[08x04] May 28th, 2006

[flyingfridge]

Ah that's the Top Gear I remember from the Golden Seasons 4 and 5.

Awesome awesome ep.

S Class review was excellent i was expecting it to be boring as batshit.

Z4M, god I love that car.

and KOENIGSEGG FTW!! LOVE IT!

[awdrifter]

The Cayenne bit was good, I wish the showed the accident tho. The Z4M review is pretty good, but I think it only got a faster lap because it's got more power. It seems like it understeers quite a bit more than the Boxster. I would probably choose the Boxster over the Z4M tho. The new S Class is pretty good, but man, I couldn't trust that braking system after what happened in that demonstration. What if I'm driving inside a tunnel and it confuses the system. The night vision is pretty cool, but I think Cadillac had it on the DTS first. Jeremy's S Class wasn't too bad actually, but he needs to do that in a van, and the driver seat needs to be bolted down. Overall, good ep, more car content than last weeks, and still has a good mix of humor.

[flyingfridge]

But the reason that demo failed was because it was a fake. They didn't actually use the braking system in that...

[0ctan3]

the language tapes are getting really old, I wish stiggey would bring back the prog rock! 8)

[AmateurDeFrancais]

Hmm... I just love that Classe S; I can't wait for the new SL, which must be equally good technologically, but hopefully will bode better in the style department.

So, myself being a diehard Mercedes fan, I've compiled the achievements of Mercedes-Benz with the help of my trusty catalogues and history books (really):

1886 First Internal Combustion Engine Car
1911 First Multivalve Engine
1931 First Independent Suspension
1936 First Diesel Passenger Car
1951 First Car designed with Crumple Zones

1954 First Fuel Injection Engine
1971 First Air Bag
1981 First Three-Point Seatbelt with Emergency Tensioning
1985 First Electronic Traction Control
1989 First Pop-Up Rollover Bar

1995 First Electronic Stability Control
1997 First Incorporation of Fuel-Cell technology
1997 First Brake Assist System
1999 First Active Body Control
1999 First Airmatic Suspension (with semi-active pneumatic suspension)

2000 First Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control
2001 First KeylessGo
2002 First Drive-Dynamic Seats (trust me on this one, they make hard cornering on the SL much better)
2002 First Pre-Safe
2003 First 7Gtronic Transmission

Hope I made my point: Mercedes DEFINED the automotive industry. Now that should be the end to that argument of allocating what innovations to which company.

Anyways, poor James May, it does seem like we see less and less of him every episode.

[Kingsegg]

Awesome episode...The CCX looked amazing on the track

[pfrocker]

I was really sad how Clarkson ruined such a good Mercedes

[Clown]

My highlights for the week:

OMG did you see Hampster drift that Z4M?!?!
Since when could he drive

The editing and special effects on the S Class piece were fantastic.

Ewan McGregor's burnout with the handbrake on
Cayanne race could of been better, but the massive bangs and camera breakup everytime Hammond nailed something was a laugh.

The S Class renovation
Would of been a much funnier segment with James doing the design work.

[justvisiting]

Originally Posted by alexisthemovie

i think honda should do an s2000 turbo thats as fast as those cars, but $20k cheaper. it's doable but honda doesnt like turbos

that wouldn't really be an S2000 anymore would it? the s2k is all about NA power created at freakish revs due to high cams and high compression..

if you put a turbo on there, id think youd lose the feel of the car, people like tiff would scream murder..

anyways that episode wasn't bad. i felt really bad for the french designer, she seemed like she wanted to kick jeremy in the nuts.. while wondering wth she was doing there..

ewan.. i expected faster.. and wth is with the manhood comments.. a bit inappropriate.. but very jeremy..
i wonder what happened to hammond after that crash, i mean he just crashed a 81.5k pound car.. ouchie.. must hurt their insurance policy..

[emiliorescigno]

I liked the introduction of the Porsche more than the actual race "brakes the size of planets" etc etc

Hacking up the innocent S-Class was sad to watch, and I was actualy quite curious what it would look like if the French lady had gotten her way.

"Konegnegngiegig CCX2 Top Gear Wing" was totally awsome to watch.

I was very bothered by their treatment of the GS450h though. Jeremy hates hybrids because they're hybrids, and doesn't realize the fact that the GS is designed to be a FAST hybrid. (0-60 in less than 6 seconds anyone?)

Good episode though, it was nice to see some actual car tests.

[MadCow809]

Originally Posted by garethpeate

Okay, so I added a thread about this to the Top Gear General forum, but as it's part of this episode:

Clarkson's S-Class test: Firstly he's wrong about the S Class being the first to offer Digital TV in the car. BMW 3 Series (E90) has had it for the last year (albeit as an optional extra. The S Class may well have been standard kit but is this likely?)

Also, the nightvision - BMW announced and launched this on the 5, 6 and 7 series in 2005.

And lastly, the Merc control system for entertainment, satnav etc - it's exactly the same concept as BMW iDrive - screen, control knob and voice activation (and I suspect the same operating system), which Clarkson hates so much, so beyond a few extra tweaks to the software, why is he praising the Merc system so much?


Yeah I know.. he's a Merc man. Unfair BMW-knocking all the time though

which is exactly why clarkson is a knob and no one takes him seriously, he is just simply a comedian.

[andyhui01]

Originally Posted by AmateurDeFrancais

Hmm... I just love that Classe S; I can't wait for the new SL, which must be equally good technologically, but hopefully will bode better in the style department.

So, myself being a diehard Mercedes fan, I've compiled the achievements of Mercedes-Benz with the help of my trusty catalogues and history books (really):

1886 First Internal Combustion Engine Car
1911 First Multivalve Engine
1931 First Independent Suspension
1936 First Diesel Passenger Car
1951 First Car designed with Crumple Zones

1954 First Fuel Injection Engine
1971 First Air Bag
1981 First Three-Point Seatbelt with Emergency Tensioning
1985 First Electronic Traction Control
1989 First Pop-Up Rollover Bar

1995 First Electronic Stability Control
1997 First Incorporation of Fuel-Cell technology
1997 First Brake Assist System
1999 First Active Body Control
1999 First Airmatic Suspension (with semi-active pneumatic suspension)

2000 First Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control
2001 First KeylessGo
2002 First Drive-Dynamic Seats (trust me on this one, they make hard cornering on the SL much better)
2002 First Pre-Safe
2003 First 7Gtronic Transmission

Hope I made my point: Mercedes DEFINED the automotive industry. Now that should be the end to that argument of allocating what innovations to which company.

Anyways, poor James May, it does seem like we see less and less of him every episode.

I find that amazing as well... I really liked that introduction of the S-class with distronic cruise control back in 2003 on top gear

[Buba]

I loved this ep. Especially with the suprise (it was one for me) return of the best and most beautiful car in the world setting the lap record... I really wonder what the topspeed with the wing is...
Don't they have other, smaller wings like the one you can see on Fifth Gear last time when they checked that guys garage? They should spare the 15kg and make them adjustable, though...

Even the Star was a really good bit this time!

[Micra]

OMG did you see Hampster drift that Z4M?!?!
Since when could he drive

If that really was him doing the drifting. I couldn't help it notice that during the in-car shots it was soaking wet on the track, and in the exterior shots (where you can't really tell who was behind the wheel) it was nice and dry . I'd like to think it was still Hammond, though, and that it was just slightly sloppy editing.

[Peter3hg]

Brilliant Episode. I have loved the entertainment of the last episodes but this was what Top Gear do best. Wish we had more James May though.

[Glom]

This episode was the polar opposite of last week. Last week was all about zany antics with some token motoring. This week was all about motoring with some token zany antics. The balance is preserved.

I want that Mercedes with the EFIS dashboard, but not the one with the wood burning stove. Make it a thorium burning stove, and I'm in, but not wood. They obviously couldn't do much with it, because unlike the amphibeans and the convertible MPV, they would not be allowed to take it on the road. Clarkson was overly mean to the French lady. Was there any point subjecting her to this other than to make sure France cut off our electricity.

[MasterEvilAce]

Hell yeah, this episode was AWESOME.

Originally Posted by flyingfridge

But the reason that demo failed was because it was a fake. They didn't actually use the braking system in that...

I heard the system was in, and WAS on.. However, it didn't work correctly in the metal room they were in, or something.. so it didn't work in that situation

[HeJo]

Originally Posted by AmateurDeFrancais

Hope I made my point: Mercedes DEFINED the automotive industry.

It's also worth mentioning that many of the founders and prominent engineers of other brands worked for Mercedes for quite some time: Ferdinand Porsche (He created the first Beetle design for Mercedes - http://www.autogallery.org.ru/mb170h.htm ), Ferdinand Piech, several Audi and BMW leaders , etc.

What impresses me about them is that they still spend such huge amounts on research (I read in The Economist that they spent over 7bn on pure research in 2005, thats more than any other company from any sector did) even if it doesn't always pay off immidiatly.

Tip of the hat

[Soader]

Originally Posted by 0ctan3

the language tapes are getting really old, I wish stiggey would bring back the prog rock! 8)

I agree man.

This episode was so funny. When Hamster flew across the other side of the car and just let go of everything... I havent laughed that much in ages.

[GraemeH]

Originally Posted by Clown

OMG did you see Hampster drift that Z4M?!?!
Since when could he drive

That shot that followed the car as it was powerslid out of hammerhead, with its back wheel a foot from the edge of the track was great. Really spectacular shot.