Good again. The car is the star again in this reboot, which is kind of the point.

5th gear was just too dull and TGT and old TG is/was stuffed to the gunnels with teeth itchingly cliched and repetitive unfunny skits and one liners. New Top Gear finds a middle way and it is a good way.

Even the stig was ok. Got in car, drove it round the circuit fast, got out. None of the old ‘some say’ or playing some ‘amusing’ music f*ckwittery.

Even the stig was ok. Got in car, drove it round the circuit fast, got out. None of the old ‘some say’ or playing some ‘amusing’ music f*ckwittery.

This was a good thing.

I liked it.

Now have 8 & 10 year old bugging me to get the Porsche and the Alfa, I can afford nether.

🙂

Pretty good but please replace Harris put him in as a writer, he can drive I’ll give him that but he can not present.

Loved it. Thought Harris was great as were the other two.

That Alfa….. oh my… ****runs off to check lease deals****

First one I’ve watched since the Evans era. Definitely massively improved but still no real chemistry between the presenters, although that might develop.

Certainly watchable – which the version with Evans most certainly wasn’t.

Loved that. Smiled *almost* all the way through. The SIARFC bit was the only slight disappointment, but largely because the rest was so entertaining. Even Harris was less puppy dog than last week.

The car is the star again in this reboot, which is kind of the point.

Well put. This series of Top Gear feels like they have the balance right. There were a couple of moments were I feared old Clarkson-era habits were creeping back in (for the worse), but were kicked into touch in the edit.

I’m a bit worried about Mat Le Blanc though. He seems to be a bit of a passenger when it comes to the studio set pieces. He’s not bad, but just needs to relax into it a bit.

so far so good IMO
the presenters seem to work together and thank god that evans is no longer on there…everything about him irritated the hell out of me last season
eddie jordan and sabine schmidt were just about watchable but very boring so glad theyve been given the boot too.

that alfa giulia looked looked and sounded absolutely beautiful last night!!

It must be moving in the right direction, my wife watched the whole episode rather than finding something else to do. I watch both but my preference is for this and I think the chemistry will come as the episodes progress.

Been a fan of Chris Harris for a good few years now.
Did anyone notice his commentary when the Stig was driving? Full on, accurate, excited and constant, unlike Clarkson’s old twaddle, repeating the same old stuff

Enjoyed that quite a bit.

Good cars, Rory was less annoying the other two I think are fine. Matt le Blanc even made a joke that wasn’t telegraphed and made me chuckle.

SIARFC format isn’t working for me though at the moment, seems like they’re just sat there for too long, might work if the presenters were a bit more chummy with the celebs, but not as it is. I suppose they haven’t got anyone with any interview experience on the team though now.

I’ve only seen the first episode and thought that it was better than the previous series.

I like Harris, but the Harris on TG isn’t the Harris from his own videos.

TG Extra is a bit crap now that Harris and Rory have been promoted.

I do like Harris’ facial expressions when he’s pretending to be scared by celeb driving.

Decent and relatively entertaining – some gorgeous shots on the US road trip.

no real chemistry between the presenters, although that might develop

I’d bet a million dollars that MLB has zero interest in ‘getting to know’ his co-presenters any better. In fact, i’d also wager he’d rather pull a Clarkson and deliver a bunch of fives upon said presenters faces.

I’m a bit worried about Mat Le Blanc though. He seems to be a bit of a passenger when it comes to the studio set pieces. He’s not bad, but just needs to relax into it a bit.

He is most probably too busy imagining how he should spend his enormous fee to be worried about actually taking the series seriously.

First one I’ve watched since the Evans era. Definitely massively improved but still no real chemistry between the presenters, although that might develop.

Indeed….in fact I just feel uncomfortable watching Matt Le Blanc, it almost cringy! I suppose it shows what a difficult thing it is to be as popular as JC has been over the years!

I think MLB has settled into the role nicely. That said, I think the studio pieces are the weak link in the show and hope they can instead keep splashing the cash on stunning looking road trips. It has potential to be a whole series of Top Gear Specials and fab car tests, with just a soupçon of studio stuff.

Really good, edited better than the first episode too so no awkward silences as the editor cuts to the next shot.

The 3 of them are beginning to gel well together, MLB better in the films than in studio but it’ll come

Quality 🙂 Thumbs up from me

I’ve just happened on Top Gear for the first time since ‘the fall’.

Heavens above. It redefines the word ‘lame’.

Like a lot of people I really didn’t like the contrived stuff on the old Top Gear, or a bunch of silly old twunts getting paid a mint to dick around, but I now appreciate what ‘chemistry’ can do on a TV show.

I think there are a lot of Top Gear fanboys out there who really want new line-ups to work, but honestly, this is dreadful. Might be time to pack it in altogether.

Ahhh, yeah but.. there’s always a stinker in the series isn’t there?

Apart from Tasmin, bloody gorgeous Tasmin, the original 124 spider was the highlight.

So, Tasmin and a 124 spider (original) and me heading down the Amalfi Coast.. … .. you can kill me now. 😐

Tamsin, her name’s Tamsin.

I liked it, raised a few chuckles

You’re fawning over her? Each to their own and all that, but….. Nah.

So, I’m out biking tonight, well, I’m in the pub at the moment, is it worth watching on iPlayer?

I thought it was ok.

Only 10mins in tho.

Also, don’t forget the original cast took a few seasons to get warmed up. Not being an apologist, as don’t really like the program on the whole, but this is no Chris Evans sized problem.

Yeah it was worth watching. Likedcthe db 11, golf and sabine, fiat sections.

Yeah it was worth watching. Liked the db 11, golf and sabine and fiat sections. Yes the features are so much better than the studio

I know it’s all made up but the ‘Ring guff was stale and predictable like the worst of the Clarkson/Hammond/May cack. Studio stuff still stiff and awkward – they should screw it off and just have em driving cars, or talking about cars down the boozer. Not digging the conspicuous consumption of melons, sheds and cars.

It’s the bit where they get a celeb in and the obviously scripted banter is wack.

Walked into work while it was on….dreadfully scripted star in a car training bit…. Dolly Spring slating and then creaming over a Golf…. soon changed the channel.

I may be a bit naive here, but I assume the overtakes in the Golf were all setup?

er, yes. Its a golf, quite a fast golf, but to say it’ll “destroy” a race prep’d 911 or even a std turbo is frankly rather silly, even with Sabs at the wheel.

I dunno. Given the Golf had no backseats, and Sabine was driving, I just hoped it was real.

Oh well….another dream smashed.

At least I still have Santa.

I don’t think the overtakes were overly contrived. Official gt4 laptime :7.40. Official clubsport s : 7.49, less than 2% quicker. I’ve driven on the ring a good few times in different cars, but probably not as well versed as the average driver there, that said I’d expect sabine to be a lot more than 9 seconds ahead of me in a similar car.

Well the golf is 300hp and capable of a sub 8 minute lap with a professional driver..so it’s capable of embarrassing more expensive machinery, it did seem a bit contrived though. The Bond piece had some smiles in it, the rest was a bit meh for me.

I don’t think the overtakes were overly contrived. Official gt4 laptime :7.40. Official clubsport s : 7.49, less than 2% quicker. I’ve driven on the ring a good few times in different cars, but probably not as well versed as the average driver there, that said I’d expect sabine to be a lot more than 9 seconds ahead of me in a similar car.

Indeed the other cars are undoubtedly quick but to go fast on the ring means experience and that doesn’t come with a big bank balance. I liked that part, Rory and Sabine looked like they were having fun. The DB11 spot was great even with the tired bond comparison the chemistry seems to be coming together with Chris and Matt but it’s still a way to go. The studio part is still the weakest link and probably needs another rework but I like the fact all three presenters are on the couches which is something that always bothered me about the old series.

I’m sure the drivers in the other cars were middle aged forum dwellers that didn’t want to wrap their pride and joy around the barriers, they pretty much pull over when the golf came up behind. Another good episode for me.

I know the GT isn’t universally loved, but it should be massively faster than the Liana or Lecceti.

Bloke I work with loves the GT, and he does Supercar days at Castle Combe, Thruxton and a couple of other circuits, and has raced and run a race team in the past, so I’d expect him to have a bit more knowledge of the car than most on here; while it’s likely a lot faster in the hands of someone who knows how to drive, I’d almost put money on the fact that with the amount of time they get in the car, it’s not really the car that’s making the difference here.

I don’t think the overtakes were overly contrived

They really were.