Clarkson: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly discussion thread

[scoops]

lol I used to tow with that truck too and i got it to about 90-95mph no problem. just knew that if i tempted fate much longer with it at that speed bad things would happen.... and it's not like i was towing light stuff either. I think our trucks here have almost too much power, but it sure is fun

 

[scoops]

That's quite true, a Kia can barely pull its own weight around, much less a trailer. But from experience, I'd say that British roads are just too narrow to fit the kinds of RV's we use in North America. The roads are just claustrophobic compared to the ones we have here.

all the same one of our proper trucks would totally dominate one of those lil campers... would never see a cue behind one unless the person was an ass.

 

[TC]

I'd rather have something that is astonishing at one thing, than something that is reasonable at some things, and bad at the others. And this may sound crazy but the ride in the Dodge is bone breaking...

What a second. "Bone breaking"? Have you ever driven a Ram? I've driven a few, including 2WD, 4WD, and Hemi models and they rode very very soft.

So you would rather have a car that does only one thing good and nothing else, rather then a car that could do almost anything fairly well? At least you could drive the Ram in the rain.

 

[Viper007Bond]

The funny thing is that most people who flame trucks are foreign and have never even ridden in a fullsize pickup. :lol:

I rode in a Ram 2500 4-door all the way to Utah and it was better equipped than many luxury cars (all leather, nice heated seats, super powerful surround sound system, etc.). Not to mention, it had fuckloads of torque. Going up a very steep hill, we were passing other cars at around 80MPH even though we were pulling a dual axle trailer with 2 offroad buggies and full gear (welding tools, etc.) in it.

 

[janstett]

Honestly here, I am surrounded by car idiots who simply can not grasp what a turn is. I sympathies with Clarkson on this fact that Americans think Image and sound mean it's a fast car. I always see people drool over the viper. and in my eyes the viper is utter rubbish. if you can't stop and turn there is no point in going fast. This makes as much sence as if I were to give you the secret of having EVERY SINGLE attractive women flash you there tops, in exchange you must gouge your eyes out with a poker.

Sounds like you're an internet racer. What in holy hell makes you think a Viper can't stop and can't turn? I've been on a road course with them, and I've worked an autocross event at a local Viper day with them buzzing around me at 60 mph. The Viper can brake and turn with the best, thank you very much.

I'm wondering what your experience is with them that you know so much...

 

[janstett]

And dont give me any shit about using recycled rubbish in the interior because of the environment; if you cared about the world then why are you the only country that would sign up to the kyoto agreement?

Australia also did not sign the Kyoto agreement. And, for what it's worth, Kyoto exempted China and India, who combined have 10 times the population of the US and none of the environmental controls. Do a google search on "Bombay" and "Diesel".

Camaro SS, beat an M3?! HAHA. heres a tip. go to www.streetfire.net and search for M3 + POLICE CAR. a 15 year old in a 20 year old m3 outrunning a fat hillbilly yank in a camaro who is suppose to be able to "protect and serve"; im sorry but if one of those sheds ever outruns a properly engineered german car then Bush is an innocent man.

The Camaro SS is a capable road racer. It has the same V8 from the Corvette and weighs 3400 lbs. I know because I race its sister car, the Trans Am, while you apparently know because of streetfire.net.

Mate if it wasnt for the English, and the Europeans, not only would you not have roads or wheels, but you wouldn't even fucking exist; remeber we found your country? you've done it again also; cruise in my miata round the mountain "driving" roads. Summed up completely mate; you want to cruise around in your gas guzzlers saving your own country and making yourself comfortable while fucking over the rest of the world; and your car industry is the same.

Hmm, first, the Miata is a "gas guzzler"? Second, we saved Europe from going back to the dark ages TWICE. You think the US is so rotten, just wait until Europe is over-run by muslims and China rules the world. Then you'll see what tyranny really is.

Il grant you maybe the z06 is a good car; but leaf spring isn't even used on Vans and trucks over here any more and your using it on your performance cars? Yet they can still out handle european and japanese sports cars? id like to see it mate

Idiot, for the ten billionth time, it doesn't use leaf springs like a truck. It is a SINGLE leaf spring mounted TRANSVERSELY, connecting the a-arms. You probably don't know what that means. But if it helps, this was done on F1 cars in the 1990s.

As for the comment about the war and you lot saving us (i cant find the comment, you've gone and done it yet again mate; made yourself and your fellow "compatriats" look stupid; if you actualy did your research and knew your facts (challenging, i know) you would realise that your country only got involved as A) you got ombed by the japs and B) you made millions by selling weapons to the allies. sounds familier dont it?!?!

Idiot. Read some history books and look at the loan-lease act, US Merchant Marines, or the US pilots that flew with the RAF defending England before the US entered the war.

 

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Sounds like you're an internet racer. What in holy hell makes you think a Viper can't stop and can't turn? I've been on a road course with them, and I've worked an autocross event at a local Viper day with them buzzing around me at 60 mph. The Viper can brake and turn with the best, thank you very much.

I'm wondering what your experience is with them that you know so much...

Don't worry - he's from the Internet. Which means he knows precisely fuck all, but has a big opinion about everything. Same with that Dan318-is fool -- the size of his mouth is inversely proportionate to the size of his brain.

 

[Vitamin J]

To add to the M3 vs. Camaro. The police model is a Z28 automatic with about 600lbs worth of police gear.

A base 6-speed Z28 will and has destroyed E36 M3s in SCCA racing. The Camaro was the car to road race 5 years ago.

 

[Ventura6]

Well, maybe it isn't a 49 footer. I exaggerated. I made a Clarkson. But it is at least 35 feet and a 5th wheel, so the 2500 handles it well. And because I don't spend more than a week with it a year, I can't remember the name. All I know is, its huge, and I can soar down the road with it.

 

[Vitamin J]

Apparently Camaros/Firebirds are still the car to have:

 

[thedguy]

Wasn't the kid in an e30 m3 going against a fox body stang?

And whoever was going on about the braking of the Viper, originally it had issue's because people weren't as good at pedal modulation as they like to believe, it lacked ABS or traction control as everyone thought it took away from the driving experience. Dodge always billed the vehicle as a raw sports car, if you can't drive well, the car will try to kill you. Clarkson has said more times than I care to recall he can't drive. Unsuprisingly then, that he spins it constantly. I hate the Viper, but the Viper in a skilled drivers hands is an impressive machine, and many pro-drivers say it's a very easy car to drive quickly.

I know when I tow a 49' trailer with a Duramax Chevrolet 2500, I can cruise at 75 and dominate nearly every tow car/truck on the road. Or perhaps I am just aggressive.

Man here in missouri it seems like there's an unwritten rule, the worse the weather is, and the more your towing the faster you go. I don't think I've seen a pick-up hauling any kind of trailer travel slower than 75mph since I've been here.

 

[niteriyder]

wow, so many ignorant people on this site, bunch of angry adolesent euro trash bandwagon hoppers.

How many of you guys actually drive?

 

[Peter3hg]

Apparently Camaros/Firebirds are still the car to have:

What kind of racing is that? It looks kinda like our touring cars, i.e. very fun to watch.

 

[thedguy]

I can't say exactly what that series is check out the speed world challenge. Closest thing you'll get to street cars racing fairly on tracks...in the USA.

 

[nomix]

Idiot. Read some history books and look at the loan-lease act, US Merchant Marines, or the US pilots that flew with the RAF defending England before the US entered the war.

First of all, I'd apreciate you didn't use such a crude word as "idiot" in a civilized discussion, it has no place in it at all.

Second of all, during WW1, the American contribution did have something to say, but in fact, what took down the German Army was what happened behind the front lines, not at the front lines, Germany was starving, this had far more to say than America joining. Germany might have gotten further into France in their last assault on France, but they still would've gotten stopped.

Second of all, you guys DID make money from selling weapons, and I do know about the lend lease act, which probably saved us, yes. The Second war was a war of production, we won the war on production, Hitler lost it.

The war was won in Detroit and all the other cities that made the stuff we needed to kick Hitlers ass.

So I will give you credit for that one. But not WW1. Sorry.

 

[Dan318-is]

Australia also did not sign the Kyoto agreement. And, for what it's worth, Kyoto exempted China and India, who combined have 10 times the population of the US and none of the environmental controls. Do a google search on "Bombay" and "Diesel".

Camaro SS, beat an M3?! HAHA. heres a tip. go to www.streetfire.net and search for M3 + POLICE CAR. a 15 year old in a 20 year old m3 outrunning a fat hillbilly yank in a camaro who is suppose to be able to "protect and serve"; im sorry but if one of those sheds ever outruns a properly engineered german car then Bush is an innocent man.

The Camaro SS is a capable road racer. It has the same V8 from the Corvette and weighs 3400 lbs. I know because I race its sister car, the Trans Am, while you apparently know because of streetfire.net.



Hmm, first, the Miata is a "gas guzzler"? Second, we saved Europe from going back to the dark ages TWICE. You think the US is so rotten, just wait until Europe is over-run by muslims and China rules the world. Then you'll see what tyranny really is.




Idiot, for the ten billionth time, it doesn't use leaf springs like a truck. It is a SINGLE leaf spring mounted TRANSVERSELY, connecting the a-arms. You probably don't know what that means. But if it helps, this was done on F1 cars in the 1990s.




Idiot. Read some history books and look at the loan-lease act, US Merchant Marines, or the US pilots that flew with the RAF defending England before the US entered the war.

FFS when will you lot learn. the camaro is NOT a cabale road car by usual standards. 3400 pounds; for normal people thats 1505 kg. Name me a "sports car", as you call it, in europe that weights that much? You cars may have power mate but the majority of them shit themselves when they see a bend. And dont call me an "internet driver" or whatever you people say because iv actaully driven a few american cars and i never want to think about it again; i mean what is the fascination with Autos!? I know the clarkson video wasnt the most accurate video ove but some points he brings up about the engineering on american cars is mostly shocking.

Saved europe from the dark ages? would you like to explain how? or is it jsut because you blew japan back to the dark ages and liked to claim that you "stopped" the war?

I think my friend you have had the wool pulled over your eyes like a lot of americans these days. Im beginning to wonder whether you have the same history books etc as us lol. Much like 9.11; most of you still think bin laden did it!

and so what, a couple of your pilots flew a few of our planes and that makes you responsible for winning the war? typical starry eyed american im afriad; all you've done in wars is cause trouble or take from the poor; Vietnam, gulf 1,gulf 2, somalia, afghanistan need i go on?

I appreciate not all americans the stereotypical type they make themselves out to be but im afriad that your country today is the absoulte bane of human life as a whole, especially bush, who is more of a tyrant than anyone i can think of in the last 30 years;

wait til europe is overrun by muslims? Ok wait til your country is overrun by bush, o shit it already is! looks like the world is next!

 

[nomix]

Now, I think you disregard the importance of American intervention in Europe and North-Africa after 1942.

Sure, American imperialism in Vietnam and other wars are a dark chapter, I have to say I believe Bush was lying when he attacked Iraq, but at the same time I think Bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attack. Though, from what I've learned, most of the Al Quida leaders are very greatfull for the republican win i 2004. It meant a more extremist way of handeling the "war on terrorism", which leads to more terrorism, and easier recruitment of new terrorists.

But give it up, the yanks saved our asses in WW2.

 

[Dan318-is]

Now, I think you disregard the importance of American intervention in Europe and North-Africa after 1942.

Sure, American imperialism in Vietnam and other wars are a dark chapter, I have to say I believe Bush was lying when he attacked Iraq, but at the same time I think Bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attack. Though, from what I've learned, most of the Al Quida leaders are very greatfull for the republican win i 2004. It meant a more extremist way of handeling the "war on terrorism", which leads to more terrorism, and easier recruitment of new terrorists.

But give it up, the yanks saved our asses in WW2.

They saved nothing but thereselves. It was the same then an its the same now. unless they profit from it, or unless its big, theyre not interested

 

[nomix]

The Congress wasn't interested, that's true, but one should not forget that FDR actually lobbied quite a lot for intervention in Europe. He just didn't get the support he needed.

And whatever the motives where, we would've been in serious problems if the yanks hadn't come. Even before they entered the war, the brits got a lot of destroyers, among others, which gave them the means to get the convois over the atlantic, really. Sure, many ships were sunk (quite a lot of Norwegian ships, among other), but many more would've been lost to the U-boat-menace had it not been for the American destroyers.

Had they not intervened, Hitler would might be able to finish off Russia, he might have been able, actually, my grandad would probably have died in a consentration camp in North-Germany.

 

[Ventura6]

They saved nothing but thereselves. It was the same then an its the same now. unless they profit from it, or unless its big, theyre not interested

Funnily enough, every time I can recall that we go somewhere where we have little to gain, we are called a bunch of Yank imperialists. We are the biggest and most powerful nation, if not the prettiest or most intelligent. That means that we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. If World War 2 was beginning in this day of the newsbyte, before Pearl Harbor, people would be saying both that we needed to get involved and that we would need to abstain. But if we get involved we are interfering into other peoples' business, and if we let it alone, we are allowing people to die.

Admit it, if at Hitler's invasion of Poland we would have launched troops, you would call it war profit motivated and imperialist.

Its the same thing with Iraq now. Ignoring all the failed policy and risks taken by going in, we are now left decided if we should stay in or leave. If we stay in, we are seen as a bunch of occupiers in a foreign land, hated by the world. If we just pulled up roots and left, the government would possibly fall altogether. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.