Top Gear Triple Review: CTS-V, ZR1, Dodge Challenger

[darjae]

Originally Posted by concorso

Jeremy Clarkson has owned a Ford GT, Ford Mondeo ST220, Ford Focus ST, and has named the CTS-V as his Car of the Year. He's also said that the Chrysler Sebring is arguably the worst car on the road. Is he really that wrong?

First of all, I love the show and you're right on about needing to watch more of it to understand it. They bash things on cars of all makes and models. Usually with good reason.

Just quibbling I guess, But, Clarkson chose the ZR1 as his car of the year:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...fset=12&page=2

...still American and a close cousin of the V2.

[marktanner]

I( hope everybody got to see all four segments of the review. The links to the last three didn't come through on this thread. Clarkson was very complimentary about the ZR-1, saying how well the car worked as a car, then shocked by the blistering acceleration available as a contrast. He was also pleased to break the standing mile record for production cars, totally stock except for tire pressures, at 176 MPH. He was also very complimentary about the CTS-V, telling the other guy how fast it was at the 'Ring. After that guy got to drive the V in the mountains, he absolutely loved it. He too was ecstatic with a standing mile of 163 MPH, totally stock, with a stick, no less. I was surprised he was complaining about the selection of radio stations-did he know the car had XM? I was also surprised that the three drivers didn't switch cars during their long drive to Bonneville, though they had ample opportunity. I would have liked the others' impressions of each car. Overall, they all seemed pretty impressed with their trio of American iron, even the Challenger.

[AERO1]

Guys,

Please disregard my ignorant comments. I apologize and was uninformed.

When I am wrong, I admit it.

Again, I am sorry and will try to watch Top Gear with a more open mind and I will try to dial up my English humor sensors.

Thanks guys and sorry to waste your time making you have to explain it to me in detail.

I LOVE THIS FORUM! You guys are great!

SG

[concorso]

Originally Posted by darjae

First of all, I love the show and you're right on about needing to watch more of it to understand it. They bash things on cars of all makes and models. Usually with good reason.

Just quibbling I guess, But, Clarkson chose the ZR1 as his car of the year:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...fset=12&page=2

...still American and a close cousin of the V2.

No no, youre right. I knew better too...Ive just got CTS-V on the brain.


Aero1...no need to apolojize, we're men! It does take a thick skin to listen to Clarkson sometimes, but its totally worth it. This latest season of Top Gear is a cinematic masterpiece...or at least as close as any car show will ever get!

Aero1...check out an episode from a few seasons back with the Ford GT, Pagani Zonda, Ferrari F430. They head across Europe to a bridge in France...beautiful. Or the Episode with the Porsche GT3 RS, Aston MArtin V8 VAntage, and Lambo Gallardo Superleggera where the 3 try to find the best driving roads...again, beautiful.

Or the Z06 Episode...Clarkson does bash the Z06, but just watch how the Vette performs on the track...brilliant!


I cant wait to see the V and ZR1 on the track...both are going to be high on the chart, very high!


Cadillac, thank you for this car. Thank you very much... /end giddyness.

[AERO1]

Originally Posted by concorso

No no, youre right. I knew better too...Ive just got CTS-V on the brain.


Aero1...no need to apolojize, we're men! It does take a thick skin to listen to Clarkson sometimes, but its totally worth it. This latest season of Top Gear is a cinematic masterpiece...or at least as close as any car show will ever get!

Aero1...check out an episode from a few seasons back with the Ford GT, Pagani Zonda, Ferrari F430. They head across Europe to a bridge in France...beautiful. Or the Episode with the Porsche GT3 RS, Aston MArtin V8 VAntage, and Lambo Gallardo Superleggera where the 3 try to find the best driving roads...again, beautiful.

Or the Z06 Episode...Clarkson does bash the Z06, but just watch how the Vette performs on the track...brilliant!


I cant wait to see the V and ZR1 on the track...both are going to be high on the chart, very high!


Cadillac, thank you for this car. Thank you very much... /end giddyness.

I just didn't want to come across as an a-hole, you know what I mean.

You guys did what friends do and clarified things for me and for that I am very grateful.

Again, I apologize and thank all of you guys!

SG

[JEM]

Originally Posted by concorso

- If youve bothered to watch any Top Gear, you'll see that they bash all countries and brands. They've had episodes dedicated to saying how horrible British Leyland was and how shitty Mercedes has become. If you think theyre hard on the US, you should hear what they say about the French, Germans, Australians, etc

...and you ought to read some of his non-automotive columns as well.

Clarkson is an entertainer. He's often fast and loose with fact. But he usually comes around to a halfway sensible point.

The brilliance of TopGear as a show is that it is not - like so many supposed US car shows - just guys pottering around in test cars reciting comparative statistics, or worse still reading copy about their advertisers' products that sounds an awful lot like it'd been written by the vendor. There's nothing less meaningful about how, say, a Yaris relates to a Mini - or a Gallardo relates to an F430 - than knowing that one's 0.4sec quicker 0-60.

The show also has had an interesting relationship with the nannies that run the British nanny state, some of which was seen in the fallout from Hammond's 280mph dragster crash in 2007.

[Flavoade]

I did see an out-take sometime last year where Clarkson was ranting about American made cars and then he leaned into the camera, raised his middle finger and said "F**k you America... and stop killing our troops." It was on youtube, but I cannot find it now.

[RapidRob]

Originally Posted by Flavoade

I did see an out-take sometime last year where Clarkson was ranting about American made cars and then he leaned into the camera, raised his middle finger and said "F**k you America... and stop killing our troops." It was on youtube, but I cannot find it now.

And just to add ... I was watching an episode just last night on BBC America, where Clarkson was test driving a Ford Lightening F-150 pickup somewhere in the UK and was wondering why Americans like pickup trucks. He mentioned something like, ' ... when they are driving around in the country, doing whatever Americans do - probably incest ... ', etc. Man - I don't care what kind of humor anyone is talking about, that is just plain insulting!

I really wonder if he would have the guts to utter some of these, "humorous", comments while he is in the U.S., in front of Americans? I doubt it, and frankly, I'm surprised BBC America allows that sort of dribble to be exported. How would the Brits feel if Americans were making the same type comments about them on shows exported to the U.K.?

End of Rant

Rob

[CIWS]

Originally Posted by RapidRob

I really wonder if he would have the guts to utter some of these, "humorous", comments while he is in the U.S., in front of Americans? I doubt it, and frankly, I'm surprised BBC America allows that sort of dribble to be exported. How would the Brits feel if Americans were making the same type comments about them on shows exported to the U.K.?

End of Rant

Rob

Go look up the episode last season, or possibly the one before where all three of them came to America the first time and drove their pick of "1000.00" autos across the south. Some Good Ole' boys from Georgia or Alabama didn't take too kindly to the slogans they painted on the vehicles.

[JEM]

Originally Posted by RapidRob

Americans like pickup trucks. He mentioned something like, ' ... when they are driving around in the country, doing whatever Americans do - probably incest ... ', etc. Man - I don't care what kind of humor anyone is talking about, that is just plain insulting!

It may be insulting, but in context it was funny.

[Radguy]

Originally Posted by CIWS

Go look up the episode last season, or possibly the one before where all three of them came to America the first time and drove their pick of "1000.00" autos across the south. Some Good Ole' boys from Georgia or Alabama didn't take too kindly to the slogans they painted on the vehicles.

That was quite funny. If memory serves me correctly, they were, at one point, as the saying goes--"RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES!!!"

I know they can come off as obnoxious and arrogant, but you have to give them high marks for originality. Who else would pit a Bugatti Veyron against an RAF jet fighter; dune buggy vs a motorized kayak; extreme mountain climber vs an Audi RS4; racing RV's around a track (and watching them literally fall to pieces);etc; etc.

It's fun to see "The Stig" wringing out the cars on the track, and then to see the celebrities trying to do the same. They even had Lewis Hamilton as their celeb recently.

All in all, shows like Motorweek are about as much fun as watching paint dry compared to Top Gear.

[atdeneve]

Originally Posted by Radguy

All in all, shows like Motorweek are about as much fun as watching paint dry compared to Top Gear.

Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner! Nuff said.

[CIWS]

No matter what Clarkson may or may not say about the new CTS-V, I'm just wanting The Stig to get a chance to run the hell out of it around their track