[08x05] June 4th, 2006

[Silverstar]

I really enjoyed this episode.

That Pro Drive was a nasty little machine...just sounded like a beast in a micro machine...reminded me of the Atom..small and fast

Seeing May not being captain slow was great..proper mentoring from a great driver. C6 segment was pretty good, but didn't really get into it. But the football match was gold! Just watching this cars bash eachother up was great.

A good episode to finnish off untill the end of the World Cup.

[hungus]

Instead of the C6, they could've shown 10 laps in the Pro Drive in real time. It would've been alot more thrilling.

[rascalb]

The thing that I was most disappointed by was the lack of a "How hard can it be?" segment. I thought that after the convertible van, radio show, amphibious cars, and car interior that it was going to be a consistent feature. Maybe it will return after the break.

Originally Posted by peter3hg2

Yeah it is a Bang and Olfusen. He's mentioned it a few times in his Articles and he seems to like B&O products from what he's said.
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/art...8278_2,00.html
He mentions them at the top of this page.

Unless he has changed his phone very recently, he has always been using a silver Motorola RAZR. I didn't get a good look at it in this episode though.

[0ctan3]

May's "Ticket to a festival of plastic DEATH!" (re: the TVR) is one of the best quotes yet

[molson3530]

That prodrive car was incredible. I am very sad that it will not be made. I was quite amazed by Cpt. Slow, I guess that he did have a racing legend with him though....Their version of soccer..I mean football. ..was 10000x better than watching the World Cup. And I din't have to stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning...

[JoeBlo1]

Decent episode that I first thought was crappy but ended on a high note.

That Prodrive car looks atrocious. I'm getting annoyed that it's easier to notice Top Gear's scripted antics like Jeremy's Kristen Scott-Thomas stalker part. They should follow more of past season's efforts. The previous episode was a good example of a well-rounded episode.

The car-football match was a lot better than I expected and much better than the first one they did. Overall, 8/10.

[Peter3hg]

Originally Posted by rascalb

The thing that I was most disappointed by was the lack of a "How hard can it be?" segment. I thought that after the convertible van, radio show, amphibious cars, and car interior that it was going to be a consistent feature. Maybe it will return after the break.

Unless he has changed his phone very recently, he has always been using a silver Motorola RAZR. I didn't get a good look at it in this episode though.

Definantly wasn't the RAZR and it was black. Think it was this
http://www.beoworld.co.uk/serene.htm

[acky3000]

Originally Posted by Wintermute

I really enjoyed listening to his race coaching. I've had some coaching before (for motorcycles), mostly from local racers. The advice they had to give me was either blatantly obvious or completely unfathomable. This man is clearly very good at making racecraft as clear as daylight. Fantastic.

its all about clarity of mind, and talent. this man deserved to be knighted.

[Lonegunman]

Originally Posted by Cactus

So... was I the only one who wondered ever since the seasons preview who the Norwegian rally driver in the TVR was who kept yelling 'Vooper! Vooper!' ? Turned out he was just a Scottish F1 driver saying "Fullpower! Fullpower!"

You don't follow much F1, do you? I'd have thought everyone knows Jackie Stewart...

Great, solid episode once again, 8th season keeps getting and better.

[watto]

Hahahahaha. Sir Michael Gambon was the funniest guest I can remember being on Top Gear. Ever. I was laughing the whole way through. His mind is certainly younger than his age would suggest

The news was funny too, all the cameras and climbing the scaffolding and what not

The P2 is a bloody insane little car and £40k seems quite reasonable, especially with the unfathomable diff.

Jackie Stewart is a legend and he showed that by teaching Captain Slow to drive so well! That was a fantastic segemtn and it was nice to see James have a whole section of the show to himself.

The Aygo vs Fox was great fun, I think there was more damage than during the Aygo vs Aygo matches!

Great ep and damn the World Cup!

[PurgeTV]

Originally Posted by Kelestar

The Prodrive is AMAZING. They've created a car which has eliminated understeer - that tech HAS to make it into production!!

What they mentioned during the episode sounded very similar to the SH system by Honda introduced over 10 years ago, where the outside wheel is sped up relative to the inside wheel, obviously based on all sort of sensors, etc, etc, etc. And obviously the Super AYC in the CT9A Evo falls under the same application... Basically like how a tank turns. So the application isn't new, but I'm certainly keen on learning the tech and mechanicals behind it. And the active center diff isnt anything new either... the same application was found on the BCNR33 GT-R and BNR34 GT-R... also found in the aforementioned CT9A Evo... Not sure if the knob that Clarkson fuddled with is a variation on the DCCD on the STi... that's more of a torque split controller than anything else.

[yobbo]

the best part for me was: yes he's right he's right. he's got a modern haircut... WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO YOU?!? you triggered one of the cables?? so damn funny , have to say though i was sorry for the poor guy he just stood there with his lame haircut and couldn't say a thing while JC was flattering his hair

[eLIX]

Nice episode.

funny guy that Gambon tbh. With his fake story of being gay and stuff

And then JC who got sick while driving that ProDrive

[Marty_]

Absolutelly FANTASTIC episode! I truly truly enjoyed this one. It was so much more fast paced, the presenters were so much more enthusiastic and relaxed, the humour was so much smoother and better. Really well polished. Hammond was better again this week - more natural and less annoying. James was more prominent and funny.

Prodrive = amazing. I was glued to it as soon as it came on the screen. Simply an incredible bit of engineering, and looks awesome! Jezza did a great job of the review as well.

News: Laughed so hard I did myself in. This is where the naturalness and better homour showed through. Very nice work by all of them. Loved Jezza's camera antics

Michael Gambon: Laughed harder than in the news - he was hilarious. Loved the part about his eyes watering

Jackie Stewart: Thought it would be a bit lame, but really cool by the end. James was pumped.

C6: Again, worked out very well. Jezza did an interesting job, and it was amazing to see just how smooth the car is.

Football: amazingly entertaining - way better than their first round. Loved James letting down the tires.

"Odious little man"

What a great episode

[marcos_eirik]

Originally Posted by Kebab gud

wow .. did some one buy the MG X-Power SV? ..
well .. i now remeber seeing one on the road...

Well, they made at least 600, since there is a member in the X-Power SV club with the car #604. And selling these couldn't be that difficult, since they made so many of them (By hand) in just a year and a half. Remember, they only finished two cars a day... And there is hardly any up for sale, I found just two on Autotrader, none on ebay and none on Pistonheads...

[teeb]

Originally Posted by marcos_eirik

Well, they made at least 600, since there is a member in the X-Power SV club with the car #604. And selling these couldn't be that difficult, since they made so many of them (By hand) in just a year and a half. Remember, they only finished two cars a day... And there is hardly any up for sale, I found just two on Autotrader, none on ebay and none on Pistonheads...

*shakes head*

They made 2 a week, originally, and were planning to bump that up to four a week. I doubt they made at least 600, and whilst I don't doubt there's a car with #604, that's probably a designation - built in the 6th month of 2004? Could be any kind of designation, but not a number.

Wikipedia agrees with me, and says only 64 were made.

[Wintermute]

I thought the ProDrive looked great and sounded phenomenal, but in the Stig's lap it looked terrifying to drive! It looked like the computers were actually fighting him to maintain control of the car - the way it would lurch and buck on its way out of the hammerhead & the following corner made me think that if the high tech diff had been tuned a little better, it could have gone around even quicker.

[mautzel]

"So it's beginning to look like the cheese eating surrender monkeys have bottled it" (41:11)

Definitely an episode that should satisfy all those complaining that Top Gear became too much of an entertainment and too less of a car show lately.

News section was nice, and I really enjoyed the interview with Michael Gambon - might be woth to have a look at other interviews he gave as well

James doing laps in a TVR instructed by jackie Stewart was awesome - will try out some of Jackie Stewart's advisions in tomorrows rush hour traffic

I was very looking forward for the review of the C6 and wasn't dissappointed - not so much by the verdict but by the visional effects with the melting trees and street signs - anybody know what software they use?

The football match okay, somehow they simply had to credit the worldcup in a way - and why not by having some fun on their own?

[Jeppe]

YES! Top Gear Classic is back!

As much as I complained about the first couple of shows this season, I absolutely love this one. Last week's was good, but this was briliant.

Only segment I didn't really find interesting was Gambon, perhaps because I just didn't understand much of what he said. Will have to watch it again...

Hammond's presentation of Jackie Stewart was hilarious and in general all three of them had some pretty memorable quotes.

Definitely the best of the season - a bloody shame we'll have to wait 5 weeks for the next one

[marcos_eirik]

Originally Posted by teeb

I doubt they made at least 600, and whilst I don't doubt there's a car with #604, that's probably a designation - built in the 6th month of 2004? Could be any kind of designation, but not a number.

Wikipedia agrees with me, and says only 64 were made.

Well, what is car #609 then...? Then there is also #619. There is 64 on the list, but that list does not include the ones starting with a 6. It would look strange if they just jumped from #164, and then just started on #6-something for no reason. Wikipedia is not the source I would see as the most reliable, since anyone can edit it... Btw; #136 is Rowan Atkinsons car...