[17x06] July 31st, 2011

[17x06] July 31st, 2011


  • Total voters
    308
Aventador is a good looking car, it is losing a bit of character, but I'm sure Lambo will release a 2WD version later on that'll be scary to drive. The electric car segment is good, it highlighted the main problems with the electric cars. I always wondered why don't electric cars have transmissions. I remember Tesla said that no transmission can withstand the torque in that motor. But the motor in the Mitsubishi i is only 64hp, they probably could've fitted some diesel transmission in it and that'll lower the eletric motor's rpm and thus extending the range quite a bit. Overall pretty good episode, 8/10.
 
Lambo - what a car! Incredible looking, incredible sound, incredible lap time. Good review.
News - always some laughs in there, enjoyed it.
Electric Cars - thank you Top Gear for pointing out how utterly stupid those cars are. They are not the solution. Great segment, very enjoyable.
SIARPC - skipped it, guy seemed like the world's biggest ratchet. I don't knock down overall episode scores on these interviews though personally. If the interview is good it's just an added bonus to me. I did watch his lap and I must say that Top Gear needs to actually get Angelina Jolie on the show so they can have her on the lap board for real.
Soldiers - great segment. Period.

This season's over and I already can not wait for the next season to begin!
 
I haven't watched it yet but I have a question.

Any update on the V12 BMW and Mercedes besides the one coil pack that went out in Jeremy's Merc?

No need. James's hair is safe
 
Good episode but, unfortunately, an ending to a very short season (as someone mentioned previously).

Does anybody know - will there be an episode or two as specials?

And when is Clarkson's new DVD due to be released?
 
Okay, here we go...

AVENTADOR: as usual, another awesome car from Lambo. A bit too space-agey, but I'm sure the "special" models that'll be released over the next 7 years will be even more feroceous.
NEWS: it was actually very entertaining.
ELECTRIC CARS: "Discussing luggage space is like I'm back on old Top Gear." That says it all. 99% cocking-about free.
LOUIS WALSH: just that other bloke who isn't Simon Cowell.
AMPUTEE RALLY TEAM: a bit too long, I felt. But you couldn't shorten this, no way. And I was actually expectin' somethin' more between Hammo and Ben Collins. All in al, though, I can't really criticize it anymore than I just did.

10/10. A way more balanced series, this time.

PS: Top Gear in Brazil. "Yay", "nay" or "whatever"?
 
I'd say we're back on series 8-10 quality-wise aren't we?
 
They brought back the stig they brutally murdered in VA.

Hammond's Dakar prep film was the perfect way to close out the series. Best of luck to those guys.

Another show about cars. No cocking about but still had some funny bits in there. 10/10
 
10 for the inspirational soldiers ... and that pic of James on the motorcycle. Haven't laughed that hard since... last week. :D
 
This show gets 10 for the Dakar segment, but a minus one for the jeremy butt tattoo - LOL.

The electric car segment has been done too many times before - we know they take forever to charge up and the batteries don't last as long as the car itself.

Can't wait for the second half.
 
Fantastic episode, great way to cap off the great series. I really hope this trend follows into the next series as well, as they really returned to 'great' top gear.

Their review of the electric cars was something completely relevant, while still poking fun at the hopelessness of current charging technology. I really quite liked it. Their requirement to cock about while waiting for the charging was entertaining. Good thing they don't have to please the state department there...

I need say nothing more about the soldiers, but I will anyway. I hope to tune into the Dakar coverage and find them placing well come the finish, I really do. Hammond really shone as the presenter here; he CAN be serious, and it worked really well. It was a fantastic piece, and an exceptional way to end the episode.

I want that Lambo. But I say that every time I see one. But I want *that* one. Well done car presentation, well done video.

I loved the little 'No cocking about, no catching fire, no Richard Hammond' intro to the sensible road test... it made me think that just maybe us vocals who don't like 'Spontaneous Combustion - featuring Hamster' might be shaping some things in just a very small way. And the effect was good. They still had the humor in there, but got to the point of the test as well. The perfect balance... especially given the relatively dry subject matter. (Electric cars are inherently boring... never any drama)

Episode got a 9.5 from me. Which in Top Gear maths is a 10. I knocked off a .5 for the guest, because he crashed a Triumph into a house. And because he was boring... even for SIARPC standards.

Series gets a solid 9 from me. Only major complaint was the forced laughs on the caravan train, and the fire. It wouldn't be so bad if they'd just hang the lampshade on that one, and acknowledge 'Hmmm, we, Top Gear, have a caravan. I wonder if it will catch fire at some point?' while giving a not so subtle wink to the audience.

It was neat to see Ben Collins there as well. I would love to see a race between him and the new Stig with equal footing in lousy cars. Like a head-to-head in a Gwiz or something...

I'll stop before I start rambling. I could write the film for this idea >_>

Great show, great series.
 
Decent ep. Wasn't anything like a 10, nor anywhere near the best of the series.

Aventador: Yawn. Yet another heavy, 4wd video game on wheels. Entirely "new" V12 sounds exactly like an uncorked Murc. Flappy paddles and video game graphics will be sure to be a hit with the coffee shop crowd. I'll eat my hat if I ever see one at a track day. Segment was decidedly boring and essentially the same as Hampster's review of the Murc SV, minus the sand.

News: Somewhat amusing, far from the best, but overall good.

Electric cars: Don't work. Probably never will. Tax for idiots. I'd say that is pretty well established at this point. Would have been more fun to watch with some 'cocking about'. Segment a complete snore fest compared to, say, May's review of the Honda Clarity.

Guest: Snore.

Rally Team: Really made the ep for me. Sobering and real, like the Senna film. I'll be looking for them at Dakar next year.
 
Great episode! Definitely a good end to a really good series. Aside from the high points already mentioned by everyone else, this exchange during the news cracked me up:

Jeremy: You may mock...
Richard: Thank you. It's ridiculous!

And James' modelling picture was good too. :lol:
 
It was .... Pleasant... Really there's no other word that describes this episode better. Pleasant is what it was... Yeah. Pleasant.:rolleyes:
I giggled throughout the bloody thing :) And what more should I ask for?
News were really funny.
When I heard Jeremy and James were in a clip together, no Hammond involved... I went like "YESSSSS" and actually paused it to revisit my sitting position and set it to "Maximum comfort for ultimate delight". Every single segment where they'd appear together hasn't been short of memorable. The Grosser VS Corniche, the Commie Cars, the first car with a modern layout... All were thoroughly positively memorable.
This one didn't disappoint. It just wasn't going to ^^

The guest was... genuinely ... "Joyful". He really seemed like a "happy" man. And he transferred that happieness throughout the interview and even though it wasn't really an interview as Jeremy did most of the talking, I didn't really care, and was smiling as Louis was.

And, well, fantastic last segment.

It's really sad that we get to enjoy so little of TG every year that goes by....
But it's all, good, memories.
 
That was really, really good! After that last segment, how could I not give it a 10?

Yeah, I wasn't all that thrilled with the SIARPC, and I have a slightly different perspective on the electric auto and think they were a little biased.. but otherwise, it was a solid hour of motoring all the way through, no real cocking about. And that last segment was among the best that they have ever done on this show, right up with the Senna package. I was also glad to see them put bygones behind them and have Collins back to help out the team.
 
This was one of the most consistently solid seasons of the past two or three years. Every episode was just wonderful. So happy to hear we'll have a season 18.

Thank you Top Gear. Thank you.
 
6

I've just stopped watching it.

I remember the awesome Aventador, the pretty interesting EV clip and how Hammond asked a stupid question that made a former soldier cry.

Apart from that, most of the show was dull and got me thinking at several points: what are they on about?

From what I've seen, if you don't like it it means it's actually a good show. :mrgreen:
 
Aventador: Well, it's a Hammond review. Hammond's the one who relies more on verbal wit and editing than actual stunting to get his point across, and that can get a bit dull if he's not careful. So call it a 7.
News: mag shot of "James" was a bit startling, and watching the Lotus's lap was fun too. Nice that they didn't put it on the "Power Lap" board, since everyone knows the rules by heart by now. Say an 8.
Electric cars: Look, it would have been predictably boring if they don't things like they do to a G-Wiz. I do believe it was an honest review where the upsides got played up just as well as the downs -- you got the impression that Jeremy would say the Leaf would be a good car if only it didn't have its current electrical system. Call it a 7.
SIARPC: Guest wasn't expecting much, but that "off" was more than a little unnerving. 7.
Vets Rallying: Folks, *this* is why TGUK deserves to stay on the air. The crew have developed their storytelling skills to the point where a story like this, which would make an interesting segment in the "lifestyles" bit of the supper-hour news program, becomes genuinely moving when Top Gear takes it on. If and when TG-AUS or TG-USA does a story like this -- *that* is when most of their nay-sayers will fall silent. A 10.
Overall episode: a 9, mainly on the strength of the final segment.
Overall series: an 8. I like that they're refocusing on cars; they always run out of steam very quickly whenever they don't. I like that they're dialing back the cocking about; whever it's less about them and more about what they're doing with cars, it makes for better quality entertainment.
 
Lambo bit was great, wish they had some battle with another super car.

Got choked up during the soldier segment, very moving. Best of luck to the boys making it to Dakar.
 
Top