Top Gear - Series 14

[Ryan S~]

The boys are back and in Romania to find Ceaucescu's Foley.

Good but not great start to the new series. May losing two cars in two days is awesome. Stig as chauffeur was funny. And "They show their sense of humour here with gun fire."

Sadly, Eric Bana may have been one of the dullest Stars they've had in their reasonably priced car.

[Bucho]

Bana, for a guy who started out in comedy, is one of the blandest stars around in interviews. On the plus side whoever they get for the following week is bound to be better.

[The NZ Natural]

That would be Michael Sheen, apparently.

[Bucho]

Oh yeah, well there you go then, all of the Sheen family are good value in interviews, Marty, Charlie, Emilio and Mike.

[Ken Savage]

May's face at the loss of the Dacia Sandero was priceless.

I'm pretty sure that wasn't scripted.

[Rusty Oysterburger]

I think it was scripted but May just wasn't in on that gag. He must be a really good actor otherwise.

I thought it was a decent episode, the Romania looked gorgeous in HD

[Ken Savage]

Yeah it looked amazing.

This is a show that has been crying out for HD for a long time.

[The NZ Natural]

I watched the new episode the other night, and settled in to watch my blu-ray copy of Doomsday I picked up on the weekend directly after it.

Quite accidentally, it made for a hell of a great car-chase double-bill.

[Ryan S~]

Michael Sheen was the exact opposite of Eric Bana last week.

I love the visual gags with Geoff particularly the side impact one. Plus you can't go wrong with Stig's vegetarian cousin.

Is it me or has Jeremy used that intro for the Stig before? The bit about being a celebrity?

[Paul Allen]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Sadly, Eric Bana may have been one of the dullest Stars they've had in their reasonably priced car.

Mark Wahlberg was far duller, at least it seemed like Bana had heard of Top Gear... and cars in general.

[Mangy]

Wahlberg was a total douche.

Last night, the showed the Winter Olympics special commercial-free on DirecTV 101 . . . for anyone else here with DTV: Is this a new thing? I love seeing the full episodes, I hope they keep showing it on there.

[Jonathan Parker]

So far season 14 has been pleasantly watchable compared to last season. I was getting a tiny bit bored by the home made electric car skit but it still made me nose squirt a couple of times.

When I lived in England I barely watched Top Gear (although that was 10 years ago) but I love the format now. I regularly watch the North Pole trip episode....nearly perfect television and it looks awesome too.

[Ryan S~]

Great episode again this week.

"Gordon Brown is stealing an hour and forty minutes a week from Jesus."

How the hell does a guy like Chris Evans become so huge in Britain?

The Lancia not-really-a-race against the Morris Marina was one of the best bits they've done in a while. Nice build to the inevitable.

Do people in Britain get different Fords than we do in NA? Because our Fords are pretty much shit.

[stelios]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Do people in Britain get different Fords than we do in NA? Because our Fords are pretty much shit.

It's not just that, although the European Fords are to my knowledge much better than the American ones. It's just that mostly British people voted in this poll. Hence Land fucking Rover placing ahead of Ferrari, for fuck's sake.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by stelios

It's not just that, although the European Fords are to my knowledge much better than the American ones.

They'd almost have to be.

Originally Posted by stelios

It's just that mostly British people voted in this poll. Hence Land fucking Rover placing ahead of Ferrari, for fuck's sake.

On the same episode where they have one of the biggest collectors of Ferraris in the world in their reasonably priced car.

[BillyG]

Europe has some amazing Fords. I would consider owning a Ford again if we got the Euro Fiesta (that gets like 40 something MPG on a sporty diesel engine) as opposed to the bastardized version coming in 2011.

[stelios]

Ford's main models right now are uniformly from very good to great. I don't know how unscathed they reach the US but if you're in the market for a hatchback or a mid sized (for European standards) sedan you really should take a look at them.

[Sharpel007]

The new Taurus is basically a stretched Mondeo, the next Focus will once again be the same worldwide, and the diesels might be coming to our shores as well. The new Fiesta was teased today its a lot let messed with than I thought

But retrospectively Europe and particularly England has gotten a lot of brilliant Ford's mainly anything followed by Cosworth. And recently RS.

Bugatti should of been on the board as well.

[Ken Savage]

Yeah, UK Fords are pretty Top Notch, (Clarkson is always going on about how good the Mondeo is).

I have 2004 Mondeo Ghia which is not only fast but pretty economical and reliable. Over here they are good all round cars.

[Jonathan Parker]

I liked the episode....but there just seems something off in the format. It seems like they're trying to force the comedy a bit and doing skits instead of bits.

Also, nothing was better than my Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4...until I fitted a huge subwoofer that shook the rust about and made the bottom of my doors fall off....good times...

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Sharpel007

The new Taurus is basically a stretched Mondeo, the next Focus will once again be the same worldwide, and the diesels might be coming to our shores as well. The new Fiesta was teased today its a lot let messed with than I thought

But retrospectively Europe and particularly England has gotten a lot of brilliant Ford's mainly anything followed by Cosworth. And recently RS.

Bugatti should of been on the board as well.

Originally Posted by Ken Savage

Yeah, UK Fords are pretty Top Notch, (Clarkson is always going on about how good the Mondeo is).

I have 2004 Mondeo Ghia which is not only fast but pretty economical and reliable. Over here they are good all round cars.

I find this utterly amazing because I wouldn't touch a modern Ford in NA with a ten foot pole. They suck gas like a ten dollar whore, unreliable engines, steer like a cow and are ugly as sin.

I would love to test the Fiesta RS Turbo. It looks like fun.

[Martin Savage]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

I find this utterly amazing because I wouldn't touch a modern Ford in NA with a ten foot pole. They suck gas like a ten dollar whore, unreliable engines, steer like a cow and are ugly as sin.

I would love to test the Fiesta RS Turbo. It looks like fun.

I had 2 Ford Escorts over the years. Loved them. Can't say the same about the Focus.

Still, I like that Ford integrates the Mazda tech into their car. Now, id they work even more on that gas comsumption and they'll be in the top 3 again.

[Sharpel007]

Considering they will pass the new GM for the first time since the 20's for US market share and where profitable in all regions of the world I would say Ford is doing quite well considering the state of things. There interiors have come light years in the past 5 years.


Considering it was the Brits voted how BMW beat Jaguar is a mystery to me, I can count the great BMWs on one hand.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Sharpel007

Considering it was the Brits voted how BMW beat Jaguar is a mystery to me, I can count the great BMWs on one hand.

M3 and the M5. Did they make any other decent cars?

[stelios]

It just baffles me how low Ferrari is. I mean, the 250 GTO alone is better than everything the British ever made, E-Type excluded. I don't think there has ever been a car as beautiful as this. Maybe, just maybe, the Bugatti Atlantic comes close.

[Ken Savage]

I think a lot of people were basing it on cars they had owned. Hence BMW and Ford being so high. BMW and Audi's are businessmen's cars in the uk so there are a lot of them on the road.

My Sister in Law has an Audi A4 for her work and she loves it. Personally I'm not so keen.

[BillyG]

The 2011 Ford Fiesta for NA was just announced. 40mpg on it. Looks like Ford might finally get that they could sell more than F150s and Mustangs in NA.

[Ken Savage]

Bit hit an miss last night, however Clarkson's "We love all gay people, especailly Lesbians." made me laugh, a lot.

And driving in the sewer with Ross Kemp in the boot was pretty good as well.

[Rusty Oysterburger]

I think the format is showing it's age along with the obvious fakery of the stunts, the airport vehicle race felt particulary uninspired and a bit pointless. I think it's better when they obviously go for the jokes like the whole bit in Belfast at the end, I really enjoyed that because they didn't try and make the gags look spontaneous.


Also, is it just me or has James May been kinda pushed into the background this series? He hardly ever seems to have a feature to himself now, it's a shame because he is by far the most interesting and funny of the three, especially if watch some of the old ones on Dave and see his car reviews. He has a real nerdy passion for certain cars and he just seems a lot more likable.

[Ken Savage]

I suspect the lack of James May is because he would have been filming his toy challange series around the same time.

[stelios]

Yeah, isn't May in like a dozen series right now? He's making out like a bandit.

[Rusty Oysterburger]

Yeah, he is all over the place now, fair play to him. I just don't like the extra Hammond we're getting in his place. He riles me up when he does features on his own.

[Ryan S~]

Finally got around to watching it. The airport thing was okay but I love the Mr Needham car testing bit again.

As I noted in the Swag Brag thread, the scotch they have in the Rover is the exact same one Judas Booth got me in the Xmas Swap.

[Ken Savage]

Originally Posted by Rusty Oysterburger

Yeah, he is all over the place now, fair play to him. I just don't like the extra Hammond we're getting in his place. He riles me up when he does features on his own.

I think Top Gear is at is best when all three of them do the features together. Clarkson and May work well together and alone but Hammond always struck me as a kids tv presenter who stumbled onto the wrong show.

(which is funny as I have just discovered he does in fact present a kids tv show).

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Ken Savage

I think Top Gear is at is best when all three of them do the features together. Clarkson and May work well together and alone but Hammond always struck me as a kids tv presenter who stumbled onto the wrong show.

(which is funny as I have just discovered he does in fact present a kids tv show).

I think Hammond and May work well together as well. Hammond and Clarkson are too much alike in opinion (more POWWWWWWWER!) to work well together. Though the show is at its best when it's the three of them on a trip. Seriuosly, they could just do a series of the three of them travelling by car in different parts of the world and I'd still tune in.

[Ken Savage]

I think that is true for everyone who watches the show. And yet the produces want to tone down the specials - go figure.

[Jonathan Parker]

And to prove your point...The special that was on last night was pretty awesome....

[Bucho]

Originally Posted by Ken Savage

I think Top Gear is at is best when all three of them do the features together. Clarkson and May work well together and alone but Hammond always struck me as a kids tv presenter who stumbled onto the wrong show.

(which is funny as I have just discovered he does in fact present a kids tv show).

That's exactly right, he does feel like a kids TV guy. There's something natural and effortless about Clarkson and May's styles that makes them great together and still pretty fucking good on their own, but Hammond often feels like he's trying too hard. He's good when he's with one or both of the other guys but on his own I don't enjoy it.

Originally Posted by Jonathan Parker

And to prove your point...The special that was on last night was pretty awesome....

Which one was it? I've only seen Vietnam and Botswana and they were both in my top five of things on tv for 2009. (I don't know when they came out but I only saw them this year.)

[Bucho]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

I think Hammond and May work well together as well. Hammond and Clarkson are too much alike in opinion (more POWWWWWWWER!) to work well together. Though the show is at its best when it's the three of them on a trip. Seriuosly, they could just do a series of the three of them travelling by car in different parts of the world and I'd still tune in.

Heavens yes, those international jaunts completely rule.

[Ken Savage]

Originally Posted by Bucho

Which one was it? I've only seen Vietnam and Botswana and they were both in my top five of things on tv for 2009. (I don't know when they came out but I only saw them this year.)

Driving across south America in second hand cars. This included driving through a rainforrest, desert and active volcano. One of the best ones they have done.

[Bucho]

Son of a ...

I have to see that.

[stelios]

May attacking Clarkson with the machete was hilarious. And again first rate cinematography.

[The NZ Natural]

That was jaw-dropping. Palpable, tangible fear on the Death Road . . . I swear to God, I was actually genuinely thinking they could die at any minute (even knowing that if they did, it wouldn't be airing, of course).

[Jonathan Parker]

Originally Posted by Bucho

Which one was it? I've only seen Vietnam and Botswana and they were both in my top five of things on tv for 2009. (I don't know when they came out but I only saw them this year.)

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