Customer Reviews

GT Racer - Season 2

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GT Racer, Season II just premiered on Discovery's 'HD Theater' channel in the US and on 'Discovery HD International' worldwide.
This is the four-disc box-set of that season.
It is awesome.
Just like Season I GT-Racer: The Series 6 x 1 hr Classics (DVD) it follows a number of race teams that drive all sorts of classic dream race-cars, like Ferraris, Cobras, Jaguars, Aston Martins, Mustangs, Morgans, Bizzarrinis and others in historic racing series at the major international tracks and events.
The beauty is the 'cinema verite' style that the individual documentaries where shot in. Even though they are contemporary (the races happened last year, 2008) the show has the feeling of '60s 'cinema verite' movies like 'Le Mans' Le Mans or 'A Man and a Woman' A Man and a Woman. It even reminds of John Frankenheimer's 'Grand Prix' Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition). But the whole thing is off-set by very modern editing and modern music and modern remixes of older music. There is no annoying commentary that tells you things you don't want to hear anyway. Watching feels like you are stepping inside the pit-lane and/or slip next to the drivers to experience the racing as they do.
Its a totally new style of filmmaking that is almost the true "reality TV" as it is so genuinely real.
The characters (drivers, mechanics, race-teams etc) are wonderful. You experience their passion that is the common denominator in all installments of this series. The enthusiasm and excitement comes across the screen almost raw, just like you want it.
The races that are covered in Season II are:
1.) The Le Mans Classic, in France that only happens biannually. This is the number one international event for historic racing and just breathtakingly exiting as it goes through the night and the teams suffer major setbacks including engine failure, loss of oil, loss of breaks, cars don't start up at the famous "'Le Mans Start' where drivers have to run to their cars to take off.
2.) The 500 KM Marathon on the Nürburgring that includes the 22 KM stretch of the Nordschleife totaling the track to 25 KM (15.5 miles). This race goes through a major rain downpour, where cars slip off the track with it's 80+ turns left and right. A playboyish German count battles against - but at the same time with - a british pro-driver for the win. Very cool.
3.) Magny Cours, also in France, sees the classic racers drift on a modern formula-one track. Its so great to experience all the variations of these different events. This one features a super rare Morgan Le Mans Streamliner car. I think they say that only three where ever build.
4.) Is the legendary Carrera Panamerican where over the course of seven days 100+ classic race-cars cross entire Mexico (2,000 miles) on a street race (!!!) This is true adventure and people still doing it.
I think any car fan (and even people who thought that they where indifferent to cars) will enjoy these films. The cars are the most beautiful cars ever built, the people are cool and sometimes very funny, the tracks are glamorous and the way the whole thing is shot (with HD technology, progressive with a 16:9 movie-format)) and put together just absolutely top, top quality.

Until now the general public had just now idea that this is happening. This is 10 times cooler than modern F1 racing or nascar - in my book anyway. I certainly will go to such an event in the near future. These people seem like super fun and totally approachable, which modern racing just cannot deliver anymore.

And for the die-hard car-nut the DVDs have a great feature where you can toggle between sound tracks, using the audio button on you remote-control to switch the background music (which is great) on and off, so you can get the glorious 60's race engine noise full blast if you want to.

The GT Racer series should be in anybody's collection.