TOP GEAR "Made in Britain" Finale

[ELFMAN]

Watched TG last night, and once I'd stopped swearing at the 'contrived scripted silliness' of the presenters, I quite enjoyed some of it, apart from the mega £££ Range Rover Sport V8 JUST pipping the GP2 on the track - should've had one of the NMS GP2s...

The "Made in Britain" finale was excellent, but was anybody else raging that the MINI plant in Oxford (not forgetting the Engine production facility and the 'Metal Shop') wasn't 'highlighted' along with Honda and Toyota etc? OK, there WAS a shot of the MINI convoy leaving the factory, and they did appear from time to time after that, but at the start of the piece I was actually shouting at the telly "WHERE THE HELL'S OXFORD!!??" :ragin:

[zimbo]

:lol: Euan I was thinking mini Oxford was going to be mentioned last i.e keeping the best till last but no!! and I too was like WTF (WHERE T.F) is mini oxford!! was actually quite amazing seeing just how much vehicular stuff is actually still being built here in the UK.

Theres NO WAY the RRS beat the GP2 round the circuit NO WAY!! :hand:

[ELFMAN]

Theres NO WAY the RRS beat the GP2 round the circuit NO WAY!! :hand:

Yeah, bet that was 'scripted' along with the rest of the 'Banter'!

:computer: "On Tonight's show... 14 minutes and 34 seconds in... Richard appears 'confused' (but still 'cute' for the laydeez) going sideways in a Tranny :blush: (TG Thailand Road Trip) ... 23 minutes and 10 seconds... Jeremy says something quite racist... 36 minutes in... James appears to have become a dull, pedantic, but slightly irritated corduroy-clad Geography Teacher. In a bus... much amusement follows."

[Stewart]

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02635/top-gear_2635512b.jpg

Top gear these days I think is lacking and I too hate the scripted stuff like the Hover Van thing etc. Then you get the wee Gems like that fantastic ending paying tribute to Britain, The jag bettering down some Scottish roads, the race against the boat in New Zealand,Spain in a McLaren 12C Spider, Ferrari 458 Spider and Audi R8, Spyder. I love the show but if you cut out all the crap stuff like the Bus, Hover van, best Taxi etc there really is only enough for one or two great shows a series. Its like they have twenty minutes of interesting stuff and pad out the remaining forty. I know most of the cars given are test mules not allowed to be sold and probably in line to be crushed but I do hate seeing cars damaged just for the sake of it.

Why one of the Uk’s best production stories in MINI was more or less left out I don’t have a clue. Good to see MINI in the line up all the same. great seeing the Gp go round even if the big RRS got a better time but that is with a stig inside.... :smilewinkgrin:

Still one of the best shows on the TV

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0vgcnpixNv6733kQh2sFlXjCyuGdx6 q5PXZ4wjCYt6c3RnzWW

[Mon the fish]

The RR does have over 500bhp, 4wd, lots of chassis tech, and 30-40bhp per tonne more. I reckon it could easily have been quicker.

What's the comparitive Nordschleife times?

[ELFMAN]

Top gear these days I think is lacking and I too hate the scripted stuff like the Hover Van thing etc. Then you get the wee Gems like that fantastic ending paying tribute to Britain, The jag bettering down some Scottish roads, the race against the boat in New Zealand,Spain in a McLaren 12C Spider, Ferrari 458 Spider and Audi R8, Spyder. I love the show but if you cut out all the crap stuff like the Bus, Hover van, best Taxi etc there really is only enough for one or two great shows a series. Its like they have twenty minutes of interesting stuff and pad out the remaining forty. I know most of the cars given are test mules not allowed to be sold and probably in line to be crushed but I do hate seeing cars damaged just for the sake of it.

Why one of the Uk’s best production stories in MINI was more or less left out I don’t have a clue. Good to see MINI in the line up all the same. great seeing the Gp go round even if the big RRS got a better time but that is with a stig inside.... :smilewinkgrin: Still one of the best shows on the TV

Agreed Stewart, when I watch it, I go from "WOW!" to "BOAK!" on alternate items... I suppose that's what you get to keep the 'non-petrolhead' viewers interested. It's still (just about) worth putting up with the contrived tabloid drivel to get the genuinely excellent stuff. But if I hear any of the presenters once again informing us that "a little bit of wee's come out" while testing a particularly exciting car, I will have to kick the TV in.

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The RR does have over 500bhp, 4wd, lots of chassis tech, and 30-40bhp per tonne more. I reckon it could easily have been quicker. What's the comparitive Nordschleife times?

The RR is a BIG clever beastie, no question - very impressive - especially when it has room to use all the grunt, but I reckon the GP2 would have it round a tighter, twistier circuit... where nimbleness would 'outweigh' massive power and bulk.

[ianking]

There was also no mention of Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, or do they not make Astras there anymore?

[KenL]

I like the show apart from Clarkson.
To me, he just comes across as a xenophobic (or is that racist), homophobic ar*e, the sooner the BBC get rid of him the better.
Not only is he totally unlikeable his car reviews are guff and always follow a similar plot.
I don't mind Hammond and like May.

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I forgot to mention that I hate Range Rovers and the people who drive them :ragin: :hand: :smilewinkgrin:

[d.oxley72]

I agree with the comments here. The show swings from complete tosh to genius each week.
However, it remains the top BBC show and is far more entertaining than TG USA (which was on BBC3 a while ago) and 5th Gear (which I rarely watch), so until there's a show that can beat it for entertainment, it's the best we've got until someone brings out MINI TV.

[N16SHP]

Stick the RRS and the GP2 round Aulton Park or Cadwell and then compare the times.

As for TG, I've always been pretty vocal on here about it being pretty poor but I'd say if anything this series has been an improvement.

[ELFMAN]

I agree with the comments here. The show swings from complete tosh to genius each week.
However, it remains the top BBC show and is far more entertaining than TG USA (which was on BBC3 a while ago) and 5th Gear (which I rarely watch), so until there's a show that can beat it for entertainment, it's the best we've got until someone brings out MINI TV.

Don't get me wrong, when Top Gear gets it right, they do a brilliant job, but too often their 'banter' and blowing up caravans etc just kills it. Like putting tomato sauce on a perfect curry.

I enjoyed 5th Gear - much less 'silly' than TG, with 'proper' drivers like Messrs. Needell and Plato, not forgetting VBH who is not only a proper driver, but knocks the alledgely 'cute' Hammond out of the ball park for looks.

4481
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=646_1321276413&comments=1
There's someone who genuinely enjoys 'the thrill of driving' and the emotion wasn't 'scripted'. I rest my case... and some other bits.