Very enjoyable episode
The something versus car race wasn't that interesting. Was it me or did it feel like Top Gear of the past? And in this case the past wasn't better. Never really liked those random opponents, don't really add anything to the program.
News was good. Jemery looked better this week (and not only in the SAAB segment :lol: ), younger and healthier. He must've cut his ear off, but he didn't mention it of course.
The track test was ok, but also a bit pointless. Jeremy tested a beefed up Maserati, only to conclude that the beefing up was pointless. A Maserati GT is supposed to be exactly that, a Grand Tourer. This was just another rather average (surprised at how slow it was) wannabe sports car, which serves no purpose. If you want a sports car, buy a Nissan GTR. Actually I want them both, the Nissan GTR and the standard Maserati GT.
The Maserati had a very good sound track though. Give me a naturally aspirated engine any day of the week. I'd much rather have a normal engine with 250bhp than a turbo with 400, although I should say thus far I've only driven an example of the former and a smaller version of the latter. Still, don't like the driving style of a turbo.
Except when it's a SAAB. Brilliant film. The beginning reminds me of the first time I (tried to) drive a Saab, a 9-3. All the electrics failed, took an hour to get it back to life. But the 9-5 drove brilliantly, and the turbo gauge is even better. It's a bit like pop-up headlamps, you just want them. Also, the 9-5 is only one out of two cars that looks properly beautiful in the station wagon variant (the other being the Alfa 156/9 Sportwagon). Anyway, very interesting piece of Top Gear and I wished it could've been longer. As mentioned in the topic, there was more to tell and James' story about one way of turbo versus another (?) also sounded like an interesting story. It's some time ago I really regretted the end of an episode.
Is this becoming a new thing, the Jeremy and James pieces? Give me more of it! Is it the producers secretly confirming the Hammond problem there is at the moment? In which we first see a rather pointless (sorry to say) Hammond film and after that carry on with the real show? I really like it though, I even enjoyed (contrary to most here I believe) the VW advert episode.
Oh, and someone should tell the SIARPC to cut his hair. I hate people who grow their hair, one one side or both, and then start to continually try to put it in a place where it doesn't bother them. Seemed to be a nice guy though.