I wrote it before, that almost everything is Made in China these days. Basically the whole consumer market is in the hands of Asia these days. What is not made in China? And India is next in line, they're just getting ready to copy the success story of China. And the Western Countries? They can't complain, cause they handed it over. That goes way back into the VCR era, when the Western Countries decided that they were too dumb to manufacture these products. Or should I say too good? Low-Level-Mobility based on efficiency is next. And, while the uppity Western Companies are still fumfering around, and making plans for "2020": Vehicles like electric scooters are regular on the streets in China.
Okay that's a strong opinion right there. And I have to say I disagree. Yes, much of the manufacturing of things is being done in 3rd world Asian countries. But manufacturing is different from design. My laptop is made by Sony, which is Japanese, and assembled in China. I'm gonna go out on a limb right here and say that Sony keeps most of the profit, not the chinese factory workers. Same goes with my mobile phone, a Sony-Ericsson, I bet most of the profit goes to Sweden. And actually, I can't see anything around here that has a chinese brand on it. My other computer is hand built, it has an Asus monitor last I checked that's taiwanese, an AMD processor and ATi video card which are canadian, the disks are Western Digital...
My point is, these countries have cheap labour, yes, but not much pedigree in the design and innovation area. They're hired to build things, not to invent them. And this isn't a racist statement, it's just how it is, because their economic and social situation allows for very cheap work force.
As for this:
If the Chinese or India come up with a Smart-like thingy on four wheels (petrol or electric) for $2000, the streets will be full of it. And Western Companies will be (once again) hapless bystanders. And that's the region where the REAL money is to be made, where the jobs are, for many people. A DB9 or a 458 doesn't have any far reaching impact on the industry. The very few people who drive those cars are insanely privileged! "Oh, I've seen that car on Top Gear, I know what it means to have..." Blah, blah, no you don't. Get back to your PlayStation.
India has come with a Smart like thing and it's called the Tata Nano. What you don't understand is that their own markets are already appealing enough for them to basically "stay there". They prefer owning other western brands (Tata owns Jaguar Land Rover) than trying to make a name for their own Tata brand over here, I think. Why push for expansion on a market of 300 million people, where there are already well established brands with many loyal costumers, when you can just stay around your area and sell to about 2 thousand million?
Also I don't have a PlayStation, I like PC games more. Stop projecting.
First and foremost, mobility is about getting from A to B. Simple and efficient, everyday reality. Top Gear is the dream, it's a fantasy land. That's why it should stay in fantasy world, and not try to give us reality in 300 seconds. Some guy wrote that we can learn from the demise of the British Motor Industry. Ugh, commence the romantic bologna. Since when do people learn from their mistakes of the past?! Are you smoking a little somethin' somethin'? I need to know what it is.
This goes against everything I observe around town nowadays. They sell Fiat Pandas here for 10,000 euros (Yes, cars are very expensive in Portugal cos of taxes and shit) and yet I see new Meganes, Peugeots, Mercs, a ton of BMWs of all series including an X5 parked near my house... This doesn't seem logic does it?
I don't think people are JUST interested in getting from A to B. I'm sure some manufacturer even here in Europe could grab a design board, design a basic chassis, grab the cheapest 1.0L engine they find, make a less than inspired body work design, fit it with nothing but a steering wheel and some seats, and sell that for a profit at 3000?. It'd still get you from A to B, but nobody would buy it.
Then again, are these cars you want featured in Top Gear? Instead of the british roadsters (which looked fantastic, and to me they were interesting because I would never see one around town here) what would you have? They already did a test of all the pacific rim cheap cars that you claim are going to zerg rush our roads. They're here for sale, they're cheap, they just don't appeal to people that much.
I'd go on about how the cultural differences make some cars appealing to asians (remember that Nissan cube looking thing Clarkson reviewed some series back), others appeal to European and others to Americans, and rarely there are car companies that take the trouble of making different cars for the different cultures and needs, but I cant be arsed.
Err... The BBC isn't owned by the government.
Yeah I know, it's just that the way the BBC works is too long to explain, licensing fees blah blah blah, taxes, royal charter, blah blah. Just simpler to say its 'owned', think we all know what I meant was "it's funded by the british public by means of a mandatory tax"
well i am Australian and the Nine network pay the BBC licensing etc to air it here(SBS did before that). i would assume either BBC America does as well or is at least partially owned by the BBC.
so in those cases actually the BBC is making the show for us as well as a secondary market and getting money for it. so you have no right to tell us we cant comment on the shows.
Yeah I thought about that, but in this case I guess it's in Top Gear's best interest to keep the show appealing so it sells to as many networks as they can, but still, the british public is allowed to demand more for their money, where you can just stop watching the show and you shouldn't feel like your money is being wasted. Cos they're commercial stations and what they care about is keeping you as a viewer so you see their advertisements, which is what gives them a profit, but in the UK households are taxed to fund the BBC.
By that I don't mean we can all make suggestions, I like to say what I liked and didn't about each episode, but I can't really complain cos I pay nothing at all to watch it and you don't look a gift horse in the mouth.