[10x06] November 18th, 2007

[rymert19]

I will tackle the episode chronologically:

NEW Civic Type R vs OLD Civic Type R
I was very much excited about this segment because it would allow me insight into the realm of Type R's, I am a U.S. resident and miss out on the privilege of driving them period. Ever since the press release of the newest Civic Type R I thought it looked great and also thought it would be a great performer considering the screamer of an engine it has and the possibility of tight handling. However, while the conclusion by Jeremy and crew was not a well received one I still feel it is nothing to be ashamed about if I were the Civic. It is quite remarkable though how impressive the older model remains.

Favorite part: When Jeremy is being drowned out by the loud music until it cuts out to detail his conversation with himself over 'chlamydia'.

The News
Endlessly entertaining as usual. For all of you who have complained about how the news becomes irrelevant at times, I think it is mostly due to the pace of the car industry, which is rather slow. It isn't Wall Street, it is the car industry, so mention-worthy news comes 2 weeks to a month at a time. I personally feel that when the industry news is dried up Clarkson, May, and Hammond make a massive point of how pretentious the car industry can be (a la the Porsche Design smoking pipes or Bugatti Veyron wristwatch), and if that fails, then they have an infinite arsenal of issues to be brought up against the U.K. transportation system/administration etc.

Favorite Part: The immediate expression of satisfaction by the young lady as soon as her 'goods' felt the vibration from the massage pad.

The Alfa 159 Review
I have watched Top Gear extensively, actually every episode available for download to be precise, and I found this segment to be the most lackluster in Top Gear's history (as far as I have seen). Which is weird, because I love every single inch (centimeter) of Top Gear, whether it is a film on the Veyron or a review of people carriers. The reason why I found this one to be rubbish is because it lacked the bits of interesting information usually found in the segments done on consumer level cars. For example, how Hammond showed the array of colors you can choose from to illuminate the cluster on a Ford Mustang GT. Secondly, I found the race boring, and I mean no offense to the lad who crossed the river because it looked rather strenuous. Also, the theme of May having to pony up a quid for every time he used a cliche adjective, while as true as the reoccurrence of the cliches are when discussing Italian cars on Top Gear, it quickly became cheesy. Sorry James. All in all, maybe the 159 is just that stagnate of a car that Top Gear did the best they could to make it as interesting as possible, who knows. It just wasn't for me.

Favorite Part: Once it was over.

Star In A Reasonably Priced Car
I am only vaguely familiar with the game of rugby, however I was aware of South Africa's world cup win, and I was interested to see what Clarkson and the guest had to say. More importantly though, I was delighted to see how cool the man really was. Well spoken, funny, seems like a cool dude. Clarkson tends to go overtime in this portion of the show if it is a guest he really likes, such as this guy, or a Rolling Stones member, or Kristen Scott Thomas, you catch my drift.

Favorite Part: Clarkson's and the guest's commentary on football. Found it very funny.

Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon vs. BMW M5 Touring
Being a film student, I loved this bit for its cinematic components. The colors from the fireballs and excessive amount of runway lights in this segment were gorgeous and made for an awesome portrait. Clarkson quickly deviated from what they are like on the road though to thrash them about at Manchester airport. Acceptable nonetheless. As for which one I'd have, the merc, visually it seems a bit subtler, which I'd prefer.

Favorite Part: Naturally, how Clarkson pointed out their inevitable impracticality when comparing them to a Range Rover, by displaying their 'off-road' capabilities on a wet grassy hill.

Essex Camper Grand Prix
Liked it a lot. Very funny, chock full of laughs. I was also happy to see Hammond wearing your alls helmet. By the end I was very very happy to see it depart with, as my friends and I call it, a very 'f*ck sh*t up' finale.

Favorite Part: May banging a pan on his mirror fixture. Hysterical.

The Performance
All I have to say is that The Performance is automotive sex personified.

Favorite Part: The light on the faucet. Clever girl.

OVERALL: 3/5 stars, had the 159 segment been better...

[LurkerPatrol]

I voted 4/5. I don't think it was an out-of-this-world episode, but it certainly wasn't average or poor. It was a good respite from more entertainment-filled/cocking-about-focused episodes.

Pros:
+Great focus on cars
+As I said before, good break from full on cocking-about episodes
+Great cinematics
+Beautiful women

Cons:
-SIARPC was a bit drawn out for me. I mean don't get me wrong the guest was a very nice personality, but I just felt the questioning session was a bit longer than usual.

That's all. Top notch episode

[fozzi]

Great episode 5/5 pour moi, nice review of the Type R
One of the best Star interviews I've seen >>big fan of rugby!!!<<
Very entertaining motor home racing

[Austere]

This is good! They seem to be phasing out the cocking-about segments. I'm glad to see that some of the people who have only become interested in the show more recently are being disappointed! This means it's working! Gimme back my motoring program you light-entertainment-seeking twits!

I wouldn't say it's quite there yet, tho. The Alfa review was a bit weak and obviously it was too late to be of any real worth. In those moments where we were watching a man crawl through mud I would have rather seen more of the Alfa being cained...

The BMW vs. Mercedes review was a bit too artsy-fartsy. I don't know why they filmed it at night - It looked cool but you just couldn't see enough. Same with the music and visual effects - they just got in the way more than they helped. I think they're a bit too smart for their own good. This aint no freakin' MTV video!

The Civic review suffered from a lot of the same problems (the red dye in the water effect for example - wtf was that?!?) but still that review was probably the best bit in the episode. I really like a good, proper review and that's what that was.

The campervan bit had it's moments but wasn't really very funny or interesting. I'd seen it all before anyway when they did the exact same thing with people movers.

SIARPC bit sucked out loud. "yadda, yadda, yadda, I drive a Range-Rover, 1:47.4." ... Fascinating.

The news made me do a few sympathy laughs where I sort of got half way into the laugh and realised I was just forcing it. I wish they'd put more news in the news.

Not bad... it's definitely heading in the right direction!

[ruuman]

Originally Posted by Austere

Not bad... it's definitely heading in the right direction!

I dread the day you actually say you liked an episode, I think the world may stop turning!!!

[Martyn]

Originally Posted by anti-net

Also, the drivers used in the motorhome racing, Anyone else thinks they might be The Stigs?

No, they're touring car drivers. The Stig has featured in a few segments before, but not this one.

Originally Posted by s_k

There's often pretty nice girls behind either of the Top Gear Presenters. Wouldn't it be a nice idea to open a topic full of top-gear-chick-printscreens then?

Indeed, it makes me laugh that they always put the hotties at the front. I guess if they let you stand at the front, it's a good sign that you're pretty!


I enjoyed the episode, it wasn't the best, but it was far from the worst. The race in the Alfa felt a bit flat compared to others. We all know the car will never win (and if it does, it'll be pointless, so it's a vicious circle) so there's never anything new.

Mobile home racing was pretty fun, but again, nothing really that new. It does seem like they're running out of ideas.

Alfa section made me think of this SniffPetrol item from April 2005!



Estates were very pretty though!

[DTMracer]

I reckon the news should be longer. Its probably my favorite bit of the whole show. Nice to see them talking about cars again, and the fast wagon review was very relevant. It confirms that I'm not the only one with a big soft spot for wagons.

The 159 review was quiet boring though.

[Austere]

Originally Posted by ruuman

I dread the day you actually say you liked an episode, I think the world may stop turning!!!

lol, If I had have been a member here back when this show was good you would have heard me singing its praises every week! Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 were very good and I liked them all. Series 5 and 6 were excellent and I loved them. Series 7 was very good also.

But 8 and 9 were awful. Just awful.

So far 10 has been pretty 'meh' thus far but like I said... it's heading in the right direction.

[awdrifter]

This week's ep is only good, nothing exceptional. The old vs new Civic Type R is actually one of th ebest part of the ep. Honda has lost it's way with the CTR it seems, what they should've done is just bring over the JDM sedan version of the CTR, that thing is supposed to be faster than an NSX around Tsukuba (or some other tracks, don't remember the name), that's what the car should've been like. Honda has been watering down the CIvic slowly for years, it's kinda dissapointing. The EK has double wishbone front suspension, and to save cost they moved to a McPherson strut setup on the EP, and not they removed the ind rear susp and replaced it with torsion bars.

The Alpha review was just ok, but I guess except for the looks, there's not much to talk about a fwd 2.2L NA 4 cyl car.

The E63 and M5 wagon review was good, but why do they have to film it at night. It's so dark I can't see shit. It would've been so much better if they did it around sunset or maybe do it during sunrise. Between the two cars though, I would pick the M5 Wagon. If I want a big soft automatic wagon with a lot of power, I would just save some money and get a Magnum SRT8.

The RV race is hilarious, espcially with Hammond's RV falling apart and the LiteAce winning. I thought the LiteAce would win when I first saw it showing up. Those things have a 1.8L engine, so they should have 100hp or so. The power to weight ratio is around the same as the big ass RVs, but it's much better handling because it's lighter and mid-engined.

Now looking back at the Alpha 195 and Civic review that Fifth Gear did, I have to say FG's reviews are more imformative, but TG's is definitely more entertaining.

[Ziggy Shadow-Dust]

Starting out at 5/5, I enjoyed the episode right up to the Lawrance Delallio chat, when I remember back to the NTA Awards when Lewis Hamilton gave the special recognition award to Clarkson. I nearly needed a bucket for that and the Delallio chat. Two dozen if, heaven forbid, Lewis Hamiltion comes on. So that's one star down.

I found the Manchester Airport part of the BMW/Merc Estate segment pointless. I though there was going to be something interesting in the previews.

Then I got sense of deja vu (and them running out of ideas), with the Motorhome race. It's the Historic People Carrier race rehashed. Nearly the same drivers, two new ones and one of them is Captain Sense of Direction. So that's another star down.

I'm giving it 3/5. I could've been 5/5 if it wasn't for Delallio. I didn't think Clarkson was the type for liking English sport (stars).

Originally Posted by theboyG

Motoring magazine show. Richard Hammond drives a Formula one car and Jeremy Clarkson and James May search for the first car with the control layout we know today. The Vauxhall VXR8 grunts around the test track, and there's a review of a BMW that can drive itself. James Blunt is the 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' and Lewis Hamilton is a very special studio guest.

OH! I just spoke too soon!

[fabbe]

Am i the only one noticing Hammond's helmet in the campervan race

[Ziggy Shadow-Dust]

I only noticed it on the previous pages.

[Grif]

after watching it i logged on here to have a poke at what others thought. I thought it was one of the flatest episodes i have seen this season. Sure, the civic type R was intersting and the estate piece was stunning but even thouhg i'm an Alfa fan and have owned 2 156's, an Alfetta GTV and a 164 i couldn't but wonder what a 2 year old car was doing in the show??

The 159 is a beautiful car and a nice up-date from the 156. It out-drives the A4 and 3series all day long. However, the 156 was a hard act to follow, it was a ground-breaking car that still looks good on the road today, sure it had it's problems like failing timing belts and automatic sump removal if you went over a speed bump at anything over 15mph. But it was extremely successful and I saw a lot more of them on the road than anything else from Alfa put together.

BUT!, what is it doing in a show 2 years after its launch??

My guess is this. Alfa begged (or paid) to have it covered as they felt the 159 got lost somewhere down the line and they were desperate to give it a push. Also, Clarkson is an Alfa fan and has been quoted as saying that if he had to choose a car to suit his needs day-to-day and live with for a few years it would be an Alfa (166 i think).

Interesting to find out why exactly it made it to the show.

[IceBone]

Originally Posted by Blythy

oh btw make sure people score to TOP GEAR standards, not TV standards, cos compared to shite on other channels, top gear will always at the fucking least be 4/5.

aye good stuff. I'dve chosen the M5, but then I'll not get either.

type R was disappointing like, I'dve given more time to the powerstates.

they should have waited a bit for the rs6 avant..

but an excellent episode none the less, far better than the usual nothing but cocking about. I prefer hearing how cars handle, how fast they can go and what creature comforts they provide or fail at doing so.

[Martyn]

Oh yeah, Clarkson talking about Kate Humble and Autumnwatch...

Surely he meant to call it Kate Humble's Beaver watch, not Badger Watch? The audience all laughed, but it wasn't funny. If he was going on about Kate Humble's beaver, it would have made sense.
I think he buggered that one up a bit.

[IceBone]

Thought "badger" meant "beaver" as well (in the r8 review he said it was as lot to the ground as "a badger's badger").

[Martyn]

Oh, in that case, it's probably just me who's never heard it referred to as a badger... haha.

It seems neither has UrbanDictionary...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badger

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beaver


Ah well, Jezza's making his own UrbanDictionary up then!

[Queen of Meh]

I agree this episode did feel a bit flat to me, was still entertaining but...

...anyway. Shame the new TypeR isn't any good I love the look of it to the old one. And I think neither of the Estates looked that fantastic and I had no idea that they ammited the same amount as a Chelsea tractor but I think I'd take the Merc not a big fan of BMW they're now just computers on wheels.

Love the joke about how they were a bit late with the Alfa review although the race didn't seem that spectacular although props to the tall guy for beating the car.

Motorhome racing yes was along the sames as the historic people carrier racing, but lets face it apart from touring cars motorhome and people carrier racing would be the next exciting. And it was still pretty funny.

Loved the massive motorhome thing and the weisman (bet that isn't spelt right) underneath fantastic.

The best bit of the News was the woman on the vibrating seat and only £59.99 may pop down to Halfords for one...

[MadCow809]

was an average episode, need more exciting stuff.

[s_k]

Originally Posted by manniac

well, i voted 3/5, imo this episode was not downright bad, it had its funny moments, i liked the reviews and the filming quality is top notch as always, yet, there was something amiss, somebody on a previous post has said it was dry, and for lack of a better way to put it i guess i will use that: dry.

Agree.

I just wonder... No top gear episode will get under 3 stars. It's all just fine.
So that's a problem. No one wants to give 1 star...