The Top Gear and as yet untitled Amazon Prime Show Thread

[John Arne]

Open your torrent program first, then put it into your web browser and hitting enter should load the trackers, if not open your torrent manager, select something like "add torrent from URL"

[Jeet]

The celebs part of the show was strange...

Good show still.

[Giggles]

Open your torrent program first, then put it into your web browser and hitting enter should load the trackers, if not open your torrent manager, select something like "add torrent from URL"

Cheers. It's on Exodus anyway but my Ma wants to see it so I might download it for her next time I visit.

[CJay]

Bit meh. Brilliantly shot but it feels like they're trying too hard. I was hoping for more challenge-type stuff and less boring close ups of Clarkson's cheeks jiggling as he drives a really fast car.

[Shindig]

Remember when Clarkson did documentaries and shit? All three of them are now doomed to do this forever.

[Dark Soldier]

I highly doubt they care, fucking rolling in cash.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Remember when Clarkson did documentaries and shit? All three of them are now doomed to do this forever.

I think people forget how good he is at them, these two are the best I've seen-


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXusKM5uX0s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpg6h16k8eU

[Lewis]

That was good.

[John Arne]

What was the whole dead celebrity thing about? Did I miss an in-joke?

[Lewis]

That was a bit odd, and 'The American' stopped being funny after about five seconds; but otherwise it was about as good as it could have been.

[CJay]

The bit about the RAF was really odd too. They seem to think it's a sitcom.

[Vim]

I thought the 'American' driver bit was the only miss. The rest was quite good, I thought. The intro was just excellent.

[CJay]

The introduction about them all being fired and then shouting each others names like they're superstars? It all seemed a bit bizarre to me. :D

[Vim]

I meant the shot of Clarkson driving and then the other two joining him. Then driving on the desert with all the different vehicles. Great stuff.

[Yevrah]

I meant the shot of Clarkson driving and then the other two joining him. Then driving on the desert with all the different vehicles. Great stuff.

I'd agree. That was properly good.

[Disco]

Why did they make that clip of them finding Ben Collins in a garage then introduce this American guy? The guest bit was too stupidly contrived, if you weren't going to have a guest then just don't have that section. Other than that I quite liked it.

[Magic]

I thought it was really good, but they need to tone it back a tiny bit. It's fairly obvious they've got a blank cheque book so now they've displayed that I'd still like it to go on like it has some BBC constraints.

The celebrity bit was weird, presumably a 'look what we can do! #hollywood' and the sitcom bit felt a bit forced. But then again it was an American audience so perhaps it needed to be.

Overall, 8.5/10. The cinematography was great, much like the BBC one but better. The opening was absolutely outstanding too. Really looking forward to the rest. The BBC Top Gear should can it pretty much now.

[Baz]

Just watched it. Wasn't as good as the old Top Gear but still enjoyable. The best bits are when the three of them are having genuine "bantz" but more often them not it's obviously fake and comes across as too try-hard. I'll watch them all though.

Thread title needs updating.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Finally watched it last night and I really enjoyed it.

As mentioned, the intro was the best bit with The American and the celebrity section being proper shit.

I wonder if we'll have 'The South African' next week as the main driver.

[Magic]

I hope they get more racing car drivers in, liked the D'Ambrosio bit. If they're in South Africa I'd like to see Brad Binder.

[Disco]

He'll have been a bit busy when they were filming I would think.

[John Arne]

Episode 2 is crap. Another dead celebrity thing that didn't make sense, the shit American driver and the main feature video in Jordan was boring and had less to do with cars than normal (which isn't a lot).
We need more long distance races/adventures in decent cars, please.

[Magic]

Spoilers please, you lunatic.

[Giggles]

Yeah I didn't like it near as much this week. There were worse episodes of TG when they used to do it, but they can't afford them so weak when they're so much less frequent and the budget is so high.

[The Merse]

I think people forget how good he is at them, these two are the best I've seen-



I'd never seen those until this morning. The first is fantastic. Reserving the latter for tomorrow morning.

Cheers, basically.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

The second one is just as good, ending is a nice touch too.

[Vim]

I thought the studio bits in the second one were even better, the whole conversation thing was very well made, but the Jordan bit was just weird. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really understand what they were trying to do so it fell a bit flat.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Just to be clear, I'm referring to the second documentary I linked above.

[Giggles]

We know. Merse quoted that post.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I really didn't like it.

I found the Jordan thing incredibly shit and I really don't get why they're doing the dead celebrity thing again.

[Lewis]

The second episode is bollocks, and that Aston Martin is stupid.

[Magic]

Yeah what a weird pile of shit. Clearly that was Clarkson's brainchild.

[bruhnaldo]

The second episode was kinda fucking stupid.

Mike Skinner (The American) wasn't even a really successful driver in NASCAR so I'm a bit surprised they got him for this gig.

At any rate. The second episode fucking draaaaaaaaagged. What was the point of half of that shit? Especially when they would do the "die and restart" shit.

I thought it was going to be a "which car would be best for a car chase" bit and they'd do different cars. Blow some shit up.

But it's just them fucking off with guns and such! Nevertheless the entire "oh kill me kill me they're doing stuff to me just shoot me in the face!"

What. The. Fuck.

The dead celebrity shit is stupid, too. Just say you don't see a point of using celebrities and be done with it.

[Disco]

Ben Collins didn't exactly have a stellar racing career either.

[Yevrah]

Best episode so far and by quite some distance.

[bruhnaldo]

thank fuck. can't wait to get home to watch it then

[Giggles]

I started, but the first few I checked had sound sync issues. I'll try again later on.

[Ian]

This second episode is comfortably the worst episode of Top Gear or Grand Tour they've ever made. It's fucking awful.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I wasn't as keen on the first half of the episode but the second half was really good, bar the dead celebrity bit ofc.

As Yev says, it's the best of the series thus far.

[Magic]

Ep 4 still persists with the stupid celebrity thing, and the annoying mediocre American.

[Demerit]

Is the celebrity thing not a dig at the BBC because one of the 'clauses' was that they can't interview celebrities on the new show?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah but it wasn't funny the first time they did it but still insist on doing it.

[Yevrah]

I'm guessing those segments are all in the can by now, so it's not as if it's going to change this series.

[Disco]

It's also pretty weird to take the 'joke' as far as this, plus how many people watching are going to know why they're doing it?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It would have been marginally funnier had they claimed that the BBC were killing them off in the first episode.

Probably wouldn't have gone down too well in the courts though.

[Giggles]

This has got really poor really quick.

[Yevrah]

I thought episode 4 was as good as three (which I liked a lot), but there is something quite tired about the whole thing.

[John Arne]

I really don't understand the decision to release this in 5 countries now, and the other 200 odd next month. You are literally encouraging people in those other 200 countries, like me, to torrent it.

Such a bizarre decision.


In order to let the reception guide the marketing in the other territories. There are very, very few people around who actually torrent things compared to those who watch by conventional methods.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/11/grand-tour-most-illegally-downloaded-tv-programme-jeremy-clarkson

One of the most downloaded TV shows ever - which was entirely predictable.

Downloaded an estimated 1.2m times in the UK alone. Estimates put Amazon Prime users in the UK at 2m.



Jeremy Clarkson’s new motoring show has become the most illegally downloaded television programme in history, figures suggest.

The data, shared with the Mail on Sunday, suggests the first episode was downloaded illegally 7.9m times, the second 6.4m times and the third 4.6m times. British viewers made up the largest percentage (13.7%) of the total number of illegal downloads.

Muso estimated that Amazon could have lost up to £3.2m in revenue in Britain alone on episode one because of illegal downloads. Chris Elkins, the chief commercial officer at the company, said: “It is the most illegally downloaded programme ever. It is off the scale in terms of volume.”

[John]

That drop off in numbers. :drool:

[John Arne]

Yeah, that second episode in Jordan really seems to have switched people off.

I just can't be arsed watching the new episode. I know it's never really been about cars as such, but it seems so focused on the three zany guys now, it's lost any sort of interest.

[Dark Soldier]

Solid read:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/09/the-grand-tour-everything-that-was-wrong-with-clarkson-era-top-gear

[Ian]

I liked the first episode but my thoughts on the second were pretty much that, that it's like they actively took the stuff that sent Top Gear off the boil and did more of it.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

That's a bit shit then. I've yet to watch it but it sounds exactly why I gave up on Top Gear.

I like watching the odd clip on YouTube from about a decade ago when there was still a decent focus on the cars and the humour didn't feel so forced.

[Giggles]

The thing is, that they do have very good chemistry together that does come across as humour. So there's no need for them to be scripting the shit out of it like they're doing now.

[Yevrah]

The thing is, that they do have very good chemistry together that does come across as humour. So there's no need for them to be scripting the shit out of it like they're doing now.

They've been scripting the shit out of it for over a decade now.

[leedsrevolution]

The new show is OK, but I was hoping they would make every show a "special" of some kind. No more studio shit. Just send em to some random country and get em to do stupid shit.

[Giggles]

They've been scripting the shit out of it for over a decade now.

And it's been on the downhill since. The fresh start was as good a time as any to actually look at what was wrong. Instead it's same thing on a bigger budget, I don't think I've seen a clip on on these shows ever that was worse than that die/respawn thing in week 2.h

[Yevrah]

What else are they going to do? It's the car show version of Last of the Summer Wine.

Ok, they could actually make it about cars, but then as we've been over many times before, nobody would actually watch it if they did.

And the accusation of the budget being bigger spoiling it is a lazy one as it doesn't look like it is to me. I'm guessing a shit load of it went on their salaries and providing the infrastructure to make such a show that the BBC already had.

[Giggles]

What else are they going to do? It's the car show version of Last of the Summer Wine.

Ok, they could actually make it about cars, but then as we've been over many times before, nobody would actually watch it if they did.

And the accusation of the budget being bigger spoiling it is a lazy one as it doesn't look like it is to me. I'm guessing a shit load of it went on their salaries and providing the infrastructure to make such a show that the BBC already had.

They don't need to make it exclusively about cars, they just need to make it a bit more natural and less forced in an attempt to be 'wacky'. That bit with Hammond in the yankmobile in Italy was so forced it was like a cartoon. They've done it before in a natural way and it works so much better.

Also, on the budget, what the fuck is the track about? Did they only realise last minute they needed one and had a hundred quid left?

[Yevrah]

They don't need to make it exclusively about cars, they just need to make it a bit more natural and less forced in an attempt to be 'wacky'. That bit with Hammond in the yankmobile in Italy was so forced it was like a cartoon. They've done it before in a natural way and it works so much better.

Also, on the budget, what the fuck is the track about? Did they only realise last minute they needed one and had a hundred quid left?

I think it came across more naturally in the past as it was new to us and they had loads of ideas. To pull the same thing off for a decade plus is a tough ask.

[John]

You can pinpoint the moment in the original where it got so smug it started to consume itself. They got an award from someone for best unscripted show, and Clarkson made a joke about it, then when the laughter died down he mentioned how he knew it was a good joke when he wrote it into the script last night. All three of them just grinned straight into the camera and the descent began.

[Cord]

Thought the third and especially the fourth were perfectly watchable. Don't mind too much if it maintains a similar standard.

The second was probably the worst thing they've ever done.

[John]

I've just seen an advert for this for the first time, and one of the three review quotes they've picked to feature is 'Blockbuster opening sequence!' Right, you've sold three minutes of your eight hour, hundred and odd million quid series with that, good work.

[Lewis]

They don't need to make it exclusively about cars, they just need to make it a bit more natural and less forced in an attempt to be 'wacky'. That bit with Hammond in the yankmobile in Italy was so forced it was like a cartoon. They've done it before in a natural way and it works so much better.

I think this is pretty much right, and the ratings for the old series appear to reflect it.

I watched last week's episode last night, and that eco-car stuff was an obvious example of where they have gone wrong. In the past they would have had the challenge set, bought different cars, lolled at what each other chose, shown them making them more 'sustainable', and then done the challenge. That way you have the car stuff, the BANTER, and then the challenges where it all goes wrong and catches fire. In this they just turned up and lololol what are you like Captain Slow.

[John Arne]

The first part of the Marrakesh bit was actually quite good (you know, talking about their cars and stuff). The rest (battleships, when the Morocco trip turned to animals, celebs dying (lol)) was crap.

[Magic]

So general consenus is shite?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I liked the Battleships part, mostly because I know it would be fucking amazing to actually do.

[Magic]

Yeah I enjoyed that episode a fair bit.

[Giggles]

Much improved this week I think. Nice Cenotaph Top Gear jibe too.

[Magic]

Yep I really enjoyed that episode. Also weirdly saw a '66 plate Mustang today. Bit weird in my deprived, shithole city.

[bruhnaldo]

The last episode was sex. I enjoyed the little battleship thing but the last episode was honestly everything.

As someone who goes to the Daytona 24 every year and saw the new Ford GT debut last year it was really awesome to listen to that bit of history.

[Lewis]

I want to like that new Ford GT, but they have done everything they can to make it lame, so President Trump should have a word.

[Magic]

It looks like some sort of weird McLaren copy attempt designed by a bloke in a shed in Hampshire. #Clarkson

[Pepe]

It has that 'futuristic' look many cars are going for nowadays, but other than that (which is a matter of taste) what is lame about it? Mind you, it is the first time I hear of it but after five minutes looking at the website it looks good to me. The one from last decade was a stunner.

[Lewis]

It looks spot-on; but if you resurrect that name, and make a big deal of the 1966 anniversary like they are, then it needs to be an absolute beast in the true spirit of the original. The 2004 one was (although they built far too many of them), but in 2016 that means something that can compete with a McLaren P1. Until they find another three-hundred horsepower in that V6 (lol), what they have is basically a jumped-up Honda NSX.

[Lewis]

Also, their original application process seemingly prioritised people who can brag about them on social media. They deserve praise from trying to stop people just shoving them in garages and never using them, but that doesn't mean letting a nineteen year old tit come up with an alternative.

[Pepe]

Don't know anything about the application process and social media. The V6 did raise an eyebrow, but I think there is something nice about having a smaller engine in there, a bit 'F1' if anything. I guess it doesn't really live up to the original's fame and might not really be a 'supercar,' but it is what Americans do best: high performance car with cheap interiors for not so exorbitant prices (unless this one is stupidly expensive.)

[Lewis]

There are reports of fifty per cent down payments of $225000, which means 'from' $450000, which means half a million once doors and paint and included. Give or take, that is two hundred grand above Ferrari F12/Lamborghini Aventador/McLaren 650s territory (albeit more comparable to limited edition versions like the F12 tdf, or the LP750-4 Superveloce), where as the 2004 GT was undercutting comparable Ferraris and Lamborghinis by at least fifty grand, and smoking them whilst doing so.

This (http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/news/a28809/heres-every-question-asked-on-the-ford-gt-buyer-application/) is the lol application guff, by the way. Ian Huntley influenced public opinion, Ford. It isn't necessarily a good thing.

[Magic]

Don't know anything about the application process and social media. The V6 did raise an eyebrow, but I think there is something nice about having a smaller engine in there, a bit 'F1' if anything. I guess it doesn't really live up to the original's fame and might not really be a 'supercar,' but it is what Americans do best: high performance car with cheap interiors for not so exorbitant prices (unless this one is stupidly expensive.)

Yeah, really F1 isn't it. That also means the Ford Mondeo ST220 is a bit F1 too. :harold:

[Pepe]

The Mondeo is also a mid-engined, 600+ hp car, so yes.

[Lewis]

They should have promised a bigger engine, taken down payments, and then switched to the V6 like Jaguar did with the XJ220. :cool:

[Magic]

The Mondeo is also a mid-engined, 600+ hp car, so yes.

I thought it was only 300bhp?

[Pepe]

Does the Viper still have a gazillion liter V10? Do they even make Vipers anymore?

[Pepe]

I thought it was only 300bhp?

I thought the 220 stood for 220hp, but I can't remember, they don't sell them in the US.

[Pepe]

Does the Viper still have a gazillion liter V10? Do they even make Vipers anymore?

8.4L V10. :harold:

[Magic]

I thought the 220 stood for 220hp, but I can't remember, they don't sell them in the US.

No the GT. If it's not what was Lewis on about it being an NSX for?

[Lewis]

It was only an eight litre when they started (in 1932 or whatever), so you can see where all of their research and development goes.

[Pepe]

No the GT. If it's not what was Lewis on about it being an NSX for?

The website says 600+, whatever that means.


It was only an eight litre when they started (in 1932 or whatever), so you can see where all of their research and development goes.

At least their interiors are now Camry level.

[Magic]

It's a 3.5 litre twin turbo engine. Lol at that. It just looks shit, like an attempt at a super car fighter (i.e Supra/Skyline) (note: NOT hypercar) from Japan.

[Lewis]

I compared it to an NSX because it sounds like a similar level of output/performance (it may well be much faster and lighter), when, in my opinion, any worthy GT40 successor should be able to stomp whatever Ferrari are offering into the group. But then the original was British, so it had a few more brains behind it.

[Magic]

I compared it to an NSX because it sounds like a similar level of output/performance (it may well be much faster and lighter), when, in my opinion, any worthy GT40 successor should be able to stomp whatever Ferrari are offering into the group. But then the original was British, so it had a few more brains behind it.

I'd wholeheartedly agree here. That was the whole fucking point of it, not so it could get blasted by a £60,000 Nissan GTR.

[Magic]

Lol ok it turns out the new NSX is actually a fucking beast!

EDIT: NSX will be quicker than the GT off the line, top speed is only 191mph though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Well at least the new Top Gear presenting trio is now sorted.

[Magic]

Me = Clarkson
Lewis = May
Pepe = Hammond

:drool:

[Lewis]

Both the NSX and the GT will obviously quick in an objective sense, in which case there is nothing wrong with being a 'jumped up Honda NSX' in itself; but we're now at a point where Audi build 190mph estates, and supercharged F-Types are good for 200mph, so standing out at those levels requires some serious performance. If the million quid hypercars are a step too far, the Noble M600 would have been the ideal benchmark.

[Magic]

Did you know the new R8 V10+ does 0-60 in 2.5 seconds? That's ridiculous performance for a N/A car.

[Lewis]

I read 3.2 seconds, and 205mph. Half the price of these Ford GTs as well (and more than likely better on every count), so this is what I mean about them sitting a bit awkwardly below where me and probably some other purist dorks think they should be.

[Pepe]

200mph+ on road cars is some obsence shit. At least that is one part of the car's performance than its owners might be able to realize, because 99.9% of them sure as hell are not using their handling anywhere near its potential.

[Magic]

The first episode of that special was pretty good, if a little overly scripted and a bit stupid in points.

EDIT: Best bits were no celebrity brain crash, no fat stupid American and no Conversation Street.

[Yevrah]

Quite enjoyed the first episode of the special too, but these things are generally best watched as a whole so the day's wait is a bit of a pain.

[Giggles]

Think I'll just wait for both to appear.

[Ian]

I grit my teeth and had a go at the third episode.

Car bits round Italy - Pretty good
Everything else - Ebola

[Yevrah]

Part 2 of the Namibia special is up.

[CJay]

Part 2 of the Namibia special is up.

Good. The first one was woeful. 40 minutes of them driving back and forth through the desert. The second part did look better in the teaser though.

[Yevrah]

Having seen it, I think I preferred the first part.

[Disco]

It was better than the normal shows but it suffers from the same problem, almost everything is totally scripted.

[Baz]

Good. The first one was woeful. 40 minutes of them driving back and forth through the desert. The second part did look better in the teaser though.Watching the first part now and definitely agree with the above. So boring.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I liked the first but hated the second, although I loved the shots of the waterfalls.

[CJay]

This week's episode was pretty good. A nice blend of cars and silliness.

[Giggles]

Just finished it there too. Much better.

[Yevrah]

Wasn't a fan.

The segment with the apocalypse proof vehicles would have been so much better if they'd all built their own each and done challenges.

[Magic]

Anybody still watching this? The last episode (10) was really quite good.

About to watch 11 tonight.

[Giggles]

10 was the first one I turned off. I liked the Alfa bit at the start but the beach stuff was horrendously shit. Liked 11 a lot more.

[Giggles]

Bit of a return to form this week.

[Lewis]

I haven't watched it since the second Whitby episode (I'll catch up at some point), but apparently the Ford GT does 216 mph, and Ford claim to have taken one around some track nobody knows about faster than a McLaren 675LT. Even when taking manufacture claims with a skip full of salt, that sounds a bit more like it, as does the combined fourteen miles per gallon.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just finished 10 and I'm really disappointed.

It could have been brilliant but I felt that they ruined it.

More bullshit crowd stuff, more fake cock ups etc.

[John Arne]

I stopped watching at episode 6, I think.

Are any of them worth catching up with?

[Giggles]

I stopped watching at episode 6, I think.

Are any of them worth catching up with?

Whichever one was last Friday (9?) Easily the best so far. The one before it was the worst of the bunch.

[Magic]

12 mate.

[Giggles]

Yeah 12, easily the best. Looking back at a list it was 10 (the one Mahow said) that was terrible. Only one I never got to the end of, the beach/sea bit is the worst thing they've ever done.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah 12, easily the best. Looking back at a list it was 10 (the one Mahow said) that was terrible. Only one I never got to the end of, the beach/sea bit is the worst thing they've ever done.

But it could have been one of the best things they've ever done.

They completely fucked it.

[Giggles]

Beyond the bounds of staged.

[leedsrevolution]

The whole show has been shit really. I will give the second season a chance and hope they learn from their errors.

[Magic]

New one has been quite enjoyable so far. :clap:

[Giggles]

So much better than last series.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

I'll actually get round to watching this I suspect. Evans is irritating enough on the radio.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

So much better than last series.

Yep, I gave up last year after about 3 episodes.

This was quite good. I'm a fan of the trio.

[Magic]

Yep, I gave up last year after about 3 episodes.

This was quite good. I'm a fan of the trio.

Same. Horrific on paper but the chemistry is there. Liked the celebrity bit.

[Giggles]

Much better having them on like that instead of the mess the double celebrity thing was with Evans last year.

[Ian]

Much better than last year and better than most of what I've watched of Grand Tour.

[Magic]

Enjoyed the 2nd episode too. It's weird though because I can watch repeats of the old TG on Dave no bother at all. However I don't think I could watch any of the new episodes again. Ever.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I watched the first one (or whichever one they went to Kazakhstan) and apart from the black guy I found the other two forced and annoying. Could be me though.

[Ian]

Harris and Reid are decent but LeBlanc, who is okay, largely always talks and delivers his jokes like they're straight off the script, even when they're presumably not.

[Dquincy]

New top gear is still shit. It feels soulless and the presenter relationships come across quite forced.

[Lewis]

The celebrity stuff is still a bit pointless (and having guests like David Tennant makes it look comparatively lame), but the first two episodes are much more like it. That four seasons test in America was bang on. There was no shitty staged comedy, but there was still enough light relief to ease the actual car content along, which is what made the programme what it is.

[Ian]

I've quite enjoyed this series of Top Gear, on the whole. I've not even bothered finishing Grand Tour.

[leedsrevolution]

The Grand Tour was shit. Really. Hope they pull it back cos I do like them three. Watched one episode of this Top Gear season and I almost vomitted at how shit it is.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I haven't watched last nights Top Gear but it's so much more enjoyable than the Grand Tour and a few of the later seasons of Top Gear.

I loved the Cuba thing last week.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just watched the first episode of season two and enjoyed it.

Helped that they've binned off the shit celebrity death thing (was the ban on celebrities only one year or did the BBC give up?) and The American.

My favourite bit might well have been the motor museum though, that system was fucking incredible. Picking an exhibit to look at and then having it presented to you? :drool:

[Giggles]

Was decent enough. I'd forgot all about the crash too, so it was unexpected.

[Lewis]

All the promo stuff has annoyed me, so I might just avoid it completely and call myself a Chris Harris loyalist.

[Disco]

Continuity Top Gear.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

I haven't watched anything past the first episode of last season but then I was the same for Top Gear. I prefer just watching Chris Harris's own stuff he still does on youtube under the Top Gear channel.

[Lewis]

Have you watched his Joe Rogan podcast from a few years ago?

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

No although I might get onto that when I have a spare 2 hours. Assuming it's worth it?

[Lewis]

Yeah, but I watched it over a couple of days in segments. I don't know whether I could listen to Rogan having his MIND BLOWN for hours on end.

[Lewis]

Also, their original application process seemingly prioritised people who can brag about them on social media. They deserve praise from trying to stop people just shoving them in garages and never using them, but that doesn't mean letting a nineteen year old tit come up with an alternative.

lol (https://jalopnik.com/john-cena-is-being-sued-by-ford-for-reselling-his-new-f-1820913011)

Good on Ford.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol at him having to sell it for other expenses.

[Lewis]

Easiest few-hundred grand he will ever make (or would have been). I doubt he actually needed it.

[Lewis]

The first two episodes are crap, and James May looks like he has six months to live.

[Giggles]

There's a second out? Nice. I liked the first, though I do reckon he's definitely been ill.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Yeah, but I watched it over a couple of days in segments. I don't know whether I could listen to Rogan having his MIND BLOWN for hours on end.

This was really good. Ended up watching most of it in one go.

[niko_cee]

lol (https://jalopnik.com/john-cena-is-being-sued-by-ford-for-reselling-his-new-f-1820913011)

Good on Ford.

You'd think they'd have been able to take steps to prevent such entirely foreseeable 'losses'.

Like making more of them in the first place.

[Lewis]

I doubt they actually care about the financial side of it. It sounds more like protecting the integrity of their policy, which more manufacturers would probably copy if they had the coconuts/bank balance to ride it out.

[Lewis]

This was really good. Ended up watching most of it in one go.

Do you ever watch any of the stuff Jay Leno has on YouTube? I didn't know Americans didn't like him, but they are right that he is mega on cars.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Do you ever watch any of the stuff Jay Leno has on YouTube? I didn't know Americans didn't like him, but they are right that he is mega on cars.

No although I probably should. I seem to have a natural dislike of American presenters, more so with car shows.

Henry Catchpole (formerly of Evo magazine) makes some of the best videos if you like the Chris Harris on Cars style-


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bziUYnN8Mg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkAT82-R0S8

[Lewis]

I like their dull videos, and I can't bear to watch any of those shrieking YouTube channels run by amateur Jeremy Clarksons that contaminate my recommendeds. Leno is more towards the dull side, to the point where if the car in question is a boring one you won't watch to watch it; but when he's going round something that you are interested in (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUBmDu3HXaU) he gets right into it.

[Pepe]

That one's a beauty. :drool:

[Magic]

Fuck sake all the torrents on Pirate Bay of this have gone. What's gone on? Can't find anything anywhere.

EDIT: Thank God it was just the search being shite.

[Giggles]

It's been very good the last couple of weeks too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think the last 2 have been some of the worst they've ever done.

The unscripted bit was so scripted and the Jeremy skidding thing was horseshit.

[Giggles]

I think the last 2 have been some of the worst they've ever done.

The unscripted bit was so scripted and the Jeremy skidding thing was horseshit.

I don't know what people expected when Amazon started making the show. It's exactly what they did on Top Gear when they were on it.

[Yevrah]

I think the last 2 have been some of the worst they've ever done.

The unscripted bit was so scripted and the Jeremy skidding thing was horseshit.

The sheep thing had me properly lolling.

[Lewis]

It's still balls, and I should have given up when they raced that Kia against the skateboarders and told you absolutely nothing about the car.

[Magic]

Ball & Boe were comfortably the best guests ever.

[Yevrah]

The whole thing wreaks of them running out of ideas (and this year's 'Christmas Special'/two parter, if they even bother doing one) will probably confirm that.

[Giggles]

Ball & Boe were comfortably the best guests ever.

Yep by a mile. That segment hasn't been bad, it's just a pity the track makes the laps look so slow on camera.

[Giggles]

The whole thing wreaks of them running out of ideas (and this year's 'Christmas Special'/two parter, if they even bother doing one) will probably confirm that.

This is all stuff people were saying during their last two years of Top Gear too. Like I said, I don't know what people were actually expecting.

[Ian]

I watched the first couple of episodes of this season and thought it was better than most of the last one but still haven't cared enough to go back.

[Lewis]

There are enough cars coming out all the time to not really need 'ideas' beyond comparing them in different places and having some of their shit BANTER, so that might be their problem.

[John]

This is all stuff people were saying during their last two years of Top Gear too. Like I said, I don't know what people were actually expecting.

You were saying this about Mad Max too and it's such an odd line. People don't need to have been expecting genius to comment when something is shit.

[Giggles]

You were saying this about Mad Max too and it's such an odd line. People don't need to have been expecting genius to comment when something is shit.

It's not really. I've heard people complain, and get quite worked up, that they're not reviewing any normal cars on the grand tour. Yeah that had been a staple for years.

People can, of course, think something is shit but their reasons still might be dumb.

[Yevrah]

I don't care about them not actually reviewing cars and never have.

[CJay]

Are they doing some sort of two part challenge this year? It was over Christmas last year. In theory those are my favourite episodes, but their last few have been poor. Last year’s was terrible.

The show is beautifully shot and put together, which helps make up for the parts where it’s a bit boring.

[Giggles]

If I recall right, I think they were about to go shoot it in South America when Clarkson got the pneumonia. Not sure if they shot it later or didn't bother at all.

[Magic]

thoroughly enjoyed that. :)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jag skiing was absolutely class.

[Lewis]

I'm still going with this. The Audi vs Lancia bit is the best thing they have done (Jeremy Clarkson was always underrated at 'serious' bits), and it takes the total of good stuff up to about forty minutes across the whole series.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah, that was genuinely great.

That was the last episode I watched though as I took a bit of a break.

[Yevrah]

Yep, that was great and really enjoyed the last episode too.

The whole thing is generally looking very tired though.

[Lewis]

If we go off the Wikipedia series round-up I reckon we've got:

The Bugatti Chiron bit (episode three)
The tank bit and the Volkswagen Up GTI (episode five)
Audi vs Lancia (episode seven)
Nick Mason and Stewart Copeland (episode eight, and I skipped the actual race)

There were a few other things that could have been good if they had been a bit more detailed or had less Richard Hammond in (the nineties supercar test in the most recent one being a case in point, since they cut it short to BANTER about how women take their jumpers off), but it's a pretty crap return.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I liked the Jaguar skiing.

[Magic]

Boe and Ball were the best guests ever.

BTW I've loved this series.

[Giggles]

Boe and Ball were the best guests ever.

BTW I've loved this series.

Yeah I really liked them too. And the boxer/wrestler.

[Magic]

Dynamo and 'the lady'. :D

[Lewis]

I skipped the celebrity bit, but the rest of Top Gear did their car comparison thing better (that is to say more informative and less not funny) than the Grand Tour has been doing, so promising start keep it up BBC with your unique way of funding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfddYDRIFGY).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I did like the Mozambique special for the Grand Tour. I think the second half was a lot stronger than the first half of the season.

[Pepe]

The new Alpine. :drool:

[Ian]

The Mozambique special would have been better if they hadn't gone "Hey, James may getting seawater tipped on him might be funny! Richard Hammond falling off a bike too!" and doing exactly that for 70% of the remainder of the episode on a loop.

Grand Tour has improved though.

I did enjoy last night's Top Gear too and Joey / Harris / Reid are getting better as a collective. Presumably just as they get to know each other.

[Giggles]

I really enjoyed this series of GT but that last episode was awful. It was only rushed together after Clarkson got pneumonia and couldn't do the proper one (Colombia I think) but apparently that two-parter is done now and still to come.

Forgot about TG last night and no way of watching it back on iPlayer as it's not allowed here. When's the repeat on?

[Magic]

I've enjoyed the whole lot. It's great, Top Gear was always a must watch for me, and now there's two programmes that are excellent? Heaven. Before it was 5th Gear which was shite.

[Magic]

Jesus the guests here are churned out BBC luvvies. Brydon now Mack? Fuck off just scrap the guest shite.

[Lewis]

Those Sherps are incredible. People on YouTube take them through all sorts of impossible shit and they just stroll through it like nothing. I skipped the celebrity bit, and that reverse camera race was pointless, but the off-road stuff was fun and the McLaren section was like the old Chris Harris internet days.

Fatt LeBlanc mate keep your coat on.

[Giggles]

The new series has been really good so far, though that backwards racing bit last night was beyond stupid and felt so much like filler, not to mention the big continuity fail at the end.

[Magic]

The new series has been really good so far, though that backwards racing bit last night was beyond stupid and felt so much like filler, not to mention the big continuity fail at the end.

It was obviously a BAME bit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I liked that a lot, as has been said the celebrity and reversing bit was bollocks but I loved the off-road stuff and Harris fawning over McLarens.

Next week in Japan could be amazing.

[Henry]

I happened across the new Top Gear for the first time. They were searching for bigfoot. Painfully bad.

[Giggles]

Grand Tour axed.

http://metro.co.uk/2018/03/11/jeremy-clarksons-amazon-show-the-grand-tour-axed-after-three-series-7377592/

[Magic]

That sounds like they've just had enough. Axed implies it was cancelled after failing. Hardly the case as its been the biggest money maker for Amazon.

[Giggles]

I'd say nobody signed up just to watch like Amazon hoped. It's easy to watch for free.

[Magic]

It's made them 100m dollars...

[Lewis]

When it says 'brought in' does that mean profits? Because they were supposed to have spent more than that on it.

[Disco]

Amazon care more about bringing people to the platform than making money so in that sense it's probably worked.

[Lewis]

True, but that suggests it isn't doing that, otherwise they would just tip even more money into it.

[Disco]

They're all too old/unwilling to do the the stuff that made them popular (ie half spectacle half misery tours through the arse end of nowhere) so once the buzz around them going there subsides there may not be much point in pouring the money in. Time for them to make headlines by nicking something else.

[Giggles]

Nicking? Clarkson wasn't renewed by the BBC.

[Disco]

Alright Harold.

[Giggles]

Alright Harold.

Harold never dealt in facts. You're probably harolding more actually.

[Disco]

Semantics, you knew what I meant.

They were a high profile terrestrial programme taken off to a new type of service, sports will be next I would assume.

[Giggles]

Semantics, you knew what I meant.

They were a high profile terrestrial programme taken off to a new type of service, sports will be next I would assume.

Again, not taken. The main presenter was effectively let go by the BBC. The programme wasn't taken either, it still remains. It's on in about 6 hours.

[Magic]

Disco having a mare here.

[Disco]

They took the presenters and the people behind all the ideas, it's the same thing. 10 years ago they'd have gone to Sky for loads of money, this time it's Amazon signing up established acts for the headlines rather than the viewing figures. Now they've served their purpose there's clearly not that much point spending all the money anymore.

[Giggles]

They took the presenters and the people behind all the ideas, it's the same thing. 10 years ago they'd have gone to Sky for loads of money, this time it's Amazon signing up established acts for the headlines rather than the viewing figures. Now they've served their purpose there's clearly not that much point spending all the money anymore.

They weren't taken. The main presenter didn't have his contract renewed so his two co-presenters didn't renew theirs either. They were replaced and they signed a contract with another employer. All contracts had expired and the BBC were the ones that made the initial break.

Paul Hollywood wasn't stolen either btw. Deal ran out.

[Magic]

On the ropes.

[niko_cee]

Over the past three years, Grand Tour has brought in a staggering £100million for Amazon and has been one of the biggest shows for the TV service.


'Axed'

[Pleb]

:D

Brilliant.

[Giggles]

Anyway.

972858704356958208


972878515736596481

[John]

The whole story seems to be based on someone's mate phoning them to say there's no deal in place for a fourth series. Television series' are usually commissioned one batch at a time, so that's not a surprise when they're still making the third.

[Gray Fox]

972880564310237184

:drool:

[Magic]

:D

Class.

[Giggles]

The Type R really does look like someone couldn't stop designing the outside of it.

[Pepe]

The Type R really does look like someone couldn't stop designing the outside of it.

Saw one last week on my way to campus. Maybe because it was black, but it wasn't as ridiculous looking as you'd think. Still pretty lol, like most things with wings that size. Fifteen year olds must love it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Saw one last week on my way to campus. Maybe because it was black, but it wasn't as ridiculous looking as you'd think. Still pretty lol, like most things with wings that size. Fifteen year olds must love it.

They have a white one and it's hideous.

[Pepe]

It really is hard to imagine why anyone would spend 40k or whatever they're charging for it on one. Just get an STI and be done with it.

[Giggles]

Yeah the white definitely makes it look worse, I could imagine the black isn't bad if they keep all the trim parts black too.

The sisters next door neighbour has a red one and it's not wonderful either. They've a Focus RS too and the ford is a much better looking car.

[Giggles]

It really is hard to imagine why anyone would spend 40k or whatever they're charging for it on one. Just get an STI and be done with it.

Wear a rubber.

[Giggles]

I really wanted to see that Supra in this bit. My biggest regret I never bought one when I had the chance.

[Pepe]

The Focus does look alright, plus it has the all-wheel drive. Still a lot of money for a bloody Focus.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That car auction looks absolutely fucking mental.

[Giggles]

The Porsche :drool:

Used to love the look of that thing.

[Lewis]

I've never been all that interested in Porsche road cars (maybe those 73/74 lightweights), but every one of their old endurance racers is unbelievably cool.

[Giggles]

I've never been all that interested in Porsche road cars (maybe those 73/74 lightweights), but every one of their old endurance racers is unbelievably cool.

I'd be the very same. 911's etc are just ugly.

[niko_cee]

That Type-R was awesome.

(late) 90s me always dreamed of an Evo 6. As was pointed out, by the time you can afford such things, you'd probably not want them. The car supermarket also looked amazing.

[Lewis]

Olden days 911s are funky because they are small (although in that case go for the lighter 912), and - come to think of it - I could see the appeal of one of those 930 Turbo dentist killers until its first crack at offing you; but yeah they are a bit sterile and not necessarily the best looking things. As above the 73/74 lightweights are ace, but those things are obscene money, so whatever.

All of those nineties rice-burners are fucking mega. Unfortunately now they are either pristine and unreasonably expensive, or attainable but only because they have been modded, thrashed, un-modded, and thrashed some more. And they were never particularly low-maintenance in the first place, so good luck anyone going for one of these 140000 mile imported (less powerful) Toyota Supras you regularly see listed. But yeah, an Evo VI. In blue. :drool:

[Giggles]

That's why I didn't go for the Supra I'd the chance at. Was the first nearby twin turbo I could find at the time but it had been butchered.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

My Dad owned an old 911 variant (I think it was the 930 but I'm probably completely wrong), I was always gutted that I never got to drive it.

Probably for the best though.

[niko_cee]

But yeah, an Evo VI. In blue. :drool:

Wasn't it even called Lancer or Evo blue?

Not that I look for them, but are they as abundant as Impreza's of the same era? I've always imagined not.

[Magic]

What an awesome episode. :drool:

Remember that period in the late noughties when it evolved from Corsa Bs and Paxos to Type Rs, 172s and GTIs?

Can't see that happening again if these things are costing 30k plus. :|

[Lewis]

The standard car was the Mitsubishi Lancer, and then the fast ones were the Evolutions. The Evo VI had a special 'Tommi Makinen Edition' as well, which was basically the same except for some trivial mechanical differences, bigger wheels, and 'Tommi Makinen' written all over it. The equivalent Subaru Imprezas were the WRX editions, which were no worse or no more rare; but now people prize the P1 (Provide One) editions, which were a thousand UK-only specials built to stop dealers moaning about imports undercutting them, and arguably the most desirable rice-burner of them all is the 22B STi, which was the fat-arsed, gold wheels one that was the best car on the original Gran Turismo. Those things push six figures if they are in good condition, where as you would do well to find a Tommi Makinen Evo VI for more than half that.

EDIT: I'm actually mis-remembering that. Gran Turismo pre-dates the 22B STi. That was the second game (which was the best one). The don of the first game was the WRX STi Type R.

[Yevrah]

Bit late to the party, but this is one of the laziest bits of journalism I can recall. From there seemingly being no substance to the show being axed to the "made £100m", which they couldn't possibly know and has clearly been confused with the cost. Fucking piss poor.

[Pepe]

I like the GT3 RS. Apart from that, all 911s are basically the same.

The 906. :drool:

[Pepe]

All of those nineties rice-burners are fucking mega. Unfortunately now they are either pristine and unreasonably expensive, or attainable but only because they have been modded, thrashed, un-modded, and thrashed some more. And they were never particularly low-maintenance in the first place, so good luck anyone going for one of these 140000 mile imported (less powerful) Toyota Supras you regularly see listed. But yeah, an Evo VI. In blue. :drool:

I always lol when I see adds for SRT-4s, '100k miles on the body, 500 miles on the engine, mod list:' *internet melts*

I found a pretty decent looking stock Focus SVT which seemed like a good deal, but then I went for the Abarth instead. If I ever find a stock SRT-4 I might go for it.

Evos and STIs still seems to go for $20k+ no matter how old they are.

[Pepe]

Speaking of:

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/2003-dodge-neon-srt4/6519059200.html

For half the price I'd be tempted.

[Lewis]

There are so many great things from back in our youth. The Ford Puma. :cool:

[Pepe]

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-stock-pristine-subaru/6457171373.html

:drool:

[Lewis]

'The price is $20,000 *firm* I will not negotiate at this time'. Ring him up and offer forty.

[Pepe]

There are so many great things from back in our youth. The Ford Puma. :cool:

I don't think that one ever made it to Mexico. We mostly got all the junk. They still sell brand new third generation Sentras over there. :harold:

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/kpb0umjcjkjupjee4g6v.jpg

:harold:

[Pepe]

'The price is $20,000 *firm* I will not negotiate at this time'. Ring him up and offer forty.

Must be 18 to ride mate.

[Lewis]

I like unnecessarily aggressive adverts like that. My old man sent me one for a BMW 840 a while back which was basically daring people to find a better one.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

There are so many great things from back in our youth. The Ford Puma. :cool:

I always used that in one of the Colin McRae games.

One of my Sister's friends had one too, it was brilliant but she had a shit personalise number plate on it.