[11x06] July 27th, 2008

[trist0608]

My favorite ep of the season! I gave it 10 just for the poor winners (JK and Hamster). Their bits were completely over the top and brilliant. Loved the D-Motor challenge, complete with Sabine's comments about JC as a tv idiot and James is Stig. I just wish there had been more reviews by Hammond and May this season, as their unique perspectives give a pleasant breath of fresh air compared to Clarkson. Hell, only James could love a knock-off Rolls as much as the real thing. I've got to agree with Hammond, the Gumpert is butt ugly and looks useless as roadcar, but on the track it's performance was a thing of beauty.

Bring on series 12! I can't wait.

[greenhawk]

Originally Posted by MacGuffin

- Sabine Schmitz knows the Stig (she already raced him), so she wouldn't really be fooled. I suppose the Germans agreed to let the Stig drive, so that the British wouldn't look too bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1p0Gg9uLBw

I got confused by that either. And thats why I can't understand people here are taking that last race Schrick vs. Stig seriously. That whole competition was staged. Which is not a bad thing at all. It was funny stuff from the beginning to the end. But it wasn't a competition to lose or to win.

Don't get this wrong: I'd love to see those D-Motor monkeys get their asses kicked. Really hate those untalented bunch. And JC doing his jokes to end the show was really funny. But the intention behind that challenge was the entertainment and not to find out, which country has the better race driving presenters.

But I would be very interested to see the Stig in a real competition against other race drivers: Same car, against the clock, neutral ground. Real racing.

Complaints to: 1966 El Alamein Square/1939-1945 Jutland St - London WE 1

[der_jackal]

Originally Posted by Nereid

Still, they both race in the same class, so clearly they're not that mismatched.

Not really, Porsche supplies the GT3 Cup S to FIA GT3 races. That wasn't a FIA GT3 Porsche.

But it's irrelevant, it was a giggle. It was setup. They're continually setting things up to increase the Stig's infamy.

[Karoug]

Originally Posted by Steve Levin

I sadly must stay contraian and say that, IMO, this was a terrible episode overall. The Spitfires were cool...but the rest...blah. The entire series feels like it's jumped the shark.

Steve

I'd agree about this episode.. I was really looking forward to this episode, but the "competition" with d-motor was a huge letdown.

[Censport]

Originally Posted by der_jackal

Makes it easier when the cars are mismatched as well.

A 550hp AM DBRS9 GT3 vs a 420hp Porsche Carrera Cup GT3

It's not just about poweRRR.

[jayhawk]

The episode was a big letdown, it should have been used as the second or third show, with the GTR race being the last.

[der_jackal]

Originally Posted by Censport

It's not just about poweRRR.

No it's not, they were different spec cars. But +130hp and barely 100kg of weight difference and the suspension differences between the two is enough to push the DBRS9 over in a heads up race.

But again, it's irrelevant. It was a setup to bolster the Stig-ulance of the Stig.

Seriously; He pulled back 3 seconds in one lap? Chasing somebody or not, if the cars were that evenly matched (as people in here want to believe) one of three following things has to be true -

1.) Schrik really sucks
2.) The Stig is beyond awesome
3.) ...or it was a 100% setup.

[chumwithrum]

Originally Posted by Censport

Great episode, very well put together. Episode 6 of the previous series still has my favorite news segment ever (vibrating seat, bull semen), but this show was top notch. I gave it a 10.

I've never seen Sabine in a driving suit before. To borrow a line from Jeremy: "She has got a very nice bottom." And JK's happy dance was great. As others have said, it's great to see a petrol head on SIARPC.

For proof about the Sabine Driving suit comment.... Screen caps of episode @ roughly 52min, 14 second would be great... ) Good Episode.. Too bad it's only 6 eps, took them 5 to get the rythme down this season... (No bitching in first post.. Sorry... Vodka tonic just rocks my world sometimes... )

[orangenbaer]

Originally Posted by der_jackal

But it's irrelevant, it was a giggle. It was setup. They're continually setting things up to increase the Stig's infamy.

Amen!
The 4 seconds are staged or down to the car. Come on guys, stig and tim are both experienced racing drivers, if they had similar cars, there wouldn't be a massive gap between them, even if some racing drivers are better than others .
I just expected to se more of Tim Schrick, because he's not just a skilled driver, but also the funny guy of the three (watch him driving the atom or the carrera gt on youtube)
I find Sabine's and Carsten's commentaries on Dmotor rather shallow and annoying, so i don't watch it, i watch TopGear, a lot! And I'm german!

Great episode, clearly a 10, laughed my head of!

[Arctor]

Why over analyze it? It was a lot of fun to watch and that's what matters.

[der_jackal]

Originally Posted by Arctor

Why over analyze it? It was a lot of fun to watch and that's what matters.

Because it's FinalGear and that's what FinalGear does.

[Censport]

Originally Posted by der_jackal

Seriously; He pulled back 3 seconds in one lap? Chasing somebody or not, if the cars were that evenly matched (as people in here want to believe) one of three following things has to be true -

1.) Schrik really sucks
2.) The Stig is beyond awesome
3.) ...or it was a 100% setup.

In a race earlier this year, I went from 6 seconds behind the national champ to just less than 3.5 seconds in two laps, and my Miata has a nearly 300-pound (136kg) disadvantage compared to his. That wasn't staged.

Is it possible that the race was staged? Sure. Is it impossible that it wasn't? No. In racing, anything is possible. Schrick doesn't have to suck, he just has to have an off day, same as any athlete.

For cryin' out loud, we're not talking about a drunken teenage actress winning a NASCAR race with a 1963 VW Beetle. Let's see if the German show has Schrick winning. Or wait for Wilman to address this in his blog.

[Seasonone]

Originally Posted by der_jackal

Makes it easier when the cars are mismatched as well.

A 550hp AM DBRS9 GT3 vs a 420hp Porsche Carrera Cup GT3

porsche 9ff 910hp and 2,865 lbs vs Callaway C16 Vette 580hp and 3375 lbs.

The track cars were far from the only 1 sided race.

[Censport]

Originally Posted by Seasonone

porsche 9ff 910hp and 2,865 lbs vs Callaway C16 Vette 580hp and 3375 lbs.

The track cars were far from the only 1 sided race.

Say, what gearing was the Porsche running?

[der_jackal]

Originally Posted by Censport

In a race earlier this year, I went from 6 seconds behind the national champ to just less than 3.5 seconds in two laps, and my Miata has a nearly 300-pound (136kg) disadvantage compared to his. That wasn't staged.

Right even hustling with a heavier car, it took you 2 laps to pull back less than 3 seconds on a guy having a bad day.

Originally Posted by Censport

Is it possible that the race was staged? Sure. Is it impossible that it wasn't? No. In racing, anything is possible. Schrick doesn't have to suck, he just has to have an off day, same as any athlete.

Yes it is possible to have an off day. I've had plenty of them as everybody else has...

Originally Posted by Censport

For cryin' out loud, we're not talking about a drunken teenage actress winning a NASCAR race with a 1963 VW Beetle. Let's see if the German show has Schrick winning. Or wait for Wilman to address this in his blog.

I don't need to wait, I really don't care.

It wasn't a "real" race by any stretch of the imagination. But people do take this stuff too seriously and I'm just having fun poking at those people (hence all the winks and such).

[Eye-Q]

Originally Posted by Archie411

I don't think you got what I meant. (Maybe its my fault)
uh...Are they speaking in English or German on that show?

It's a german TV-show which is aired in germany so obviously they speak german (well, as someone else mentioned before, the presenters are much worse at entertainment than the TG3).

Originally Posted by zaybxcwd12

and I doubt very much the German hosts don't know who Stig is would know instantly.

I know that the german hosts do know the Stig, Sabine raced him/it () in JC's "Supercar Showdown".

Originally Posted by slapnutz

What about the Furai?

Heres hoping for a season 12 test.

As Jeremy mentioned briefly - "The engine - Wankel, 1.9 litre, 460 break horse power, 2.6 miles to the gallon, and - annoyingly - broken".

Originally Posted by anti-net

Yes mentioning the war is bit old but come on, its all we got! we flattened Germany and then they became a better country than us.....Cheeky bastards!

Finally someone who sees the light...

Originally Posted by Seasonone

porsche 9ff 910hp and 2,865 lbs vs Callaway C16 Vette 580hp and 3375 lbs.

The track cars were far from the only 1 sided race.

So, was the Vette (driven by JC) or the 9ff (driven by Sabine Schmitz, who isn't exactly what you call slow) in front after that quarter mile? Right, the Vette, so I reckon it was heavily staged, but it really doesn't matter, if it feels right.

Originally Posted by MacGuffin

The end seemed rather suddenly, though: I missed a few final words from both sides and a proper presentation of the end result...

Yes, I expected the DMotor-team to come into the studio and mock about a little bit, too, so I was a bit disappointed regarding the end.

Besides this (and the obvious cheating in the last race, but nevermind, it was for the fun of it ) this was an absolutely brilliant episode. Because of the two issues my verdict is 9/10.

[halllo_fireball]

I really can't get it, how people say it was an epic, or even the best episode ever and the best series ever... Come on, there have been better episodes and better series! Just because it's Top Gear it hasn't to be automatically the best (same as Fifth Gear doesn't have to be automatically the worst ) - hmmm sorry, it actually has to be automatically the best

This series was a good one, but there were clearly some bits, especially in the first episodes, that could have been better. On the other hand they really showed off epic stuff (Bentley Brooklands).
As for best episode: How can an episode with an average May beginning, a very nice, but not epic Hamster test and a challenge with mostly predictable outcome be the best ever made??? That is actually an assault on all the epic episodes we have seen in the past! Just think of the Alfa segment, or the amphibious cars.

I won't say, that this was a really bad episode but it clearly WAS NOT THE BEST EPISODE!

PS: And yes, the race wasn't fair or anything ... which doesn't matter! But please feel free to write your theories down, how Tim could have won this race. Maybe they should have put on some nitros or put some rockets on it - in good old Top Gear tradition However, the easiest would be to change the script

[Seasonone]

No matter the gearing it should have done much better.

[Censport]

Originally Posted by der_jackal

It wasn't a "real" race by any stretch of the imagination. But people do take this stuff too seriously and I'm just having fun poking at those people (hence all the winks and such).

...and you're assuming that each car had hours of prep work to set it up for that track and that day's weather. They were likely just backed out of their respective trailers and run as they were. One car could've been set up for Spa, another for Snetterton, for example. The suspension alignment, gearing, shocks, swaybars, etc. were likely untouched from each car's previous race, whichever track it was.

You're poking fun at people, and I'm reminding them of factors they haven't considered.

Originally Posted by Seasonone

No matter the gearing it should have done much better.

So a car geared for top end wouldn't have any disadvantage to a car geared for American roads in a race of 1,320 feet.

[liquide]

Originally Posted by Nereid

Still, they both race in the same class, so clearly they're not that mismatched.

not to forget the episode with porsche 911 vs aston martin vs beemer m6. the beemer was the most powerful, the aston slightly less so and the porsche was rather down on power compared to the other two.. yet which car was the fastest on that stretch of isle of man goodness? yup, the porsche. the aston and the m6 virtually tied on times / avg. speed.

two things to remember:

- power isn't everything (ask that colin chapman guy for his opinion - if he were still alive that is)
- power is nothing without control

/end commercial