top gear

[Athers]

It was a good laugh (the cow bit got me) but they seem to have almost completely abandoned motoring journalism these days.

How is that? Motoring isn't just about reviewing new cars.

Well they set off to find out if you could buy a decent car instead of hiring one, and despite them making it to New Orleans, it's obviously better to hire one. Nice one. One hour?

[communistworkethic]

It was a good laugh (the cow bit got me) but they seem to have almost completely abandoned motoring journalism these days.

How is that? Motoring isn't just about reviewing new cars.

Well they set off to find out if you could buy a decent car instead of hiring one, and despite them making it to New Orleans, it's obviously better to hire one. Nice one. One hour?

How was it better to hire one? They changed the original premise by not selling them at the end, so it would have cost far less had they done that. Also, shy of aircon issues, none broke down and all enjoyed the experience - I've never known anyone say that of their hire car after a week.

[bobo the clown]

quote] ... shy of aircon issues, none broke down and all enjoyed the experience - I've never known anyone say that of their hire car after a week.

Unfair.

I hired a car in San Diego last year.

At the airport Avis they said " ... & would you wish to upgrade for $10 a day extra ?"

I checked ... to the point of being anal that
(a). I was committing to only £70 ...
and
(b). they could get the extra onto the bill without it showing to the Company

They (correctly) assured me ... & off I went for a week in a silver Mercedes SL 350 Convertible ... all coutesy of the company, god bless 'em.

I was VERY fckg happy with that hired car !!

[Athers]

How was it better to hire one? They changed the original premise by not selling them at the end, so it would have cost far less had they done that. Also, shy of aircon issues, none broke down and all enjoyed the experience - I've never known anyone say that of their hire car after a week.

May's car 'broke down' - flat battery, every time he parked it. That would get old. Wouldn't like to spend day 1 of my holiday searching for a car battery..

I wouldn't imagine they could've sold them for anything much either in any city, given that they were horrendously unsafe (Clarkson on the motorway when it was raining couldn't see anything..)

£550 to buy a car like that with no aircon in 100 degree heat from the dodgiest dealer in downtown Miami? No thank you... It was a laugh on camera and that's great - but they had 2 other cars and a few film crews in 4x4s to save them if the car broke down.

I'm sounding like a miserable old fart now but they could've at least done some motoring reviews as well during the programme and not had a staged joy ride take up the whole hour...

[communistworkethic]

and then the show would be the same format every single week, some time it's good to try something different, as I'm sure Mrs Athers would agree

[Batman]

James May's Blog

That bit in our American Holiday Video where we were attacked by the rednecks in the Alabama petrol station: I realise now that I should have seen it coming.

We'd been warned by some American modernists - i.e. Californians - that the southerners wouldn't take kindly to any of our light mockery of the things they hold dear - Bush, heterosexuality, NASCAR, Country and Western, short hair...

But I never really believed they would take it quite that badly.

But then, earlier that day I had stopped at another petrol station and looked at the selection of T-shirts on sale to the locals. One proclaimed 'God, pick-ups and beer' with a picture of a Dodge like Hammond's on it. Another sported some legend about the right to bear arms.

And yet another depicted the Confederate flag and a picture of, er, General Stonewall Jackson. I think this may have been a vital clue to the mentality of the hicks.

Wasn't Jackson a general from the civil war? And didn't he die from complications resulting from the amputation of his arm after he was inadvertently shot by his own men?

And, more importantly, wasn't all this rather a long time ago? And what's with the confederate flag? Do they still lament the abolition of slavery or something?

It's been pointed out to me that the old flag, rather than standing for a discredited set of social and political values, is now just a fanciful graphic.

The Dukes of Hazzard, after all, had one on the roof of their car, and no one thought it was in any way distasteful. It was just the good ol' boys from the South being sentimental about their roots.

And that seemed like a fair comment. I like a sense of history as much as anyone. But then something else occured to me.

I've never met anyone in Europe wearing a swastika T-shirt.

[americantrotter]

James May's Blog

That bit in our American Holiday Video where we were attacked by the rednecks in the Alabama petrol station: I realise now that I should have seen it coming.

We'd been warned by some American modernists - i.e. Californians - that the southerners wouldn't take kindly to any of our light mockery of the things they hold dear - Bush, heterosexuality, NASCAR, Country and Western, short hair...

But I never really believed they would take it quite that badly.

But then, earlier that day I had stopped at another petrol station and looked at the selection of T-shirts on sale to the locals. One proclaimed 'God, pick-ups and beer' with a picture of a Dodge like Hammond's on it. Another sported some legend about the right to bear arms.

And yet another depicted the Confederate flag and a picture of, er, General Stonewall Jackson. I think this may have been a vital clue to the mentality of the hicks.

Wasn't Jackson a general from the civil war? And didn't he die from complications resulting from the amputation of his arm after he was inadvertently shot by his own men?

And, more importantly, wasn't all this rather a long time ago? And what's with the confederate flag? Do they still lament the abolition of slavery or something?

It's been pointed out to me that the old flag, rather than standing for a discredited set of social and political values, is now just a fanciful graphic.

The Dukes of Hazzard, after all, had one on the roof of their car, and no one thought it was in any way distasteful. It was just the good ol' boys from the South being sentimental about their roots.

And that seemed like a fair comment. I like a sense of history as much as anyone. But then something else occured to me.

I've never met anyone in Europe wearing a swastika T-shirt.

Don't ever try to understand the American South. Your head will hurt.

That's why i moved North. I am now extremely proud to be a Northerner in 2 countries.

[susstudio]

To sum up last Sunday's Top Gear up in one word: AWESOME!!

[General Mannerheim]

All staged bollocks, absolute bullshit. as if these 3 blokes drive all that way in them cars? its just acting and editing. dont get me wrong, its an entertaining show, but these cross country races they do, bollocks!

[Daxter]

asmnahsjhahsa sKAHALI!!!!

[Luna]

Thanks for that Dax

[Montreal Wanderer]

Thanks for that Dax

Just as you think Daxter is maturing he appears to have these fits of lunacy. Very odd.

[communistworkethic]

All staged bollocks, absolute bullshit. as if these 3 blokes drive all that way in them cars? its just acting and editing. dont get me wrong, its an entertaining show, but these cross country races they do, bollocks!

evidence?

[Bwfcraig]

All staged bollocks, absolute bullshit. as if these 3 blokes drive all that way in them cars? its just acting and editing. dont get me wrong, its an entertaining show, but these cross country races they do, bollocks!

evidence?

Sharp opinion, and a pesimistic view on a quality program to say the least.