Top Gear this past week

[Blakeoffire]

Ooooh, there was some truly stunning filmwork this week. Things started off with a beautiful piece on the Alfa Romeo 8C.... >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImJ_sgmZoQ4 ... and please, do yourself and your petrolhead eardrums a favour and turn up the volume ...

After that, it was the return of one of their infamous races... once again, some excellent filming, editing and fine humour as JC raced across Japan in the Nissan GT-R against the boys on the epically on-time public transport and BulletTrain....

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pravhMbezQ

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8NE53kLghE

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEV8RenAsh4

Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhyjdSavww

Enjoy...

-B.

[Mr. Red]

Vomiting on the Pope that car is beautiful, too bad it can't handle. But with 500 being made, who really cares anyways.

[M635]

Incredible.

I am so going to Japan after I graduate! Probably rent me a GTR and rip it. That thing is amazing!

Imports FTW.

[woods]

Fantastic episode this week.. FYI - high quality torrents of Top Gear are usually available at your favorite tracker... Youtube just doesn't do it justice...

[k-swiss]

I think its time for a topgear thread...

[redhatpat]

Originally Posted by woods Fantastic episode this week.. FYI - high quality torrents of Top Gear are usually available at your favorite tracker... Youtube just doesn't do it justice...

Yep, that's where I get mine. I just watched episode 3 last night with the cheap Alfa challenge. I love that show! And for some strange reason, they're getting some very nice looking ladies in the audience these days?

[motoyen]

Anyone else feel that this season of Top Gear hasn't been as good as past seasons? I hate to say it because I love the show but watching this season it seems to me like Top Gear has jumped the shark. For example:

The first episode with the £1000 police cars had very sloppy editing. Watch Hammonds lap and his disappearing/reappearing front end tire thingy.

The £1000 Alfas was one of the worst cheap car challenge ever. The stupid race went on far too long and the gag of them hitting May's car got old very fast. (For a better challenge watch the one were they test the BMW, Jag and Mitsubishi)

The race through Japan was fun to watch but I felt it was a little forced. Clarkson "accidently" turing off the Japanese only GPS that he can't even understand anyway.

Some guy on Final Gear posted about his day at the Top Gear studios and the attractive females aren't behind Clarkson by accident.

But the worst thing I hate about the new show is the choppy MTV style editing that they've adopted. TG used to have fantastic cinematography but now there is so much shaky cam and blur I can't see the frikin car. Compare the latest 430 Scud review to the old 360 Stradale review and you'll see what I mean.

All the spontaneity and natural humor of the earlier episodes have become trademarks and now it seems like it has to be in every episdoe. It still is the best car show around, only because everything else is crap but it feels now that they are trying too hard to be funny. IMO the best series is still series 5.

[Initial D.oug]

I tend to agree with Moto. Still the best car show on Earth but not up to the standards they set for themselves. Feels like there's less and less content in each show. 1 car test , doubling up the Start in a Reasonably Priced Car. I fast forward through those parts every single time. And some of the stuff is really hit or miss anyhow. Ie, whatever happened to their farm where they were going to grow their own fuel?

[woods]

Originally Posted by motoyen Anyone else feel that this season of Top Gear hasn't been as good as past seasons? I hate to say it because I love the show but watching this season it seems to me like Top Gear has jumped the shark. For example: The first episode with the £1000 police cars had very sloppy editing. Watch Hammonds lap and his disappearing/reappearing front end tire thingy. The £1000 Alfas was one of the worst cheap car challenge ever. The stupid race went on far too long and the gag of them hitting May's car got old very fast. (For a better challenge watch the one were they test the BMW, Jag and Mitsubishi) The race through Japan was fun to watch but I felt it was a little forced. Clarkson "accidently" turing off the Japanese only GPS that he can't even understand anyway. Some guy on Final Gear posted about his day at the Top Gear studios and the attractive females aren't behind Clarkson by accident. But the worst thing I hate about the new show is the choppy MTV style editing that they've adopted. TG used to have fantastic cinematography but now there is so much shaky cam and blur I can't see the frikin car. Compare the latest 430 Scud review to the old 360 Stradale review and you'll see what I mean. All the spontaneity and natural humor of the earlier episodes have become trademarks and now it seems like it has to be in every episdoe. It still is the best car show around, only because everything else is crap but it feels now that they are trying too hard to be funny. IMO the best series is still series 5.

Agreed that Top Gear is more about the comic relief these days - but that's not a bad thing really. Even my wife who could really care less about cars likes to watch Top Gear because of its raw entertainment value. For people who want a "pure" car show without all of the fluff - there's 5th Gear --- though I'm a bit tired of all the drifting contests... Anyway - both are still fantastic in their own way.

[motoyen]

Doug that's the fuel they used in the 24 hours race, which btw I think was a fantastic episode. Wouldn't that be ironic if the American Top Gear turned out to be better than the UK Top Gear.

[Initial D.oug]

oh right, where they drove the BMW, how can I forget :P I dunno, how the American one could ever be better. Just hope it isn't a mix of Pinks, Rides with Funk Masterflex, Pimp Your Ride, and the Adam Carolla Project. Those were some of THE worst shows on tv.

[RadioRon]

I'm confused. You guys are talking about a new Top Gear episode that I haven't seen and yet I diligently record all TopGear shows that come over the cable. Where are you guys seeing this new episode?

[Initial D.oug]

Only 4 episodes into this season.

Check out the youtube links or search for the torrents to download. I dunno but if you're watching it off something like BBC Canada, you're prolly a year off in terms of episodes.

[redhatpat]

I stayed up late and watched the GTR episode last night. Great challenge, but the whole freaking episode? Lame.

And the stars in cars stuff is getting kind of boring. Most stars I don't know, fine, its a UK show, but still. They had on newscasters last night? WTF?

Coming up for me soon, I have the Africa episode downloaded, I watched a few minutes of the beginning last night and it looks great. James May "If either of the other guys shows up in anything other than a Mercedes, they're idiots... And here comes the first idiot now."

[motoyen]

I would LOVE it if they replaced the SIARPC part with May doing a review of some classic car. Some of my favorite episodes are when they review old cars that we've never seen in NA, like the reviews of the Triumph TR6, Aston Martin Lagonda, and the Maserati Bora.