[13x07] August 2nd, 2009

[SVTBMG]

Your comment is in such bad taste that even our very own Spectre won't approve, but somehow i can't stop laughing. You, Sir, are a very bad man. But very amusing, too.

Yes I am, and I take it as a compliment. I am not into that PC crap. Everyone is too damn sensitive, especially after 9/11...thanks a lot Bin Laden

People who don't like it can kiss my Fat white American butt.

 

[Cowboy]

That ending segment is still giving me the creeps.......I know its about how the treehuggers are killing of good cars with their relentless whining but there's something about the tone of the piece, the tone in Jeremey's voice even, the way he sais goodnight....like he feels defeated somehow, overpowerend by a nevenending stream of eco-bullcrap, legislations, financial crissises ......

Jezza's always been a driving force in the whole anti ecomadness storm, the example us petrolheads look up to in definding the very right of existance of dream and supercars, cars themselves even.....if he gives up it realy will be the end of top-gear because without its 'in your face' approach to the 'politicly correct' half the fun is gone.....

 

[Correspondent75]

The VW add segment was bloody hilarious : it remind me an old french film of the 70' s .(a guy hired in a add firm that didn't have a clue about how to make add's and that's end up like Clarkson and May' attempts).

Only for that i give it a ten.

 

[pitdog]

10/10. very nice and balanced episode (funeral was balanced too), the ads were hilarious, only one thing (yay, my first mini complaint, but not really, just a minor point) - In Poland there would be mobilisation, not an exodus, we are not the French, we are no surrender monkeys but it was just typical horsing around on JC's part and he knows his history, so whatever, it was funny.

Jay Leno was one fine guest. Gotta like him for his moto passion at the very least. And how true was his sex - driving wisdom. He was a bit disappointed at his performance on the track. But I was surprised by what he said in extra footage: borrow a car at the airport and have some fun. As if he really did not drive on a track in some of his precious machines or a track car back in the US of A. Hard to believe. ANd kind uplifiting for the poorer folk - all it takes is some average car, some money for spares and a track.

Aston bit - brilliant. Like an advertisement, but with a meaningful message. As far as the whole "controversy" about the ending - I don't get it. Jeremy clearly stated what he was on about at the beginning of the Aston segment. Just listen to the guy. He is afraid such cars are going extinct. That's it. I see his point, but I think otherwise. And hopefully you Brits will do something about this whole 1984 being forced upon you - the latest thing I read was about cameras in homes.

Overall - the series ended too soon, but what the heck, next one is coming.

 

[Spazatao]

That doesn't seem right to me? Would love to be wrong though.

It seems with a little search you'd find this:

http://forums.finalgear.com/automotive-news/anti-car-ecomentalists-take-note-15-ships-pollution-from-all-the-worlds-cars-36308/

 

[Hiro11]

6/10 (relative to other Top Gear episodes)

I thought it was a very uneven episode:

+ Funny cool wall episode
- Boring and pointless VW ad segment, pure fast-forward material if you ask me
+ The Bathurst and Ute ridiculousness.
- Finally getting Jay Leno, a man with arguably the finest non-Brunei car collection in the world and spend no time going deep on cars
+ Pie-key
- Yet another all-Britain, all-the-time episode where the budget cuts hit home (not necessaryly a bad thing once in a while, but please throw in a a little Stelvio/racing a bullet train/Vietnam exotica from time to time)
+ Great choice of Eno's classic "Music for airports" over the final Aston clip
- no ZR-1 on the Top Gear track (huge letdown after putting it in the teaser, if you ask me)

Overall, this entire season was more than a little lacking. Not quite the near disaster of season 9, but hardly up to the standard of seasons 10, 11 and 12.

 

[Porsche Liebhaber]

Epic Epic Epic episode.

"I think electricity is a mystery, it is, I don't actually believe in it"

 

[Buktu]

Well, a 7/10 for me.

It was good, all TG is, but it just sort of lacked something. I didn't think the Ad piece had the "substance" to go on for so long - at first I thought "Oh well, it'll be a quick gag, like that Health and safety train crossing thing".. Turns out, it wasn't.
It did have its brilliant moments though, but not nearly "top" Top Gear material.

The Bathurst, News and Leno was all pretty good, I liked Lenos story, made him seem like a very down to earth nice guy. Which he probably is.

The ending was weird to say the least. Strangely compelling, yet a bit sad really. I see now where all the "Ending of Top Gear" fuss came from, you'd definitely get that vibe from it A very out of character piece for Top Gear, and it made for a "Nice" ending of the season, despite the not so great message.

 

[shellygrrl]

there is something bothering me...
when did the DB9 do a lap on the track?
does anyone know?
if you know please tell me couse i want to see that lap.
thanks

You won't see it ever because said lap, as mentioned, never aired.

- no ZR-1 on the Top Gear track (huge letdown after putting it in the teaser, if you ask me)

In all likelihood, you'll see the review of it next series.

 

[Khaki]

... Look at the Austrailians, who last year amidst a fuel crisis bought more V8s than ever before....

Yeah, but we are a load of idiots. You can't take anything we do or say seriously

 

[Top Geek]

I'm not particularly fond of "car-trucks" a-la Elcamino, but that Maloo is FRIKEN' AWESOME :lol:

 

[JCE]

When they reviewed the supercharged HSV Clubsport (essentially the Bathurst) on TGA, they found that the big wheels & low profile tyres were a hindrance & when they changed it to standard Clubsport wheels, tyres & brake discs (the large ones wouldn't fit the stock wheels) they improved the lap time by 3 seconds. Not sure which wheels the Bathurst is using.

I saw that episode--was a good one. Still, I don't want to diminish the time the Maloo set--it was quite fast.

 

[invisiblecake]

Wish I had given this episode a higher vote. I filled it in immediately after watching it, and was in an odd mood from the AM film. I only gave it a 5 I think, but it really does deserve a 9 at least. I'm going to watch it again tomorrow I think.

But it still gives me that weird nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about it. I haven't felt like this, really, since last summer when I thought David Tennant was leaving Doctor Who for some reason, and I sat for an hour and cried and felt sick. Seems like a silly thing to get all emotional about, but it's odd, because I think it helped a lot now that I KNOW he's leaving for sure. I don't feel terrible this time around. And hopefully the same will happen when Top Gear finally goes. I won't feel like shit and be depressed about it, I can think of all the good times and how awesome it still is now.

Can't wait for the next series, adn hopefully at least a few more still to come!

 

[Bomber]

It felt like this episode was some sort of Top Gear Australia tribute, we had Holden worship, ads being shown in the program and a scissor-type lift in the studio.

 

[Velociraptor Clint-Thrust]

Yeah, but we are a load of idiots. You can't take anything we do or say seriously

And the recession hasn't hit as badly here as it has in the US and the UK.

:lol: @ Bomber. Interesting observation, and pretty damn accurate too.

 

[cvector]

he said hardly anything about the aston.

did he really need to ?

as for him refering to the end of supercars, nothing could be further from the truth. Aston has a 1 million dollar coming out, lamborghini has a replacement for the lp640 coming out next year, bently has a new 4door coming out as well.

i dont think he is saying that none will ever be made but simply that with the way things are going, regulations etc, then it is going to be harder and makers may start to reduce how many of these types of cars(truly hyper) they make.

 

[cvector]

Yeah, but we are a load of idiots. You can't take anything we do or say seriously

speak for yourself.

 

[pepitko]

quite an awesome ep, 9/10 from me. The Aston ending was very artistic, beautifully shot, kind of unusual but awesome.

I liked the faces of the ad-agency guys, when Jeremy and James presented their ads :lol:

 

[aheyn]

I think people are looking into the Aston Martin segment too much. Yes, it was stunningly beautiful and just so poignant, but I think Top Gear producers were having a bit of a go at us.

As I watched it, my first initial thought was they were parodying a 'traditional' car ad - flowing roads out in the country, waterfalls / trickling water, breathtaking scenery etc. That would fit in well with the whole ad segment (Clarkson/May suggested an ad like this to the ad guys). So it could have been a parody.

OR, they started filming it - as a parody of whatever - and realised they could make it this spectacularly beautiful short segment... so they almost over did things with the clouds etc. To then go back into the studio and have Clarkson sign off just wouldn't have fitted and would have spoilt the beauty of the segment.

OR, they knew people might think its the end or that it would get people talking. Its Top Gear, they like having fun and doing clever things.

I reckon its a combination of things.... they got the car, got the idea of the beautiful scenery/long roads etc from the ad segment, overdid the prettiness of it all, and left things a bit open/ambiguous (even though they mentioned filming again).

 

[OldSkoolGP]

Does anyone have a link to that extra Leno footage that we in the US could see?