Top Gear Season 10 Discussion

[andrewgpaul]

That wasn't Michael Buerk.

[Rye]

That was John Humphreys, I liked the unPC parts, "last one to cross the line is a vegetarian" and the BBC meeting to reduce the carbon emissions for ethnically diverse single mothers was awesome.

[Bounty]

By now there's just fishing for complaint letters.

That pan over the panel was one of the best shots of Top Gear ever.

[Starglider]

First of all the damn car has never driven 273mph, that is a purely theoretical top speed based on wind tunnel tests, in fact on paper the newest version can go even faster then that but that doesn’t matter one bit. The cars speed record meanwhile is 254.88mph, about 2mph faster then the Veyron.

The Veyron has already been tuned up to 1200hp, more than the SSC, and there are rumours that there could be a production run of this type. It would almost certainly go faster if it was regeared and the limiter disabled, but the limiter is there to stop the engine life from being trashed by careless drivers overreving it.

The Aero gets its power simply by supercharging the hell (26psi boost pressure!) out of a corvette engine, which will have a lifespan of jack and shit and require very extensive maintenance if not outright replacement after going 250mph plus. It’s purely a race car for dry surfaces and I am 100% unimpressed with it.

Agree; unlike the Shelby, Volkswagen can probably do this without reducing the engine life to hours (the major problem with the Vector W8, an 80s American supercar attempt which the Ultimate Aero looks like a newer, uglier version of).

First of all the damn car has never driven 273mph, that is a purely theoretical top speed based on wind tunnel tests, in fact on paper the newest version can go even faster then that but that doesn’t matter one bit. The cars speed record meanwhile is 254.88mph, about 2mph faster then the Veyron.

Of course they've been saying that that's because they haven't had access to a proper test track, and that their competitors have ideal conditions while they have to make do with closing long straight highways to the public, and that it's so unfair. That sounds pretty damn whiny for a supposedly prestigious supercar maker.

[Ubiquitous]

I loved tonight's episode. I don't really watch TG too much anymore, but this one was fucking brilliant for the whole hour. Brilliant.

[darthdavid]

Kickass episode all around the next one sounds hardcore though .

[Bounty]

Tonight, on Top Gear

In stark contrast to that, but in no way any less epic - in fact, considerably more epic - this Sunday's show sees our intrepid adventurers in a Top Gear special, as they drive across the spine of Africa.

In very unsuitable vehicles.

Jeremy and James take an old Lancia and Merc respectively, and Richard goes in his trusted friend Oliver, a 1964 Opel Kadett.

It's all typically Top Gear, and will also show that by driving three, ordinary two-wheel-drive cars across Botswana, you don't need a 4x4 to do the school run in.

So that's the Botswana Top Gear special, Sunday November 4t at 8pm on BBC Two.

And they're already accused of breaking Africa:

The BBC's motoring programme Top Gear has been accused of causing damage to a pristine wilderness in Botswana.

Conservationists have accused the show, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, of leaving scars across the Makgadikgadi salt pans by driving vehicles across them.

They have said the tracks caused by the cars could remain for decades.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We employed several environmental experts who advised us on where we could and couldn't go."

Bad example

She added the BBC had "ensured that we never went near any conservation areas".

Mary Rice of the Environmental Investigation Agency, which carries out conservation work in Botswana, said the BBC's example could lead hordes of "boy racers" to follow suit.

Guide David Dugmore was quoted in the Observer newspaper: "The thing that worries me is the viewers and public that are going to go out to the lakes, and we will end up with every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes up, with vehicles and quad bikes, which will absolutely spoil the place."

Top Gear, which has a large audience in southern Africa, is often controversial because of what critics describe as its addiction to speed and risk.

Last year, co-host Richard Hammond was seriously injured after he crashed while driving a jet-powered car at speeds up to 300mph at Elvington airfield, near York, last September.

In 2004, the programme took a 4x4 vehicle up Ben Tongue mountain in Scotland, reportedly churning up heather and sensitive peat on the way, and causing substantial ecological damage. The programme denied the allegations.

[Siege]

Oh no! Not tire tracks across a salt pan! The horror!

I know I'll be watching .

[Dartzap]

Ah, the one and only decent programme on a sunday.....

Is this going to be similar to the US one where its entirely dedicated to the trip? Or is it like the normal challenges?

Can't wait, either way

[Bounty]

Ah, the one and only decent programme on a sunday.....

Is this going to be similar to the US one where its entirely dedicated to the trip? Or is it like the normal challenges?

Can't wait, either way

It's a full-hour special, no other items.

[Dartzap]

Ah, the one and only decent programme on a sunday.....

Is this going to be similar to the US one where its entirely dedicated to the trip? Or is it like the normal challenges?

Can't wait, either way

It's a full-hour special, no other items.

Excellent

[Lost Soal]

Guide David Dugmore was quoted in the Observer newspaper: "The thing that worries me is the viewers and public that are going to go out to the lakes, and we will end up with every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes up, with vehicles and quad bikes, which will absolutely spoil the place."

Yes of course. I forgot about all the boy racers who decided to drive across the North Pole, or race a train to Monte Carlo, or a boat to Norway or any of the other insane stuff they've done. TV doesn't have THAT much of an influence.

[Siege]

Typically these challenges tend to involve lots of blood, sweat and tears, like having to hack a way through polar ice in -40 degrees, or ending up completely seasick on a broken boat somewhere off the coast of Norway. I seriously doubt racing a second-hand car across Botswana is going to be such a cakewalk that everyone and their dog will attempt to try it.

[Bounty]

I seriously doubt racing a second-hand car across Botswana is going to be such a cakewalk that everyone and their dog will attempt to try it.

A fils à papa with a Range Rover and too much time on his hands might give it a try, though.

I can sort of see the point of someone who's trying to preserve the flats for whatever reason; he'd be upset that a beautiful and unknown site all of a sudden becomes public. If the TG team didn't violate a conservation area I doubt he can complain officially, but he's not talking out of his ass.

[Dartzap]

T-minus 2 minutes, gentlemen.

The singing bit at the end of Bremner, Bird and Fortune was dedicated to Jezza today, hah

[Bounty]

"We're travelling with Bill Oddie"

I fear what's coming next. Those cars a death traps on paved roads...

[Lost Soal]

I'm guessing the Africans would be more impressed with the travelling petrol station following.

Oh, and here comes the death trap salt flats which got them in trouble

[Lost Soal]

Im waiting for them to destroy Hammonds Car in revenge for his smugness.

[Bounty]

Well, they're retards for stripping the cars, but damn if those locals aren't mechanical wizards.

[Lost Soal]

That musical torment was brilliant

[Bounty]

Hey, the silly credits are back.

ETA: on the whole, it wasn't all that great save for a few bits; the Pole was better. An hour of "Ho ho, it broke again" isn't really that entertaining, to be honest.

[darthdavid]

I honestly think that the Pole and American challenges were better. This lacked the competitiveness of the Pole or the nifty sub-challenges of the Florida Louisiana race.

But it was still epic and full of the normal jackassery (the whole thing with the meat had me laughing), poor decisions and funny moments so I can't complain .

[His Divine Shadow]

I loved the Opel! I drive one myself, not that exact model but it's an Opel!

[Bounty]

Tonight, on Top Gear

The Top Gear boys have safely returned to the studio from last week's African adventure, although Richard is still reminiscing about his holiday romance with his beloved Oliver.

So expect abuse on this week's show from Jeremy and James, this Sunday on BBC Two at 8pm.

In the news this week, they actually manage to find time to talk about cars; including the Mazda 6, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS, Subaru Impreza WRX Sti and Mitsubishi's I.

James also tells us why dogs should drive.

X Factor's Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell, is the star in the reasonably priced car, and after Richard got whupped by a Eurofighter a couple of shows back, this week he's at it again.

Only this time, he's driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster against a man on some roller skates. With a jet pack strapped to him (no, not Richard).

The Caparo T1 has got itself a bit of a reputation lately with, amongst other things, catching fire and scorching Jason Plato, so the sensible thing would be to leave well alone. Jeremy goes the other way obviously, and attempts to tame the 575bhp beast before handing it over to the Stig for a hot lap.

This week also sees the return of another Top Gear epic, only it's a bit closer to home, with the boys finding the fastest way to get across London.

[Siege]

I would've sworn Cowell did the "reasonably priced car" bit sometime last season...