Although, as much I admire google usage
or even my 2004 F1 year book 
Chat Forum
New series of Top Gear tonight
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Posted 3 months ago #
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I guess so, but isn't Imola a 'fast' low down-force track, so you would imagine the gearing in an F1 car is optimised for top speed (for the straights)
It's quite technical these days with a good bit of wing needed
The F1 Honda managed well over 400kph at Bonneville without wings and taller gearing but I don't think it was stupidly tall
Posted 3 months ago # -
And you're a whiney little girl who seems to think their opinion counts for something.
Do you really think I have a villa in the Cayman Isles?
Hook.
Line.
Sinker.
Posted 3 months ago # -
nealglover - Member
Quite right.Although, as much I admire google usage, it doesn't make it any less impressive that a fat, unfit, middle aged amateur managed under 2 minutes in a production road car though does it.
Quite, but I think Richard did a pretty good job considering how raw that Noble looked - thought he was fooked when it started getting squirrely under braking. Did well to keep it straight!
Posted 3 months ago # -
I guess so, but isn't Imola a 'fast' low down-force track, so you would imagine the gearing in an F1 car is optimised for top speed (for the straights)
It's quite technical these days with a good bit of wing neededThe F1 Honda managed well over 400kph at Bonneville without wings and taller gearing but I don't think it was stupidly tall
Well yes - given the effort in putting in a box that is geared for higher speeds rather than acceleration they could easily make an F1 car that has vastly quicker top speeds than a road car but TG won't have bothered explaining that, just stating a rather broad *fact* based on normal F1 set-ups. I assume that an F1 car's top speed differs from track to track based on the optimal gearing and downforce set-up required.Posted 3 months ago # -
Quite right.
Although, as much I admire google usage, it doesn't make it any less impressive that a fat, unfit, middle aged amateur managed under 2 minutes in a production road car though does it.
Well, it's still impressive but obviously since the margin is bigger it's a bit less impressive. Nice sideways swipe at someone "knowing stuff" though.
Posted 3 months ago # -
And you're a whiney little girl who seems to think their opinion counts for something.
Newsflash: it doesn't.WHOOOOOOOSH!
Posted 3 months ago # -
Love the Lamborghini, especially the blue stuff coming out of the exhaust.
This did get me into a little trouble with mrs rkk01 last night...
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On seeing the flames popping off the Lambo's exhaust, 10 YO daughter exclaims that Mum's car does that when Dad is driving....
Big scowl from mrs rkk01
Big grin from 11 YO son, though
Posted 3 months ago # -
Oh, and TG - I thought last night was good. The cars made the show.
The presenters are becoming more and more irksome. May and Clarkson seem to have morphed from middle age to old age since the last series. Both looked pretty decrepid last night....
... although as said, hats off to all three for the guts displayed at Imola
Posted 3 months ago # -
The presenters are becoming more and more irksome
I was thinking, Last of the summer wine was a better description
Posted 3 months ago # -
I wish they'd drop the star in a car. Its too long and tedious.
i agree, they should actually go a bit 5th gear and review more normal cars as a section instead of star in a car, but still take the p*ss.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Did I hear them correctly say they were faster than an F1 car on the start/finish straight?
How does that work then?The circuit layout changed after F1 left.
The F1 cars used to have to negotiate a very tight left/right chicane just before the start/finish line, it's now a very fast left/right kink which is pretty much flat out. The TG guys mentioned not lifting as they passed the pits as the production crew could hear if they did.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Clarkson's looking rougher than I remember these days (not that he was ever easy on the eye :p ). Enjoyed most of the episode though, it's an entertainment show not a car review show (similar to What Car vs Top Gear magazines, one is practical but boring to read, the other is an enjoyable read).
Posted 3 months ago # -
Thoroughly enjoyed it, looking forwards tot he rest of the series
Running over 200mph on the Nardo bowl and those lap times at Imola take some skill & bravery, there is more to them than is let on.
Posted 3 months ago # -
It was good - better than I was expecting - but not brilliant. The 3 supercar thing is something that's always going to work well - trouble is, they can't do that every week, so doubtless it will soon start getting silly (though to be fair, the trailers actually mostly looked good).
Depending on the circuit they are geared for between 180 & 195 mph. What they are about is reaching that speed as quickly as possible (acceleration/traction), holding it there for as long as possible (breaking as late as they can for a turn) and the highest speed through the turn (downforce).
It's only really gearing in a secondary sense - do you not think they might put in a taller top gear if it would have some advantage? IIRC they hit the limiters in top only at Monza, and not for that long there. All down to aero - an F1 car is like a brick in that respect due to all those wings. Those supercars have a lot less drag - though the lack of downforce means they're also a lot slower through the turns.
Posted 3 months ago # -
It looked like JCs helmet was stuck against the roof lining of the Lambo.
Posted 3 months ago # -
It was enlightening to see the Italian version of the AA helping the Noble.
What a fat waste of pasta he was.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Running over 200mph on the Nardo bowl and those lap times at Imola take some skill & bravery, there is more to them than is let on.
+1
Posted 3 months ago # -
Running over 200mph on the Nardo bowl and those lap times at Imola take some skill & bravery, there is more to them than is let on.
You'd like to think over the years they've been taught fairly well by whoever the Stig was at the time. Imagine having your own test track, an ex-F1 or F2 driver and a very fast car you can thrash and hand back to Ferrari/Porsche/BMW in bits afterwards.
Bet there's not many Veryon owners who have had their car flat out like James May has.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Clarkson has said in the past numerous times in interviews he's done the normal car testing/reviewing and has no interest in doing that any more and on one interview pointed to 5th gear (never seen it myself) if you wanted to see that sort of program.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Ever seen old repeats of Top Gear and Fifth Gear? TG stays relatively 'fresh', 5th Gear dates terribly whilst testing the 'latest' 2002 Fiat Punto.
I suspect that'll be why TG never goes back - endless replays in other paying countries that don't even get the bog standard cars.
Posted 3 months ago # -
I makes me cringe how people watch it just to complain about it. Get a life!
Posted 3 months ago # -
I thought it was really good, fast cars going fast, that's how it should be.
Posted 3 months ago # -
It was quite a good show on the whole. Much better than the disappointment of the Christmas special.
I don't quite understand how they got the supercars to over 200mph round the race circuit, while only just managing the same feat on a huge test ring. Seeing how twitchy they were getting them close to 200mph going round in a big circle, how did they have the space/confidence/ability to get 200 mph out of the cars on the circuit....?
I reckon they need to bring back some entertaining 'normal' reviews - like the Fiesta they beach landed with a load of marines from an amphibious craft that then got chased around a shopping centre by a Corvette. Or the Yeti where they landed a helicopter on the roof....not many, but just here and there....
Posted 3 months ago # -
It's a bit like watching David Blane levitate. I'd like to see a full lap on board of what they can string together rather than clips of a Lambo roaring past then Clarkson screaming 'come on!'. I know it wouldn't be as entertaining but I'm not 12 and I'd like to know how fast they can really drive.
Other than that I thought it was better than watching Midwives. Could tell Clarkson had been told to reel himself in a bit. I actually prefer him to Richard 'should stick to Total Wipeout' Hammond now.
Posted 3 months ago # -
@stumpy01 Mainly the reason for not hitting higher speeds on the bowl is because, as alluded to in the piece, corner constantly on a fairly significantly angled bowl scrubs considerable energy from the cars forward velocity.
Therefore, you'll find that all cars lose a percentage of top speed on a bowl test track such as this or Millbrook.
Par for the course, and knowing the Imola track and the length of it's pit straight before the first left hand corner, and having hit 200mph as a passenger several times in similar cars, I know that such cars can easily hit 200mph in less that 1.5 miles.
Posted 3 months ago # -
they should have filmed Hammonds face when he was told "no you can't bring a porsche".
Posted 3 months ago #
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