Why do you love or hate Top Gear?

[flohtingPoint]

lol...

I think my favorite car test is still the "real world" Fiesta RS test.

ignore the damn subs...great clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krrWeyJFsoY

I believe it was last season when they did another test like that only with a Renault. They revisited the "Is it green" question and replied with "No, it's red".

[Fieldy]

If there's anyone that doesn't know, http://www.finalgear.com is an awesome resource for TG fans.. a full forum and links to download every episode, torrent style. I've seen just about everything from season 3 on. Probably the best car show on television. Can't wait for the next series!

[hannibal]

The Toyota Hilux episode...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3uvx93QV1U

[Seanzyyy]

Hate the show because it is VERY biased toward British cars...LOVE the show because it is VERY funny

For the most part I dont think his opinon is worth anything.But did you see his rant on the Prius?LINK: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LmG05AtNVtM

One of Clarkson's most infamous dislikes was of the British car brand Rover, the last major British owned and built car manufacturer. This view stretched back to the company's time as part of British Leyland. Describing the history of the company up to its last flagship model, the Rover 75, he stated "Never in the field of human endeavour has so much been done, so badly, by so many."

-from wakopedia.i know it's not a reliable source but it's spot on.they aren't completely biased.

but i love the show for their hilarity as well as how they go about describing the cars and their bluntness.

favorite episode was when richard hammond test drove the zonda roadstar...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIoFnfMhq_Y"now available with added excellentness" me wants wally 118...NOWhaha

[flohtingPoint]

One of Clarkson's most infamous dislikes was of the British car brand Rover, the last major British owned and built car manufacturer. This view stretched back to the company's time as part of British Leyland. Describing the history of the company up to its last flagship model, the Rover 75, he stated "Never in the field of human endeavour has so much been done, so badly, by so many."

There are two Brit companies they're biased about, and thats the Range Rover and Aston Martin. Everything else they either despise or mildly dislike.

Their real slanted opinions on cars come in the form of:Clarkson - FerrariHammond - PorscheMay - Anything practical

They would take anything that fits into those categories over any Brit car (unless it's a practical Brit car).

The only car they genuinely all like is the Ford Mondeo, which is Belgian.
Modified by flohtingPoint at 10:28 PM 2/20/2010

[MinisterofDOOM]

Some of you are missing the point if you're viewing Top Gear as an objective review of cars.

Anyone who has made a comment about them being "unbiased" must be watching a different show.

I love Top Gear because it's not about cars, it's about the emotions involved with cars. They're constantly wrong about performance figures, technical information, ****, Clarkson even admits he has now real idea how cars work (not a "builder" if you're a GRM reader [nor would he read GRM]). What they tell of is the passion of driving. You can tell it when Clarkson reviews the Viper, when Hammond almost comes to tears when his "new" "Porsche" is hit by Clarkson, the way May can detail the **** out of a car, that these folks love cars.

That's why I love Top Gear.

Oh, and the hosts's dynamics with each other are incredible, and it seems an overly-imaginative 7 year old comes up with the scripts. "If you're watching this, and you're 7, this is exactly as much fun as you think it is!"

Winnar!

Exactly.

Top Gear is great because of the way it's presented. I often find myself strongly disagreeing with the OPINIONS of the hosts, but the way they present the EXPERIENCE of driving those cars is what makes the show. It's really a rare thing when you think about it. A TV show, images and sound, that manages to convey quite a bit to the viewer.

Their real slanted opinions on cars come in the form of:Clarkson - FerrariHammond - PorscheMay - Anything practical]

You forgot one:Clarkson: FordI swear if you gave him a shiny ring and a ford he'd get married on the spot.

[flohtingPoint]

You forgot one:Clarkson: FordI swear if you gave him a shiny ring and a ford he'd get married on the spot.

All the presenters love a good portion of Euro Ford. Clarkson milked Ford themselves when he was trying to get a GT, but after that he got to the point where he'd had enough of it failing. Either way, he made every attempt to mock Hammond for buying a classic Stang.

[skydragoness]

Everything I dont like about Top Gear they pretty much got rid of in the first couple seasons. They dumped the fat guy for James May, they stopped being so serious, more challenges, etc.

Yes. Agreed.

However, didn't Hammond replace the tubby guy? I can't remember, the first couple of seasons were so boring that I don't recall who else was there besides Clarkson. James May is OG from the early 90's seasons correct?

I <3 James May.

Some of you are missing the point if you're viewing Top Gear as an objective review of cars.

Anyone who has made a comment about them being "unbiased" must be watching a different show.

I love Top Gear because it's not about cars, it's about the emotions involved with cars. They're constantly wrong about performance figures, technical information, ****, Clarkson even admits he has now real idea how cars work (not a "builder" if you're a GRM reader [nor would he read GRM]). What they tell of is the passion of driving. You can tell it when Clarkson reviews the Viper, when Hammond almost comes to tears when his "new" "Porsche" is hit by Clarkson, the way May can detail the **** out of a car, that these folks love cars.

That's why I love Top Gear.

Oh, and the hosts's dynamics with each other are incredible, and it seems an overly-imaginative 7 year old comes up with the scripts. "If you're watching this, and you're 7, this is exactly as much fun as you think it is!"

Winnar!

My sentiments exactly. A lot of episodes of TG made my eyes water and filled me with warm fuzzy feelings (also explains my penchant for long driving trips with friends in our separate cars).

[Red coupe]

I hate it because I don't get it on my cable company.

TBH the brodcasted on US airs version sucks a bit, they cut parts, add commercials, remove music (top gear does a good job of picking music), and show them long after the fact.

I think most of us download it. No one cares... its paid for by the brit government so there is no corporation to track you down, and the heads of the show have even comment on & posted at the finalgear.com site, basically giving silent consent.

I like the old episodes the best. Watching 3/06 right now where Jeremy is talking with kids at a cruise night... so good.

"Cruising is about flexing... its about winding..."

"What the f*** are you on about man? Does anyone speak English?"

[Red coupe]

However, didn't Hammond replace the tubby guy? I can't remember, the first couple of seasons were so boring that I don't recall who else was there besides Clarkson. James May is OG from the early 90's seasons correct?

No. In fact, if I am not mistaken season 1 was 2002.edit: http://en.wakopedia.org/wiki/L...s_OneAccording to wiki October of 2002.

James May replaced the fat guy (I kinda like him) in the begining of the second season.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

If I could own every single season on DVD I would, There is a lot of stuff that I missed from the start of it (never saw black stig). I'd also like to watch Clarkson's solo DVD's as well. He's a funny funny dude, if any of you watch any of Gordon Ramsey's stuff on BBCA you had to see when he went to Clarkson's house on the Isle of Mann and showed him how to cook a lobster dinner, good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ex=25

I know it hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet, but is Fifth Gear any good? I've seen little snippets on youtube and it seems like it's really quite dry and boring? Is it a british show too or is it from Australia?

[HoosierSX]

i freakn love that show. Been torrenting all the complete seasons. no other car show comes close to top gear. i even love it when they diss on americans LOL

[HashiriyaS14]

Does anyone really HATE Top Gear?

I mean, I disagree with a lot of their conclusions about cars, but the show/cast is still brilliant.

[skydragoness]

[/QUOTE]

No. In fact, if I am not mistaken season 1 was 2002.edit: http://en.wakopedia.org/wiki/L...s_OneAccording to wiki October of 2002.

James May replaced the fat guy (I kinda like him) in the begining of the second season.

Bah. The fat guy (Jason Dawe) was boring. It was called Top Gear back in the early 90's, it just wasn't really the same show.

Ok, so maybe I'm remembering that Tiff Needell hosted the old early 90's TG.

I know it hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet, but is Fifth Gear any good? I've seen little snippets on youtube and it seems like it's really quite dry and boring? Is it a british show too or is it from Australia?

Great show. It's British, it's more technical and focuses more on "shoot-outs" and reviews of cars. So it's kind of like Best Motoring in that sense. Plus one of the hosts is a chick (Vicki Butler Henderson) and can drive her bum off. I haven't watched it in aaaages.

[Mr1der]

I was thinking Fifth Gear was Canadian for some reason...

[PEZi]

<---liked the ep where they came to the US in the Challenger, CTS-V and ZR-1 the most.

i love a lot of the recent ones

[gmac708]

I was thinking Fifth Gear was Canadian for some reason...

[MellowZ32]

I was thinking Fifth Gear was Canadian for some reason...

that is not gangsta!

[Red coupe]

Back off, you hoser.

[gammer_ghn]

I hate it because I don't get it on my cable company.

There is a place called finalgear.com that has all the episodes''''

[HoosierSX]

Plus one of the hosts is a chick (Vicki Butler Henderson) and can drive her bum off.

shes pretty hot too

[flohtingPoint]

shes pretty hot too

Cameras and airbrushing can make a lot of people look good, especially when the photo was taken years ago. She's got this Patrick Ewing sized mouth filled with little chiclet teeth with big gaps between them. Creepy...

[Mr1der]

I'd floss 'em.

[stockbee]

I really enjoy the cinematography with which the show is produced first of all, it's always abstract and enthralling at the same time.

Second, the personalities between the three hosts are second to none and blend together to make a freaking entertaining show to watch. So much so that those who don't even like cars watch Top Gear for sheer Entertainment.

And lastly, I love the fact that one day they can all three be rolling hard in some super expensive cars and the very next episode being driving three cars that have a net worth of less than 4000 pounds between the three of them.

Nothing else like it on television.