24h Le Mans
Director of the "Transformers" saga, Michael Bay has already proven to be a lover of fine engineering. His first film "Bad Boys" (1995), had Will Smith driving a Porsche 911, which launched in pursuit of an AC Cobra driven by a drug dealer played by French actor Tchéky Karyo . The following year, in "Rock", Nicolas Cage (Ferrari 355 Spider) chased Sean Connery (Hummer H1) on the streets of San Francisco, . Then, in "Bad Boys 2" (2002), Will Smith set his Porsche against a Ferrari 550 Maranello. Today, the two heros of 'Transformers 3' are a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Corvette Stingray. Four days after the French release of the film in movie theatres it won in LM GTE Pro at the 6 hours at Imola on July 3,... Enough to give a smile to both Hollywood and Maranello, the score card of the 458 Italia in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup are as bright as the box office figures of "3 Transformers 3" over the world!
And it's not over: on the 27th of July, "Cars 2" with hero Lightning McQueen on the starting grid of a Grand Prix which crosses the world. By 2013, filmmaker Ron Howard ("Willow," "Apollo 13", "Da Vinci Code") intends to make a movie called "Rush", dedicated to the weeks following the terrible accident of Niki Lauda at the German Grand Prix 1976. And during his visit to the last 24 Hours of Le Mans, Patrick Dempsey ("Grey's Anatomy") hinted at the preparation of a film dedicated to motor sport which he is the producer. A few more chapters to be written the great history of the automobile on film.
Jean-Philippe Doret
Photo: Circuit Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola, Italy), 6 HOURS IMOLA, RACE, July 3, 2011. The competition version of the Ferrari 458 Italia, hero of "Transformers 3", currently leads the LM GTE Pro standings in 2011 ILMC.
