'Top Gear' went downhill after it featured my T16 Maestro in 1997. 
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Top Gear...
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Posted 2 years ago #
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STRATOS = AWESOME. In real life they look minute, I defo would love to have a "do" in one of them.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@ Aristotle - you CANT make a car handle that badly unless its a dog..Watch it again, that thing is all over the place from the word go..Diving hideously under braking, rear-end squirming like a spaniels arse under any kind of power, more opposite lock than I new existed..That wasnt staged man, no way!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Getting really sick of TG messing about!
What was all that crap about the airship? Total waste of my licence fee. If I want to watch sh1t, I'll watch the X-Factor.
I can just about cope with all the hyper-car stuff if it's about the car, but the first 20 mins of each prog so far and the has been complete and utter bo11ox.
And Lancia's were rubbish, are rubbish and have always been rubbish.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And Lancia's were rubbish, are rubbish and have always been rubbish.
Well, no one was saying that Lancias were fantastic cars, just that they were pretty cars compromised by appalling build quality. Even the Stratos was picked apart by Hammond and Clarkson. The Delta Integralé didn't get away unscathed, as Lancia didn't do a RHD version, but it was a much better built car than any previous Lancia. The Stratos was a limited run Homologation special, so was never going to be built to production car standards. Doesn't stop either being highly desirable. That Hawk was impressive, but I'd want to get one built by someone who knows how to put a car together so it's reliable, the brakes work properly, the suspension is correctly set up and the engine and g/box have been thoroughly checked over and possibly rebuilt. A 3.2 V6 does sound good...
I remember seeing a works Stratos go past my house on the way to a special stage at Longleat on the RAC Rally; what a sound, could hear it all the way out towards Lacock, and that's four miles away. Yum.Posted 2 years ago # -
..That wasnt staged man, no way!
Of course it was. You're not telling me that 'The Stig' -a skilled racing driver (who can recover neatly from a 360) didn't manage a lap without spinning. He'd have quickly sussed-out where he could and couldn't push it and then gone out and put in a reasonable time -that's what racers do.
Granted, the front dampers looked to be shot and short wheelbase like that would make for twitchy handling.
What was the point of doing a Power Lap in a worn-out kit car at all though?
Posted 2 years ago # -
i tried to watch a bit of it but was some ridiculous hot air balloon caravan thing so turned it off after 5 mins
not a huge fan anyway but its ok as background entertainment, sometimes!Posted 2 years ago # -
Why don't people understand Top Gear is an enterainment program? Hence the bits like the airship. Also the scripted jokes. If you want a review of a Ford Focus LX buy a copy of "What Boring Car Monthly" and switch off when Top Gear starts.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Also the scripted jokes
There is a slight art to comedy, and if it's obvious that all the jokes are scripted and contrived, then something has gone wrong in the writing.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't keep a check on that Stratos replica, they were a handful at the best of times, a road going copy built in a garage isn't going to be setup as well as it could be, and they were a mare to drive on wet tarmac as it was. They probably gave up trying to get a clean hot lap and decided to do some showboating. Sounded lovely to me, that alfa lump is OK.
Posted 2 years ago # -
anybody know where the lancia section was shot?
All the road stuff was shot on the Black Mountain and a bit on the A4059, Hirwaun-Storey Arms road.
Fantastic roads around me, both to drive and ride.
Magazines and TV are often around the area "testing".Posted 2 years ago # -
I really like cars. I used to really like Top Gear when they did car reviews. Utter garbage now, straight to Dave ja vue....
Posted 2 years ago # -
mavisto - Member
What was all that crap about the airship? Total waste of my licence fee. If I want to watch sh1t, I'll watch the X-Factor.
God, I hate it when that old chestnut gets rolled out when somebody doesn't like something on tv. You realise the BBC don't make all their programmes exclusively for you right? And that they have 4 channels running simultaneously at that time of night all with different shows on aimed at different audiences? And a 24 hour news channel. Not to mention a host of radio channels and a huge website.
And how much do they make from selling Top Gear to tv networks all over the world?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Why don't people understand Top Gear is an enterainment program?
Yes, but some people are saying it's not very entertaining anymore - because it's so creaky and scripted.
Only watched 20mins so can't comment on the whole show - but that routine about B&O hi-fi made me cringe for them.
Posted 2 years ago # -
There is a slight art to comedy, and if it's obvious that all the jokes are scripted and contrived, then something has gone wrong in the writing.
I disagree. Comedy is all about timing - delivered well, even the most obvious of joke can make you laugh.Perhaps not the greatest exponents of comedy to use as an example, but Ant & Dec tell joke after joke after joke which are glaringly obvious but they deliver them quite well and can raise a laugh.
And to compare this to TG, you KNOW they are going to rip into Hammond for being small and the other one for being boring and borderline homosexual but because you know it is coming it can become funnier.
Posted 2 years ago # -
All the jokes and the flying caravan aside it wasn't a brilliant episode but still fun to watch. The Delta HF Integrale. Mmmmm, just something about this car that makes me want it. V8_shin_print from here has one in red and I sometimes pass it on my way back from uni. It looks sooo good I just want one really bad. Fifth Gear was doing a shoot out (should be on Youtube) and had the HF racing against older M3.
I don't know whether anyone watched an episode of TopGear where he tested a Polonez
There was a one off Polonez factory race car with an engine from a crashed Stratos (called StartoPolonez).
From this:
To this:
Ugly as hell not like the Startos Posted 2 years ago # -
If you want boring reviews of boring cars then buy one of the magazines. I won't watch Top Gear if all I get is an hour of nasal monotone about average cupholder count and an evaluation of how well the glovebox light works.
Thought the caravan airship was great, if somewhat staged (there's no way that trundle through Norwich zone was accidental), and they've had something to make me laugh on every week.
In fact, the only bit I don't like is the SIARPC, and with Chris Evans it was pretty good. As so many other people have said, if you don't like it, don't watch it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hamsters review of the Lambo was pretty p!ss poor too, I really did not see the point. Would have been better off with the Skoda that towed the caravan, which looked like a Saab.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Perhaps thet didn't elude to the Group B S4 because more great drivers got killed in them than any of the other GRoup B cars i can think of
The "GREAT HENRI TOIVENEN" Whose death unfortunately was the last straw for Group B !
Perhaps roumours of using Nitrous in the fire extinguishers didn't help !
Cut my teeth on 6R4's then RS 200's but never had much to do with the S4
Did do an engine for an Alitalia Stratos tho
Probably no quicker than a good Gpn Subaru or evo with modern technology
Posted 2 years ago # -
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Posted 2 years ago # -
Did do an engine for an Alitalia Stratos tho
Probably no quicker than a good Gpn Subaru or evo with modern technology
Quite possibly, but then they didn't have the tech, so it's a moot point. The Stratos is blessed with drop-dead looks and a noise that makes every hair on your body stand to attention. While I like Scoobies and EVO's, they don'tevoke the same emotional response, ie lust!Posted 2 years ago # -
How about Andy Burton's creations?
Posted 2 years ago # -
you mean this beast
Posted 2 years ago # -
That and the AlfaFerrari
Posted 2 years ago # -
Then latterly with a 6R4 engine
Built bt a good friend of mine
Modern turbocharged rally cars are so boring to watch even if they are quick ,i agreee
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ant & dec funny?!!!! Next you'll be saying michael mcintyre is hilarious.
Now there is someone who is so blatently unfunny.Posted 2 years ago # -
I liked the flying caravan. Best bit. The daft challenges are always the best bits.
When they start talking about the latest Merc or BMW or homo-erotic cockwaving supercar* I go and do the washing up.
* except Lamborghinis, which any right-minded individual will agree are ace
Posted 2 years ago # -
Lamborghini=Premiership Footballers Audi.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Flaperon - Member
If you want boring reviews of boring cars then buy one of the magazines. I won't watch Top Gear if all I get is an hour of nasal monotone about average cupholder count and an evaluation of how well the glovebox light works.
Thought the caravan airship was great, if somewhat staged (there's no way that trundle through Norwich zone was accidental), and they've had something to make me laugh on every week.
In fact, the only bit I don't like is the SIARPC, and with Chris Evans it was pretty good. As so many other people have said, if you don't like it, don't watch it.
+1
Posted 2 years ago #
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