Jeremy Clarkson is about to release his latest solo DVD. It’s called The Italian Job and ever the commercialist you can watch a preview below. It looks pretty good, too. Despite the title, it’s not all Italian cars, either, as his V8 Atom inspired spinnaker-face shows.
[via Motorcentral]
For every Chris Harris there is a Jeremy Clarkson. That is, for every person who will always find something positive to say about a Porsche 911, there is always someone to find the negative.
Clarkson is well known for his dislike of all things 911, too. This following comment is a perfect example of that, “I don’t remember what sort of 911 I drove first, but I’d heard so many horror stories about the wayward handling that I didn’t dare go more than 4 mph. Which meant I had more time to examine the ridiculously basic dashboard, and the heater controls which appeared to be connected to nothing at all.”
However, has Jeremy seen the light? Maybe be has, “But then along came the new GT3 and I won’t dwell on the whys and the wherefores, but I loved it. Not liked it. Loved it.
“Despite the aesthetic shortfalls, and the fact it’s a 911, this is a great car. It goes round roundabouts like nothing I’ve ever driven. In a test of pure handling and grip, it would be a match for anything. And it only costs £86,000. That’s just shy of half what you’d pay for a Ferrari 458. Half.”
Was the 911 GT3 really able to turn Clarkson’s opinion around 180 degrees? Follow the link below to find out.
[Source: TopGear.com]
As most of you will know, the wraps are about to come off a new season of Top Gear (and a new Reasonably Priced Car). The first episode goes to air on UK screens in a few hours and over at the offical site Andy Wilman, Executive Producer, gives us a preview what to expect.
Wilman also holds high hopes for Series 15, “We’ve shot some really good stuff for this run. Those of you who read these blogs regularly know I’m the first to ’fess up if we’ve done a stinker, and that I love a nice dose of pessimism – and you know I thought the last series was up and down. But I’m looking at the contents on my little wall chart thing now, and there’s some quality work here.
“And if you like your TopGear served up with a dash more petrolheadery, then just wait for the Senna tribute we’ve shot, where we’ve got an exclusive with Lewis Hamilton driving Senna’s 1988 F1 car. We all love Lewis for the way he wears his heart on his sleeve when he races, and it’s the same when he shows his emotions for his hero.”
The Senna piece sounds like it has the makings to be an all time classic Top Gear segment. Let’s hope Lewis doesn’t stuff it.
[Source: TopGear | Pic: TopGear]
UPDATE: Speculation via the Car Lounge at VWvortex.com suggests the new Reasonably Priced Car is the Kia Cee’d.
UPDATE 28 June: An informative video, of sorts, featuring Jeremy Clarkson has been posted to the TopGear website. You can see the clip below in which Jeremy confirms the Cee-apostrphe-d’s new status as the Reasonably Priced Car.
Great news for Oscar’s mum and dad; they’ve been featured in a new preview for Series 15 of Top Gear. The new season kicks off this weekend and you can see the latest BBC2 promo right here on AUSmotive. There it is, just after the jump.
If you’d rather not listen to a couple of screaming loons, then take a peak at the Top Gear blog where you can discover the Chevrolet Lacetti has been axed and that the crew had a big meeting and decided to try a bit harder this time around.
As most readers will know Top Gear recently embarked on its latest world tour with their Live show. But, if the Mail Online is to be believed Top Gear will soon be setting off another global challenge. This time, though, it won’t be broadcast on your television screens. No, apparently, Top Gear have plans to make a full length feature film. The flick has already been anointed with the working title of “Around the world in 80 cars”.
The premise of the movie challenge will see Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May circumnavigate the globe in the cheapest and most unreliable cars available.
A Top Gear source has been quoted as saying, “Jeremy and the boys have become increasingly involved in outrageous stunts – but this will be their toughest. Driving around the world in different clapped-out cars will be no mean feat and should make the perfect road movie.”
In a move sure to raise the ire of recent critic Jeremy Bass, the source continued, “A feature-length film of the boys’ adventures is something that can be released in cinemas all over the world. It will also be a guaranteed big-seller on DVD when it is released, and that is a growing market.”
Given Jeremy Clarkson’s role in Love the beast, one wonders if the Top Gear leading man was inspired by Eric Bana’s foray into feature length car movie making.
Whether this rumour proves true or not may be another thing altogether. Filming a movie-length challenge that takes in numerous continents will place huge time demands on the stars and crew. Can they find the time? And, more importantly, can they make it work?
UPDATE 11 January: It appears as though the Top Gear movie plans may have been the fantasy of a Daily Mail reporter. At least, that’s what the chaps at Final Gear are speculating. The link below is now dead, so it may be safe to assume the worldwide special plans are now bunk.
[Source: Mail Online]
UPDATE 7 June: The boys will be back on UK screens from 27 June.
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Top Gear, fresh off the back of its fourteenth season, has just been named the “Greatest TV Show of the Noughties”. This news is the culmination of a poll run by Channel 4 in the UK, the results of which will air on British television screens next week.
Richard Hammond, one of Top Gear‘s star trio, said, “I could never say what the reason is for Top Gear doing so well since we started it, but I think there’s always a sense that we’d still be doing it even if the cameras weren’t here and that makes it real.”
Of course, BBC2 first broadcast the original format of Top Gear back in the late 1970s. However, while it enjoyed a stellar run of some 24 years, at the start of the 2000s the show was cancelled. This paved the way for the emergence of Fifth Gear on Channel Five. But it wasn’t long until the BBC relaunched Top Gear with the current format running since 2002.
Series 14 has attracted some criticism and the program’s long time Executive Producer, Andy Wilman, felt the need defend the show’s direction posting comments on the Top Gear website.
Going into Series 15, then, Top Gear faces its toughest test in some time. Will the baggage of the decade’s greatest title add to the burden of recent criticism, or will it spur the production team on to bigger and better things? While I do think Top Gear will finish before it makes a twentieth season, I do expect that Season 15 will rectify some of the wrongs committed in recent series. Wilman and his trusty trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are no mugs, they will put things right.
We shall find out later this year when Season 15 goes to air. If it wasn’t for the 2010 FIFA World Cup I would nominate 19 June as the premiere date, however, the football may mean an early start in May with a hiatus before recommencing in July. This is what BBC did with Season 8 so as to avoid clashing with Germany 2006.
[Source: The Press Association]
Internet criticism has led to Top Gear‘s Executive Producer, Andy Wilman, to write an article defending the show. In line with the old adage about criticising art it would seem many an internet fan doesn’t know much about producing a television show, but they know what they like. And, according the the masses, they don’t like Season 14 of Top Gear which is more than half way through its current run.
Wilman admits that the crew has been up against it this series, “Personally I’ll be glad to see the back of it. We’ve done some good stuff this series, but we were too rushed and too knackered to get everything right.”
He also understands that they may have pigeon-holed the three presenters too tightly, “I do believe we’ve now got the presenters playing to their TV cartoon characters a bit too much – Jezza the walking nuclear bomb, Richard the daft Norman Wisdom, and James the bumbling professor.”
But Wilman also explains that the show’s philosophy is to never die wondering if a new idea will work, “it is just us pushing in a different direction, because we’re still very much obsessed, as a team, about attempting new things with cars on TV.”
At the end of Season 13 there was much talk that it marked the end of the road for Top Gear. While that turned out to be more internet scuttlebutt, Wilman does reveal the end of the show will happen sooner, rather than later, “It’s fair to say this incarnation of Top Gear is nearer the end than the beginning, and our job is to land this plane with its dignity still intact.”
If you’re a fan of the show and haven’t already seen Wilman’s blog, take the time to follow the link below, it’s a very worthwhile read.
[Source: TopGear]
The Top Gear Vietnam Special was eagerly awaited by AUSmotive HQ, especially after our world exclusive announcing the recording of the episode, in October 2008. Now, Australian viewers can see the 75 minute episode, in full, on SBS tomorrow night from 7:30pm.
In addition to our earlier “More on Top Gear in Vietnam” post are these six wallpaper sized images from the filming. Simply click on each pic to load the 2000x1320px super image. There’s some good images, including a few from the stunning Ha Long Bay.
The good lads at Explore Indochina also have some behind the scenes images on their website. These guys were used as consultants during the episode with some of the bike modifications carried out under their supervision. If you’re ever considering a road trip, with a difference, then this is the company for you.
For a brief overview of the episode click HERE *spoilers* or simply book a spot on your couch for 7:30 tomorrow night.
(Thanks to Andrew for the all the tips.)
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?
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.
In case you’ve missed it Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond are bringing Top Gear LIVE to Australia as part of their world tour. The lads will be in Sydney in early 2009 performing several shows at Sydney’s Acer Arena over the dates 5-8 February.
New Zealand’s 3news has video of a press conference with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond talking about their LIVE experience and the tour ahead, including a few tidbits about coming to Australia. Click HERE to watch the clip (thanks to Tim for the link).
This week the lads drove from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats so they could drive very,very fast. Jeremy Clarkson was in a Corvette ZR1 and topped 176mph (283km/h). James May, aka Captain Slow, in a Cadillac CTS-V was anything but, reaching 163mph (262km/h). Richard Hammond, behind the wheel of a Dodge Challenger, managed a respectable 150mph (241km/h). All the while managing to show that Americans have made three cracking cars. More amazingly, they actually go around corners very competently as well. Okay, maybe the Challenger doesn’t, but the ZR1 and the CTS-V most certainly do.
Also featured was the Fiat 500 Abarth SS. Looks like a funky little pocket rocket. Jeremy gave it a good thrashing around the track and reckons it comes up trumps.
Will Young was the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. He won UK Pop Idol a while back and has managed to maintain his celebrity since. A rare feat indeed. Not knowing much about him before tonight’s show he’s a lieable enough chap and seems to be abel to steer a car quite well, so he’s alright by me.