[02x07] September 4th, 2011

[Tom Kazanski]

Minor rant: I've always been the person to say "You can't judge people unless you work retail or some other customer oriented job for a few years." You sir would not believe the stupidity i've seen in my 5 years of retail service. Just because you think people aren't gonna say it, doesn't mean some braindead idiot will do it.

I've worked in the retail industry and I can relate to your experiences. I just assume that a Top Gear audience would be well versed enough in the automotive field to realize what you can or cannot purchase.

 

[theiceisalie]

Uh, no it doesn't.

I'll give you the Harrier, but the FXX got thrown off for using slicks, not because .

I've worked in the retail industry and I can relate to your experiences. I just assume that a Top Gear audience would be well versed enough in the automotive field to realize what you can or cannot purchase.

Remember, TGUSA is being catered "to Americans", not a bunch of internet illegal torrenting anglophiles.

What kind of boot does an Ariel Atom have?

It has one....sorta.

Also, to expand abit, TGUK has added some "arbitrary" rules for the Power Laps via the hosts, for example:

Series 6 Episode 6; Aston Martin DBR9: Jeremy Clarkson: "You can't buy this car so it has no place on our board." James May: "But he's right though, those are the rules."

 

[Tom Kazanski]

Even if TGUS is broadcasting to a bunch of Americans, the show is obviously taking a different direction than their UK counterpart. The UK hosts placed that rule and the US hosts don't see it necessary. The purpose of their lap board is to see the fastest times vehicles can produce on the track, regardless of its availability to the general public. If people are feeling the sanctity of having exclusively production cars is being violated, then so be it.

 

[hercman]

TGUS never specified a rules for power lap times. So any argument is a pure waste. As for the record. The two different directions is because of wind components. What wind component is inside that wharehouse? I'm pretty sure the History channel's legal dept. wouldn't let them use "world record" if it wasn't true.

I gave the show a 9. Editing was so so. Loved the Forza segment. I have a similar set up for playing Forza in my house. I have a seat out of a car and made bracing to mount the wheel an pedels to that can be placed in front of my 47" flat screen. The seat is on it's original tracks so it is still completely adjustable. Forza 4 looks impressive. There were times when I had a hard time telling real track/car from game track/car.

The challenging of Tanner was a good one. As for it being a copy of TGAUS or what ever I never watched any of the Aus. versions so it was completely new to me. Plus it goes along way for character development and getting the audience comfortable with his role. Wonder what they could do for Rutt and Adam.

Stig- Wife and I noticed that when Tanner was in his suit driving the body size looked almost identical. Could TGUS Stig really be Tanner?

Tanner's line about the first Japanease Super car in reference to the LFA made me stop and ask my son what ever happened to the NSX? Only thing I can think is maybe Tanner's definition is for cars that go over 200mph. Not sure if the NSX was ever that fast.

 

[theiceisalie]

Tanner's line about the first Japanease Super car in reference to the LFA made me stop and ask my son what ever happened to the NSX? Only thing I can think is maybe Tanner's definition is for cars that go over 200mph. Not sure if the NSX was ever that fast.

Super GT NSX's had top speeds of 191 MPH.

 

[Chaos]

Crossposted from Awesome Thread [Automotive Editions].

Random encounters on German roads: Ken Block cruising to start of first stage of Rally.

Hopefully this assuages some doubts. Essentially the same car, albeit detuned for WRC, but still street legal. I don't think Germany would let it on the road if it wasn't.

As for the episode, an 8. I'm still getting to used to their style rather than the TGUK one, but this strikes a bit closer to home. Not completely sure what I think of it yet.

 

[theiceisalie]

Hopefully this assuages some doubts. Essentially the same car, albeit detuned for WRC, but still street legal. I don't think Germany would let it on the road if it wasn't.

Isn't one of the rules for WRC is that the car needs to be street legal to drive on the roads, despite being modified heavily?

 

[Number 41]

Stig- Wife and I noticed that when Tanner was in his suit driving the body size looked almost identical. Could TGUS Stig really be Tanner?

I thought that was already known to be the case. Didn't someone post that they actually talked to a member of the production team who said Tanner did all of the Stig laps last year?

I assumed that's why they don't really do much Stig stuff on the show ("Did you find the Stig helpful?" etc.) because it's actually just Tanner in a Stig outfit.

 

[nerfherder_81]

9/10
I really liked this episode.
Video game vs real life race has already been done, but I think they did it better and more entertaining.
Indoor top speed record... world fastest Fiesta. :thumpsup:
Odd ball drift :thumpsup:
Yeah a Stig lap!

Anyone else think Tanner might be the Stig? Think about it you never see them in the same place at the same time.. hahaha.
Edit: I guess I should have read before I posted^^^ haha

 

[PlaneDriver]

Anyone else notice how the first part of Tanner's practice session wasn't filmed at the race track but was a pre-recorded bit from what looks like an airport?

Other than that, fantastic episode!

 

[Mr. Nice]

The first show of this season was pretty awful. I missed episode two, but every other episode, including this one, have been entertaining and good.

 

[Gyvon]

I thought that was already known to be the case. Didn't someone post that they actually talked to a member of the production team who said Tanner did all of the Stig laps last year?

It has never been confirmed.

 

[JCE]

Decent episode 8/10, but still was a "challenge" episode without real car reviews that you or I could buy. I'm really growing tired of the challenges, as will the American people. Challenges were supposed to be "epic" on TGUK and something of a special treat for viewers to get one every series or two. With TGUS doing one every episode it will no longer be special and the audience will be desensitized to them and they become "ho-hum" background noise. Its almost like legitimate car reviews are the special occasion, for which I can only remember the SVT Raptor being the only non-exotic car reviewed (?).

Oh, and I'm sure the Ford F150 SVT Raptor with the 6.2L V8 would easily grab that indoor speed record, it would have enough power and weight to get its feet moving even on that surface. And, it would actually BE an "American" record unlike the Fiesta which was designed and engineered in Europe originally, thus making it no better than the Audi.

The Forza bit was only entertaining from the way Adam was doing it. I chuckled every time he hit the wall. Other than that watching Tanner squeal like, well, VBH isn't entertaining in the least.

The Drifting bit was genius and should of been expanded at the cost of the Forza and indoor speed record bits. It wasn't long enough at all, and the other two were too long. Do the math. Also, I was jaw-droppingly enthusiastic when he drifted that limo, epic indeed.

I was bored with the star in a car segment, again. Pretty blonde girl, blah blah blah. It was just human eye candy, which a car show doesn't need. I want to see automotive eye candy, that's the point of a car show to show cars not people. I'm just not sure these star segments are any good for a car show, they are either agenda driven or just plain worthless. It is just a way to have the famous person either flaunt their fame and or promote something they've been involved in. *yawn* Who cares. Show me cool car reviews and or substitute a news segment instead--which I would prefer. To me the star in a car segment actually detracts from the flow of the show and gives the 1hr time slot in the US an empty feel by having to cut the other content short. Actually, that is one thing I love about TGUK is the news segment. I look forward to seeing it almost as much as the rest of the show. The star in a car segment always gets fast forwarded on all 3 TopGears for me. This is why a lot of people are complaining and saying TGUS should be 90 minutes, cut out that retarded star in a car segment and the issue of "incomplete" or "chopped up" show segments will resolve itself. On this episode we had about 5:39 of that star segment, I'd rather have a good review of a car or a news segment.

 

[Number 41]

The CTS-V wasn't a car you or I could buy?

 

[Burn]

Does Anyone know how long that building for the indoor speed record was compared to the one used on TGUK?

I can't imagine that Fiesta Accelerating faster than a F1 car, even with AWD, so I guess the US attempt just had the advantage of a longer run?

 

[t_simmers_jr]

The CTS-V wasn't a car you or I could buy?

At $63,215 (base price), it's not a car that most Americans could afford. Where are all of the interesting, but cheap, options in these reviews? Other than the trucks, where are the real-world comparisons? Clarkson took a fiesta through a mall and through a mock war, and we all still learned something about the car, so it's not like they have to simply drive around a test track and give their bland opinions of it.

Actually, why hasn't there been a Fiat 500 vs. Mini Cooper vs. VW New NEW Beetle Comparison? Rutledge acting trendy and posh while Adam teased Tanner about how at home he should feel would certainly garner a few laughs, and all are cars which would probably expand their viewing base if they took the review even moderately seriously. (And I know the Beetle has only been on sale a few weeks, but they had to be able to call up Volkswagen and get a tester earlier if they were going to do such a comparison.)

 

[bryanbeachboy1970]

Does Anyone know how long that building for the indoor speed record was compared to the one used on TGUK?

I can't imagine that Fiesta Accelerating faster than a F1 car, even with AWD, so I guess the US attempt just had the advantage of a longer run?

Tough to say. They were careful to say it was "1,000,000 square feet" which could mean 1,000 X 1,000, so the 385 meter exhibition hall that Stig used would have been longer by 250 feet or so. But I doubt they found a perfectly square warehouse. Google failed me in my attempt to determine just which warehouse it was, dimensions, that sort of thing, so until someone finds that out it'll just have to be a mystery.

And yeah the F1 would be a bit faster, but not by much. 2006 standards mean that an F1 car can hit 60 in about 2 seconds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One_car#Performance
Tanner's Fiesta (he claimed) can do it in 2.2 seconds. Additionally, the Fiesta is AWD (better on that slick concrete) than an F1 car which are not, as a general rule, AWD.

So who knows? I could see either scenario (longer run vs better car for the attempt in a similar distance).

 

[alaskarat]

The limitation on all the cars used for the World Indoor Speed Record is slippery floors. Even the F1 could not get all its power down onto the ground. TPUK with an F1 did it in 81 mph while Tanner did it in 83 mph with the Audi R8 V10 and broke the record again in his Ford Fiesta at 87 mph. That being said Phil Cooper beat TGUK record with a 82 mph speed in a Toyota-powered car of unknown origin (see picture below).
I thought it was great to see Tanner show off his driving skills. I thought the show was very well done and provide me with much needed entertainment.

 

[JCE]

The CTS-V wasn't a car you or I could buy?

I forgot about that car. Still, that's only 2 cars that a relatively normal person could purchase. The Honda CR-Z was another one I missed. 3 normal car reviews out of 15 episodes total so far. That isn't looking well.

Actually, why hasn't there been a Fiat 500 vs. Mini Cooper vs. VW New NEW Beetle Comparison? Rutledge acting trendy and posh while Adam teased Tanner about how at home he should feel would certainly garner a few laughs, and all are cars which would probably expand their viewing base if they took the review even moderately seriously. (And I know the Beetle has only been on sale a few weeks, but they had to be able to call up Volkswagen and get a tester earlier if they were going to do such a comparison.)

^ This. I agree 100%. A couple of 3-way comparisons like this would inject some life into the show. And I believe reviews like this is what helped the TGUK presenters get closer. I remember the Wales or Iceland comparos, truly epic stuff there. Maybe these three on the US show need to grab three hot hatches and make a trip up to Alaska or down to the north west side of Mexico.

 

[Chaos]

Oh, and I'm sure the Ford F150 SVT Raptor with the 6.2L V8 would easily grab that indoor speed record, it would have enough power and weight to get its feet moving even on that surface. And, it would actually BE an "American" record unlike the Fiesta which was designed and engineered in Europe originally, thus making it no better than the Audi.

Remember, he must also come to a complete stop. While the Raptor can accelerate due to it's weight, that's a lot of mass it's carrying at that speed. A record it is not if he's part of a wall.