Clarkson: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly discussion thread

[janstett]

Second car was probably referring to the fact that he sold his GT, then bought it back because he loved it. I haven't read anything about other recalls so I'll take your word for that.

He used his celebrity to get one of the handfull of GTs coming to the UK. It was nothing but mechanical trouble and got his money back, returning the car as a lemon. Then he bought a 2nd one months later.

I drove a Ford GT. It's an awesome car, in theory. However, my admiration of Jeremy Clarkson as a reviewer is lower than the control arms on an elise at this point, based upon the complete lack of actually telling somebody what driving a GT is like. I have been lucky enough to drive a GT, and Jeremy's "review" of it wouldn't have helped me understand one thing about the car that I know now if I hadn't driven it. For you guys who will never drive a GT, he's not helping you understand what it's like. He didn't mention ANY of the complaints I had with the GT in a 1/2 hour test drive save one (the rear end that can't wait to step out during cornering).

- The interior is cramped (decapitation hazard with the doors, no room for one's left arm against the door)
- Visibility is appauling, rear view mirrors are akin to vestigal T-Rex arms
- The steering wheel is too small
- The steering is way too tight and not progressive at all, I think I never made more than 1/8 turn either way.
- The suspension is way too tight (going over rough pavement made my voice vibrate)
- The shifter, while mechanically nice, is mounted at an angle on the Y axis, the result being that 3rd is located where 1st is on every other car on the planet, and you hit 3rd going for 1st every time.
- The tall DOHC motor w/ supercharger makes the rear unsettled ala pre-993 911s. Jeremy spins it out on camera in the segment .

Jeremy's multiple stints with the Ford GT told me NONE of this. And then he has the balls to complain that the Z06, which I also drove, doesn't work on the street?

The Z06 is a luxury car compared to the GT.

I'm fine if Jeremy has an opinion, that's why I watch and read him. But, #1, I want him to be my proxy in the cars I will never have a chance to drive so I want to know what it's really like to drive and not get the jaded, bored opinion of an automotive journalist; and #2, I want him to at least get his facts straight. There are so many examples now of Jeremy making easily-checkable errors. Maybe he is bored with cars, or complacent; maybe in 2000 when he quit old Top Gear, he really did want to get away from cars and change careers and now he feels stuck/trapped/bored with it all.

 

[deathkenli]

This DVD is rubbish!
Totally rubbish!

 

[Top Geek]

I would consider a small steering wheel to be a good thing.

...
- The steering wheel is too small
...
- The steering is way too tight and not progressive at all, I think I never made more than 1/8 turn either way.

To an American, perhaps. You like 'em big and woolly!

 

[janstett]

I would consider a small steering wheel to be a good thing.

Yes, don't get me wrong, I'm not pining for the hula-hoop wheels Mercedes used in the 1970s. If the GT's wheel were any smaller I could palm it like a basketball, or pinch it between my fingers. Reminded me of a go-kart wheel, but in a full size car it's ludicrous.

To an American, perhaps. You like 'em big and woolly!

No, I like my steering and suspension tight. The GT was too extreme in either case.

I race a Porsche and a Trans Am. I have driven a DB9, Gallardo, Z06, and F430, in addition to the Ford GT. Do you want to listen to what I have to say, or do you want to dismiss it with a joke? Your choice.

 

[nomix]

Standing ovation for you!

IIRC it was (Larry?) Shinoda, who designed the first generation Camaro and then went to Ford and revamped those classic Mustangs that came in that time period. And I think he's still alive.

Get him! That car, was the most cruel thing Ford ever made. Wanted one since I was tvelve. 575bhp in 1969. That must have been fun.

 

[Top Geek]

No, I like my steering and suspension tight. The GT was too extreme in either case.

I race a Porsche and a Trans Am. I have driven a DB9, Gallardo, Z06, and F430, in addition to the Ford GT. Do you want to listen to what I have to say, or do you want to dismiss it with a joke? Your choice.

I was just kidding Nothing wrong with joking around

 

[janstett]

he is a true brit, the americans did "borrow" afew of ideas they claim to be theirs in past years - (moving tail plane parts instead of elevators on aircraft were the key to going supersonic, there is footage shot of the idea put into practice, americans collaborate with brits, brit governent pulls plug after brits share info, americans piss off dont share info back and the idea ends up on the bell X1,

That one has been bothering me since I read it and couldn't find it again until now. While the control surfaces were important to going supersonic, The Key was sweeping the wings rearward; only then was supersonic flight possible. If you'll remember aircraft up to that point had perpendicular wings. Approaching the speed of sound, air couldn't get out of their way fast enough and planes would sheer their wings off. The swept wing was the key.

But, your point is valid -- the Americans and Brits cooperated on several key technologies before and during WW II (RADAR/SONAR being another good example).

 

[nomix]

And the Americans didn't invent the swept wings either. They stole'em from the Germans.

 

[gtrietsc]

I just wanted to chime in, after watching it...

I voted worse than most of his DVDs.

As other people have said, he keeps recycling the same old jokes, the tests were always unbalanced, and he even got very simple facts wrong which bothered me the most.

 

[BlaRo]

Automobile Magazine just hired a Limey as its new editor, Gavin Conway (any comments on this guy, Brits?).

Hehe, Gavin is a funny name. 8)

IIRC it was (Larry?) Shinoda, who designed the first generation Camaro and then went to Ford and revamped those classic Mustangs that came in that time period. And I think he's still alive.

Sorry, he died a few years ago.

I'll never understand why Britons are on such a vendetta against American cars. No other nationality from Germans to Japanese rags on American cars half as much as you Brits do.

Probably because we own half their car industry, and the other half is either dead or building comically low-volume obscure roadsters?

 

[bartboy9891]

I understand your point. But you still have to factor in the prize of purchase. For UK drivers the US prize is very irrelevant.


That is true. But I guess you get my point.


I only pass on what I've been told by Norwegians in america as exchange students. Really don't remember which city.


That would be an improvement. I really don't think it's right that someone can be drafted, but can't buy a beer - yes, I am repeating myself, but it just seems so wrong.


I find that quite interesting.


Feels good to know I am not the only person with that sort of feeling.

ok i checked the supercharged Range Rover compared to the AWD Escalade and the RR managed better combined mpg (meaning both city and highway)
but both were more than a little dismal: 13.5 for the RR and 12.5 for the Escalade.
Its hard to justify buying either one of em

 

[No Boss]

LOUD NOISES!!!11!!!

 

[nomix]

ok i checked the supercharged Range Rover compared to the AWD Escalade and the RR managed better combined mpg (meaning both city and highway)
but both were more than a little dismal: 13.5 for the RR and 12.5 for the Escalade.
Its hard to justify buying either one of em

That's still quite a lot.

But then again, we are talking about big AWD cars.

Personally, I'd rather buy a Jag XJR than a RR, rather buy a CTS-V than a Marmalade tease.

But in the end, I'd buy an A6, and a Defender.

 

[bartboy9891]

That's still quite a lot.

But then again, we are talking about big AWD cars.

Personally, I'd rather buy a Jag XJR than a RR, rather buy a CTS-V than a Marmalade tease.

But in the end, I'd buy an A6, and a Defender.

blah you should see how much an old Defender costs in the US.
http://auto-europe-sales.ebizautos....6788&anchor=/1997/Land-Rover/Defender/90/SUV/
that place is about 5-10 minutes from my house.

That Defender is 9 years old, it has the V8 but an auto, with 46,621 miles on it. And its going for $40K USD!

 

[nomix]

That's quite alot.

What I'd is be buying a cheap one that's more than 30 years old in the UK, import it to Norway and get plates.

Not really, for going off road I'd get what we allready have at our cabin, an old Suzuki. It's scary past 35mph, and I almost topped it doing 12mph in a corner! Had to shift my body weight to get the two wheels back onto the ground..

But who cares how they are on the road, it only cost five p. and it doesn't matter off road.

But you get the point. Off roaders might be good on road, but why?

 

[bartboy9891]

That's quite alot.

What I'd is be buying a cheap one that's more than 30 years old in the UK, import it to Norway and get plates.

Not really, for going off road I'd get what we allready have at our cabin, an old Suzuki. It's scary past 35mph, and I almost topped it doing 12mph in a corner! Had to shift my body weight to get the two wheels back onto the ground..

But who cares how they are on the road, it only cost five p. and it doesn't matter off road.

But you get the point. Off roaders might be good on road, but why?

Here it snows a few months out of the year and the rest of the year is average with hot summers. An SUV does make sense here, but only in the winter. You see just as many H2's and Escalades and Benz G-classes in the summer. But my favorite thing is when people who drive monster SUV's complain about the price of gas

on the other hand, ive been in a Range Rover and LX470 and X5 and i must say that they feel very very similar to their car counterparts (not a LandRover but the Jag XJ8, Lexus LS430 and BMW 5-series)
My cousins own a LX470, but their winters are just as bad as the ones here and they often find themselves moving great loads of people and stuff, so i can see how they justified it.

I for one hope that i never buy a huge expensive SUV

 

[marcos_eirik]

Well, I live on a farm, that's why we have a Range Rover, and also we had annother one before the one we have now... Both V8s... take that Greenpeace...

 

[kekekeke]

I am not going to comment on the actual content of the DVD, but the cinematography and choice of soundtrack were absolutely amazing.

 

[nomix]

Here it snows a few months out of the year and the rest of the year is average with hot summers. An SUV does make sense here, but only in the winter. You see just as many H2's and Escalades and Benz G-classes in the summer. But my favorite thing is when people who drive monster SUV's complain about the price of gas

on the other hand, ive been in a Range Rover and LX470 and X5 and i must say that they feel very very similar to their car counterparts (not a LandRover but the Jag XJ8, Lexus LS430 and BMW 5-series)
My cousins own a LX470, but their winters are just as bad as the ones here and they often find themselves moving great loads of people and stuff, so i can see how they justified it.

I for one hope that i never buy a huge expensive SUV

Yep, snow normally leaves you in need of something else than RWD. In most cases.

Do you use spiked tires?

We drive, as you might see, a Outlander. Before that we had a mk1 RAV4. If we disregard the fact that the RAV4 was truely horrible, it does make sense with AWD in Norway, at least in the winter. And we have.. well.. much of it.

That's why I'd love to have a 67 or a 69 Mustang Fastback, but I would never get one if I had to rely on it all year. That could get inpractical, I guess.

 

[BerserkerCatSplat]

That's why I'd love to have a 67 or a 69 Mustang Fastback, but I would never get one if I had to rely on it all year. That could get inpractical, I guess.

What, no love for the '68?