Top Gear: Series 15

[Lost Soal]

So, the Canadian answer to the Hummer. Why not just build a bloody tank and get it over with?

[Admiral Valdemar]

That Canuck... thing, was pretty nifty. If pointless.

I was also half expecting the German Stig to be Sabine Schmitz in reality. Hot German racing drivers are hot.

[ShadowDragon8685]

That Canuck... thing, was pretty nifty. If pointless.

I was also half expecting the German Stig to be Sabine Schmitz in reality. Hot German racing drivers are hot.

That would be pretty impossible, Valdemar.

German Stig can't be Sabine Schmitz, because Sabine Schmitz is regular Stig. They've simply instructed all the cast and celebreties to ignore her fantastic teutonic tones and the fact that she can speak English better than Richard Hammond and refer to her as if she were an Englishman.


Granted, it does make the time she raced against herself in two seperate cars a pretty neat feat, but I think that the Sabine Schmitz in the Porsche was really just a body double. As proof, I present the fact that the body double in the Porsche lost.

[Twigler]

That Canuck... thing, was pretty nifty. If pointless.

I was also half expecting the German Stig to be Sabine Schmitz in reality. Hot German racing drivers are hot.

I was thinking the same thing. The hair poking out from the back of the helmet made it all the more possible. But I doubt she'd be able to not throw some snide comments in Clarkson's direction for his choice of car.

[Lost Soal]

Veyron regains fastest car title

Bugatti's Veyron has reclaimed the title of world's fastest supercar.

A new version of the vehicle, called the Super Sport, hit 268mph at Volkswagen's test track in Ehra-Leissien, Germany.

The Veyron's previous record of 253mph was broken in 2007 by the American SSC Ultimate Aero which reached 256mph.

Bugatti test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel piloted the Super Sport over two runs, averaging 431.072 km/h (268mph).
Uprated specs

The new top speed was reached after Bugatti uprated the specifications of its flagship sportscar.

Its 8.0 litre, 16 cylinder engine remains the same.

However, its four turbochargers have been upgraded and larger intercoolers added.

The new combination raises the Veyron's power output from 1,001 horsepower to 1,200hp.

Bugatti has also redesigned the car's bodywork, with an all carbon fibre shell reducing weight.
Top Gear

The standard Veyron's top speed was famously put to the test on the BBC's Top Gear programme.

Presenter James May reached 253mph on VW's Ehra-Leissien track.

Afterwards he said the experience "made my eyes water".

However, when driven on the programme's test track, the Veyron only managed 10th place.

Jeremy Clarkson speculated that the vehicle's relatively heavy weight may have caused it to put in a slower time than cars such as the Caparo T1 and Koenigsegg CCX.

Anyone want to give odds on this being in the next news segment?

[ShadowDragon8685]

News segment? I'd lay odds that they're juggling segments right now to see if they can fit in getting their hands on the new one to punt it 'round the track!

This warms the cackles of my heart. The Bugatti Veyron is, in my not-remotely-humble opinion, the second most awesome car of all time, and I'm glad to see it haul back and give the Ultimate Aero a kick back into it's place.

[eion]

News segment? I'd lay odds that they're juggling segments right now to see if they can fit in getting their hands on the new one to punt it 'round the track!

This warms the cackles of my heart. The Bugatti Veyron is, in my not-remotely-humble opinion, the second most awesome car of all time, and I'm glad to see it haul back and give the Ultimate Aero a kick back into it's place.

Here Here

But I doubt it'll perform any better on the track, the Veyron is not the most agile thing after all. Damn fast, but not quick in the corners.

And I can't decide whether I like the Veyron or the Atom more.

Also, Richard chose a fine model (I drive that model and year M3, so perhaps I'm biased) but did a bad inspection job.

[ShadowDragon8685]

News segment? I'd lay odds that they're juggling segments right now to see if they can fit in getting their hands on the new one to punt it 'round the track!

This warms the cackles of my heart. The Bugatti Veyron is, in my not-remotely-humble opinion, the second most awesome car of all time, and I'm glad to see it haul back and give the Ultimate Aero a kick back into it's place.

Here Here

But I doubt it'll perform any better on the track, the Veyron is not the most agile thing after all. Damn fast, but not quick in the corners.

And I can't decide whether I like the Veyron or the Atom more.

Also, Richard chose a fine model (I drive that model and year M3, so perhaps I'm biased) but did a bad inspection job.

A guy can dream, can't he?

As for me, it's a toss-up between the Veyron and the Carrera GT.

[eion]

As for me, it's a toss-up between the Veyron and the Carrera GT.

I'm wary of any car with an "I'm speeding" indicator on the back. The Veyron gets away by not having the spoiler deploy until 137mph. The Carrera goes up at 70mph.

[ShadowDragon8685]

As for me, it's a toss-up between the Veyron and the Carrera GT.

I'm wary of any car with an "I'm speeding" indicator on the back. The Veyron gets away by not having the spoiler deploy until 137mph. The Carrera goes up at 70mph.

This is true, however you could always rig the wing either to not deploy, be always deployed, or replace it with an aftermarket non-extensible wing.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Those motorhomes are hilarious.

[Darth Nostril]

"The thing up my nose has a face" Clarkson and convertibles do not go together.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Oh my goodness...

I love it when those three go caravaning. It can't help but end in something going crunch, something catching fire, or if we're lucky, something going crunch and an ignition.

As of yet we've not been lucky enough for it to have been the same thing going crunch (going real crunch mind you, as in demolition crunch, not just a banger on a petrol station bollard) as lit on fire, but if the boys are made aware of this failing I'm sure then next time they'll light the thing on fire just before they drop it off a cliff.

Is it bad that I very much wanted to see the cameraman's face. He had to be resisting breaking into uproarious laughter so hard...


Of course, what I don't get... Why in the world didn't they start with a lorry with a sleeper cab and just... Extend it? We know they can drive them, and it can't possibly have been much worse than that Citroen housing block on wheels.

[eion]

Of course, what I don't get... Why in the world didn't they start with a lorry with a sleeper cab and just... Extend it? We know they can drive them, and it can't possibly have been much worse than that Citroen housing block on wheels.

Because that might work, and Top Gear doesn't build things that work.

[Twigler]

Of course, what I don't get... Why in the world didn't they start with a lorry with a sleeper cab and just... Extend it? We know they can drive them, and it can't possibly have been much worse than that Citroen housing block on wheels.

the idea was to create a new camper van for the people. You need a special licence to drive a truck, so they're right out.
Converting a minivan would have been too boring.

Besides Clarkson's attempt was inspired. Most of it actually looked good...
As long as you looked above the Citroen itself. And didn't move the thing. Or go inside.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Of course, what I don't get... Why in the world didn't they start with a lorry with a sleeper cab and just... Extend it? We know they can drive them, and it can't possibly have been much worse than that Citroen housing block on wheels.

Because that might work, and Top Gear doesn't build things that work.

They do! They, um...

Well, Clarkson's Toyboata made it across the Channel (eventually.) And, um...

Mmmm... Hrm....

Well, they did build at least one thing that worked! That said, knowing the lads it would've been spectacularly fun whatever they did. Probably tried to convert it into a one-car land-train with a trailer on the back.

[Vendetta]

Well, they did build at least one thing that worked! That said, knowing the lads it would've been spectacularly fun whatever they did. Probably tried to convert it into a one-car land-train with a trailer on the back.

You mean like a *spit* caravan.

Ewwwwww.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Well, they did build at least one thing that worked! That said, knowing the lads it would've been spectacularly fun whatever they did. Probably tried to convert it into a one-car land-train with a trailer on the back.

You mean like a *spit* caravan.

Ewwwwww.

No, no, no.

Caravans generally don't have that kind of heavy-duty hook-up. They also, generally, don't have a door in the front so you can go from caravan to tow vehicle without getting more than a bit damp.

And knowing the lads, they wouldn't have settled for one trailer to share between the lot of them. Remember the last time they tried? Jeremy brought a Kalashnikov under the reasoning "I thought, 'Weekend in a caravan with James May, what am I gonna need?"

So they'd import one of those big-big heavy tractors from Down Under, the kind that tow the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train]road trains.[/quote] And they'd wind up towing three trailers, each one done up by the one who has to live in it.

It would be absurd and silly and completely impractical and it would be awesome. Ambitious, but rubbish, in true Top Gear style.

I hope if they ever do a down under special, that's what they do. Camping holiday in the outback with a road-train caravan with sleeping cars.


I mean, they survived the Amazon and the Pole... They might just be up to the challenge of Austrailia.

[Lief]

tbh, may's camper was the best. Best car, convienent for one person, though I would of located the toilet elsewhere.

And their robin reliant shuttle worked....well...it took off.

[ShadowDragon8685]

tbh, may's camper was the best. Best car, convienent for one person, though I would of located the toilet elsewhere.

A lotus with what is for all intents and purposes an ultralight's fuselage (even if it was custom made, he as good as said that's what it was inspired by,) strapped to the top...

His Lotus had four seats. He might as well have removed the passenger's side seat, the rear seats and exposed the boot, then insulated the whole thing, put down some kind of flooring like he did for the fuselage and left it that way.


I'll agree that of the three presented, May's was the most practical and the one you can most readily imagine someone actually resorting to if they have a dire need to go camping...

But it's still not really what one would call "practical," and it's not really something you'd want to go in.

[Vympel]

Cruise and Diaz to compete in the Reasonably Priced Car

[ShadowDragon8685]

So, any bets on how long it'll take before Clarkson makes a $cientology joke? I can't imagine he'll refrain from it, even if the BBC orders him not to. Actually, he (the lot of them, in fact) take being told not to do something or offend some sensability as a challenge. Remember the way they told them not to, under any circumstances, bring up the second World War when they went to Germany to meet the hosts of that German motoring program?

The one where they showed up to the track in Spitfires with the theme to 223 Squadron (IIRC, I might have the number wrong) playing, and proceeded to crack every imaginable WWII joke they could think of?

[Admiral Valdemar]

633 Squadron, but yes, the trio tend to push things, and the Beeb doesn't learn (like when Rage Against The Machine got the Xmas number one last year, and they played on Radio 1 under the caveat that they don't swear. They swore).

[ShadowDragon8685]

633 Squadron, but yes, the trio tend to push things, and the Beeb doesn't learn (like when Rage Against The Machine got the Xmas number one last year, and they played on Radio 1 under the caveat that they don't swear. They swore).

It just makes me think, are the $cientologists going to try and get some kind of revenge? It may not be the old days where they'd literally try to drive you to suicide/frame you for felonies/outright assassinate you, but they do tend to try and step on highly-publicized things and they can get downright vicious.

Would the BBC throw the boys under the bus if they were in danger of making an enemy of the Church of Scientology for the entire BBC, or would they form ranks around them? Would they try to avoid the issue by editing out anything they deem too likely to offend the $cilons, even if it would not be considered by a normal person offensive?

[UnderAGreySky]

I reckon if not the BBC management, the paying public would get very pointed and aggressive. I've read a lot of times that "Top Gear makes the TV Licence Fee bearable" or somesuch, and the number of letters that the Beeb would get if they pulled the show would be interesting to see...