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Thread: Top Gear Season Twenty

  1. #1
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    Top Gear Season Twenty

    They're back.

    I thought the episode was a entertaining,though hardly one of their best. In the past few seasons it's always felt like the first episode is just building up steam for the more exuberant shows later in the series.

    Hammond's hot hatch test wasn't particularly interesting and I didn't feel that the Fiesta's driving was well conveyed; I didn't realize just how much he liked it until it went back to the studio.

    The SIARPC mass event was as blah as last time around, though not without its funny parts.

    The race was beautiful. I don't think I really paid much attention to the presenters.

    I was getting a fair amount of cognitive dissonance from the presenters, though. For three middle-aged men they sure don't seem to follow our linear scale of time. Clarkson looks five years older than the 75 he looked six months ago, Hammond looks a few years younger, despite having ridden on a midlife crisis for the past few, and, as Jeremy noted in the news, James appears to be suffering from some old-person's disease and is constantly bewildered. Despite all of this, they have the combined mental age of someone who still can't buy alcohol.
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  2. #2
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    The chicks are hot in the reasonably priced car hubbub....lol

    I like the new Fiesta ST, and being the only one that you can reasonably expect to buy here, its nice to see how well its received. Evo's current issue has a test of ST, 208 GTI, Clio, and Mini JCW, the Fiesta was actually the fastest in that test...

    I like the sail boat vs the rental car race. While the status of rentals being the fastest car in the world is well known, that one has been through the ringer....I don't think I have ever done anything that reckless....lol
    University of Toronto Formula SAE Alumni 2003-2007
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  3. #3
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    Having now seen it I have to say it is a fine episode but not one of their best.

    The hot hatch was good, not too spectacular, but direct and to the point. I was glad the Clio was dismissed, I hope Renault don't sell any and realise their error. I'm not too much of a fan of the Fiesta to be honest, I would personally take the Peugeot.

    The boat v hire car part was good fun, but perhaps a too long. And James' part was a bit irrelevant, I mean they could've pretty much have done it without him... all he did was fall around and get wet.

    As for the SIARPC, £17,345 isn't that reasonably priced, now is it? Also that Astra feels fat.

    For me the best part was the teaser video probably. This series looks like it has potential. We'll see.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
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  4. #4
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    Eh, I am thought it was one of the least good of recent memory, and I am not on the hater train for recent top gears. I wanted sexier cars. My faith in series 20 is unshaken.

    RM, Rachel Riley is a known hottie in the UK. She is a brilliant mental mathmetician who cohosts Countdown, which is a fly-ass show.

    Care to comment Mantra?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    all he did was fall around
    Surely, that's the premise of the show.

    Surprisingly, despite being the "intellectual" of the bunch, James seems to have more physically humorous segments than the other two.
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Surely, that's the premise of the show.
    There I was thinking it was a car show.

    Silly me.
    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Surprisingly, despite being the "intellectual" of the bunch, James seems to have more physically humorous segments than the other two.
    I think he is much underused, and provides an interesting counterweight to Clarkson. I also think he is the best car journalist of the group.

    The one that I find annoying is Hammond.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    There I was thinking it was a car show
    Not been that for 10+ years
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  8. #8
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    season 20? jesus i've missed several seasons.. usually end up watchign chris harris on youtube for actual car reviews now to be honest
    Andreas Preuninger, Manager of Porsche High Performance Cars: "Grandmas can use paddles. They aren't challenging."

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    Yea, Chris Harris' stuff is excellent.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

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    Haven't seen much from him, but he comes across as a pretentious twat to me.

    Although, I could very possibly be catastrophically wrong.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Haven't seen much from him, but he comes across as a pretentious twat to me.

    Although, I could very possibly be catastrophically wrong.
    Yea... you are.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  12. #12
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    Drive as a whole is nice channel, especially because the USDM is starved of good automotive video journalism.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Haven't seen much from him, but he comes across as a pretentious twat to me.
    I like him. He's nice in that he communicates information well and without excessive hyperbole, the anti-Clarkson, if you will. His tastes are a little too German-biased for me, but he is a good auto journo, none the less.
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  13. #13
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    The problem for me is that he always seems to be "right". He also has far too radical tastes for me. Oh and he has bought an Audi.

    But most of all, he dislikes the Mazda MX-5.

    How can you dislike on of the most affordable proper sportscars of the last 25 years?
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  14. #14
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    Harris sold his soul to Porsche many many years ago

    Thus cant ever say anything good about a Mazda that can deliver the same level of "enjoyment" for 1/10th the cost !!!
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  15. #15
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    Speaking of car journos, I really enjoy Harry Metcalfe's videos.

    No nonsense, no music, no posing - just passion, knowledge and quirky little details like "look at the water tap under the steering column to turn the heater in my Lamborghini Espada".

    Brilliant.

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