In 1978, Director Claude Lelouch produced a 10 minute short-film called C’était un Rendezvous (“It was a date”) , showing a high speed drive through the streets of Paris.
The sequence was filmed by a camera mounted on the bumper of a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, then dubbed with the sound of Lelouch’s Ferrari 275GTB. The rest as they say is history.
33 years later, Lamborghini have used the theme of C’était un Rendezvous to promote their latest model, the Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month.
The film, “SUPER TROFEO STRADALE. LIFE IS A RACE.” was produced by creative agency, Philipp & Keuntje GmbH, and Final Touch Filmproduktion GmbH and features a Super Trofeo Stradle driving through the city streets accompanied by the sound of that wonderful 562bhp 5.2-litre V10 engine.
At nearly two and a half minutes long, it’s somewhat shorter than Lelouch’s 9 minute original, but the message is clear – if life is a race, then the best car to experience it in is the Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale.
It’s not the first time someone has either used C’était un Rendezvous as inspiration for a film or commercial, or made a homage of their own. In the following scene we see a Porsche 911 GT3 and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera dicing it out through the streets of Paris, inspired by the original film:
This short film is reminiscent of the iconic C’était un Rendezvous and features a Porsche 911 GT3 and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
The agency responsible for this latest film, Philipp & Keuntje GmbH, were also behind my favourite poster ads EVER, Lamborghini: A part of Italy. Take a look at them below and then tell me those aren’t amonsgst the most emotive car ads you’ve ever seen..
Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale
The Super Trofeo Stradale is based technically on the 562 bhp Gallardo Superleggera, but it’s not just the performance which is impressive, Lamborghini have gone to the trouble of ‘tuning’ the V10’s firing order to deliver the same spine-tingling sound you hear in the Super Trofeo motor racing series.
Generous use of carbon fibre enables the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale to boast a dry weight of 1340 kg – that’s 70 kg less than the already lean Gallardo LP 560-4, and gives the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale a power-to-weight ratio of 419 bhp/tonne. Performance is suitably supercar-quick with a 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and 125 mph in just 13.8 seconds, with maximum speed a cool 200 mph (320 Km/h).
The Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale sports a brand new “Rosso Mars” paint finish that underscores the special connection between ultimate race track performance and Lamborghini’s “Italian-ness”. The “Rosso Mars” colour symbolises Italy’s traditional racing red with a modern 21st century touch.
In contrast to the “Rosso Mars” finish Matte Black is used on the large rear spoiler, the engine hood and the front air intakes. The forged wheels are painted in high-gloss black, a colour that is also available on the roof as an option. The rocker panel covers, impressive rear diffuser and outside mirror housings are also made of carbon fibre polished to a high gloss, while the brake callipers are accented in red for the first time on a Lamborghini.
Besides the historically suggestive “Rosso Mars”, the new Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale is also available upon request in “Grigio Telesto” or “Bianco Monocerus” with the roof available in gloss black as an option.
With such a strong racing connection, Lamborghini are also offering the LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale with a tubular interior roll cage, 4-point safety belts and a fire extinguisher. However if you’ve buying one for ‘show’ more so than ‘go’, you can still equip it with satellite navigation, a Bluetooth connection for mobile phones, an anti-theft system, and a front-axle lifting system for those annoying speed bumps and parking garages.
Written By

Steve Davies
Steve is an investor, private equity advisor and former Partner at KPMG, PwC and Bain. Most importantly he's a life-long car enthusiast, mountain biker and active sports enthusiast. He designs and builds technology platforms and is the architect behind Transmission.
Try These Next
Stories we think you'll enjoy
May 22, 2023
BTCC, Snetterton: Transmission’s Top 20
The BTCC's third racing weekend of the year took us to Snetterton, which not only boasts the longest circuit on the calendar...
March 5, 2023
The VSCC’s Pomeroy Trophy
From a 1913 Vauxhall Viper to a somewhat more modern Zafira, the VSCC's Pomeroy Trophy had something for everyone.
May 10, 2022
Silverstone 500: Barwell’s Margin Call
British GT's Silverstone 500 delivered three hours of sensational racing and one of the closest finish we've ever seen.