[01x05] December 19th, 2010

[alpha]

Four bad comments, all of them from Americans. Oh well

Instead of saying my comments are stupid, calling me a troll, slow and other unnecessary bullshit, try giving comments that actually add something. For instance, if the Fiero is so great, feel free to explain why. When you do, keep in mind what European car manufacturers offered at the time... If filling three cars with water was such a clever test to decide what car could save GM, please explain why.

 

[TC]

Every reason you posted to support the UK's version of the water test also apply to the US version. The fact that your bias clouds your vision that badly speaks volumes. Maybe your post didn't deserve a serious rebuttal.

 

[alpha]

Every reason you posted to support the UK's version of the water test also apply to the US version. The fact that your bias clouds your vision that badly speaks volumes. Maybe your post didn't deserve a serious rebuttal.

I pointed out a quick example. Why test if an old American junker has small panel gaps, good body seals, and so forth, when deciding what direction to go in when it comes to creating a brand new car from GM? It's not even remotely related. What would the conclusion be? "This random old car has good door seals, lets make a new version of it!"

And biased? What bias could I have? I'm not American nor English. I just my opinion that TGUS is a pretty bad TV-show, and compared to TGUK, almost awful.

 

[TC]

Again, everything you're saying applies equally to the UK version. You seem to be a fan of double standards. And I called you biased as a fan of TopGear UK, not for any nationalistic reason.

 

[thedguy]

Four bad comments, all of them from Americans. Oh well

Instead of saying my comments are stupid, calling me a troll, slow and other unnecessary bullshit, try giving comments that actually add something. For instance, if the Fiero is so great, feel free to explain why. When you do, keep in mind what European car manufacturers offered at the time... If filling three cars with water was such a clever test to decide what car could save GM, please explain why.

I'll waste my time responding to you...

How about the fact that Europe didn't offer an inexpensive mid-engined car in the US market? The chassis was actually pretty good, and only made better when the rear suspension was improved for the later years. The body is immensely cheap to fix thanks to all the panels being bolted on and made of plastic. Alfa had their sports car which was just a carry over from the 60's... stick axle and all. Japan did have the MR2, but then that's not in Europe now is it?

The Buick Wagon... it can tow 5000 fucking pounds, It was available with Lt-1 with 260hp (330lb-ft of torque mother fucker!) and it could roll 8 people, 6 in comfort, plus their crap on a cloud down the highway, and you got the Vista roof. BMW offered the smaller 5 series wagon which was more expensive to own and can't tow for shit (towing packages weren't sold in the US). The Mercedes was better, though not sure on it's tow rating, it was being produced by the Mercedes you don't want to buy a car from... And none of those made the power or torque of the Buick. You could get the benz in a diesel though

 

[alpha]

Again, everything you're saying applies equally to the UK version. You seem to be a fan of double standards. And I called you biased as a fan of TopGear UK, not for any nationalistic reason.

God...

TGUK: "Prove that British Leyland cars weren't that bad. Select three, find the best one".
TGUS: "Find out what new car GM should make to save them from the sad state they're in".

TGUK: Test the build quality of car A versus car B and C to find out which is better of the three, and generally: If they're any good.
TGUS: Test the build quality of car A versus car B and C to find out... Nothing! As we're looking for a concept for a new car for GM and whatever build quality some old car has is totally irrelevant. Build quality of something produced in the 80s vs something produced today? It's not even remotely related.


That's written in pretty plain English and I hope everyone is able to read it and hopefully understand it. Hammering in a point like this is getting tedious.



thedguy:

Not that many mid engine cars to choose from in that era. Porsche 914 is pretty good, even though it came out almost a decade earlier. It's very reliable and well built though, something the Fiero isnt.
If huge station wagons with even bigger engines are so great, why don't the car manufacturers make them and Americans buy them? Guess everyone buys huge ass SUVs instead. Why anyone would think a station wagon on stilts is better than just a station wagon is beyond me, but it sells!

 

[TC]

God...

TGUK: "Prove that British Leyland cars weren't that bad. Select three, find the best one".
TGUS: "Find out what new car GM should make to save them from the sad state they're in".

TGUK: Test the build quality of car A versus car B and C to find out which is better of the three, and generally: If they're any good.
TGUS: Test the build quality of car A versus car B and C to find out... Nothing! As we're looking for a concept for a new car for GM and whatever build quality some old car has is totally irrelevant. Build quality of something produced in the 80s vs something produced today? It's not even remotely related.


That's written in pretty plain English and I hope everyone is able to read it and hopefully understand it. Hammering in a point like this is getting tedious.

If that's the way you're choosing to look at it, fine. But the way I see it, they each bought a car that GM built that they felt was the best direction GM was going in before they axed it. One of the guys thought the big muscle cars were the way to go. One thought mid engine sports cars. The other Corvette powered station wagons. The tests they put the cars though were all designed to show if GM was doing a good job making a good car or not, as well as, which presenter picked the best car. Obviously any brand new cars would be massively different, but that's not the point, the point was which direction should GM go in. In the end, the big station wagon with the vette motor won, so they decided that GM could be saved by building future vette powered wagons. I don't really buy it, but at least the TGUS segment had some sort of purpose behind it, rather than simply seeing which old BL junker was the least shitty.

 

[alpha]

Both segments have purpose. Finding the next great thing for GM and finding out if BL actually produced something worth owning are both ok concepts as a premise for a series of challenges. But the US version got "lost in translation", at least on the water-test as it didn't add anything relevant.

They should have done one of these instead:

A) Find three crappy American cars with a common denominator, try to prove that they're not that bad (Copy the BL episode completely so nothing gets "lost in translation")
B) Find the next hit for GM. (Doesn't relate to the BL-ep at all, do it properly, and from scratch. The idea isn't bad, I'd watch it with interest)


TGUS should do new segments and not rehash TGUKs, it just comes off as half assed. The fault probably lies more at the folks at TGUK than the guys at the History Channel though. Copying the concept and overall structure of the show is fine, but use new ideas. It's more expensive and time consuming but the results can be world class. It could also be easier on the hosts and help them get into a good rythm easier as they're not being so directly compared to the UK version. Everyone wins.

 

[TC]

I can agree with that. Although I would say it's easier said than done. Quite a few of us TopGear fans have complained about rehashed segments on the original UK TopGear. If TGUK can't come up with new ideas for original segments, what chance does TGUS have?

Either way though, I think this first season of TopGear America will play it safe and use proven ideas from the original show, since they already know those work. Assuming the show survives it's first season, then it can flex it's creative muscles, and then we might see some original segments from them.

 

[Initial_B]

Both segments have purpose. Finding the next great thing for GM and finding out if BL actually produced something worth owning are both ok concepts as a premise for a series of challenges. But the US version got "lost in translation", at least on the water-test as it didn't add anything relevant.

They should have done one of these instead:

A) Find three crappy American cars with a common denominator, try to prove that they're not that bad (Copy the BL episode completely so nothing gets "lost in translation")
B) Find the next hit for GM. (Doesn't relate to the BL-ep at all, do it properly, and from scratch. The idea isn't bad, I'd watch it with interest)


TGUS should do new segments and not rehash TGUKs, it just comes off as half assed. The fault probably lies more at the folks at TGUK than the guys at the History Channel though. Copying the concept and overall structure of the show is fine, but use new ideas. It's more expensive and time consuming but the results can be world class. It could also be easier on the hosts and help them get into a good rythm easier as they're not being so directly compared to the UK version. Everyone wins.

you seem to keep forgetting on WHO is producing Top Gear US. all you are doing is putting down your biased opinions on this version without providing any valuable insight. Top Gear US should do whatever test/challenges it wants. if the show wants to take a chapter of the UK version, it has every right to do so. but you seem to forget the US version has done it's own proper challenges that the UK version may have not done yet. but i would bet if the UK version does a challenge or test that the US version has done before, you probably wouldn't be all over the UK version complaining on why the UK version is copying the US version.

 

[alpha]

I can agree with that. Although I would say it's easier said than done. Quite a few of us TopGear fans have complained about rehashed segments on the original UK TopGear. If TGUK can't come up with new ideas for original segments, what chance does TGUS have?

Either way though, I think this first season of TopGear America will play it safe and use proven ideas from the original show, since they already know those work. Assuming the show survives it's first season, then it can flex it's creative muscles, and then we might see some original segments from them.

Yeah, I agree, creating Top Gear isn't easy (if it was, Fifth Gear would do it). But they should raise the QA a bit higher so that segments don't get embarrassingly stupid. How are the ratings for the first TGUS episodes, do you know? Is History happy?

you seem to keep forgetting on WHO is producing Top Gear US. all you are doing is putting down your biased opinions on this version without providing any valuable insight. Top Gear US should do whatever test/challenges it wants. if the show wants to take a chapter of the UK version, it has every right to do so. but you seem to forget the US version has done it's own proper challenges that the UK version may have not done yet. but i would bet if the UK version does a challenge or test that the US version has done before, you probably wouldn't be all over the UK version complaining on why the UK version is copying the US version.

You missed the point. I know perfectly well that TGUS for the moment is brought to us by the same guys that make the original. I also have no problem with reusing TGUK segments in America. In fact, I'd love to see some of the all time great Top Gear bits with an American twist. But they need to make sure plain stupid bits don't fall through quality assurance. Read the previous 10-15 posts to see what went wrong.

 

[Aston Martin]

The first time i've seen this episode... and yet I feel like i've seen it 20 times before.

 

[James_TG]

You know this how? I dont recall them selling Fieros in Norway. I cant wait to buy my 3rd Fiero. They so much fun

I agree completely, I own an 87' Fiero GT (Right Hand Drive) in Australia and it is an excellent car. And they certainly are well built. Mine runs perfect and still looks like new even though it's close to its 24th birthday.

I really enjoyed the commentary Tanner did on the Fiero when he introduced it to the viewers.

 

[Tobiopia]

Im sorry but Americans are pathetic.... They cant come up with their own ideas not even for the first season which is so lousy. The egg test, the water, the racing against the sky diver. Like seriously first season and they dont have any sought of individuality of its own throughout the season. The hosts are useless one is a child, the other a nerd and the last sounds like a new york italian gangsta. You cant beat UK Top gear and I hope this series only lasts the one season. Though knowing the fat cat americans and their massive spending spree they will keep it for god knows how long. The UK hosts are well educated book writers, television presenters and general media professionals. The US hosts belong on farms or in restaurants.

 

[thedguy]

To everyone giving us shit for "not having original ideas", you guys need to understand the show is produced and written by much of the UK team with input from the US guys. It's also for an audience that hasn't seen the UK version, so they seem like fresh ideas to them.

And if you think everything they UK show does is brand new, I got ocean front property in Arizona to sell ya.

thedguy:

Not that many mid engine cars to choose from in that era. Porsche 914 is pretty good, even though it came out almost a decade earlier. It's very reliable and well built though, something the Fiero isnt.
If huge station wagons with even bigger engines are so great, why don't the car manufacturers make them and Americans buy them? Guess everyone buys huge ass SUVs instead. Why anyone would think a station wagon on stilts is better than just a station wagon is beyond me, but it sells!

That's a question a A LOT of us have asked ourselves. It comes down to the stigma of them, same one minivans have now.

And the 914 is not the best example. Even the race cars with full cages would twist so much in the Karussell on Nurburgring that they installed straps for the driver to pull the passenger side doors shut when it in inevitably popped open.

 

[Mike Nassour]

Im sorry but Americans are pathetic....

You've now posted the same bloody reply in 1X05 and 1X06. Maybe YOU should come up with YOUR own highly original ideas about how to post a reply.

Take off, troll.

 

[drnick]

@Tobiopia

I guess the other thing to take in to account is that most of the audience (apart from those here on this forum) probably havnt seen to much of TGUK in the states - so to alot of them, it wouldve been a new experience

just my AUD0.02

/me taps sign with the above post on it

 

[nitrous9200]

From my perspective (having seen all of the UK episodes and now a huge fan of the show) it's hard to imagine what it would be like to start seeing this show and having these ideas presented to me for the first time. It does feel very American though, and I think a huge part of the reason why I enjoy original Top Gear is because of its British personality. As lame as it might seem at times (ahem, the guest star portion needs to go) I'm starting to enjoy watching. While not a whole hour, it's 45 minutes of free entertainment. Some unique challenges done every once in a while would really be amazing.

And as for the hosts, they're getting better too, compared to yawn-worthy TGUK series 1. They acted like a small time production and didn't even try to be funny.