[15x07] December 21st, 2010 [Special]

[narf]

Post number 1 wants to say "Don't beg for downoading links."

 

[ERIFNOMI]

Yeah I found one. My ISP has good, free newservers. When you get the torrents a day or so after the show aired, they'll fly.

 

[SpitfireMK461]

I sat down with my dad to watch it. When they started up with the Blue Ridge Parkway, he quickly interjected "No it's not, it's only 35mph". Lo and behold.

What is there to say. 10/10.

PS. That SLS looks amazing in the city.

 

[cookiebun]

Yeah I found one. My ISP has good, free newservers. When you get the torrents a day or so after the show aired, they'll fly.

ARGG It was password protected!!
You don't get this sort of crap on the torrents.
Grabbing it off "the box bz" now.
Sorry 'bout that.

 

[Origin]

It's been a while since I've found myself really laughing at the vast majority of a TG episode. The "gift ideas" segment that the news becomes every holiday season was, once again, full of Clarksonish hilarity and I've always been a fan of the challengey bits.

However, the biggest surprise was probably the SIARPC. Most of them (after I grab the episodes after airing) I simply skip, but this one was actually interesting for me. And I learned that Clarkson and I both share the same favourite Danny Boyle film (Sunshine), which is a bonus.

All-in-all, a great episode. I think the only drawback would be that the five days (okay, four as it's the morning of the 22nd) between now and the 26th are that extra bit more unbearable as a result.

 

[t3h r0x0rs]

That was great! Top Gear is back Loved the cars, the challenges, the dancing mayor and James and Richard's new haircuts. Captain Slow doing yoga was funny too, totally didn't expect that. 10/10. Can't wait for the Special on Sunday, it looks good.

 

[laxmax613]

Come on.... Broadway and then some side streets..... but all in all, an excellent episode. really refreshing after TGUSA.

 

[jsausley]

Watching the boys cruise VIR was amazing.

I've driven Virginia International Raceway many times, done about 100 laps in various cars. A Corvette C5, my Pontiac GTO, a BMW M3, and a 2009 Corvette ZR1. I know the track well and really appreciated seeing Jezza, May and Hamster driving around the course. It was amazing.

Hammond almost totaled that Porsche going through the uphill esses though! If anyone here knows VIR, the uphill esses are the most dangerous portion of the track. If you look up the raceway on YouTube you will see numerous crashes that occur there. It's a set of uphill corners in a repeating left-right-left-right-left-right formation not unlike the N?rburgring Nordschleife's Ex-M?hle or Tiergarten. The corners come up right after a decent straight, so you can reach them at 90-120 MPH depending on your car. Then you have to take late apexes and keep your feet off both pedals to avoid being thrown off of the driving line dramatically by the huge weights shifts. It's one of my favorite portions of VIR because it is so difficult to master, and Hammond definitely saw how dangerous it can be.

 

[supraphonic]

Yes! I made it into the shot!

 

[Amanaman]

How is it that this is listed as episode 15x07? They showed a series montage at the start which would indicate it was 16x01.

 

[ericyoung017]

Loved it!

 

[ERIFNOMI]

How is it that this is listed as episode 15x07? They showed a series montage at the start which would indicate it was 16x01.

BBC lists is as 15x07 so that's what everyone is going with. So, for now anyway, it's 15x07

Ok anyway, I just watched it....
Wow I missed top gear. I've watched old ones so much I forgot what it was like to see a top gear where I didn't know what would happen next. But in that montage, was that the episode that they did with Top Gear Australia? Maybe they show something more from there side? Looking forward to the 26th!

 

[prizrak]

They were in Brooklyn and I missed it!!!!!!!!!!!! FML

 

[slkrug]

After watching TGA during the TGUK break, I started to try and convince myself that the American spinoff wasn't so bad after watching the first 5 episodes...now after watching TGUK right now, I realized how terrible TGA actually is compared to the real thing. Wow i'm glad it's back.

That Ferrari gave me chills every time it accelerated. Oh my god that car is amaaaazing.

 

[steve216]

Loved this special, its definitely one of the better ones they have done in America at least. I could care less about the scripted stuff, what episode isn't. 10/10 Its nice to have a show to tune into each week again. Also the extra length made it so much better. (That's what she said).

 

[alpha]

Wow. Just: Wow.

I had actually forgotten how good Top Gear really is. That ep was fabulous. I laughed out loud plenty of times, the filming was stunningly beautiful as usual, the hosts are as funny and easy to watch as ever. Top Gear America just hit the shitter. Direct comparison with the real deal every week? Auch. They're in trouble.


As for Hammond, let him be a Porsche fan. Clarkson has gone on and on about Ferraris for years and I didn't hear anyone complain (although he does have a newly found love for Porsches, watch his DVD The Italian Job). We all have our preferences and as I own a 996 (thats the second newest generation of 911 to those of you that aren't familiar with the internal model designations at Porsche) myself I have a respect for the quality of the cars they produce, and the attention to detail and respect for their heritage. Where Jaguars played off their history and just got old and dated, Porsche is like U2: They've been around for forever but still manage to reinvent themselves and produce something new and amazing. Porsche has produced the same car model (911) for 48 years now and each new one is at the very bleeding edge of supercar performance. With that pedigree in mind: Best car manufacturer on the planet? Possibly.

 

[DarthBane22]

North Carolina Pride baby!!

fuck. yes.

i have been to that track before.

Now back to the episode

 

[delfindle]

Oh how I have missed you Top Gear! I just love this show! Can't wait for the rest of the series.

 

[Tygur]

As for Hammond, let him be a Porsche fan. Clarkson has gone on and on about Ferraris for years and I didn't hear anyone complain (although he does have a newly found love for Porsches, watch his DVD The Italian Job). We all have our preferences and as I own a 996 (thats the second newest generation of 911 to those of you that aren't familiar with the internal model designations at Porsche) myself I have a respect for the quality of the cars they produce, and the attention to detail and respect for their heritage. Where Jaguars played off their history and just got old and dated, Porsche is like U2: They've been around for forever but still manage to reinvent themselves and produce something new and amazing. Porsche has produced the same car model (911) for 48 years now and each new one is at the very bleeding edge of supercar performance. With that pedigree in mind: Best car manufacturer on the planet? Possibly.

OK I think we all can tell you are actually Richard Hammond on this board, trolling under a fake name.

Anyway, now that the rodent has been put down, its time for me to express my opinions on the greatest episode... in the world.

Apart from a few foibles with the news, and hair that made May look like my grandmother, everything in this episode is just perfection. Especially the sound of the Merc. The only parts it was lacking was the amazing experience of a Ferrari spontaneously bursting into flame, and a Volkswagen Beetle exploding.

And on that bombshell, I gave it a 9/10.

 

[erick295]

That was brilliant, I was grinning through that entire episode. It was good to see them in my neck of the woods without pretending to be assaulted by rednecks

On a sad note that really made TGUSA look bad.