Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV

[Wiegert]

I'd say the second part was as good as the first. It felt a lot shorter by the time it ended, but it was a great journey that almost matched my favourite TG specials up to now. I thought it was a shame that not all of them survived by the time they finished, apart from the face-lifted Scorpio estate which met a well deserved end.

Also, the first time Clarkson used common sense instead of POWAH on the last road, and it cost him the race. Oh what a shame.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Dude, it's the BBC. They have a crap load of money. So, it's either a drone or they have a helicopter.

Lol, that might have been true once, but the governments too busy giving all it's money to people on benefits (that probably have Sky and whinge about having to pay for their TV License).. Top gear had some big budget cuts.

Edit: The BMW is the clear winner by the way... it's RWD for gawds sake.. did you see all that mud!

 

[PeterJB]

That was a great episode, though I doubt that is the true source of the Nile, surely someone else would have found it first?

 

[nealcropper]

Lol, that might have been true once, but the governments too busy giving all it's money to people on benefits (that probably have Sky and whinge about having to pay for their TV License)..

Wow, you obviously have no idea about what's going on.

The government has just cut benefits for low income families, and cut tax for millionaires. Get your facts right before posting fictitious crap that you think people want to read.

 

[Danny]

That was a great episode, though I doubt that is the true source of the Nile, surely someone else would have found it first?

There's a lot of debate around where the exact point is.

 

[Lizard]

Wow, you obviously have no idea about what's going on.

The government has just cut benefits for low income families, and cut tax for millionaires. Get your facts right before posting fictitious crap that you think people want to read.

Have to agree there.

Thought tonight was funny. Hammond clearly chose the best car.

Wasn't it weird seeing them all unshaven? I have not seen them like that before.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Wow, you obviously have no idea about what's going on.

The government has just cut benefits for low income families, and cut tax for millionaires. Get your facts right before posting fictitious crap that you think people want to read.

I base my opinions on what I see and hear from day to day in my own personal experience, those of my friends that are unemployed, and those 'low income families' that are employed by the company for which I work.. this may differ from your experience... but we're getting off-topic.

It's a shame TG doesn't have the budget to do this kind of thing more often, between 'the News', 'SIARPC' and whatever other segments they do, TG seems to get more praise when it's as much a travel program as it is a motoring program.

 

[TyrrellRacing]

I base my opinions on what I see and hear from day to day in my own personal experience, those of my friends that are unemployed, and those 'low income families' that are employed by the company for which I work.. this may differ from your experience... but we're getting off-topic.

Protip: Working and saying you dislike unjust benefit claimants is far worse than living off the state and makes you a tory scumbag.

It's a shame TG doesn't have the budget to do this kind of thing more often, between 'the News', 'SIARPC' and whatever other segments they do, TG seems to get more praise when it's as much a travel program as it is a motoring program.

I think the balance they have now is about right. The specials would lose their "specialness" if they did them too often. The series overall was a welcome improvement over the last one.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Protip: Working and saying you dislike unjust benefit claimants is far worse than living off the state and makes you a tory scumbag.

Lol, "The lady's not for turning!!" actually, I gave up voting years ago, but when I did, I voted Labour!

I think the balance they have now is about right. The specials would lose their "specialness" if they did them too often. The series overall was a welcome improvement over the last one.

It has been a bit better this year, I'm not sure how many episodes there are in this season, but given that the last two have actually been the 2012 Christmas special, I can't help feeling that we're getting a little shortchanged this season.

 

[Famine]

Edit: The BMW is the clear winner by the way...

Only one car made it over the bumpy roads without shaking the contents to bits. Only one car made it to the end without shattering vital suspension components.

And it wasn't the Volvo (if you include the wheels, it shattered several vital suspension components) nor the "most suited car for the job" Subaru.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Only one car made it over the bumpy roads without shaking the contents to bits. Only one car made it to the end without shattering vital suspension components.

And it wasn't the Volvo (if you include the wheels, it shattered several vital suspension components) nor the "most suited car for the job" Subaru.

Yes, and the BMW was also the safest, obviously, setting off it's own air bags just to make sure JC was safe!

 

[Bram Turismo]

Only one car made it over the bumpy roads without shaking the contents to bits. Only one car made it to the end without shattering vital suspension components.

Neither did the Volvo, though, and Clarkson did mention the shock absorbers were shot.

I'd still have the Subaru. At least that car has some sort of character.

 

[Famine]

Neither did the Volvo, though, and Clarkson did mention the shock absorbers were shot.

Umm...

I'm not sure what you read in what I wrote, but I'll try again.

When the Volvo drove over rough roads, it shook James so badly he had to stop - the steering wheel was shaking the whole time. Later it shattered two wheels and the rear suspension.

When the Subaru drove over rough roads, it shook Richard so badly everything in the car fell out - the steering wheel was shaking the whole time. Later it shattered the front suspension.

When the BMW drove over rough roads, nothing shook. Later it shattered no suspension components, reaching the end without any significant work done on it.


Thus the BMW was the only car to reach the end without shaking the contents to bits and the only car to reach the end without shattering vital suspension components... Which is what I said.

 

[Pagey279]

The BMW and the Volvo wouldn't have gotten through the muddy track in the first episode without the Subaru though.

 

[Famine]

Which is all it had, really. The ability to drive forwards through some clay.

 

[Bram Turismo]

When the BMW drove over rough roads, nothing shook. Later it shattered no suspension components, reaching the end without any significant work done on it.


Thus the BMW was the only car to reach the end without shaking the contents to bits and the only car to reach the end without shattering vital suspension components... Which is what I said.

Doesn't really mean anything, except the BMW's suspension probably was a good bit softer than the other 2 sportier wagons. In the end all 3 cars had their wheels/tyres changed and all 3 cars basically had no suspension left.

 

[Joey D]

All three of those cars were terrible choices, a sensible person just would have brought a Land Rover or Land Cruiser

 

[nealcropper]

I base my opinions on what I see and hear from day to day in my own personal experience, those of my friends that are unemployed, and those 'low income families' that are employed by the company for which I work.. this may differ from your experience... but we're getting off-topic.

Then try basing your opinions on facts. It's people's opinions like yours that are setting this country back 20 years.

For the record, I work, hard, and earn a decent amount of money, that doesn't mean that I want to see people less well off than myself miss out on vital benefits that make this country the envy of the world. This is what the current "government" are destroying. They are quite literally taking off the poor and giving to the rich. Why? Simply because they ARE RICH.

Also, your right, properly off topic.

The episode tonight was pretty meh, it was good, but not he spectacle I was expecting. We're was the fire!? Explosions!? DEATH!?!?

Lol. Only joking.

 

[Bram Turismo]

All three of those cars were terrible choices, a sensible person just would have brought a Land Rover or Land Cruiser

That trip would probably be a lot of fun in an old Toyota FJ40!

 

[Famine]

Doesn't really mean anything, except the BMW's suspension probably was a good bit softer than the other 2 sportier wagons.

And that it was good enough to be able to drive the car to the source of the Nile without any issues and drive it away again.

As the only car that actually managed that, I'd say it was a clear winner in a challenge to drive to the source of the Nile. Wouldn't you?

In the end all 3 cars had their wheels/tyres changed and all 3 cars basically had no suspension left.

When did the BMW have a tyre or wheel changed? I must have missed that part in a blink or something.

 

[Bram Turismo]

When did the BMW have a tyre or wheel changed? I must have missed that part in a blink or something.

The part where Jeremy said he had 2 punctures for which he changed the tyres, but he had no spare tyres for his third puncture and thus just drove around with it in that state.

I'd doubt any of those would've even had the suspension issues to the extent they had if they actually drove those cars sensibly over that rough part near the end. If there is some common sense left, you automatically slow down if you know your car will break at the current speed you're travelling with.

And I'm pretty sure the Volvo was the only car left behind because it was impossible to continue driving with.

 

[Famine]

The part where Jeremy said he had 2 punctures for which he changed the tyres, but he had no spare tyres for his third puncture and thus just drove around with it in that state.

James had two punctures (well, two shattered wheel trims) and said he only had one wheel left for any more...

I'd doubt any of those would've even had the suspension issues to the extent they had if they actually drove those cars sensibly over that rough part near the end. If there is some common sense left, you automatically slow down if you know your car will break at the current speed you're travelling with.

And yet the BMW survived where the other two didn't... That's rather the point.

And I'm pretty sure the Volvo was the only car left behind because it was impossible to continue driving with.

The Subaru would have been unroadworthy due to the nature of the repairs. Only the BMW would have been able to drive away from the end scene and back to Britain unaltered.

So. As the only car that made it from the opening credits last week to the end credits this week without rattling itself and its contents apart and without shattering its suspension - both of which befell the other two - without modification or significant repairs, the BMW is clearly the winner.

 

[Bram Turismo]

James had two punctures (well, two shattered wheel trims) and said he only had one wheel left for any more...

Yes, and Jeremy had a number of punctures for which he had not enough tyres to replace. If I remember correctly he was left with a rear-right tyre puncture. I don't it's legal to drive a car around in Britain with a puncture.

 

[nealcropper]

I do agree with you famine. Although, the BMW did need two new tyres.

But, it didn't sustain any significant damage that was immediately visible. I don't want to think what state the suspension would be in. Even Jeremy said that he's shocks were shot. Would any of them pass an MOT? Nope. Which would be closest to passing? The BM.

 

[Lizard]

Didn't Jeremy admit he needed to re attach the fuel line or was that one of the others?

 

[nealcropper]

Didn't Jeremy admit he needed to re attach the fuel line or was that one of the others?

That was James.

 

[Pagey279]

Which is all it had, really. The ability to drive forwards through some clay.

True, all the cars had their short comings really. The BMW wouldn't have made it through that road by itself, nor would the Volvo plus it's rear suspension collapsed, and the Subaru's wishbone or whatever it was broke. And they all suffered multiple punctures.

I don't really see a winner because of that. But we can be sure the Volvo was definitely the worst!


Anyway that's another series finished, at least the Formula 1 starts next weekend, I will still have something to keep me entertained on a Sunday

 

[Bram Turismo]

You'd have to be a monumental idiot taking any of those cars through off-road Africa in the first place. Either you'd get stuck somewhere, or you're just going to destroy something else. And I'd wonder where they kept getting their spare tyres/parts from since the last time I checked all 3 cars had their trunks stuffed with all sorts of crap. And then there is the entire back-up crew.

 

[nealcropper]

And I'd wonder where they kept getting their spare tyres/parts from?

Question

And then there is the entire back-up crew.

Answer.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Question

Answer.

Exactly. None of those cars would've even gotten close to their destination without the back-up crew.