[09x04] February 18th, 2007

[Onden]

Originally Posted by Gonoc

Oh and why are people unable to just enjoy the show and thus feel the need to pick it apart under the microscope?

Doesn't mean we're not enjoying it. In my opinion, knowing whether it's real or fake doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the show. Ever watch a "how they did the special effects" documentary for a movie; do you enjoy the movie less knowing how the special effects are done? I just find extra fun in speculating on what's real and what's not because Top Gear hovers on that line so brilliantly.

In any case, Manic Moran does have a point, it would be pretty amazing if it did land, but then again the comedic value of it blowing up was pretty good too.

My original reason for thinking it was scripted was the explosion which was way, way too big for the couple of solid fuel boosters left in the Robin, so I figured it was packed with some purpose made explosives. However, upon looking at the frame by frame, as some others have, it is very clear that the explosion is a completely different shot.

So I'd agree that perhaps they didn't really want it to crash, but when it did they edited in the explosion to give the scene some more kick. That seems pretty plausible; just seeing a hunk of metal plink into the ground wouldn't make for a great scene, but capping it off with a huge explosion like that gives it some great kick and makes up for the "failure".

[_HighVoltage_]

Great show with one big, HUGE, flaw...how come they didn't put 911 Turbo on the test track? I believe it would be faster than the Ferrari F430. The Brabus, as Jeremy said, just showed how lots of horsepower doesn't always mean fast.

[dMa]

any idea how much a space project like that would cost? It had to be very well engineered and very well planned out. I think its up in the near millions

[JCE]

Didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous two. Still, a good episode. I really wanted that Robin to succeed...when it was launched I was astounded that it took off just like the real thing--and I honestly thought for a moment that it would work right after the boosters seperated.

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by regiz

When you watch it frame by frame you will notice it's actually edited, this is not footage of this rocket hitting the ground. Anyways, it looks cool One more thing I've noticed - look at those poor cows watching this:

And up there you can see people watching from some platform.

For those of you who don't have it recorded, here's the photostory frame by frame:

Originally Posted by Gonoc

For all those frame by frame DCIs, you dont think that Top Gear Productions had like a million billion cameraes covering everything form every possible angle?

Oh and why are people unable to just enjoy the show and thus feel the need to pick it apart under the microscope?

Exactly. It boggles the mind that this particular segment was picked over in a day. G.A.L.L.

My wife was watching my expressions as the rocket launched, with me yelling, "WOW!...WOOOOW!!....WO....OH NO!! " She thought it pretty hilarious.

An automatic top ten in the 9 Top Gear seasons. Reminds of where season 6-7 hit their zenith, pun intended.

[Susurrate]

Best part was when Jeremey flashed the second card which said www.iamaclot.com

[Dina]

I really liked that episode,it was a good mix and the Reliant Robin was awesome!Shame about the landing though.
Good to see Top Gear Dog make an appearence as well

[Defcon]

I didn't enjoy the Reliant Orbiter segment, and I'll tell you why! Haven't read all the 10 pages in the thread and I don't post here much, so go easy if you don't agree

In the past when the guys go on one of their ambitious but crackpot projects, like the Winter special, or Toybota, its been about them making the stupid decisions and trying to do something which is plainly ridiculous. This time, it seemed all they did was tell the rocket guys what they needed, and then stand around joking. They didn't have to solve any problems on their own and there was none of the interplay between them. Also, the lack of Jeremy seriously hurt this segment, since his one-liners are priceless!

I felt kinda detatched from the outcome, it was a bit too much. <Clarkson voice> I mean </voice>, this was bloody rocket science!

[speedometer]

good TG-episode, reliant/spaceshuttle-thing was great! and glad see TGD back
I didnt know that JC switched from Ford GT to Lambo

[Chambers]

Originally Posted by watisdis

What's wrong or why are you jealous of KST?
Yeah I din't like Grant's plug but Peggs was funny but still could have done with out it. About the shuttle launching, someone metioned that it would be illegal in the U.S.

According to WIKI:

In December of 2005, the U.S. Government released a set of proposed rules for space tourism.Under current US law, any company proposing to launch paying passengers from American soil on a suborbital rocket must receive a license from the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST). The licensing process focuses on public safety and safety of property, and the details can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Chapter III.[12]. This is in accordance with the Commerical Space Launch Amendments Act passed by congress in 2004.

I guess the tremendous cost, time/resource consumption, and knowledge base make it naturally inhibiting.

I'm starting to think that it wasn't made to fly into orbit or whatever after reading that, probably too much money and whatnot to "plan" to get it into orbit so I'm thinking that they planned the crash in the first place? meh if they have the same laws as the US...

[hellsoul]

Very nice episode!!!!

Little bit of trivia:
JC got the bhp for the Merc SL 65 wrong.. he said 517 bhp, but its actually 612 bhp... the V8 supercharged SL 55 is the one with 517 bhp...

[TomCat]

It was an alright episode.

But the fact that they didn't run the 911 Turbo around the track ruined it.

[American TG Man]

I honestly looked like this smilie -> when i saw that Robin take off. I did not believe it would (or could) imitate the shuttle Discovery. Add an explosion that would not be out of place in an action movie (or a video), and Richard's expression, and this is one of my favorite challenges. Oh, yeah, the Ducati vs. Chainsaw bit... classic (the Dunsfold Chainsaw Spectacle, i could not resist...)

[watto]

NOw that was a cool episode. Laughed alot (chainsaw vs cool wall, 911 arguments then the news, hehe) then felt honestly sad for all those rocket men who had worked so hard on that rocket only to have it hit the ground and explode into a massive ball of fire! (I know I know, it was edited but seriously, who gives a shit?)

Loved the 911 Turbo review, great film work, was wicked.

[torqueless]

honestly.

this was my favorite episode of all time.

yes it had some errors. yes it left out some things that probably should have been done.

but really, its the most fun episode i've watched in a long time.

heres why:

the 911 turbo is one of my favorite cars, probably the top car that i could ever really for-see possibly owning at some point in my life, its beautiful and really a nice piece of engineering.

the rocket segment had me and my girlfriend doing that exact same thing...holding our breath when the rocket took off and a look of horror when it crashed to the ground.

the "star in a car" bit was like a stand up comedian. simon pegg is hilarious. and the driving he did wasnt half bad. i really want to see that movie he's in that they plugged "hot fuzz?" i think it was called.

and the brabus. looks like a big imposing tank. stupid amounts of hp/tq and i loved the yellow calipers...i wonder why they didnt use the SLR's brake system?

[azuriana]

You know what ...
... I liked 1 episode more than 4 one... Maybe because thats my job constructions...

.... space ship was nice but something was missing in that episode it was no shocking ... it was nice and thats all.

But I liked that one like everything before...

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by Nano

Yeah, what kind of car enthusiast says "this car has 1000 torques"... I would think Clarkson knows better! He looks as if he doesn't even have a clue what he's talking about.

well i think they all readily admit that they really dont understand just what torque is. most people dont, its just a number, HP they understand, Torque not so much.

torque is just a turning force, but alot of people will look an engine and be like ?

[GraemeH]

Originally Posted by Rapier

Ah yes, The SL which in this very episode is called (and I'm quoting):"The Most powerfull convertible ever made, <pause> welcome everyone to the 160000 pound Brabus S Biturbo Roadster"

That's the end of it! Roadsters are simply a breed of convertibles, without any proper borderlines or rules. Except being a 2-seater(at least I don't not now any that doesn't comply).

Therefor my original comment was correct, there are more powerfull converibles out there.

I wasn't telling you you are wrong or that a roadster and a convertable aren't the same thing (so far as i know the roofs are the same), just saying that i wouldnt use the word convertable for things with an aerotop/targa roof like the CCX.

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by TomCat

It was an alright episode.

But the fact that they didn't run the 911 Turbo around the track ruined it.

yeah it did, but sometimes they just cant do it. they can only do it if porsche give them a car and let them do it. they cant if porsche say "if you wanna drive it you have to come up to scotland or something and you will have 1 day with the car"

so there is abit more to it than just JC n co deciding what does and doesnt go round the track like some people seem to think.

i'd imagine they'd be up for putting all sports cars round the track, but if the manufacturer makes it so they cant, or explicitly says NO like bugatti then they really have to abide by that.

(sorry i havent multi'd this, my internets playing up and any edits i make dont seem to work at all, i have click everything twice becuase it just goes instantly blank on the first go and because of the way the editing works here that means i just get dumped back to my original post -minus the edits and i cant go back a page to re-sumbit the edits becaue it doesnt work like that)

[cobs]

Now that was a fun episode. I wasn't looking forward to the space challenge, but boy did it look the part when it lifted off.
Landing wasn't so hot, but if they'd used a Hilux, it'd probably still be driveable.
That must be a record speed for a Reliant Robin - whatever it reached on the way down - and it went out with a colossal bang.

Whoever's behind the music needs to take a bow (again) - running the old Joe90 theme when James was in the wind tunnel was bang on