The Top Gear and Fifth Gear Topic [split post]

[yammick]

Glad to hear it. I can look forward to going into work the following Monday and hearing the self appointed office car bores regurgitate another half truth Clarkson uttered on the previous night's Top Gear.

The best example was when our resident Vauxhall fanboy was keen to point out that the 160mph Vectra VXR is, according to Clarkson, faster than a BMW M5, clearly forgetting that the M5 is electronically limited to 155mph.

Working in IT I tend to come across my fair share of cocktards who try to disguise their limited knowledge of cars with whatever nonsense Clarkson has spouted on Top Gear or just talk complete BS.

Best one was the IT manager at a client site with a current-shape Audi TT diesel. He clocked my Civic 1.8 Sport and immediately repeated something Clarkson said on TG about the Civic being the equivalent of Thora Hird in a thong. He then claimed that his TT diesel was faster than a Civic Type R "because it had more torque". I didn't bother pointing out that the Type R has 30bhp more, is almost a second quicker to 62mph and six mph faster up top as sometimes you just have to humor all this willy-waving. 

[yammick]

There is an agreement between the German premium car manufacturers to limit top speed to 155mph (250kph)...at least 'out of the box'. Porsche didn't bite though.

Various reasons have been suggested for this move over the years. Some say it is to appease the left-wing parties in Germany over safety and environment concerns, others say its to do with the technical limitations of tyres and aerodynamics.

There is also a similar agreement between the Japanese bike makers to limit top speed to 187mph (300kph for reason being that it is nice round figure like 250kph).

Its no secret in enthusiast circles that some of these high performance cars are electronically limited to 155mph when - derestricted - the true top speed is much higher. It's equally well known that these speed limiters can be bypassed with a little bit of tweaking. I understand Audi (I think) will even do it 'for a fee' on some models.

[RichardA]

Fifth Gear got pulled over by the police when testing an electric car:

(sorry, contains adverts)

http://fwd.five.tv/fifth-gear/videos/behind-the-scenes/fifth-gear-web-tv-electric-car-challenge-outtakes-the-police

[JazzyB]

For those who are interested in 'Top Gear' its back next sunday the 27th of june

[i-dsi]

Utter waste of a Sunday evening. Clarkson is an idiot, Hammond should be off presenting kids TV shows and the excellent James May is wasted. The format has become tired and strained, the guests are pointless (that guy from the Henry Trotter films or whatever they're called FFS?!) and I don't care that Mr Scientology weirdo Tom Cruise is on next week (but I'll make an exception for Cameron Diaz  )

Someone should dust Quentin Willson out of his coffin and wheel him out more often - the guy sticks up for the motorist on the important issues where Clarkson is just a liability with his dangerous ramblings.

At least fifth gear have given those two sofa monkeys from the last series the push.

[yammick]

Someone should dust Quentin Willson out of his coffin and wheel him out more often - the guy sticks up for the motorist on the important issues where Clarkson is just a liability with his dangerous ramblings.

Didn't he get done years ago for clocking motors?

[RichardA]

Watching Clarkson interview Cameron Diaz was cringeworthy in an otherwise good show.

I've heard the thing about Willson clocking cars is actually true (it was before he was on Top Gear) but I can't verify that. I think he even admitted to it some 'old' Top Gear segment on the dangers of buying clocked motors.

He owns the rights to the Britain's Worst...Driver, Builder, etc., TV format and sources cars for wealth clients.

[RichardA]

I see the current Stig has been 'outed'.

The last time the Stig left/was outed, TG staged his 'death' by flinging him in a Jag XJS off an aircraft carrier. A month or so later, TG magazine was full of angry letters about how insensitively the Stig's death was handled, some not grasping it was all staged as a joke.

[x-rayted]

Watching Clarkson interview Cameron Diaz was cringeworthy in an otherwise good show.

I also liked that show . Cameron Diaz drving the car once said stg like"fu**ing English gears".

Did she mean gears being manual or operating with left hand ?

[RichardA]

She assured Clarkson it was down to operating the gears with her left hand. So she said...

David Soul (from 70s cop show Starksy and Hutch) destroyed two gearboxs! Lionel Ritchie also struggled with manual gears but his real problem was when the wheel came off!