[02x04] June 1st, 2009

[SL65]

http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgearaus/2/4/


So, how'd you all like this ep? Better than last week??

Please remember to vote!

[TVR-161]

8 for me, I liked this ep, no marketing plugs, enjoyable, good guest, good reviews. no complaints.

[SL65]

I gave it a 6/10. Better than last week but still falling short of that initial promise they showed in series 1.

[xsirhc]

agreed, but its coming together. fails initial promise maybe, but the show had me sitting in one place for an hour, something the other channels cant do. thumbs up and a 7.

[Richmondgal]

don't get why Steve wanted the less powerful HSV when you can look awesome and drive fast in an Audi.
Anyway, the whole show was quite interesting. I like the Sportswagons and my god, that Audi really does go. The SIABSC was meh, so was the ad thing. The drifting looked really fun and reminded me of the TGUK series 1 when they got the Grannies doing donuts. The other drifting looked pretty funny too. And the Kia Soul is pretty much an appliance (lol R Soul), but at least made something different.
Overall 7/10.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by Richmondgal

don't get why Steve wanted the less powerful HSV when you can look awesome and drive fast in an Audi.
Anyway, the whole show was quite interesting. I like the Sportswagons and my god, that Audi really does go. The SIABSC was meh, so was the ad thing. The drifting looked really fun and reminded me of the TGUK series 1 when they got the Grannies doing donuts. The other drifting looked pretty funny too. And the Kia Soul is pretty much an appliance (lol R Soul), but at least made something different.
Overall 7/10.

I suspect the preference comes down to the $200,000 price tag.

Overall I thought it was a pretty good episode, guest wasn't as painful as some of the other ones we've had along the way (and warren seems to be doing a decent job interviewing) flowed well I thought

[Richmondgal]

^^
True. But I would go for the Audi.

[Stoopidflanders]

Originally Posted by SL65

I gave it a 6/10. Better than last week but still falling short of that initial promise they showed in series 1.

Geez 6 out of 10, you're a hard man to please.
That episode was great, the whole season has been a big improvement on last season.

Part of the reason why i enjoy the show so much is that everything is from my area. I drift at Oran Park very regularly, and its great to see OP on the telly a lot before it closes down. I've grown up there. Leaves me with good memories.
They've used just about every square inch of the whole facility this year, from the main racetrack, to the skidpan, the 2 off road tracks and even all the access roads in between.

The race truck they used for the drifting is from the next town over from mine, the airport where they do the power laps isnt far from me, and i spotted my dad in the studio audience in this one too!

I really enjoyed it, as did everyone else in my house. And because we have a ratings box at our house, our opinion really matters.

[tone76]

Again, I'm yet to make up my mind whether this is a 7 or an 8.

- The RS6 vs Clubby Wagon piece was excellent, shot superbly and delivered very well by Pizzati
- The Odyssey piece was quite amusing
- James' dad trying to drift produced some LOL moments
- So did the drifting ... that had a real feel of 3 car guys cocking about
- The ad was amusing, in a 'What The?' sort of way
- TGA is feeling more and more like it's own show and less and less like a weak TGUK copy
- Wazza is pretty good as an interviewer
- James is really starting to fit in and is quite engaging
- The Kia Soul piece was amusing, and was shot/edited extremely well. Actually, the editing and filming of TGA would do TGUK proud.

However ...

- SIABSC was just too long. The question about whaling seemed like product placement for WSPA (how the fuck is whaling and WSPA relevant to TGA!)
- The Kia Soul review was too short. Even though it's a piece of shit that nobody would buy anyway, the lack of detail was disappointing (no price given, no specifications etc).

Around 2-3 minutes of SIABSC should have been cut out and given to the Kia Soul review. That would have made it a solid 8, if not a borderline 9. As it stands, it should be an 8 ... but I dunno if I can give it an 8 because of the two pretty big jarring points above. I'll have a think before I put my vote in.

[stiggie]

I liked it overall but I really wish warren would have been a little more open about the Soul. Redefining it as an appliance so that he would have to call it crap just doesn't cut it.

Leisel Jones wasn't exactly compelling, but HG Nelson is on next week, so that should be funny.

[Stigo]

Pretty good episode over-all. Gave it a 7.

The R-Soul joke made me LOL. Then my 6 year old kept saying R-Soul over and over, which made me laugh even more.

SIABSC= Long and not interesting, Although, I hear that there are some really good ones on the way.

[tone76]

Originally Posted by stiggie

Leisel Jones wasn't exactly compelling, but HG Nelson is on next week, so that should be funny.

As long as he's not there for cross-promotional purposes, or to flog a book or a DVD or something like that, he should be good value.

Actually ... how many Stars In A Bog Standard Car have been on WITHOUT having either a connection to SBS or something to sell? The last one I recall was Mark Skaife .. but there wouldn't be too many. I realise that's just the way TV is in Australia (i.e. celebs only do interviews due to contractual obligations or to flog something, not just because they feel like a chat).

[X_Man]

i enjoyed the episode about a 8 for me because it feels less and less like uk top gear the more of this new season i watch which i think is a good thing

i found the sportwagon piece fun and i knew the audi would be faster than the hsv but not THAT fast
seeing the uni student fit in the odyssey wasnt really that interesting
both the drifting bits were funny but i lol'd when they said the 300c was a diesel (no wonder it wouldnt slide)
car ad was funny because it was turbo smooth (even though it didnt have a turbo)
the kia soul needed to be longer (he didnt say that there was a 1.6L turbo diesel and about the interior or the cool speakers that it has which change colour and flash to the beat)

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by tone76

As long as he's not there for cross-promotional purposes, or to flog a book or a DVD or something like that, he should be good value.

I'm sure he'll be funny either way.

Originally Posted by tone76

Actually ... how many Stars In A Bog Standard Car have been on WITHOUT having either a connection to SBS or something to sell? The last one I recall was Mark Skaife

Well there was tonight's.

Also, I don't recall James Morrison, Shannon Noll, Steve Bisley, Vince Colossimo, Jack Thompson, James Courtney or Greg Murphy having any products to plug or connections to SBS at the time of their appearances.

[whitehornmatt]

I don't recall James Morrison, Shannon Noll, Steve Bisley, Vince Colossimo, Jack Thompson, James Courtney or Greg Murphy having any products to plug or connections to SBs at the time of their appearances.

Well Colossimo was plugging a series on SBS at the time (Carla Cametti PD or something).

I liked it, apart from the Soul review being way too short and missing so much detail, and the camera work while trying to drift the Mr Whippy van and the 300c limo, watching someone drift from a view out the drivers side window doesn't work.

The episode kept me interested the entire way though, whereas last week I sort of watched in and out.

[stiggie]

My mistake, I didn't know that Vince was on that Carla Cametti show.

[TVR-161]

for those who didnt get the turbo smooth bit, its referring to the automatic transmission, i have a holden also and it has a "turbo 700" transmission

[Icedvovo]

Originally Posted by TVR-161

8 for me, I liked this ep, no marketing plugs, enjoyable, good guest, good reviews. no complaints.

Yoink!!

I'll have this one thankyou!! My thoughts exactly.

That was a pretty solid 8/10.

The Soul stuff was nicely shot. The cynic in me thinks there may be some 'supplied' footage' included, but if there wasn't, nice job guys.

The HR ad has me a bit befuddled. They actually had 2 speed Powerglide transmissions, not Turbo Hydromatics...

Good ep.

[Bomber]

People will hate me for saying this, but during this episode I realised that Top Gear Australia still ain't half the show Top Gear is (which is probably why the ratings are nearly half). As a Top Gear fan I support the show but it's looking like it's only going to ever amount to a hill of beans.

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by Bomber

As a Top Gear fan I support the show but it's looking like it's only going to ever amount to a hill of beans.

Thats a big call.