Category: Top Gear

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12 now on Australian TV screens

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 1

A quick reminder to AUSmotive readers that SBS is now showing Series 12 of Top Gear. Episode 1 is airing on your screens as this article is being written. You may recall that Jeremy created quite a bit of controversy with a few of his gags in their £5000 Lorry Challenge.

Overall, the eight episode series offers the usual high standard of Top Gear viewing. A few of the later episodes were a bit off key, but still solid entertainment. Hats off to SBS for getting the latest series to screen in relatively quick time. So, for the next seven weeks, keep your telly set to SBS on Monday nights at 7:30pm.

Update: Well, I guess it’s nice that SBS have got this series to air in double quick time, but it’s a shame that more than just the news segment has been edited to squeeze in a few ads. Apart from the odd bits missing from the feature stories, the news segments were some of the more entertaining pieces in this series.

Continue reading “Top Gear – Series 12 now on Australian TV screens”
Categories
Audi Targa Tasmania Top Gear

AUSmotive – Best Stories 2008

AUSmotive.com

For my last post of the year, a quick reflection on my favourite stories from 2008.

Getting a world exclusive on Top Gear filming in Vietnam was right up there—thanks to Andrew for giving me the scoop on that one, it has provided some nice traffic to the site, that’s for sure, with Jalopnik and autoblog just a few to reference the story.

Sharing my experiences as a Targa Tasmania service crew member for friend and privateer entrant ‘Robbo’ was also a rewarding process to go through. All going well, I should be back on board helping out Robbo in 2009, so stay tuned for that.

Credit goes to Ross and Debra for taking me back to my youth by bringing their Audi RS2 to the Shannons German Autofest. If I made a list of the cars that have shaped my love for most things automotive the RS2 would be in the top five. Putting together that piece and seeing the car up close and personal was a real highlight.

I also enjoyed covering the MINI CHALLENGE during 2008, there were plenty of thrills and spills, and here’s to a bigger and better 2009 for the MINI team.

A special mention to Gabe and his team at MotoringFile/BimmerFile for their support, their willingness to reference both AUSmotive and AUSringers has been a great help in building up traffic.

Finally, thank you to all of the readers out there. Your comments have been great, but, please, post lots more of them! Page loads and unique visitors to the site have really grown in the last few months, a trend I hope will continue well into 2009. If you have any feedback about AUSmotive that you would like to pass on, please share your thoughts below in the comments section. Your feedback can only aid the continual improvement of this site and help me provide the content you want to read.

Thanks
Liam

Categories
Carmageddon News Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 13 (now with budget cuts)

Top Gear - Series 13

Internet speculation suggests the next series of Top Gear will return in March June 2009. What is not speculative, though, is news that Series 13 will be produced for less coin due to BBC budget cuts.

Speaking on his blog, Executive Producer Andy Wilman said, “next year we’re getting a budget cut. No point in moaning about that—all shows are suffering and nobody’s got a pot to piss in anymore anyway, so no reason why we shouldn’t suffer as well.”

“Our problem though is that there is no fat to trim off the show, in that we waste almost nothing behind the scenes and the old cliché of every penny goes on screen is actually true.

“So in 2009 the budget cut has to affect what you watch,” explains Wilman.

The cuts are estimated to be around thirty per cent, which would bring the costs down to around £140,000 per episode, based on current estimates. Perhaps they could start with trimming some fat off Jeremy Clarkson’s salary, believed to be in excess of £4M per year.

[Source: TopGear.com, Telegraph.co.uk and CarAdvice]

UPDATE 17 April: Top Gear, Series 13, will return on 21 June. [Source: finalgear.com]

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 8 (Vietnam Special)

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 8 (Vietnam Special)

The last episode of Series 12 was the highly anticipated Vietnam Special. News of Top Gear filming in Vietnam was revealed exclusively right here on AUSmotive back in early October. At 75 minutes, this episode is the longest Top Gear special to date.

The challenge set to the Top Gear trio was to get from the south of Vietnam to the north in just eight days. They had 15 million Vietnamese dong each to fund their purchase of suitable transport. Turns out all those millions don’t go very far, and the lads were left with no choice but to go for motorcycle power, despite Jeremy’s protestations. The usual hijinx followed, with the added comedy value of seeing Clarkson struggle on two wheels.

As an overall episode, though, it didn’t reach the highs of the USA or African specials, for example. That said, the Vietnam Special was a thoroughly enjoyable journey to watch, with the usual standards of Top Gear cinematography doing a great job of capturing Vietnam’s inspiring scenery.

A few captures from the episode are shown below. Australian readers beware—the pics below may be considered spoilers if you want to wait until this episode airs on SBS in a couple of months time. I just want to know what happened to the Red Stig?

Continue reading “Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 8 (Vietnam Special)”
Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear tea break – The worst car in the world!

Jeremy Clarkson - The worst car in the world

It’s now only a few days until the Top Gear Vietnam special. But, this is not Jeremy Clarkson’s first visit to the country. On a previous visit—when he had more, curlier hair—he found, the worst car in the world!

(The Top Gear YouTube channel rather unsportingly doesn’t allow embedding, so click on the picture above to watch Jeremy’s clip in full.)

Categories
News Top Gear

Top Gear confirms date for Vietnam Special

Top Gear in Vietnam - Series 12, Episode 8

Revealed exclusively on AUSmotive back in October, Top Gear have filmed an hour long a 75 minute special in Vietnam. A few teasers from this episode were given in week 1 of the current series, it looks good! At the end of last night’s episode, Jeremy Clarkson confirmed AUSmotive’s speculative airing date for the Vietnam Special of Sunday 28 December was correct. Should be a cracker of an episode and we’ll know for sure in just under two weeks!

For all the latest discussion on this episode before it goes to air, keep an eye on FinalGear.com

Update 27 December: This episode will be a 75 minute special, as confirmed in THIS POST by Andy Wilman. Even more about this ep from TopGear.com can be read HERE.

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 7

Honda FCX Clarity - Hydrogen powered car

Bit of a meat and three veg episode of Top Gear this week. Richard opened the show with a piece on the British Touring Car Championship which is celebrating its 50th year in 2008. The lads then went through the news, which was rather entertaining again.

There was reference to a Morris Marina that James and Jeremy torched last week. The team also showed a range of Christmas gift ideas, including a remote control car that can drive up walls. They showed a clip of the car in action, and can someone please confirm what the nice lady said she did with her pennies? Humour also ensued when the Top Gear Awards were announced. The Caterham R500 got the top gong, and I have to say, it looks like a cracking car. Raw, uncompromising and brutal in its simplicity. Just like a track focused car should be.

Jeremy tested a Tesla Roadster. This is an electric powered car, based on a Lotus Elise, and can reach 100km/h in under 4 seconds. It’s good, but is it the future? Not really. It was James’ review of the Honda FCX Clarity that showed the way of the future. James, pictured above chewing the fat with Jay Leno, explained the Clarity’s strength lies in its hydrogen power. I think he was right, this is the car of the future, because it is like the car of today.

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 6

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 6

It is often said many car fans live their dreams through the exploits of the Top Gear crew. Well, maybe it’s not said that often. Nevertheless, it is true. I think. Aside from that, Jeremy Clarkson lived one of my dreams in the most recent episode of Top Gear. Driving through a shopping mall. Ever since seeing the Blues Brothers this has been a dream of mine. It would just be so much fun. And I do concur with Jeremy, a new Ford Fiesta would be a much better car for the task than a big oafy Corvette.

Elsewhere in the show Hammond drove a Caterham R500 Superlight and a Veritas RS III around the Top Gear test track. In doing so, he proved that some things are best kept simple. Even though the Veritas isn’t exactly an over complicated beast, it’s no Caterham. The light weight British meccano set with gilt-edged pedigree may not look so great, but it is devastatingly effective around a track.

Jeremy and James tried to find a good communist car. They thought they found one in the Lada Niva, but sanity prevailed.

Speaking of which, I wonder if it will prevail with Boris Johnson? The Mayor of London was the guest and he proved that a political satirist can actually make it into office. I’ve no idea about his politics, or his effectiveness, but he’s mad as a cut snake and, clearly, doesn’t take himself too seriously. I like that.

Continue reading “Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 6”
Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 5

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 5

Brutal mingers, Milli Vanilli exhaust tips and RM Williams boots. These were just some of the things featured on this week’s episode.

Jeremy opened the show by pitting the BMW M3 Sedan against the Lexus IS-F (with Milli Vanilli exhaust tips). The upshot? Lexus done good, but not as good as BMW.

The Porsche Panamera (the brutal minger) copped a bit of a ribbing during the news segment, while Richard (in his RM Williams boots) and Jeremy gave the Cool Wall some new life.

There was a bus race to test which would be the best buses for London’s public transport. I have to say, watching a double decker bus corner on two-wheels was almost as cool as seeing a bendy bus powerslide.

Kevin McCloud, from Grand Designs, was the guest. Described as an “eco-mentalist”, he has a dark secret and some raw driving talent. Nice work!

The feature clip closed out the show and saw Richard driving a 1968 Ferrari Daytona from Portofino, Italy to St Triopez, France. James tagged along in a fancy boat.

Categories
News Top Gear

Top Gear UK does 60 Minutes down under

Last weekend’s 60 Minutes program on Channel 9 included a segment with the Top Gear UK lads. They discuss the television show, the stage show and some of the more infamous incidents—including Richard’s crash and the American episode. Here it is for your enjoyment.

Those who remember the Gin and Tonic furore can see the offending footage in this clip at around 6:23.

(Thanks to Tim for the link.)

Categories
Bugatti Pagani Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 4

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 4

I love Top Gear, even if that pink and purple striped top of James May’s needs to be retired. This week was another very fine episode.

James May tested the Pagani Zonda F Roadster on the Top Gear test track. His premiere appearance in such a test, and it was grand television indeed. The big news, though, was seeing the Bugatti Veyron setting  a time for the Power Lap board. Despite annihilating the Zonda in a straight out drag, and despite lighting up the inside front wheel on the last corner (see below)…

Avid viewers will remember Harry Enfield‘s debut guest appearance (Series 1, Episode 1) where he set a 2 minute plus lap time. He returned this week to put that right.

There was a challenge, too, and the lads had to drive from Basel to Blackpool on one tank of fuel. Once at Blackpool the winner of the challenge would get to turn on the Blackpool Christmas lights. Jeremy Clarkson made it, amazingly, in a Jaguar V6 diesel.  James May was not so fortunate, with his Subaru Legacy diesel going the distance, but he was too slow and missed the illumination ceremony. That leaves Hammond, who won the race, behind the wheel of a 3-cylinder Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion.

Continue reading “Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 4”
Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 12, Episode 3

Top Gear - Series 12, Episode 3

A bit of a meat and veg episode of Top Gear this week. Not particularly outstanding, but thoroughly enjoyable all the same. The James May/Mika Hakkinen segment was the highlight for me. Getting an insight into Finnish driving culture was quite interesting—some tips for Australian authorities there, no doubt. Top Gear is often described as a dream job and James May has now had personal tuition from Sir Jackie Stewart and Mika Hakkinen. Nice work, if you can get it.

Richard introduced us to Toyota’s i-REAL. A funky wheelchair-like contraption. Not sure if it will take over the world like Toyota reckon, but we’ll see.

The news segments in Series 12 have really picked up and, even if scripted more than it may look, they are running along very smoothly with great interaction and humour between the cast. Mark Wahlberg was the guest, a bit cheeky, and very aggressive on the track.

Then, the challenge, a homemade Evo. The guys had to take an unknown donor car and try to make it as quick as an Evo X around the test track (1:28.2). The car? A Renault Avantime. A curious thing. Odd, it has to be said, but with a 3.0 V6 maybe it had the legs?