers have to go around >>the one track first, and then the other, with the start-finish >>straight as some sort of intersection? Scary thought... It is a common misunderstanding that the cars had to change track sides, which would have been dangerous. Right. There were two parallel lanes (which did not cross) on the very wide S/F straight. Basically, there was an inner lane coming out of Parabolica going to the 1st banking, and an outer lane coming out of the 2nd banking leading to Curva Grande. -- _____ /_______\ .\\ a t t h e a d I XT /~~~~ I 500\_____ 1977' Yamaha XT.Rex 500 Enduro \____/\__I_I http://matthead.home.pages.de/

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>>One thing I didn't quite get: how did they drive the oval and the >>standard track at once in one race? Did the drivers have to go around >>the one track first, and then the other, with the start-finish >>straight as some sort of intersection? Scary thought... >It seems to me that they went around the road circuit first, exited >the Parabolica and stayed to the right. They then entered the oval >past the pits, went around it and exited the oval on the main straight >to the left of the Parabolica exit (you can see this in GPL). That >finished the lap and they went across the start/finish line.

Yes, this makes sense. The oval and the road track are intersecting, but if you drive through both, you don't have to cross your own line. Thanks. -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.