[06x11] August 7th, 2005

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by watto

Ditto.

[Ultra_Kool_Dude]

Originally Posted by swek

Damn you Americans, can't stand to be 2nd place at all. Now you want to steal the title of most insulted nation on TG from us ? Enough is enough !

No one puts it quite like you Swek.

[bartboy9891]

Stereotypes are everywhere on T.V. its just that, T.V.
most of you are forgetting that Clarkson has owned several American cars. He makes fun of the British, Australians, Germans, French, Swedish, Belgians, etc...
Who THE FUCK gives a damn. And he is comparing the F150 to smaller pick-ups like the Hilux, Navara, and so on. Those are smaller, cheaper, and get the job done. I believe he was trying to point out the fact that street-trucks are an oxymoron, same thing that he said about the SSR. If the British made something like the F150 Lightning, he would bash it just as much.

[Leppy]

Originally Posted by Redliner

[SSJ3 Goten]

IF you want unbiased reviews watch Fifth Gear.

Also, 50 F150's are listed on Autotrader

[Volvo_S70]

Originally Posted by Leppy

[Rturbo]

Love the lambo murcielago roadster!

[The Chad]

I think to get a better understanding of Clarkson and May, you have to read their columns especially in Top Gear magazine. On the television show you get small sound bites that are meant to be humorous, quick jabs to make you laugh and keep things interesting. In Clarkson's article about talking about wanting a new //M5, he doesn't gripe about any of the settings, or the sat-nav woman. The entire staff think's Aston is having an identity crisis as of late, trying to be Italian and instead of British.

I live in a somewhat rural area, and the people I work with love listening to country music. Honestly, when I listen to it it's the type of thing that makes you think you drive a jacked up pickup and have sex with your sister.

In fact, many people brag that they're plain, simple folk who aren't all the sophisticated, whereas the British have more "sophistication". It's a cultural divide and a stereotype. Our marketplace also encourages the big three to sell stuff to us cheaper but also of cheaper quality. American cars do not need to be exported. Heck, shipping charges are cheap.

That's capitalism, and some of the negative effects of it. Price over quality is often the norm. Look at cell phone services. Competition means companies can't share service towers and can't agree on standards to help advance the technology, but rather compete for the best price with the most acceptable service.

In Great Britain, and this is an assumption because I don't live there, many of the cars have to be imported in. There is taxation involved. When the cars are generally higher priced, they expect more quality for what they're paying for. Because they're paying more, they expect more, even though the reason they're paying more is not the car company's fault, but rather the government with it's taxation.

America, instead of creating a car designed for them (which may not be profitable for us, or as profitable as the bean counters would like), sends the same quality car to Britain and then when taxes come into play, they're nearly the same price as the higher quality competitor. But instead of making the car more appealing to them before sending it, we just assume they'll buy it in it's Americanized form.

If I were British, I'd be like "why do the American's even bother, because they don't seem to care about our needs, and won't offer the car dirt cheap to makes us even consider it?"

Sure the business model works in this country, but they need to reconsider their foreign offerings before just sending the cars overseas.

My $.02

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally Posted by MafiaMan

I saw yesterday a shelby mustang. What's difference between than and regular?

Wait... a new Shelby, or an old one? I thought the new Shelby wasn't supposed to arrive until 2007...

Anyway, assuming you mean the new one, there is a lot of differnces. the interior is different, the exterior is different, but that's all cosmetic, minus the cooling scoops.

The real difference is the jump from 300 HP in the GT to between 450 and 500 HP in the Shelby. Current estimates peg it at 475HP.

The suspension has also been changed, to give it better handling, while retaining straightline acceleration. It will initially have a live rear axle, but an optional IRS setup is rumored for the coming years.

Car & Driver article

[gthree]

Shelby Mustangs started out as serious race versions of the regular Mustang. Over time, Ford took over production from Shelby and turned it into just an upscale Mustang with more vents, power, comfort, etc. From 1967-1970, you could get a small block version (GT-350) and a big block version (GT-500). Of course, the big block (428ci) is the most desirable and most powerful but not the best handling of Shelby's.

[gthree]

I watched the episode last night but didn't realize it was the last one of the season. Bummer. Overall, it was a good episode but had a few bad segments. I was all pumped up about created music from car exhaust. James had some phd or something in music and seemed to know what he was doing. Not. It just ended up sounding like static noise. They should of done a studio version just for kicks.

I have a good sense of humor and usually don't mind Jeremy's American bashing because he bashes everyone, including audience members. However, he should not have been reviewing the Ford Lightning like that. First, it's a somewhat rare truck here in the States and not poster child for the F-150. Second, it was a used truck converted by some British shop for right hand drive so it's now a custom. Obviously, being used and hacked up, it's going to look like trash and not handle as sharp. American quality is not that bad but Jeremy makes everyone think it is.

What really bothered me was Jeremy's whole pompous attitude. It must be nice to be so sophisticated and rich living in the British countryside rubbing elbows with celebrities, buying fancy breads and expensive firewood wrapped up so you don't get dirty. It's like he has no understanding that some people actually work for a living and need to haul more stuff around than muffins and tea.

Another point that people don't understand about the American truck is that a ton of them are sold as fleet vehicles. These get used and abused much more quickly than for personal use so they buy frequently. Since most of these trucks are seen as work and farm vehicles, their regulations are less than passenger cars.

[Redliner]

I promise to myself: last time i read the posts in this tread...

[zenkidori]

I found it interesting how they liked the Vauxhall *cough*Pontiac GTO*cough* so much. It was a great episode. I agree that the F150 is rubbish, even the SVT version, but the sad thing is most people on this board drive much, much slower cars. I wasn't a fan of the Lambo, I don't like topless exotics, but the segment was entertaining.

On the subject of American bashing:
I think JC is hilarious, it's all in good fun. One thing I found funny about his comparison between US and UK country towns was that most if not all mountain towns where I live are nearly exactly like the one he was walking around in! heheh, the dumb redneck imbred hillbillies are mostly found in the south and eastern mountains, and the rest of America dislikes them just as much as the rest of the world, heheh.

On our cars:
Only lately have Americans be concerned once again with things like interior quality and comfort, we usually buy cars that are cheap and reliable, mostly japanese. Our cars are cheap because most of us wouldn't pay very much for one of them anyway, we'd rather have something Japanese or European(German). Also the definition of a "good car" is different for most Americans from what a European definition may be. We tend to pick cars that are good at getting the job done, i.e. getting groceries, hauling children or just tooling about to work. Style and character are afterthoughts, but this is starting to change. Most people here won't buy a stylish car that breaks all the time, that's why so many European cars aren't sold here. It also depends on where you live, in big cities people are more likely to buy a nice car, because they don't really need it, we have public transportation and you can walk most places, but out in the suburbs or further, you need a car to get most places, as it's very spread out. Those who can afford it may have several cars. My girlfriend and I share 3 cars, I have my Mazda RX7, a very exciting and fast car, sexy and great handling, all tho not that practical or reliable. Then we have the Honda Civic, not very stylish and pretty boring, but it runs forever and get's us where we need to be. Then I have the 240SX which is sort of a middle ground, if it were fixed. Oh who am I kidding, the 240SX is more or less a RWD Civic.

As always it was a great episode, and JC bashes everyone so get over it whoever had thier panties in a wad.

[Leppy]

Originally Posted by Redliner

I promise to myself: last time i read the posts in this tread...

[fbc]

Originally Posted by Redliner

I promise to myself: last time i read the posts in this tread...

Why did I even bother looking

[wescx]

Why is everyone getting so bent out shape over this thread

[mgkdk]

Originally Posted by wescx

Why is everyone getting so bent out shape over this thread

Because it's the same everytime JC bashes an american car

[Pulsinator]

Originally Posted by empowah

The new F-150 has a really nice interior, IMO...

Originally Posted by heffergm

Ewwww.

But that's just me

Nope, not just you...

[3Colin]

zenkidori: the Vauxhall Monaro is actually the Holden Monaro. The Pontiac GTO is also the Holden Monaro. It's not an American car. It's Australian.

[Leppy]

Originally Posted by 3Colin

zenkidori: the Vauxhall Monaro is actually the Holden Monaro. The Pontiac GTO is also the Holden Monaro. It's not an American car. It's Australian.

Man... thank you for saying it.

I had to take a nice walk round to the block to calm down after reading that.