Locations in the New Citroen Car Commercial

Many thanks to everyone who commented and Emailed their suggestions regarding the locations used in the new Citroen DS5 commercial.

The correct locations are:

0:01 – The D3 leading up to the village of Gourdon (Gourdon can be seen in the background).
0:04 – The D2 driving east toward the village of Greolieres.  This section of road is extremely popular and has been featured in numerous car commercials, movies (Ronin – beginning at 0:31 to 0:59 and Goldeneye – beginning at 2:14 (Greolieres in the background) to 3:16. to name just two), and on countless car review sites.
0:20 – On the Promenade des Anglais in Nice near the old town.
The Hotel Suisse and Hotel La Perouse can be seen in the background.
 

Need more proof that the best driving roads are in the south of France?

French car-manufacturer Citroen recently held a contest so that five lucky folks could preview the new DS5 while spending a luxurious weekend enjoying the sights and sounds of the French Riviera.

Their new video highlights a few spectacular locations featured on Le Stuff’s Mini Cooper Tour.

Think you know the south of France?

Correctly identify (just leave a comment) the locations in the video at 0:01, 0:04, and 0:20, and I’ll be impressed.

I’ll post the correct answers in a few days.

To Catch A Thief: Take 9

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’s Classic Film

Series Post #11

After the wonderful raft scene just off the beach in front of The Hotel Carlton, Francie Stevens (Kelly’s character) convinces John Robie to let her accompany him on a “villa shopping” excursion.

What follows is one of the great driving sequences in cinematic history.

Hitchcock certainly must have known that the French Riviera would electrify the screen almost as much as Grant and Kelly, and to his credit, he let it.

A tour of “To Catch A Thief” locations is, quite simply, a tour of some of the most beautiful scenery the French Riviera has to offer.

Stevens and Robie depart for the hills from the hotel parking lot in her sublime Sunbeam Alpine convertible.  For anyone who has been to Cannes it’s interesting to note how things have changed in front of The Carlton.  In 1954 one simply had to pull off The Croisette (back then a pleasant two lane road) and park in front of the hotel.  Today the former parking area has been turned into a garden and The Croisette expanded into a four lane boulevard separated by a tree-lined median. 

In the next clip the Sunbeam Alpine is seen traveling along a winding road (most likely the moyenne corniche) with the Mediterranean in the background.  The promontory of land jutting out into the azure water is St Jean cap Ferrat.

The moyenne corniche is still one of the world’s great drives and I heartily recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

The ensuing scene, featuring plenty of clever dialogue by both Grant and Kelly, was played out at Hollywood’s Paramount studios using rear-screen projection, but it’s interesting to note that

The French Riviera: Driving Heaven?

Click here for information on the French Riviera Mini Cooper Driving Adventure!

From the celebrated corniche roads to the beautiful back country, the south of France offers intrepid drivers endless opportunities for motorized fun.

The crew at BBC’s Top Gear already knows this.
They began their search for the “World’s Best Driving Road” near Monaco on the renowned col de Turini.

In Alfred Hitchcock’s glamorous 1953 film, To Catch A Thief, driving plays a pivotal role during chase scenes through the beautiful villages of the back country and on the dramatic moyenne corniche (with Grace Kelly behind the wheel no less).

“Ronin”, starring Robert DeNiro and “GoldenEye”, starring Pierce Brosnan also feature

Top Gear In The South Of France: The World’s Best Driving Road?

Click here for information on Le Stuff’s French Riviera Mini Cooper Driving Adventure!

To tell you that I know my way around an automobile engine would be like telling you Michael Jackson had all the skills needed to become a champion prize fighter.

In other words, I’d be lying.

My scope of mechanical expertise ends with my crackerjack ability to discern, within seconds mind you, whether the vehicle I’m piloting has a gas or diesel engine.

The point I’m trying to illustrate here is that you don’t have to be a gear head, love cars and driving, or even have a driver’s license, to enjoy what may possibly be the finest television show ever made.

BBC’s Top Gear begins its 15th season this year.

Ostensibly about cars, driving and speed, TG is really about the interaction between the show’s three hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond.

A few of my favorite episodes?

The French Riviera: Best Drives

Click here for information on the French Riviera Mini Cooper Driving Adventure!

The south of France has everything for those of us who feel the need to add a little speed to our lives.  Think twisting mountain switchbacks, sun-drenched coastal roadways, a populace that enjoys and appreciates fast driving, and some of the best scenery on the planet.

The Corniche Road System
There are actually three corniche roads, the lower (basse), middle (moyenne), and upper (Grande), that run from Nice to Menton (the last French town before the Italian border).  In order to get the best bang for your buck from each of them you need to have a little advance knowledge.

Let’s begin with The Lower Corniche.
Timing is everything.  Really.
Don’t even consider hopping on the lower corniche during holidays, the summer season, Friday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, or at any time that could be even slightly construed as rush hour.  In fact, if you have just an inkling that there may be traffic on the road, forget it.
Properly timed, though, and a drive along the lower corniche can be exceptionally rewarding.