[12x01] November 2nd, 2008

[Ziggy Shadow-Dust]

Does anyone actually know what the shirt was about? Or have I missed something? My first thought was that it was something to do with Jonathan Ross.

[Jos J.]

i think it's an souvenir from Vietnam...

maybe he'll repeat wearing different shirts like that (in the order of "i went on the internet this week and found...")

[stiggie]

I'm guessing that we'll find out about the shirt later in the series.

Maybe Jeremy loses a bet during the Vietnam challenge.

[NOHC]

I haven't laughed as hard at the truck segment as I have in a long time. That was, imo, one of the funniest things they've done.

[vikiradTG2007]

Gave it a 9. The major problem I had was that I couldn't get a blinding word from what Parkinson was saying! That Yorkshire accent is terrible for a non-Brit.

The real problem was that Jeremy, AS USUAL when it comes to Porsches, forced the GT2 segment through too quickly and moved on to the LP560-4. They should have had the Hamster again alongisde him for the GT2 segment to give a Porsche lover's opinion.

Other than that, great, and the lorry segment was fabulous. As usual for TG, "Ambitious but Rubbish!"


EDIT: Has anyone noticed something on Jezza's tricked-out Avantime in the series preview?



Yes, a rear wing off a Super Aguri F1 car.

[starfox07]

6/10 Becoming less and less impressed with TG.

Call me a downer, but I'm tiiired of Clarkson testing all the supercars. I'm tired of the tests ALWAYS being done on the airfield. Some of my personal favorite car reviews were James' Phantom review (in London, not the airfield) Richard's Zonda Spider and Murcielago Roadster reviews (Italy and Spain, not the airfield) and Clarkson's 911 Turbo, and especially his CLK Black review (not on the airfield). These cars are ROAD cars so they deserve to be shown actually tearing up the public road. Hell I wouldn't even mind if they did all their filming at that alpine test track. In fact, I think the bit showing the lotus carving up that road was my favorite part of the episode to be honest.

I'm no Porsche lover, but completely disregarding the GT2 was shameful on TG's part. We all know Clarkson can't drive, but it would be nice to see what it could have really done around the circuit.

SIIRC segment was entirely too long. Its easily perceptible that they just use it as a filler now.

News segment was pretty good, but their reactions to various things are pre-formulated, so some of that chemistry is gone.

Lorry segment was predictable and not very entertaining for me. Of course the car would come out, of course the trailer would catch on fire, of course May would back over his piano.

Come to think of it, I think my 6/10 is being generous.

I genuinely think that supercarmovies.com has better content (even without commentary!) than MOST of top gear.

Here's hoping the America program next week will be good.

[/rant]

[Mineworksfine]

Originally Posted by Jos J.

i think it's an souvenir from Vietnam...

maybe he'll repeat wearing different shirts like that (in the order of "i went on the internet this week and found...")

That was my theory as well. I like the idea that each series has a couple of running gags. Looks like this one will be Jeremy's shirts in the news section and what the morse code says each week during the power lap. I wonder if they had a book running on how long it would take someone here to figure out that the morse wasn't just random and to decipher it?

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by starfox07

SIIRC segment was entirely too long. Its easily perceptible that they just use it as a filler now.

Ahem, never underestimate just how much people love Parky. That was Meg Ryan's mistake.

[vikiradTG2007]

SIIRC segment was entirely too long. Its easily perceptible that they just use it as a filler now.

It was just his accent. Don't blame you if you failed to understand it, I didn't either, but from what I could understand he was saying something interesting.

[James May's Hair]

Originally Posted by phenergn

Am I the only one thinking: "WTF was that"
1 car review, just one car reviewed in a whole hour-long episode. (the GT2 doesn't count, showing a car for a minute and declaring it a dog isn't a review).

Then when that pesky car business was over and done with the head straight into a massive film about TRUCKS!?!? I'm sure it's all good fun playing around with trucks, but did they have to dedicate the whole eposide to it?

Starting to loose interest in these ever more far-fetched used vehicle challanges.

Learn to spell, you sodomite.

9/10 - entertaining and let's face it, what more can you ask? Would have been 10, but the SIARPC just seems to drag...

[Rumer]

Apparently, I'm not meant to write a review of this episode, as this is my third attempt.

So just a few points:

1. I've seen Jeremy do a better job of reviewing cars he didn't like. If he couldn't be bothered with the GT2, it shouldn't have been there. Still loved the Lambo and laughed at the old lady/ dog/ child bit. Beautifully filmed exotic cars is what attracted me to this show in the first place.

2. SIARPC- Pretty obvious this was someone Jeremy wanted to interview, and I enjoyed watching Jeremy get all "Yorkshire-ish". I'm not from there, but I could relate. I was impressed with Parkinson's time. Still felt it went on a bit too long, though. I'm a bit torn between letting Jeremy run the show how he wants it, and wishing he'd have the sense to not let the interviews go on for that long.

3. Unlike some here, I don't think the truck segment suffered from "over-scripting". I'm not so arrogant to know what goes on in producing television. It's not my field. I did get the impression that the boys didn't enjoy this challenge as much as they have others in the past, especially as it went on. Don't get me wrong, I did find it quite funny (except for Jeremy's injuries, you can't script that, unless you're a sadist), and yes, I was one of those who cringed when I saw Jeremy and James push Oliver behind Richard's truck. I think that I would have enjoyed it more if they appeared to be enjoying it, too.

4. James is right. He no longer has the most ridiculous hair on Top Gear. Richard looks like a poor impersonation of an anime character.

5. I quite liked the return of the Dacia Sandero gag.

Verdict: 7.5/10 The previews give me hope for better things to come.

[Jezzagod]

9/10 from me.
Wonderful episode, had me in splits. Loved the part where the granny, a kid and a dog are shown driving the LP560-4

On a personal note, I would be pretty damm scared to drive those lorries the way they did especially bashing them through obstacles (I mean none of the trucks even had a proper hood. The cabin was exposed to all the damage)

It was a magnificent come back from TopGear!! Waiting for other episodes from what is going to be a great season!!! Chao

[Chupacabras]

Thought: I don't think that car was Oliver. Top Gear mag I was just reading talks about a stunt driver breaking the world record for being hit 8 times by cars in 2 mins (in a controlled event). This gentleman (It was in the TG mag with the Stig on the front) said they used three Opel Cadets (or is it a K?) to achieve this strange world record... Probably obvious they wouldn't crush him, but whateva....

[skylock]

Originally Posted by Rumer

. I did get the impression that the boys didn't enjoy this challenge as much as they have others in the past, especially as it went on. .

I am with you on this point. But then lorrie driving is WAY out of their usual comfort zone and it is damn hard work. Maybe they just got tired.

[Thanatos]

if the GT2 really took to the track with stig thats a shame we have no lap time. do we have to buy the mag to get it? the guy (or girl) was probably working overtime to beat the lambo time (if its really faster).

[settler]

Great start of a new series and the preview showed it would be even better.

Trucks part was hilarious, like I expected - new version of buying 3 cars and I'm happy it wasn't the same once more. Great fun, completely stupid, but it should be.

GT2 vs LP560 review was ok, but nothing more. Clarkson's "I can't drive tuned Beetle, so I'll take italian Audi" wasn't that interesting. And I spotted something funny. I was curious who drives the Porsche (siedways) when Jezza in Lambo was saying how good it is. I paused the program and it turned out that during this "race" Jeremy was in the GT2 and someone else was driving Gallardo. So maybe he prefers GT2?

[ahpadt]

Originally Posted by starfox07

I'm no Porsche lover, but completely disregarding the GT2 was shameful on TG's part. We all know Clarkson can't drive, but it would be nice to see what it could have really done around the circuit.

It would annihilate the Lambo.

I've given up criticising TG since every time I say something, people go mad at me and tell me to watch Fifth Gear. That pisses me off. Top Gear is a fucking car programme and at the moment they dont really feature many cars.

My suggestions for improvements:

- More reviews on country roads, as they used to do.
- Less scripted news and more talking about cars.
- STOP TRYING TO MAKE EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO FUNNY.
- Stop mocking 911's for being "jumped up Beetles". In truth they, as we've just seen, rape every single other supercars.

Despite all this, I still think TG is very good entertainment, but it can be vastly improved.

[Sovereign001]

I gave a 8/10.

I loved the truck races. It was hilarious to see that the truck of jeremy was taking fire!

The gt2 vs lambo review was kinda stupid. I love both cars but Jeremy needs to stop humilating Porsche. It's a beetle etc... Come on man! Especially when he burns the powerlap record of the gt2. I believe that the drag race between the porsche and lambo isn't completely true.. Or the person in the gt2 couldn't drive. That gt2 is one hell of a car and damn powerful, i can't believe it didn't won vs the lambo. Personally i would choose may or richard to test porsche in the future, maybe James, because then we can expect a true and long review instead, some burning rubber and smoke and voila the review is done!^-> that's no review!

Stop mocking 911's for being "jumped up Beetles". In truth they, as we've just seen, rape every single other supercars.

you are correct my friend!

[zaybxcwd12]

I was going to post my rating last night right after watching but this thread didn't exist. I am going to give it a 8 was debating if it should perhaps go with 9 (enjoyed it that much) but the higher numbers should be reserved for episodes with more "automotive" content.

What I can't understand is all the negative comments, on any given series (season) the initial episode is ordinaraly pretty weak this was a great start to the forthcoming episodes. Starfox with respect and I don't mean this in a derogotory sence what where you expecing? We all now the path TG has turned and it is to appeal to the masses who use some of there earned moneyies to fund the corporation of the BBC, rightly or wrongly you know b4 it start you going to get more of the same with perhaps more or less about car themselfs. Let me simplifiy if your a Steven Segal fan and you go to see his latest blockbuster, what you going to do come out of the cinema and say "Well I love the guy, but in this the plot was lacking" before you pay admission you know there ain't going to be a plot. My advice is if you must download the episode watch the early peview from there you can tell if it is the content you expect and if it not why bother wasthing a hour of your life on something you know you ain't going to enjoy. For any show to stay on air in the cut throat TV biosness it has to appeal to a wide audiance so I can't see it "improveing".

[ahpadt]

Just to piss on Jeremy's test a little bit more.

Watch this film from 1:23:

http://drivers-republic.com/dr_tv/in...cb&area=videos