[13x07] August 2nd, 2009

[13x07] August 2nd, 2009


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I notice many here talking about the Aston Martin Film at the end, so here's my take on what that film meant:

I think that the film has absolutely nothing to do with the Aston Martin, or Supercars in general, what-so-ever. What I think it was about is the fact the Corporations and Governments are trying to basically outlaw internal combustion engines altogether, and that the fun we petrol-heads have with them will soon be gone. And when that day does come, the Top Gear we all know and love will die. After all, Jeremy Whirring about in an electric car will be nowhere near as entertaining as watching Jeremy power-slide a Ferrari.

I find it odd, mostly because (if I'm incorrect, please point me to the episode) they have NEVER ended Top Gear on a film, ever. At least not since Top Gear came back after being canceled many years ago. I have to wonder if Top Gear has already received news about limitations on what can appear in the next series, like say that they have to review more economical cars, and no more of the usual "cocking about".

I was very saddened by the film, because I now realize that I probably will never get to drive a V8/10/12 engine powered sports car, because by the time I can afford one, they will most likely have been "consigned to the history books" and the only place I'll be able to see one is inside an Automotive Museum.

Instead, all that will be available to me is Hybrid 4-bangers (or even, *shudders* a 3-banger) and Electric cars (which I would rather take into the bathtub to electrocute myself with, than drive one) and it depresses me.

All of the cars we have can be converted to burn hydrogen easily, but the Environazi's want us all to do it their way, with hybrids and electric cars. I remember years ago, seeing a video of some guy who converted his original Shelby Cobra to burn hydrogen, and got 600+ hp from it! A 600+ hp "green" Shelby Cobra! I also remember seeing a clip from the 70's where Jack Nicholson took delivery of a Hydrogen Powered Chevrolet Caprice. We're being screwed. All that needs to be done is vehicle conversions, and to build more gas stations with Hydrogen Pumps. The same one they use for Hybrids could fill up our old cars as well.

I'm all for green, after all, without this planet and all of the other life on it, we would be screwed, but there is no need to abandon the internal combustion engine altogether, especially when it can burn a clean, "green" friendly fuel like Hydrogen. I'll be damned if I'll ever drive an electric car. I'd rather die than drive a golf cart for the rest of my life.

And for the people who think Hydrogen is unsafe because of the "Hindenburg Disaster" (which I have found is most people's frame of reference for Hydrogen safety), scientists have since discovered that the paint which covered the Hindenburg was almost identical in chemical composition to that of Thermite (a highly flammable chemical concoction). Hydrogen is no more dangerous than gasoline or propane.

If Andy Wilman happens to be reading this, please bring this up next series! With the support of Top Gear, maybe we can get a Hyrdogen Conversion Movement going. The Car Manufacturer's could easily design & manufacture conversion kits for the cars they've already sold, they have all of the necessary details. And they could also start designing & manufacturing cars that burn Hydrogen, like BMW sort of did with the Hydrogen-7. I don't know about you, but I can't imagine Top Gear will last too long without Hydrogen fueled Internal Combustion powered cars, because like I've already said "Jeremy Whirring about in an electric car will be nowhere near as entertaining as watching Jeremy power-slide a Ferrari."

I know, I know, I'm ranting, but I am, after all, The Ranter. Any thoughts?
 
I'm cutting down the quote for the sake of space...

I think that the film has absolutely nothing to do with the Aston Martin, or Supercars in general, what-so-ever. What I think it was about is the fact the Corporations and Governments are trying to basically outlaw internal combustion engines altogether, and that the fun we petrol-heads have with them will soon be gone. And when that day does come, the Top Gear we all know and love will die. After all, Jeremy Whirring about in an electric car will be nowhere near as entertaining as watching Jeremy power-slide a Ferrari.

...

And for the people who think Hydrogen is unsafe because of the "Hindenburg Disaster" (which I have found is most people's frame of reference for Hydrogen safety), scientists have since discovered that the paint which covered the Hindenburg was almost identical in chemical composition to that of Thermite (a highly flammable chemical concoction). Hydrogen is no more dangerous than gasoline or propane.

You are right that the film has nothing to do with AM or supercars in general. Clarkson is bemoaning that cars are being commoditized to the point (for enivronment and profit) where they are as exciting as wheat. I don't want to see that happen either. I'm upset that they ended on what seems like reluctant acceptance of that. TG is supposed to be feisty and fighting against that.

As for hydrogen cars my understanding is the general problem is not the safety issue. The problem is that it's not profitable to produce hydrogen in the quantities necessary to make it mass marketable. TG has already brought up hydrogen cars several times in the past. The cars are there, the problem is making the fuel. The irony of course is that hydrogen is the most common element in the universe yet it is very hard to get it in pure form.
 
It's become very, very silly with all those forcibly fed jokes which aren't funny anymore, and "let's do something exciting, but I have no idea what, so let's make something up".

The final film was great though :) I was thinking of how they've brought us at least 8 fantastic series of Top Gear (don't like the late ones, still), and how brilliant they will be to re-watch for the 40th time :lol:
 
I don't normally rate or comment on episodes, but that Aston segment made it a 10. They could have filmed 55 minutes of a Hyundai Accent's engine drone, and then had that, and it'd still have been a 10. Brilliant, absolutely emotional and brilliant. Probably my second-favorite film, after the Britcar 24.
 
I'm cutting down the quote for the sake of space...

You are right that the film has nothing to do with AM or supercars in general. Clarkson is bemoaning that cars are being commoditized to the point (for enivronment and profit) where they are as exciting as wheat. I don't want to see that happen either. I'm upset that they ended on what seems like reluctant acceptance of that. TG is supposed to be feisty and fighting against that.

As for hydrogen cars my understanding is the general problem is not the safety issue. The problem is that it's not profitable to produce hydrogen in the quantities necessary to make it mass marketable. TG has already brought up hydrogen cars several times in the past. The cars are there, the problem is making the fuel. The irony of course is that hydrogen is the most common element in the universe yet it is very hard to get it in pure form.

Hydrogen is not profitable only because of the Government's/Industry's lack of taking advantage of power technology and resources. From what I've gathered (which is too much to list here) there is a huge amount of potential energy not being tapped into in the U.S.A. And that energy is Geothermal Energy. From what I understand, if the U.S. built a few Geothermal Power Plants, we'd have so much electricity coming out of those stations that we'd have more than the U.S. alone could ever use. It is because of the lack of Geothermal Energy Infrastructure that Hydrogen isn't profitable to Produce and Sell, nor are Hydrogen Powered cars.

I say build the Geothermal Plants, use the excess Electricity to produce Hydrogen, and then the Automotive industry will have the necessary Hydrogen to power cars, and the U.S. will have a commodity to sell to other countries so that we can at least attempt to save our rapidly deteriorating economy, and do something good for the environment (and us petrol-heads too :p).
 
I loved the Bathurst and Ute review. Someone mentioned that the latter looks like an El Camino. It does! It totally does!

no the El Camino looks like the ute. Holden Australia have been making utes since 1951. Chevrolet didnt start the El Camino until 1959. ;)

ANYWAY, this was a good episode. some bits could have been shortend and some extended, but overall still very good.
 
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Chevrolet is Holden's American Counterpart, and the El Camino was GM's attempt at selling the Ute in the U.S. Which didn't work out too well... I personally never understood why it didn't. I think they're cooler, and just as useful as the small pickup trucks out there like the Chevy s10 or Ford Ranger.
 
Im scared sh*tless that the shows over. That Aston film was the best/worst thing I've ever seen them do. It PERFECTLY summed up what Top Gear is all about, and that's why it's so terrible. It really makes me think they're done, though Jeremy mentioned something about returning in November so IDK. This was by FAR the best TG of this series, and I thought 13 was the best series since 10. 11 and 12 really left a lot to be desired IMHO.

Please, god, let this not be the end. But if it is, it went out the way it should go out. I love this show to death. BIG 10 for this episode. Absolutely classic.
 
What an excellent episode.
Great reviews of the Bathurst and the ute. Hammond seems right at home with them.
It's no secret that they really do enjoy driving those Aussie cars.

The ad 'challenge' was the segment I most wanted to see in the entire series and it was okay...just fell a little flat. Perhaps a little too scripted?
Jeremy's last ad was top notch though. I had to pause and watch it again.

Jay Leno was a great guest. Genuinely interesting, and seemed to enjoy himself.

The Cool Wall was alright...but just alright. Wasn't overly interested in it. Seems a bit repetitive. There's only so far you can stretch a format like that.

But that last clip of the Aston warrants a 10 tbh. What a poignant note to end the series on. Of course they'll be back in October/November, but damn...I got chills watching that. The simplicity of the message combined with Jeremy's dialogue and the Vantage as a metaphor for that whole car genre was simply spectacular. Great food for thought, and a solid way to wrap up a decent show.
 
it just made you sad cause clarkson never does quiet reviews like that. Theyre all louddd and Funny...but it was like he was sad. Its Just what looked like a bad day at work for clarkson.
 
10/10

This is why you save those 10s. This is why you don't rate every episode a 10. Because something complete and special and unique comes along and you know it's something better than anything you've seen in a long time.

The VXR8/ute was great. Richard is great in how he reviews cars -- it's a lot about the emotion and feeling of a car and done so in a way that isn't shouting POWER for 6 minutes straight. It feels less comedy and more genuine.

News segment was great.

The VW advert I wasn't sure about going into it. As soon as Jeremy's first attempt played with the explosions behind the Scirocco I started laughing and didn't stop until the end of the film. Listening to those ad boys just bitch and whine about advert rules -- like not showing a car at speed -- just irritated me to no end and made the adverts James and Jeremy made have a greater purpose: to flush the rules right down the toilet.

Richard in the cherry picker was payoff for the last 12 series' of Top Gear with Jeremy's trick of sticking those cards where Richard couldn't reach them.

Leno was a good guest, although I wish they'd talked a bit about a few of his really interesting cars. The biker story I'd heard before in another interview Leno did so that was a bit of a waste for me, but still entertaining.

The Vantage film hit so many notes I don't know where to begin. So I won't bother. But that was different, sad, beautiful, a shock, fantastic. It felt entirely otherworldly by the end of it. Just. Wow.
 
Seriously, you guys worry too much. With 380 Million + viewers, two (maybe three :D) spin-offs and the merchandise sales, Top Gear is without a doubt the beebs' biggest success. I can't see them ending it anytime soon; even with the GFC driving up production costs.
Personally, I think it will be Clarkson, Hammond or May deciding they don't want to do it anymore before the BBC will ever decide to cancel it.
It was just Clarkson ruminating that these types of traditional, twelve-litre supercars may be coming to the end of their days.
Although, personally, it really annoyed me. They had a V12 Aston Martin and didn't make proper use of it. I expected powersliding, wheel-spinning goodness. Or at least a good thrash around the Isle of Man.
 
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Epic! The best top gear episode of all time so far for me. Beautiful and emotional ending, good. well done! (happy) 10/10 :)
 
8/10 this season.

The final segment is foreshadowing that the end is near, for both supercars and the show. S14 may be it folks.
 
For the last seasons, like most of the other on this site, I have not enjoyed this series in the same way as before.

Too much repeating. The cheap car challenges all feels the same to me.

But that Aston film was epic. Made me think about when the last time they did something different and I just could not remember what it was. With Jeremys recent blogposts about getting older, James blogging about doing something else - it just feels like it's over soon.

I wonder what the last TG film ever will be like..
 
Oh no! Jeremy clarkson says cars have reached a pinnicle, and because of economic and political pressure, cars will be crap from now on, oh no! But wait, where have i heard this before?

Oh right! It was on top gear every time clarkson dragged the veyron on screen... 4 years ago...

Unprofessional way to end a series, i still havent gotten over "you dont know, you werent there maaaaan!

I think he was more or less correct that there will never be another Veyron-like car (at least in our lifetime). But he may have a point that sports cars, not even necessarily supercars, are being demonized and are becoming less and less "appropriate." American car magazines love to publish articles saying "THE SPORTS CAR IS DEAD!!" even when that's clearly not the case. But now, they probably wouldn't be too far off if they said the sports car was slowly dying out.
 
Now i will admit that that Aston film was gorgeous. Beautiful cinematography, it did have a good (although maybe slightly confusing) message, poetic, music tied in perfectly.
BUT unless that was the last ever episode of top gear i found it completely pointless. That car is Sheer briliiance. I want to see it done in the usual top gear style, i want to see a proper road test, i want to know how fast it would go round the test track and all of that stuff. You cant make a film about that aston and do it in the way that Jeremy did.
On the other hand Richards review of Aussie cars, the HSV Maloo and the Bathurst. Us Aussies make really good cars.
The Scirocco bit was funny but i do agree it did drag on a bit.
So i give the whole episode an 8 or 9, only because that aston should of been given a proper review.
 
That film had nothing to do with the Aston Martin, the AM was just a symbol. He could have driven a Ferrari, a Lambo, or a Koenigsegg, and the message would have been the same. What the message in that film is, is what is up for debate...

I've already stated my opinion on it, and I fear that next season/series we may not see too many high powered cars, and more "hot hatches" and econoboxes...
 
I am going to be short on this one. I think they were trying to make a point with then ending. They did. Simple as that.

9/10: Scirocco segment was boring to me.
 
Doesn't anyone find it particularly odd that they ended the show with a film for the 1st time ever? Especially that film? They've always "signed off" from the Studio, ALWAYS, since series 1, episode 1, and it makes me wonder...
 
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