[10x07] November 25th, 2007

[TJP]

8/10 effort.

A very enjoyable episode. Jennifer Saunders is quite the car nut & drove extremely well around the track. Pity she didn't go three tenths of a second faster.

News was very funny this time, I especially enjoyed Clarkson giving the lone Aussie some grief about the rugby

The BL challenge was very good, but not as great as the £100 car or the £1500 Porsche challenges. further, I'm sure I've seen the "fill the car with water to prove shoddy build quality" in one of Clarkson's DVD's...not that it matters as its still fun to watch.

Jeremy sure has a hard-on for Aston. THE DBS is a beautiful looking vehicle, pity about the cost above a regular AM Vantage...and yet I want one

Cheers.

[OldSkoolGP]

Just watched the show and I must say it was back on form this week. The only complaint I had, and it is a small one, is the review Jeremy did of the DBS, because he started out by asking why anyone would buy one, he continued like that thru the review, then when he's talking to Richard and James he says you absolutely have to have one? I declare myself confused.

Loved the guest this week. Cheers to Mr. Wilman for finally having someone on that wasn't plugging something! Plus she was brilliant, really knew her cars, and not bad to look at. I had to watch the interview twice to figure out where I'd seen her before, and she was the mother of Ross' fiancee on Friends when he was getting married in London. I'm sure she's done other things but that stuck out in my mind.

Loved the British Leyland challenge. But James buying an Austin Princess is just feeding the myth of his latent homosexuality. Honestly, James. If you are, then just come out and say it so we can stop wondering.

[BigDaveDogg]

Good episode, but I didn't like that some of the scripted parts of the show were so obvious in plain sight. Unless there was something I missed, the egg was already falling on Hammond's head before he even started driving. There were some other things I noticed, but I can't remember them atm. I'll have to watch again and make a better judgement. (Beer kinda pwnd me for a good review)


Edit: I see Austere viewing the thread, and I wait for his post to quote and likely agree with some of his logic, lol

[Austere]

Yeah that was pretty good overall.

The first half of the BL cars test was a weak point. As it started I felt as tho it was really going to be 'like the good old days' but it really wasn't. The meeting wasn't funny or interesting and the trip to the test track had nothing going for it at all.

But the second half of that segment was slightly better. The Datsun 120Y is know in this country as one of the very worst cars you could buy. I shudder to think how awful BL cars were in their day if the 120Y was considered to be so much better. The fact that the Stig set the time and then James, Jeremy and Richard set their own times ruined that part of the test and turned it into nothing more than a spectacle. The handbrake test was also equally pointless. As was the water bit but at least that was mildly amusing, unlike the rest of it. The egg in the colander bit was just stupid. Did you see that look on James' face when they first mentioned the eggs? That's how I felt the whole way through this segment.

There's a fine line between "appealing to the kid in all of us" and "appealing to the lowest common denominator".

I remember the 'hundred pounds' cars test they did years ago and it had a point but the point of this segment got lost along the way. Or did it ever even have a point?

Jeremy's test of the Aston was pretty dull... and it was no surprise that because it had the appropriate badge on it he loved it despite its flaws.

All the rest of the episode was good!

That was the first time in ages that the SIARPC segment was worth watching! An interesting guest who wasn't just there because she had to be and who is also clearly interested in cars and driving! If only it could be like that more often!

The news segment was really good as well! It had news in it! And they didn't just use it as an opportunity to make fun of James!

I couldn't help but be annoyed by Clarksons remark about the Holden not being Australian because it was designed by a Scot and has an American engine... I'm sure said Scot came to Australia to take advantage of the fact that we actually have a car industry here.
I'm also sure that Clarkson knows exactly where the engine in his SD1 came from.

[Msl747]

Loved it! I voted 10/10 as I think that this might have been my fav. episode of the series so far... I loved the BL cheap car challenge, when the door fell off of Jeremy's SD1... I haven't lol'd so hard in a looonng time...

[Militant-Grunt]

9/10

Though the door falling off HAD to be scripted I dont believe for a moment that the hinges could be that bad.

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by Austere

Yeah that was pretty good overall.

The first half of the BL cars test was a weak point. As it started I felt as tho it was really going to be 'like the good old days' but it really wasn't. The meeting wasn't funny or interesting and the trip to the test track had nothing going for it at all.

But the second half of that segment was slightly better. The Datsun 120Y is know in this country as one of the very worst cars you could buy. I shudder to think how awful BL cars were in their day if the 120Y was considered to be so much better. The fact that the Stig set the time and then James, Jeremy and Richard set their own times ruined that part of the test and turned it into nothing more than a spectacle. The handbrake test was also equally pointless. As was the water bit but at least that was mildly amusing, unlike the rest of it. The egg in the colander bit was just stupid. Did you see that look on James' face when they first mentioned the eggs? That's how I felt the whole way through this segment.

There's a fine line between "appealing to the kid in all of us" and "appealing to the lowest common denominator".

I remember the 'hundred pounds' cars test they did years ago and it had a point but the point of this segment got lost along the way. Or did it ever even have a point?

Jeremy's test of the Aston was pretty dull... and it was no surprise that because it had the appropriate badge on it he loved it despite its flaws.

All the rest of the episode was good!

That was the first time in ages that the SIARPC segment was worth watching! An interesting guest who wasn't just there because she had to be and who is also clearly interested in cars and driving! If only it could be like that more often!

The news segment was really good as well! It had news in it! And they didn't just use it as an opportunity to make fun of James!

I couldn't help but be annoyed by Clarksons remark about the Holden not being Australian because it was designed by a Scot and has an American engine... I'm sure said Scot came to Australia to take advantage of the fact that we actually have a car industry here.
I'm also sure that Clarkson knows exactly where the engine in his SD1 came from.

Wasn't the 3.5 liter v8 a Chevrolet toss-out? Rover just picked up the pieces and used to for a relatively successful small cube v8.

Ok episode, I enjoyed last weeks more. Aston Martins just bore me, they all look the same. The challenge took up too much space in the episode, so there was only the challenge and the Dbs. Then the requisite news and siirpc.

I'd like to see better pictures of that Morgan, because I think its gorgeous!

[Plissken]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolGP

Loved the guest this week. Cheers to Mr. Wilman for finally having someone on that wasn't plugging something! Plus she was brilliant, really knew her cars, and not bad to look at. I had to watch the interview twice to figure out where I'd seen her before, and she was the mother of Ross' fiancee on Friends when he was getting married in London. I'm sure she's done other things but that stuck out in my mind.

Been rubbish for 20 years and rode of the coattails of funnier people.

Anyway, laughed myself stupid during the BL segment. The first car I remember my Dad having was a Triumph 2000 - the only thing I remember about it was the little overdrive switch on the gear stick.

It was a bit sad when they went to all the ex-BL factories to find they were hotels or simply knocked down. But to be honest... the company pretty much deserved it.

Oh and that DBS in black...

[bahamut]

can't wait for this ep...the torrent is at 35% C'MONNNNNN!!!

[tedb43o2o3]

DBS is awesome, better than the DB9 because it's stig manual =P !!! but it's too expensive......=(

[Viper007Bond]

Hmm, I wanna change my vote from a 9 to an 8 after letting it sit for a while. Don't get me wrong -- I laughed so hard during this episode, but the DBS review was kinda and the first part of the BL challenge coulda been more interesting.

[Slycer]

After a couple of dissapointing episodes it good to Top Gear back up there. Loved evey bit of it.



P.S. Theres a hugely beautiful girl standing behind Hammond during the news. Anyone else noticed her?

P.P.S Who rated the episode with a 1?! Just so you know, we know where you live!

[efoolution]

Since Series 9 the first episode, I found more bad than good.

The first BL-part ... boring. Only stupid Clarkson getting his finger stuck was funny, the rest was bland.

The News ... oh god, the News. 4 Minutes holding up pictures (of Cars you could say A LOT about)... James May gay Joke ... Hyundai, Morgan In Series 9 the News were about the only constantly good Part of the Show, in Series 10 so far they are worse than they ever were ... (with few expectations)

DBS Review ... great filmed ... didn´t like Clarkson taking back what he said in the film (that the DB9 is better) afterwards ...

The SIRPC ... skipped it after 20 Seconds. Maybe it got better ... dunno.

The second BL-bit had it´s good moments ... but that´s about it.

If I had to rate this episode ... it´ll be a 5/10. That´s still something I´d watch ... but a lot under TG-standart ...

[JCTJennings]

Great episode. 8/10

Why did the doors fall off?

Clarkson did mention in the show that it wasn't down to build quality, but I didn't hear the explanation.

[efoolution]

Originally Posted by Slycer

[...]P.S. Theres a hugely beautiful girl standing behind Hammond during the news. Anyone else noticed her?

Wich one? The one without Make-up and the Polo-neck or the one that fell into Barbies 'Make-up and Sunless tanning' Kit ?

Me no likey. Both.

[Austere]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Hmm, I wanna change my vote from a 9 to an 8 after letting it sit for a while. Don't get me wrong -- I laughed so hard during this episode, but the DBS review was kinda and the first part of the BL challenge coulda been more interesting.

I was going to vote a 6 but decided that I'd wait until after I wrote my comment.... Good thing I did that because by the time I'd thought about the whole episode and written about it I realised that 6 was a bit generous. I think 5 is OK. A 1 or 2 would be dismal television... That would be like an episode of ... Popular Reality Show or something... I can't even think of any show that bad! Let alone why I'd be watching it!

I think the poll is an excellent idea! I just think that if people go straight from the end of the episode to the poll they'll probably vote a bit inaccurately. I wonder how so many people think this was worth a 10!

Was it really flawless?

[DaShowstoppa]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolGP

Just watched the show and I must say it was back on form this week. The only complaint I had, and it is a small one, is the review Jeremy did of the DBS, because he started out by asking why anyone would buy one, he continued like that thru the review, then when he's talking to Richard and James he says you absolutely have to have one? I declare myself confused.

I think he was asking what Aston were trying to do with the DBS as a new car model, was it supposed to replace the awesome DB9 - or be a new cruiser etc?
Eventually Jezza reached the conclusion that the DBS is actually an improved DB9 and should really have been called the DB9S - It is a superior car, but it's still a DB9 for all intents and purposes.

Mind you, it seems to me that AM are falling into the Porsche 911 school of design - their cars look identical (and so does the Jaguar XK)

As for the episode - I laughed my ass off everytime Hamster smashed James' Princess when he got out. My Dad had a Princess when I was little LOL.

[Slycer]

Originally Posted by efoolution

Wich one? The one without Make-up and the Polo-neck or the one that fell into Barbies 'Make-up and Sunless tanning' Kit ?

Me no likey. Both.

[Kukelikki]

aston martin review was boring. great car, but i zoned out a couple times. Guest was great, though i have the suspicion that if a regular male guest said the same things the hot woman did, people would complain about how boring the SIARPC is.
thank god the ferrari crashed, i'm fearing another boring review, like the one they had of the other ferrari this season.
the rest was great though, absolutely loved the last two challanges

[Queen of Meh]

Originally Posted by narin

when JC introduces the stig he says the stig knows only two facts about ducks and both are wrong.... is there an inside joke there? can anyone enlighten me on that?

Oh I think I know what that is. When Jeremy went on the Chris Moyles show they had an item called ask Dom and it was about random facts and what he was asked was "Why do duck fly in V shape" and well Jeremy made up a fact and Dom's fact was most likely wrong.

And someone else asked about the "meanwhiles" well also when Jeremy was on the Chris Moyles show, Chris pointed out the different ways that Jeremy and Richard said the word "meanwhile" and so Jeremy said he would get the boys to fit some "meanwhiles" into the show