Tag: Jeremy Clarkson

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Porsche Top Gear

Top Gear tea break – Porsche Carrera GT

Top Gear Porsche Carrera GT review

Here at AUSmotive we love Top Gear and we love nice cars. Very nice cars. To celebrate the recent arrival of the official Top Gear YouTube channel here is a Top Gear tea break. Set aside a few minutes—7 minutes 58 seconds in this case—and enjoy Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Porsche Carrera GT. Sure, this clip may be a few years old now, taken from way back in Series 4, but the car in question is absolutely timeless. One of my all time favourites. At the time The Stig’s best lap of 1:19.8 was the fastest time recorded around the Top Gear test track. Sadly, the Top Gear boffins have prevented embedding of their YouTube clips, but click on the image above to be taken to the clip and, as Jeremy says, “LISTEN TO THAT ENGINE!” … it is one of the best automotive sounds ever created.

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Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 11, Episode 6

The final episode of Series 11 already! Yes, I’m afraid that’s it for a few more months. The show kicked off with James May testing a couple of Japanese oddities from well known manufacturer Mitsuoka. Hmm, fair enough. Richard Hammond took us down “Hardcore Street” behind the wheel of the Gumpert Apollo S. A car which proves to be as effective as it is, well, ugly. How effective? You’ll need to check the video above to find out. Jay Kay made his long awaited reappearance on the show to see if he could knock off Simon Cowell’s lap time in the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment. He did. Predictably, by 0.1 second. All looked a bit of a setup, so much so that the producers must have asked Jay Kay to see if he could act a bigger wanker than Cowell as well. Which is a shame, as Jay Kay was pretty good value when he first appeared on Top Gear all those years ago. He has a bloody nice car collection, so we’ll forgive him!

Top Gear v DMotor

The show closed out with classic shoot out between the Top Gear crew against Germany’s DMotor crew, featuring Sabine Schmitz and Tim Schrick. The usual “don’t mention the war” banter followed and, of course, Top Gear won the day. Although, one suspects when the film airs on DMotor that there may be a different result, haha. It was all pretty good fun really with the highlight being Jeremy and Sabine lapping the Zolder circuit in a couple of MINI Cooper Ss and Tim Schrick and The Stig duelling in a race going Porsche and an Aston Martin DBRS9.

Top Gear should be back in October with 8 episodes to close out the year. Fifth Gear will return to UK screens on 11 August.

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News Top Gear

Top Gear Polar G’n’T causes unnecessary PMT

Top Gear Polar episode - Clarkson with Gin & Tonic

In a sign of further proof, if it were needed, that a professional wowser’s idea of entertainment is watching their own fingernails grow Jeremy Clarkson and James May have come under fire from the BBC’s independent watchdog over a light hearted gag from their Top Gear Polar Special. To illustrate their point that they could be pioneer explorers without breaking into a sweat—in this case attempting to be the first people to drive to the magnetic north pole—they made an otherwise innocent gag about drinking a Gin and Tonic while conquering one of the world’s few remaining frontiers. Nobody is denying the dangers of drinking and driving, however, the Top Gear duo were neither endangering the lives of others nor causing any genuine unnecessary risk to themselves. In actual fact, no footage of them actually drinking from their glasses went to air. Nor did they break any laws. It was a slice of humour intended to entertain, no more, no less. One day—I hope—we will live in a world where common sense and fun can co-exist. What do you think the chances are?

Source: ABC Online (Thanks to Andrew for the tip.)

Categories
Bugatti Top Gear

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson 186mph claims

Jeremy Clarkson has got himself into more hot water for admitting to driving 186mph (300km/h) on a public road in Britain. In news sure to attract unwanted attention for Australian producers of the impending Top Gear spin off, the revelation has come to light in a recent article in the Daily Mail. This has obviously created outrage from a variety of groups:

Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, said: ‘Jeremy Clarkson is extremely offensive and irresponsible. His comments are very upsetting to loved ones who have suffered a bereavement through a road crash because of a speeding driver. He is the most appalling role model for our next generation of drivers. The BBC should sack him – he is totally out of control.’

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Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 11 teasers

TopGear logoRecent reports about the new episodes of Top Gear have fans even more excited about the series return on 22 June. From the Top Gear blog, Andy Wilman, the show’s Executive Producer, says “most exciting for me is that we’ve finally come up with another big race – you know, car versus something or other … this one is back to basics, more hardcore, mega car, mega opponent, with a solid premise. And a clue for the geeks: we did it in Japan.” My tip is it will feature the Mazda Furai, or a Nissan GT-R. Or both, perhaps!

Giving further clues as to what we can expect Wilman states, “we go to war, literally, with a German version of Top Gear (which incidentally means Sabine is back) and there’s a very exciting shootout with the RS6 against the most suicidal of skiers”

One thing that Wilman doesn’t state, however, is the Veyron feature filmed in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. This has been revealed on the Releaselog website, which has a few spy shots of the the Stig captured during the shoot.

All in all, it is shaping up to be a great series, or at least, the fans hope it will be. So far there has been nothing to indicate anyone will be disappointed. Keep reading AUSmotive for more updates, or check in to the FinalGear forums for more leads.

Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear – Series 11 expected to air on 22 June

TopGear logoInternet speculation suggests that Series 11 of Top Gear will go to air on UK televisions on 22 June. Keep an eye out for more updates as they come to hand. In the meantime, to help you get by during the TG off-season see below for one of my favourite Top Gear challenges. The £1500 Porsche Challenge from Series 5.

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Categories
Top Gear

TopGear t-shirts

TopGear t-shirts

If you’re not a fan of the BBC’s TopGear, then you should be. To show that you are, get yourself one of the great official t-shirts available from Amber Promotions. I have three t-shirts from their range and they are well made and of a very high quality. Delivery to Australia is no problem and if you can get a group of mates together bulk ordering and discounts may be available as well. I dealt with Doug at Amber Promotions when coordinating the purchase of around 25 shirts in 2006 and he was excellent to deal with. If you’re keen on some of these shirts, shoot Doug an email and tell him Liam from Australia sent you.