[18x01] January 29th, 2012

[18x01] January 29th, 2012

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Really enjoyed it. I love the road trip shows. Get to see places I haven't been, beautiful cars and three guys acting like I would if I had an endless bank account. Very entertaining.

Edit: Italian Police Officers are scary looking. Don't let an American rap musician (used loosely) to start a car company in the ghetto. I respect the idea, but his car design needs serious help.
 
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Hive said:
-Since when did Hammond develop a laugh that sounds like Tigger? lol
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:lol:

Perhaps Jeremy should change his view on Hammond as he thinks he's a Piglet :)

What if, like Richard Hammond, you are a Piglet? Piglets are foot soldiers who enjoy being told what to do. Piglets fear putting their heads above the parapet lest they say or do something wrong, which is why Piglets should never, under any circumstances, have a lime-green Dodge Charger. If they live in cities, they should have a bicycle, so they don't get in anyone's way, and in the countryside, they should have a Land Rover, so they blend.
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Great bit of Top Gear. Really enjoyed that one, the Lambo is just so insanely awesome. I had sort of expected the studio end to be more like "The Lambo might not be the best, but it's the one we all prefer", because come on, in the market for a supercar, the other two are just boring in comparison.. :D

Also, the next time people start predicting the demise of Top Gear after a single episode, as was the case after the India special, they can be referred to this. It's happened again and again, they always bounce back.
 
just flicked over onto BBC3 and caught the last 4-5mins of the episode again. That whole piece at Imola has to be one of these best pieces Top Gear has ever done, perfectly captured the sense of them pushing the cars as much as they dared, with the sense of desperation to beat the Ferrari's time.
 
jpmfan said:
just flicked over onto BBC3 and caught the last 4-5mins of the episode again. That whole piece at Imola has to be one of these best pieces Top Gear has ever done, perfectly captured the sense of them pushing the cars as much as they dared, with the sense of desperation to beat the Ferrari's time.
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I probably say this after every new episode. haha
 
Wow .. we truly are blessed. I mean: A genuine piece of "old" TG after that miserable POS of an X-Mas-special - who'd have thunk it? The only reason I'm not giving it more than an 8/10 is the truly weird SIARPC-segment and the fact that besides it and the news, they only had one real segment on the show (the road trip).

Besides that tiny complaint: Great show, great way to start the series and a great way of putting the dreadful India-special behind us.

Oh and yes: There's no doubt in my mind which car won the road trip: It' gotta be the Lambo.
The McLaren with all its technicality and clinical perfection is too similar to the Ferrari, without actually beating it. And since the 458 looks so much better than the McLaren ... Speaking of looks: While the Noble is interesting, it just falls down miserably on the looks-front. I mean this thing looks like a Supercar from the 90s - think Bugatti EB110/Jaguar Xj220-era. Add to that the fact that it shredded its clutch on the first challenge, that its engine comes from a Volvo and that the interior looks dreadful .. oh well.

Even in a different group of cars, how can you *not* prefer the Lambo? Crazy, over the top, yet sexy, looks, a V12, a sound to start earthquakes with, a 4WD-chassis that lets you actually use its power in the twisty stuff *and* flames shooting out the back? That's pretty much the definition of super-/hyper-car in my book. The only current car I can think of that would stand a chance against the Lambo is the new Pagani.





leboef said:
What was Jeremy talking about at the beginning of the show? What terrible battering?
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Since I don't follow the UK's yellow press, I was going to ask the same thing on here. Anyone care to enlighten us continental/colonial types?





S.
 
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I'll see this episode over and over again just to see the blue flames coming of the exhaust of that truly amazing beast called Aventador. Really enjoyed this whole episode, except for the SIARPC bit 9/10
 
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Great start to the series!
9/10 from me, nearly perfect (SIARPC was boring). Let's keep it up.
 
Remove Willdot and everything was hunky dory!
 
Hive said:
Just re-watched and now wish I could change my score from a 7 to an 8.. >_>
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Likewise. Just watched it again, this time in HD, and now realise ticking 7 after the first viewing wasn't fair of me. Then again there's not much room to move considering I never hand out a 10 for anything less than pure perfection. A 9, however, encourages more good stuff and maybe even better next time ;)

Yes, the SIARPC was indeed boring and skippable. If they can't find anyone slightly interesting, then maybe just give the errand boy, tea lady or the security bloke on the gate a shot at a lap. Or a previous SIARPC, who once before did a good (or bad, or wet) lap, can have another go. Otherwise just leave the SIARPC segment out and allow more time for some other good stuff.
 
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Best TG in a long time.
 
Loved it. Proper TG cocking about with plenty of motoring thrown in. Was surprised to see Richard in a Noble, but glad he gave it a proper trashing. Then gave the other Noble a proper trashing. Lets hear it for customer support.

That Lambo is sick. Proper sick. Glad to see Audi finally let the Italians do the only thing they are good at (design).

James in the photocopier was good, I could tell he was impressed by the technology, could also tell he was not bowled over by the lack of soul.

The road trip with the rozzers was funny, but not nearly as funny as Jeremy in the Lambo in a helmet with no room, reminded me of a reverse bobble head. Richards face after tearing down the Noble was painful (I've been there), but the cherry on top was the trip to Imola. Just amazing. Great save by Richard, really thought he was going to stuff it. Have to say though, the McLaren on the Appia made me cringe. Carbon fibre and big fucking stones dont really mix.

Gave it a ten.

Which I did having forgotten the rather forgettable Will.I.Am. Seemed that he was really there for personal publicity, or someones daughter wouldn't shut up about him. He seemed like a fish out of water. His car looks like a DMC and a Alfa got into some kind of orgy with a Honda and a blender. Too bad everyone was too blattered to remember who fucked who. Betting the prototype will get its wheels nicked first time its parked outside the factory. Good intentions, but I reserve my opinion on how likely it is to happen.
 
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The episode just aired on BBC Canada, edited for time of course. And their edits made the episode damn near perfect - rather than chop up the news, as they usually do, they blitzed the SIARPC segment. :D
 
SirEdward said:
Wow, proper Top Gear. Yey!

It was a very nice episode. Plus, they were practically around the corner from where I live, which is nice.

Only strange bit was SIARPC. Was it just me or Will.I.am doesn't know how to smile? Boy he looked contemptuous.

On the Italy bit, a couple of curiosities:

a) Rome actually has chaotic roads, but that's a bit stretched.
b) They were actually driving in areas which are usually restricted to the average driver. Ok, you can enter them, but prepare to pay a big fine...
c) The "holiday" thing wasn't something about working on holidays, but had probably something to do with driving or filming permits or, possibly, with the crew having aome sort of lorry to carry the props around. Lorries are not allowed on the motorways on Sundays and other holidays. So this might be the case.
d) At first, I was absolutely sure the fat tow-driver wasn't speaking italian, nor, for what I knew, any language known to mankind. Now, however, after hearing to him through the speakers at an insanely high volume, I could make something out of his blabbering. He speaks with a horrendous accent.

So he says:

1) it's wider than the tow-truck
2) it's a... a N... n... Noble.
3) I can't do it because of the width.

after the tunnel bit:

4) eh, but... well, there was nobody here.
5) yes, I'm a tow-truck. (yes, literally. it's only just a bit less weird in italian)
6) When I tell you they called the tow-truck, ... (Richard covers the words with his voice)

another call

7) Hi, listen... I'm on the A14...
8) (covered by richard)
9) well, good evening.

It must be said that the fact that the tow-driver doesn't even remotely say anything to Richard is probably an effect of editing, because when the guy leaves, he says goodbye like someone who was there and talked the entire problem through with them (thought they probably hadn't too much to say because of the language barrier). At the same time, it is entirely possible that the first thing the guy has done was not greeting Richard, but checking the car and its width.

e)I've seen bits of road I use frequently!
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Thanks for the translation. I just watched thru this eposide again and wonder what was the tow truck guy saying,
 
Some questions:

1. Did Richard buy that black Noble (the one with the license plate saying "M600 RHD"?

2. Any reason why the really-old-lady police officer is holding some kind of papers? (38:10)
 
ctrlaltazn said:
Some questions:

1. Did Richard buy that black Noble (the one with the license plate saying "M600 RHD"?

2. Any reason why the really-old-lady police officer is holding some kind of papers? (38:10)
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I think the number plate is referring to Right Hand Drive(the original,red car, in the first part had 'LHD' on the plate and it had left hand drive).
 
ctrlaltazn said:
Some questions:

1. Did Richard buy that black Noble (the one with the license plate saying "M600 RHD"?
2. Any reason why the really-old-lady police officer is holding some kind of papers? (38:10)
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1: - No. Nobel suppling cars to Top Gear is probably the most cost effective way for a firm of that size to get the brand known. I wouldn't be surprised if when the call came from the TG on-site team back to the Nobel office about the clutch problems, "Geoff" would've have phoned the misses that he wont be home for dinner, raided the petty cash for fuel money & jumped into the first RHD car they had pointing in the right direction to drive it to Italy.


2: - No idea. Perhaps they're the 'papers' for the equipment (and cars) that foreign film crews need to carry with them when travelling internationally to confirm where, when & how everything they have was purchaed. This is to cover off people taking stolen 'goods' internationally, like cars or camera equipment. *This was highlighted in the english series "Long way round".
 
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