Top Gear race against British Mail

[LindenChase]

The next series is going to be great. Another fine race:

James and Richard have apparently been racing the Royal Mail (maybe Jezza?) this week by following a letter posted in the Scilly Isles to the Orkney Isles. They are supposedly using a modified Porsche costing £200,000.

They have been spotted by this blogger:

http://keithhargreaves.blogspot.com/

The Top Gear team leaving Penzance this evening, They left the
Isles of Scilly and are trying to beat a letter posted first class on
St Marys this afternoon they hope to arrive in Orkney before the letter

and this one:

http://scillywebcam.blogspot.com/200...o-take-up.html

There is more info on the net, but as I am away from home and on an incredibly slow internet connection, I'll leave that to you lot to add.

[Jimi Hendrix]

Originally Posted by LindenChase

They are supposedly using a modified Porsche costing £200,000.

It's a Panamera S. I wonder what kind of mods does it have to cost 200,000 pounds.

[Gman333-X-ferrari]

Pictures!

[stevanford1]

It looks like a standard Panamera to me.

[Soup?]

I presume they're going to sell this race a bit like the roadworks? "Look what public services would be like if you threw money at it"

Anyway, length of the country = Win.

[Loomy]

Looks very standard indeed, certainly isn't modded on the outside (and why on earth would you mod a brand new, not-yet-reviewed car?). Nevertheless, this sounds like another epic race even if Jezza's not in it. Unless they decided to put him in a box an mail him, that is...

[GT - R]

I think the car is stock.

Aren´t those numberplates , porsche factory plates ( They all star by S:GO _ _ _ _ )

[Richmondgal]

650 Miles from one end of the UK to the other, faster than a letter. How long does a letter take?

[Cowboy]

how can a letter ever be faster than a car? it has to be picked up at the mailbox ,transported to a sorting station, go through that sorting ....(meaning it moves no distance at all the time it is there), and when it gets out its transported by truck/train or a van, so speed is always gonna be lower than in a car, then it passes through another sorting close to its destination (more time loss) and it gets deliverd (if your lucky and the mailman isent on dope so he decides to throw it away)

in a car you take off....drive....stop for gas.....drive some more....and your there?

850 miles through the uk? even with traffic....12 hours max?

[Speedtouch]

Originally Posted by GT - R

Aren´t those numberplates , porsche factory plates ( They all star by S:GO _ _ _ _ )

Yeah. The S stands for Stuttgart, where the factory is. And I guess the people called it a 'modified' Porsche as they hadn't seen one as a 4 door yet.

[teeb]

Originally Posted by Cowboy

how can a letter ever be faster than a car? it has to be picked up at the mailbox ,transported to a sorting station, go through that sorting ....(meaning it moves no distance at all the time it is there), and when it gets out its transported by truck/train or a van, so speed is always gonna be lower than in a car, then it passes through another sorting close to its destination (more time loss) and it gets deliverd (if your lucky and the mailman isent on dope so he decides to throw it away)

in a car you take off....drive....stop for gas.....drive some more....and your there?

850 miles through the uk? even with traffic....12 hours max?

The letter could be faster because, in theory, if it was posted in the afternoon it'll arrive the next morning (if sent first class). It will travel via aeroplane, rail and lorry.

On the other hand, the car is fine when going through the mainland UK. However, in order to get from the Scilly Isles to the UK mainland, and from the UK mainland to the Orkney Isles, it'll have to be on a ferry. If they get the ferry from Aberdeen, that's a 12 hour ferry. There's a 90 minute ferry from right at the north of Scotland but that's a lot of driving on narrow, windy roads.

Not ignoring the fact that the car will have to keep stopping for fuel, food and rests - it is in theory possible to drive all that with two drivers and not stop for sleep, but I wouldn't want to be the one doing it...

[Soup?]

I forgot about the ferry!
Does that mean they were in my town and I didn't even know?

That's only made more painful because I can see the Orkney ferry from my front door!

[Dr_Grip]

Originally Posted by Jimi Hendrix

It's a Panamera S. I wonder what kind of mods does it have to cost 200,000 pounds.

Just tick every box on the option list (as factory-provided test cars from premium carmakers tend to be equipped) and you got your 200k Porsche.

[Kiskaloo]

I'm sure the leather options alone could clear 100k GBP.

I know with the 928 you could literally cover every surface - including the switchgear - in matched leather.

[hajj]

It starts at €100k so another 100k for extras is even for Porsche a bit steep, although standard things such as satnav can add quite a bit (around 40k maybe), I doubt that Porsche has leather available for 60k.

[LindenChase]

James and Richard were spotted at Edingburgh airport about an hour ago, looking very tanned. No Jezza, so they probably didn't race him.

You have to love Twitter.

[MDD]

LOL! I live in Orkney, and a group of us toured the west mainland to search for them! Didn't find Richard or James, but we found the crew with the Porsche and we caught up with the postman who delivered the letter in the race! I'll tell you whether they beat the postman if you want?

[salguod]

Originally Posted by Soup?

Anyway, length of the country = Win.

If it really was the length of the country it would include Shetland, but I'm guessing the time on the ferry would result in them losing as the mail would go by plane.

Also, if you can see the Orkney ferry from your front door does that mean you're in Thurso area or East Mey?

[Censport]

So they're driving a four-door Porsche, but it's only Richard and James? Why not take a couple of volunteers along to utilize the first proper rear seat in a Porsche car (non-SUV)?

If Jezza isn't the Posche, then perhaps he's driving the mail truck?

[Cowboy]

Originally Posted by teeb

The letter could be faster because, in theory, if it was posted in the afternoon it'll arrive the next morning (if sent first class). It will travel via aeroplane, rail and lorry.

On the other hand, the car is fine when going through the mainland UK. However, in order to get from the Scilly Isles to the UK mainland, and from the UK mainland to the Orkney Isles, it'll have to be on a ferry. If they get the ferry from Aberdeen, that's a 12 hour ferry. There's a 90 minute ferry from right at the north of Scotland but that's a lot of driving on narrow, windy roads.

Not ignoring the fact that the car will have to keep stopping for fuel, food and rests - it is in theory possible to drive all that with two drivers and not stop for sleep, but I wouldn't want to be the one doing it...

I kinda forgot about the ferry's there but still.....is there even an airfield on the orkney islands where a mailplane can take off from ? (never been there)

Believe it or not but I have actualy driven from Balloch all the way up to Jhon o'groats, so I know your beautiful twisting schottish roads in that region.....Thruth be told I did it in 3 days while on holiday, witch means stopping alot (and generaly getting drunk every night along the way so not taking off again before the afternoon )
But I can totally see myself coming down again to glasgow (and linking up with the m74) In a very reasonable amount off time in one go......faster then any lorry anyway ....

once you get on the motorway? should be smoothe sailing...but offcourse there is the plane factor..... I reserve judgement