[14x04] September 1st, 2008

[ahpadt]

Only me who thinks the X6 is better looking than the X5?

[Mytola]

I guess I could say that it looks a TINY bit better, yeah.

All post-Bangle BMW's are really the most fugly cars ever designed anyway though.

[Mauren]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Vicki: less music, more engine! Good segment though.

was about to say this. I don't get how they could get this wrong. The engine is the music. All you could hear was vickie talk about the noise while we had to hear the music

[Speedtouch]

^ Couldn't agree more. I was wondering, why have they got the music up so loud??? They could have hammered home the point of how quiet the Tesla is, and really let the Beira sing and shout (I also noticed it say Saturn Sky and was like WTF? ). And yeah, shut up Vicki!

Also, I find that now that either Tiff or Jason do the test track reviews, rather than Vicki, it feels a much better show. Its become much more authentic and strong with less Vicki. The Hamilton section whenever had so much potential to be so good, but she just threw it away. Less Vicki please!

Originally Posted by ahpadt

Only me who thinks the X6 is better looking than the X5?

Nope. I think the only bad part on the X6 is the front, because its exactly the same as the X5. Its a gurning car, but the X6 brings a bit of style.

I used to only watch Fifth Gear to give me something to watch when Topgear and The Gadget Show aren't on, but now, with a proper base (ignoring their copying of TG), they have become a much better, much more serious show. Tom Ford makes a great host, and Jonny really adds a little feel-good factor with his used car bits. Tim is OK, but as with the previous Tim, needs longer in the field to settle in as such. Jason and Tiff seem to still provide great segments and reviews, where Vicki just said how much 'BHP' (She never, ever said 'horsepower' or the like did she...) the car had then threw it round the track while talking too much annoyingly. She needs to go. Indeed series 14 is Fifth Gear's movement from a boy-show to a man-show. Good stuff.

[JCTK]

Originally Posted by Mauren

was about to say this. I don't get how they could get this wrong. The engine is the music. All you could hear was vickie talk about the noise while we had to hear the music

but the Tesla would hardly make any noise from its "engine" anyway~?

[Viper007Bond]

So? That's the whole point -- I want to hear it being quiet.

Although I was more talking about the other one -- the music was playing over that other car's whole race.

[transtek]

Does Tim Shaw remind anyone else of John Cleese? Take a close look at his mannerisms in this ep and imagine him shouting "Manuel!!"
Maybe an illegitimate son?

[yeeha]

I see several people have already mentioned the saturn sky pop up on the dash. The beira even seemed to look pretty similar to it.

The tesla is a really cool car in my opinion. A good engine sound is nice but I've always thought it would be fun to drive a car with a lot of power that was silent. Now it exists but I doubt I'll ever get to drive one.

Enjoyable episode.

[LoudMusic]

I want to see a better review of the Tesla. That was interesting, but I want them to really go over it with a fine toothed comb. Come on! It's the first car of its kind. There's TONS of stuff to talk about. And compare it head-to-head against similarly priced sports cars, and similar performance cars (because those two aren't the same). Drive it on small tracks, drive it on the Nurburgring, drive it across the country, load it with cargo, and do some burnouts (:

[maduhbee]

was anyone let down by them not having the Furai? They have a little tease in the pre-episode discussion by showing it with all it's amazing sound but never had a hint of it during vicki's bit...

[ruuman]

Now I thought that was a decent episode, not one bad bit I thought. I must say johnny is a pretty good presenter, anyone else tried that ice-cream van review it would have been unbearable, but he made it less crap.

Tim's bit on car tax was genuinely useful to me too, can't believe how bad the new tax bands are, it also means our 2nd hand market is about to become a whole lot more expensive.

Wish they did a bit more of the festival of speed, I've only been once, but it's an amazing day. Tesla is a great car, the Belra thing just made me wish that Russian twat had never got his grubby fingers on poor TVR saw an orange Sagris the other day, what a car!!

X-bow, looks cool, but like everyone else says get an atom.

[Rob Burgoon]

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

Did anyone else notice that the Breckland Beira's instrument panel said Saturn Sky?

I always get a laugh whenever someone starts talking about putting a LS2 from a 3200lb corvette into a 2950lb saturn sky/pontiac solstice.

Congratulations dumbass, you just built a corvette for more money and a hell of a lot more trouble.

[NooDle]

this was by far the worst episode so far.

Mugen Civic RR - bit surprised it beat the S2000, but a bit boring nonetheless. Also, the Jap spec Civic is UGGGGLY.

Road tax thing - yawnfest. Tim could have done a lot better (and funnier) than that. Also, you UKers have weird laws....you can drive around in an old Porsche and farting out 8,000 g of CO2 and pay nothing. But if you buy a modern and eco friendly Golf you pay 400ish £. WTF?

BMW X6 - boring again. I like Tom, but come on, don't compare it that much to the X5. Car's really ugly aswell.

Tesla and Beira - this was more of a "look how cool Goodwood is" section. Weird to hear nothing at all with the Tesla.

X-Bow - nice review but it was lacking something. Also, the dubbed over engine noises were phail.

5/10.

[Gerbonium]

Originally Posted by yeeha

I see several people have already mentioned the saturn sky pop up on the dash. The beira even seemed to look pretty similar to it.

The Beira is an american Saturn Sky that they dropped in an american corvette engine and put a different front end on and call it a british muscle car

[Solberg]

Very good episode!

Nothing wrong with it.

I gave it a 10.

Tom looks so much better now that he cut his hair.

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by ruuman

Tesla is a great car, the Belra thing just made me wish that Russian twat had never got his grubby fingers on poor TVR saw an orange Sagris the other day, what a car!!

You do realize the Sagaris is BECAUSE OF that Russian twat, right?

[Z0RR0]

Originally Posted by edkwon

Once again an excellent Tim Shaw segment (how to cheat the UK road tax). He definitely has good screen presence for what he does. If i lived in england i'd be taking notes on that segment.

Yup. I really liked him in that segment. Maybe some other presenter could have done the job as well, but he just earned his spot in FG for me.

FG is starting to look and feel like TG from several seasons back ... loving it.

[pepitko]

gave it an 8, much more sorted than the previous episodes. No celebrity segments!!
I like the direction FG is going with this series

Mugen Civic RR - solid review, seemed fair and balanced. God, that Civic must give terrible backache, just look how the car is bouncing around because of the stiff suspension.

Road tax thing - cool idea - screwing the system over . Tim a really good presenter, and I think it works for Tim and Tom to do the presenting bits. I am sorry to for the Brits, I hope that kind of laws never make it to the rest of Europe.

Ice cream - seems like it was supposed to be a good idea, but for some reason it didn't work out.

BMW X6 - Excellent! Finally someone honest about the looks and pointlessness Really, if you want a good car to drive, why not get a regular, much better looking coupe??

Tesla and Beira - solid segment, although they should have left out a bit of music so we could "hear" the silence of the tesla. I mean you should only hear the tire noise and wind noise.. Beira seems allright, interior is horrid, they could have pointed at it as another way to ditch the road tax..

X-Bow - interesting, good point about the engine noise, a more open exhaust would could do the trick IMO.