Top Gear 1st episode of new series SPOILERS

[sirwiggum]

SPOILERS WARNING FOR THOSE WHO MISSED IT (and are waiting for the repeat / constant rotation on Dave)

New Series started on Sunday there. Was doing the ironing while watching it (and managed to burn my hand) so got most of it.

The big Bentley was nice but these >£100k cars are starting to become boring. A bit like watching those house programs where some smug couple buys a million pound country home and gurn about the colour of the bathroom.
Yes there is 5th gear for "normal" cars, but it would be nice to see a bit of variation rather than a tyre smoking supercar (never thought I would say that!).

News was amusing.

Star in a reasonable priced car: The Mazda 323 looked cracking for the age! Reliable bulletproof little things they were, and while you don't see many about anymore, there still seem to be a lot of the mid-late 90s coupe shaped ones about, before they started building Focus clones.
Good to see some new and old faces, though it was all reminiscent of the Lacetti's first run with a bunch of celebs. The in-studio segment is usually a bit boring sometimes anyway.

The Volcano bit was cracking. Got my photo taken beside the lead polar HiLux (ice dents and all!) at a ploughing show a couple of years ago, they look like some tool!
Fair play to him picking up lava from the edge of a volcano!

The Reliant Robin bit was funny at the start, but then became a bit daft as he crashed into everything. The last stunt into the Canal looked a bit dangerous!

All in all good craic though.

Last series they visited Belfast, including going up the Harland and Wolff cranes visible from the office window.

[CountryPug]

Yeah, I recorded it on BT vision and fast forwarded alot of it. I used to love Top gear but like u said its becoming a bit boring. Likewise I don't really care that much about supercars, they should cover more hatchbacks etc. stuff the general public can afford. Also, they always give Pugs a bad review, even the good ones! So they can p*sh clean off with that! Don't even get me started with their opinion on diesel engines

Remember when clarkson took that s-type diesel to the 'ring'? I bet you anyone on this forum could get around it quicker simply by keeping in the torque band.

P.S. That episode with the Twingo in Belshaft was pretty good, it is a cracking little car too.

[highlander]

Always remember seeing my first Twingo on a trip to Rome back in late 2002. The mark 1:



Thought it was quite an odd looking car. I'd never seen one in the UK (and still have never seen a mk. 1 in the UK), but there were hundreds of the little buggers zooming about Rome.

An amusing factoid about our trip to Rome - I stayed in a nice hotel, but it was called the Ars Hotel. I thought that was good for a giggle.

[sirwiggum]

Your hotel reminds me of the website Ars Technica, which always makes me giggle

Funky wee cars.

Saw one about 15 years ago (feel old now) around Queens in Belfast, French plate, assumed it was a student.

They didn't see the point in producing a RHD version as they thought there was no UK market for a small car.

The popularity of the Clio soon opened their eyes. The new one kind of takes over from the Clio, now that the actual Clio is as big as a mk1 Megane!

Back to the point, I agree Countrypug, used to love Top Gear, but now its getting kind of samey with the same Merc/Ferrari/Bentley/Lambo supercars going sideways, celebs with no interest in cars plugging books, destroying an old car for fun.

I liked Clarkson best when he was ripping "normal" cars to shreds, such as the mk1 Vectra review

[Welly]

Are we saying that I've missed the first of the new series here? last sunday?

The only thing I like about Top Gear is the 'challenges' they do cos they tend to be really funny.

The 5th Gear presenters are weird, sure I'd love to do a few laps with Vicki Butt-Fest-Henderson but those others are kinda trying too hard

[mjb]

The 5th Gear presenters are weird, sure I'd love to do a few laps with Vicki Butt-Fest-Henderson but those others are kinda trying too hard

Trying too hard? Tiff Needell, Jason Plato and VBH are accomplished racing drivers who (unlike Clarkson et al) actually know how to drive a car properly, then you've got the big family guy who is bang on for what he does in the show. Don't think much of the other presenters though


Now, Top Gear... It's not a car programme; it's entertainment/comedy that uses cars as props! We found the first ep hilarious, especially the Reliant bit

[Welly]

I meant trying too hard to be presenters, the beardy guy and the other one (or two?) who sit in the loungey bit

Pissed off that I missed the first show

[DaiRees]

Pissed off that I missed the first show

iPlayer!

[sirwiggum]

The tall gangly one who laughed at the old Proton that cost less that his b*w tyre does my head in.
So does the younger one with spiked hair.

The beardy one I can tolerate.

Respect for Plato, VBH, and Needell. Latter 2 appeared in Clarksons new DVD amongst rumours that 5th gear was going to be axed. A sign of things to come?

What happened to Quentin Wilson? Have they ran out of 2nd hand Merc 190s and Jeep Cherokees?


And the iPlayer on the Wii is handy for having missed TG (also for a cheeky game of Mario Kart after )

[Welly]

Quentin Wilson lives near me, he used to be a car dealer in Leicester in the late 80's. I've never seen him but Mrs Welly has.

Martin Johnson lives near me too

Funny how you can watch BBC stuff on the iplayer without paying a licence fee directly for that or in other words what's to stop you removing the TV arial and TV and not paying the licence?

I don't like Vicki Buttfest any more cos she said mean things about a V50 T5

I still would though.......

[sirwiggum]

I tried to get away with it in uni by using a USB TV card connected to a laptop.

Technically though, a computer is classed as "recording equipment" because of TV cards, so therefore you need a licence. Anything that can get iPlayer.

Could be a bit vague, what about a mobile that has flash capability, using the iPlayer instead of a TV / computer?

[Blue406]

I echo sentiments that TG is getting boring.

It's still a good show and very much worth watching, but I've getting bored of the big supercars only the extremely rich and TG presenters will ever get to drive.
I want to see more cars which the average punter might be able to pick up. But for god sake, NEVER return to the format of the old TG! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More "what can you get for under £XX" challenges would be good.
More races too
Perhaps even some "what would happen if we crash this into that" type shennanigans?!

[Welly]

Just watched the Reliant Robbin bit on iplayer and it's very funny! (49 minutes in if you want) I don't think Clarkson could have been in the car at the very end bit

[mjb]

Technically though, a computer is classed as "recording equipment" because of TV cards, so therefore you need a licence.

Wrong. You can own and use recording equipment without a TV license. It's receiving equipment you cannot use.

Not that it matters... If you haven't got a TV license, they'll continue to harass you as long as that's the case. If you live in the wrong area, they'll also go to court, get a search warrant, and enter your house with police present. The reason they give the courts to get these warrants? They have reason to believe you're watching tv illegally because you don't have a license. Seriously.

Then they'll continue to harass you with threatening letters even if they've seen you've not got a TV.

(personal experience. I didn't even own a TV, TV card, VCR, or anything at that time!)