370 on Top Gear

flashburn

Eh, I didn't completely hate the episode. The Vantage segment was boring, but the Evo segment was pretty fun. Although it seemed a bit setup... way too many fixed camera shots, and the whole "jump over the Evo" shot. The Z segment was pretty mindless and stupid, but hey, at least we got to see our car in a US TV show for 15 minutes. I can only hope that the Z gets some real coverage in a later episode.

Host wise, I agree with most, Tanner is okay, and the bearded fat guy is annoying and unfunny. I don't dislike Adam Ferrara though, he was good in Rescue Me, but he isn't really right for the show. He wouldn't be too bad if the show was minus the bearded fat guy and plus another experienced car guy.

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nurseryboy

I actually like the show. Sure, it's not nearly as good at the Euro Top Gear, but if you look back at their first episodes (even first few seasons), they weren't very good either. It took a while for them to get into a groove and build the group dynamic, and it's going to take these guys some time too. While watching it from that perspective (knowing they're growing), it's actually a pretty good show. I think it's much better than the Australian Top Gear. That was painful to watch in my opinion, although I still did because it's a car show. I think, given some time, Top Gear US will get much better. Probably never on par with the Euro one, but that doesn't mean it still can't be good and fun to watch.

Mt Tam I am

I was looking forward to this episode for a week, only to be offered this rooster sucking episode. We don't even talk about racing on the streets here at the 370Z.com, yet they pretend to be racing on the city streets, avoiding helicopters or skiers, etc.
They have at least proven that it takes no skill to drive a car (especially an auto) fast in a straight line. Recall, Tanner lost the Lambo speed test to two novice yahoos. Referring to Fat guy Rutledge Wood and not so funny comedian Adam Ferrara.

I want to see two drivers compete with the same type of car against one another. This requires two experienced drivers. Instead of a celebrity guest driver bring in Jeremy Clarkson or one of the Top Gear hosts as drivers from around the world, and compete with Tanner Foust. Something to show off these high end cars handling ability, not just power.
Rating: Boo

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ThoriumHotdog

Can a V12 Vantage beat a V8 Vantage?! FIND OUT NOW! Give me a break.

Why do they constantly do comparisons with cars from the same manufacturer? Wasn't the top speed challenge all Ferraris or Lambos? I remember wondering why they didn't mix it up a little but I bet I know why.

zmyride

I totally agree. That bearded guy was annoying. It's like him saying a 370Z is underpowered compared to a GTR? Let's drive a GTR and prove how slow a 370Z is. Totally retarded.

ThoriumHotdog

I didn't see a point to that at all. It's like they're afraid to actually compare cars from different auto manufacturers.

VCuomo

You guys who are bitching about TG America know that TG BBC also has pretty lame segments (and I could definitely see them doing the "blind guy tries drifting" segment too), and that TG is primarily an entertainment show (not a hardcore technical show) - right?

At least they haven't yet had a long segment with Tanner fawning over - err, excuse me, interviewing - Tom Cruise and Carmen Dias (who are superb drivers, aren't they?), like the segment of TG BBC that I saw recently. Sheesh, talk about lame...

chippy

The TG Aus review was good, worth checking out on UTube if you haven't seen it already

ThoriumHotdog

Yes, entertainment, something missing from the Top Gear US.

The original Top Gear actually had a blind man on. They gave him the chance to drive again and to give him an experience he wouldn't forget. He did high speed passes around the TG test track and even beat a few people who had full use of their eyes. It wasn't just a stunt to show how "wacky" they were either... Go watch that episode and compare if you'd like.

Top Gear is about entertainment and they do set up a lot of their challenges and stunts but the key here are the hosts. They're not made of wood and they actually know about cars. They are generally entertaining unlike the three goons we have in the US.

All the complaints are about the hosts for the most part. The rest of the issues come from the show relying heavily on advertisers. Then theres the total lack of imagination of the producers. We're still waiting for an actual comparison between cars or even an actual review of the cars they drive. Not some forced "the car looks like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down" one liner or some poor reference to a movie that maybe a 10th of the audience will get.

I stand by what I said on the TG blog. It looks like the US producers sent an intern into a bar and hired the first three douchebags that hit on her.

VCuomo

I agree with you on the hosts thing, with the exception of Tanner - he certainly knows cars and how to drive them. The other two - well, I don't see what they bring to the table.

sonic370

imo i thought the entire show was a joke... the next time i go racing down a snow covered mountain i'll be sure to borrow an evo.. it was an insult to let
some guest star track a yugo!! and then not track the 370...


someone should start a poll on why they bought the 370..
in might be fun to see where drifting ranks at on the list...

as one guy said best part of the show was the dog at the end

VCuomo

Just like TG BBC, TG USA will be tracking that same Yugo (actually, I think it's a Hyundai, don't really remember though) using a different guest each week, and the track time goes up on their tally board in the studio. There's no intention to compare the "Yugo" to any other car. And the "Yugo" will be the only car that remains the same from week to week this season.

And yeah, the guide dog peeing was the best part of the show - I bet TG BBC will run that clip on their show!

sonic370

nice how would you like to run into that car at a used car lot

fins

was good advertisement for the EVO. everything else seemed flat...

whoady4shoady

I was so excited to see the stigs track time for the z compared to the evo. They clearly said they would test every new car they got on the track, yet they put no time up for the z. That really pissed me off.