Leno's review of the SSC ultimate Aero in the Times

[Mr. Nice]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle4539278.ece

Doing things backwards. Most guys who are going to build the world’s fastest supercar first show people sketches and say what they are going to do. Then they lose money as the project starts to fall apart.

Saw the video accompanying the article a couple of weeks ago on Jay Leno's Garage. Thought this was worth its own thread

[starfox07]

I like his review. He is a good writer; maybe not a brilliant writer like Clarkson, but good nonetheless. If I had to choose between the two cars, I'd pick the Veyron. Then I'd sell it and buy a Mclaren. In my eyes, it is still the best car ever made.

[NooDle]

He's a good writer, and I'm sure it's an awesome car.

I just get a bit of a bad aftertaste when reading things like "I like it because it's American like me".

He could have just started the article with "America. FUCK YEAH'" and then just said that it sounds great and makes a thousand million hp. Five stars. The end

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by NooDle

He's a good writer, and I'm sure it's an awesome car.

I just get a bit of a bad aftertaste when reading things like "I like it because it's American like me".

He could have just started the article with "America. FUCK YEAH'" and then just said that it sounds great and makes a thousand million hp. Five stars. The end

I don't see a problem with saying that? Are you rooting for the Belgians in the Olympics? Its the same thing, its called pride.

And whoever negative-repped me for saying "IN MY EYES THE MCLAREN IS STILL THE BEST CAR EVER MADE" can go eat a bag of hell.

[Elvis313]

Originally Posted by starfox07

I don't see a problem with saying that? Are you rooting for the Belgians in the Olympics? Its the same thing, its called pride.

I like my Fiesta, because it was built in Cologne so it is North Rhine-Westphalian, like me.

Seriously, WTF?!

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by Elvis313

I like my Fiesta, because it was built in Cologne so it is North Rhine-Westphalian, like me.

Seriously, WTF?!

He didn't say he liked it BECAUSE it was made in America, but its an added bonus that it is. I don't see how this is so hard to understand. You are from Germany, so does that make, say, the Porsche Carrera GT even more special to you than if it was designed and built in Italy? We don't have many supercars here in the states, so to have one that broke the ultimate record out of nowhere is pretty special. Why must Europeans be so critical of things like that? I don't get it.

(And a Fiesta is a hell of alot different than a 257mph supercar, dont you think?)

[avanti]

oh for fucks sake! what is wrong with being proud of a car that comes from the same country as you? Why do you think Italians love Ferrari?

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by avanti

oh for fucks sake! what is wrong with being proud of a car that comes from the same country as you? Why do you think Italians love Ferrari?

Thank you! Italy FTW

[IVIaster]

He likes the car because its not easy to drive?

And claiming that you cant see the Veyrons engine is a big one.

[NooDle]

I'm not saying he has no right to say it, I just don't think that's a reason to like a car.
I like some Euro cars, some Aussie cars, even some American cars, but it never occured to me that I like them because they come from somewhere. I like em because I like em.

And no, i'm not rooting for Belgium in the Olympics because the chances of us doing well are perilously close to 0.

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by NooDle

I'm not saying he has no right to say it, I just don't think that's a reason to like a car.
I like some Euro cars, some Aussie cars, even some American cars, but it never occured to me that I like them because they come from somewhere. I like em because I like em.

And no, i'm not rooting for Belgium in the Olympics because the chances of us doing well are perilously close to 0.

I think thats up for Leno to decide, and I could try to more elaborately convey you as to why, but I see you are not going to understand.

[airmenair]

Ha! I find it hilarious how all the people who bitch, whine, moan and complain about Leno or anyone else for that matter being proud of car being made in the US aren't voicing any complaints about Jeremy Clarkson who says these kinds of things pretty frequently.

Recall the episode in which Jeremy is driving the Rolls Royce (Phantom?) across that particular bridge in England (Hull?) as he's driving across he remarks at the pride he feels that his country had created this and that he wished he could feel the same about the Rolls, he wanted to be proud of it. It was essentially that, I could go back and rewatch the episode to confirm it but I think I'll find that pretty much sums it up.

It's not like Leno is fawning over the Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Aerostar here simply because it's American. He's talking about a car that achieved something and that makes he like it just a little more since it was built in his country. Is that not what Jeremy Clarkson says?

Where are the complainers on that one?

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by NooDle

I'm not saying he has no right to say it, I just don't think that's a reason to like a car.
I like some Euro cars, some Aussie cars, even some American cars, but it never occured to me that I like them because they come from somewhere. I like em because I like em.

You must really hate Clarkson, since he's always on about how car X is better because it was built in/designed in/parts of it were made in/someone on the design team somewhere has some remote familial connection to Britain.

And no, i'm not rooting for Belgium in the Olympics because the chances of us doing well are perilously close to 0.

I bet you'd change your tune if "beermaking" or "wafflemaking" were Olympic events.

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by Spectre

You must really hate Clarkson, since he's always on about how car X is better because it was built in/designed in/parts of it were made in/someone on the design team somewhere has some remote familial connection to Britain.




I bet you'd change your tune if "beermaking" or "wafflemaking" were Olympic events.

I love me some Belgian waffles!

[NooDle]

if wafflemaking would be an Olympic event my wife would get the gold easily.

Anyways, it DOES annoy me that Clarkson does the same thing about British stuff. To me, wherever a car comes from is sort of like an added bonus that helps you to explain why you like it.
it's an Alfa, so it's quirky and breaks down - but on the other hand it's Italian, passionate and looks great - so I want one

Never ever ever would I use a sentence like "I want to buy this car because it's made in X" because that's not important to me. What is important is how it drives and how it makes you feel while you're driving it.

Besides, a lot of really cars (Bentley Continental, Lotus Evora, Lambo Gallardo etc) were styled by a BELGIAN
Yet I don't like these cars anymore than I would normally do because of this...(Bentley )

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by NooDle

Anyways, it DOES annoy me that Clarkson does the same thing about British stuff.

Thank you for the intellectual honesty there. It irritates me too, especially when he's *really* reaching to find a British connection - which puts down the efforts of everyone else involved in the project.

Never ever ever would I use a sentence like "I want to buy this car because it's made in X" because that's not important to me. What is important is how it drives and how it makes you feel while you're driving it.

This is so. Even here in the "Buy Amurrican" zone, people don't usually put "made in USA" at the top of their car buying criteria list - not since the 80s, anyway. We do have some vocal throwbacks, but they're usually idiots anyway.

By the way, I'm ready to post up the first installment of that "American Car Buying Habits" analysis I promised you - just waiting for Viper and Quiky to answer some questions I have about posting it before I throw it out to the world - I don't want it to devolve into a "HAR HAR HAR AMURRICANS ARE STOOOPID YOU SHOULD BE MORE LIKE EUROPE" thread/argument, and I'm going to see what is permissible to stop that from happening.

[NooDle]

I thought you completely forgot about that by now

Awaiting longass post then...

/random : apparently by now Belgium HAS won a medal at the olympics, I think largely due to the fact that I predicted we wouldn't get any.

[MacGuffin]

I still have to smile and shake my head when Leno says "It's a driver's car", while doing 65 or so on an Interstate

Maybe not many noticed the unintentional irony in that

And about the patriotic stuff. Well, I don't want to be too negative but you Americans should always keep in mind that the last time we had patriotic propaganda like this over here, it ended in a World War. Since then we are a wee bit more sensitive in that area and tend to differ between harmless national pride and glorification.