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It’s maturing into a neat team.
Dads/Mums cars was a great start and took me back to a wonderfully simple time of Super Mouse, racist TV and the three day week.
RIP Sabine - she definitely put Clarkson in his place good and proper.
Didn't really get the dad car thing but then we were pretty independent & can only really remember being driven anywhere for holidays & visiting relatives. Mum dad 5 kids a dog and camping gear packed like sardines into a Bedford dormobile.
I want a jet pack.
I don't want that Ferrari though as it didn't look particularly special.
I don’t want that Ferrari though as it didn’t look particularly specia
I agree entirely.
The Alfa on the other hand..... marvellous if a tad expensive. If I had quite a bit more money than I do it would be on my wish list.
Quite close to the top
Perfectly entertaining episode when they’ve been so limited to what they can do this series. I liked the look of the Ferrari, didn’t mind the Alpha but I don’t get the let’s take a model from 60 years ago and rebuild it.
Now I quite liked the Ferrari as Ferraris go, but that Alfa was just....."adorable" doesn't seem appropriate but somehow fits. Cute and mental at the same time.
That 3.3 million quid DB5 with the LED machine guns was particularly naff. I'll just take a DB5 without all the nonsense I can drive on the road thanks.
Actually I'd have the Alfa over anything else on last night, even though I've always had a soft spot for the Lotus Esprit.
I want a jet pack
I met Richard a couple of years ago when he was building a team of pilots to display at events and races; he lives a few miles away and I wanted to join the team.
It was going well until he asked my weight: 80kgs. At that weight (at that time) I would have been too heavy to make a useful pilot for him 😔
Richard is pretty svelte!
I understand there are more powerful engines now, however.
The only downside is that if an engine fails and you're not over water, you are going to get to know the local hospital for quite some time....!!
I do love his approach to the whole project; he's a clever and pleasant chap.
Anyone watching tonight’s? Nice to see it all going on in my neighbourhood! Chris isn’t wrong when he described Quarry Corner as the most crashed, it’s the one that most spectators try to get on, and they were pretty brave pushing those cars that hard in damp conditions. Great seeing the kids in the Saxo’s all over the other two, though.
At least they didn’t have to worry about someone plonking a C-130 down on them while they’re messing about at Lyneham. 😁
Another decent episode tonight, a good solid series of thought
What bikes were they?
I thought one was GT Grade and was Flintoff riding a Topstone Lefty?
I was wondering what Flintoff’s bike was, with a single-leg fork I wondered if it was a Cannondale. I wanna jetski though. And of the three cars, I’ll take the Monaro, thanks.
I used to work under the control tower in Ground Radio at Lyneham. It was funny seeing it on telly. They aren't the only ones to have raced around the airfield (allegedly).
nice Tribute from topgear
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09cgpdj
Top family entertainment there was a lot of laughter in our household. Wouldn't choose one of their mid life cars though I want a GR Yaris.
Tremendous series all 4 were spot on.
Great series, the current gang have clicked nicely IMO. I've got renewed desire for a Saxo VTS now
Good episode. Followed it up with the Sabine Schmitz tribute which was great!
Followed it up with the Sabine Schmitz tribute which was great!
+1. It's a very dusty program though.
I watched the Sabine tribute which was very well done and good to see all of the previous presenters bar Chris Evans participate. I haven’t watched any of the Amazon programs with Clarkson et al and I was shocked to see how ill Clarkson looked. Overweight, very grey skin etc. He had Covid quite badly I think?
The best Top Gear has been for a long time, the chemistry is good and they seem to have realised that the constant ribbing (bullying) is just tiresome.
I have watched the Amazon ones and they are, as you’d imagine, all a bit samey, but they do have their moments. I would say though this is the first series that TG has pulled out a clear lead. Maybe the inability to travel to exotic destinations has forced them to be more creative...
As for Clarkson yes he looks truly dreadful - he is 8 years older than me and I pray I don’t look like that in 8 years! I thought May also looked ancient though not ill. Hammond looked same as usual 😀
May also looked ancient though not ill
May looked like Mr Stink!
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a “tremendous series” but it is better, not helped by my personal dislike of Paddy McGuiness grating personality.
I’ve got renewed desire for a Saxo VTS now
I had one of those, a white one with a little boot spoiler, fun car and it brought back memories, not helped by the mid life crisis bit which had me thinking of The Artist (not the purple one) and his Audi.
Where can I view the Sabine tribute?
It’s not broadcast until later in the week but is available on iplayer now - spotted it by chance.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a “tremendous series” but it is better, not helped by my personal dislike of Paddy McGuiness grating personality.
Good to know its not just me then. He seems to have no discernible talent other than being excessively Northern. Mind you Flintoff isn't far behind him but at least he could play a bit of cricket back in the day.
The only good thing about the end of the series is that it's a chance to get rid of PmcG 🤞
Used to think he was OK but now he's just grating.
FF has "mellowed" nicely.
Freddie Flintoff seems to be transitioning from national knob head to national treasure after his public confessional.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two. Agree McGuiness is like a cheese grater down the face but look the part, be the part as they say and he plays the role of a t**t to perfection.
Looked like they were having a lot of fun in lockdown. The lockdown has made it difficult for a lot of programme makers but TG has nailed it this season, watching that there was no filler and I didnt even notice the lack of studio segments that usually add variety to the programme so I reckon they'll all be feeling pretty pleased with themselves because it definitely left the audience wanting more.
The best lockdown telly along with Rogesh Ranganation.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two.
He was awful too wooden, took himself too serious. He’s a very talented driver, very knowledgeable too and a genuine passion for a variety of cars. He’s got better especially this series where he seems to finally realised it’s not a serious show. If you don’t like Paddy then you’re really not going to like the show that much. His act is very much part of what Top Gear is, blokes messing around in cars enjoying themselves and ribbing each other. Flinoff is just a guy who knows he’s been fortunate in life, he admits that and that he’s never had a proper job. He makes the most of what Top Gear lets him do and he’s competitive nature helps with the challenges by actually making it a little more genuine, a little.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two.
He's by far the most improved.
When he started on Top Gear, he was unwatchable.
His act is very much part of what Top Gear is
I don’t disagree with that, but PG is very over the top in a northern laddish turned up to 11 kind of way. As you can see here hes a bit marmite in that respect. Harris has settled to be the perfect foil to interrupt his energy in a complete different and methodical way on the intermediate real car review segments. It’s given the show a “lol look at the ****” with in intermediate “now that’s just ****ing cool” end with a “ah that was fun” element before being sat with a serious face and slight frown with Line of Duty before your final cup of tea before Sunday bedtime.
Sums it up nicely Kryton57, except the cup of tea and an early night.
Watched 1/2 the series last night and have to say I'm loving the Harris bits and will put up with the filler and the McGuiness sections for that.
Even though there was a lot of criticism for the casting at the latest makeover I think it's come together pretty well. Ok I still can't actually stand the McGuiness most of the time and he doesn't actually seem to care about the cars at all unless they're red & blingy but they all obviously like each other and get on and that camaraderie is great to watch. Especially now they've stopped editing it so it looks like the 2 big big bullying the little fella.
I love the Harris bits, his knowledge and passion really shines through. He is the real deal.
I think Flintoff is great, he doesn't claim to be anything he isn't, seems a top lad.
Paddy is shouty and doesn't really add that much but it seems to work with the other two.
I don't think the show is missing anything from a lack of being in the studio or foreign travel, its really good tele.
When he started on Top Gear, he was unwatchable.
There's a really interesting interview with him on Jonny Smith's Late Brake Show:
Top Gear bit starts around 12:30m, gets most interesting from 15:15m onwards (mental health issues from the abuse, struggling with presenting style, etc.)
One of the Saxo drivers was streets ahead of the others, looked like they were all about a 1/4 lap behind the Monaro except him. Nice to see them acknowledging each other at the end of the laps.
Cheers Kit I’ll give that a watch and probably explains some of the reason why, he sometimes did look uncomfortable almost afraid.
I'm going to say it I liked this of Top Gear season more than last couple of Grand Tours. Will be happy to see more of both though.
In other telly James May did quite a good lockdown cooking show, and I like Richard Hammond’s Big, but 'Clarkson on TV' for me is unwatchable. He’s like a rude Uncle who spouts rubbish but you tolerate because he's family and occasionally says something funny, but it was too much of him, like an episode of Father Ted just featuring Father Jack. The rude clueless act works better on Millionaire though perhaps because he occasionally he has to listen.
Just watched the Sabine tribute.
Gone too soon 🙁
Dad's cars with their stand out features in cronological order, as far as I can recall:
Cortina Mk1 - Rear lights divided into 3 - so brilliant to my tiny young mind.
Humber Scepter mk 3 - Dual headlights!
Landrover S2 short WB - longitudinal wooden bench seats - very slippery! in ex-RAF blue.
Maxi - No redeeming features
Another Maxi - I crashed it into a wall.
That ^ Chris Harris interview is great, and Pt2 is worth a watch as well, thanks for posting.
It serves to remind you these people are often just normal people which in Chris' case due to his job also being his interest has a few more cars than the rest of us albeit is as grounded and accepting of them as we are. Love the fact he carts his kids around/turns up for work in an old N plate 325i touring and his Porsche is full of crap with the dog having chewed the handbrake.
I’m in total agreement with what everyone has said about this latest series, it really has clicked together really well, I enjoyed the whole of each of them, but in particular last night’s, helped on no small part by having Castle Combe circuit and MOD (formerly RAF) Lyneham on, both of which have literally been part of my life since I was little, I used to help crew a breakdown truck, a Landrover with a crane on the back, with a family friend when I was at school, and I lived under the Lyneham flightpath, so there was always something interesting going over.
I’ll watch the tribute to Sabine later.
Oh, and one of the drivers who saw Flintoff off is a 17yo girl as well! 🤣
The third bike was a Giant. Probably a Revolt
Oh, and one of the drivers who saw Flintoff off is a 17yo girl as well! 🤣
Not quite sure what the point of this statement is - motor racing not a suitable past time for girls?