BBC Top Gear Thread 2021/2022
Discussion
WarrenB said:
With Clarkson, Hammond and May's cheap car challenges they actually bond with the cars, they become part of the trip. With the Nepal special the choice of using a 106 Rallye did seem a bit odd, as Paddy never actually said why he chose it and during the trip he never really got attached to it. It was just a tool for getting him to the final destination. May as well have used a boggo 106 if that was the case.
As for Chris Harris and the Renault, he was visibly upset when it wouldn't start again after the tumble and had to be left. I think he even made comment of the fact that he'd got attached to it and it had been a mate for the past few days. That's the kind of emotional bond that the petrol head audience can sort of relate to and CHM got across in their films, but it seemed they cut most of that out in favour of showing the 106 slowly being trashed.
Both points are exactly the difference between proper petrolheads who understand what makes a car special, have mechanical sympathy and to whom cars become more than transportation, and "entertainers" who might like a flash car but as a trinket/item of jewellery rather than for that car's abilities.As for Chris Harris and the Renault, he was visibly upset when it wouldn't start again after the tumble and had to be left. I think he even made comment of the fact that he'd got attached to it and it had been a mate for the past few days. That's the kind of emotional bond that the petrol head audience can sort of relate to and CHM got across in their films, but it seemed they cut most of that out in favour of showing the 106 slowly being trashed.
At least CHM were car journos first and bonded with their cars. Paddy clearly just went for something his teenage brain thought looked cool to the girls he used to want to impress when he was 17, and Flintoff didn't really get into the spirit of things with something he's always found interesting; if they needed a workhorse to do the pushing & towing they could've come up with something more interesting - eg a Lada Riva.
I also wonder how much of the "prick" "d
head" stuff between Paddy and Harris was genuine, Harris and Flintoff seemed to bond but I imagine Paddy is insufferable in that scenario.Is Paddy the front man? Like Clarkson was? He seems to take that position, yet the other two don't seem to buy into it.
I thought it was ok. It always hurts the car enthusiast in me when a car is trashed, but I don't get all 'Angry of Pinner' about it. I guess those that do look on a £5k Renault 4 as being a classic investment to fettle and look after. Whereas the TV show look at it as £5k out of the budget and a disposable item.
For an entertainment show it was ok. Personally I prefer CHM for their interaction, I thought the last series of TG was getting there with these three, but now I'm not so sure. There seemed to be forced camaraderie where before it seemed more 'natural'.
I thought it was ok. It always hurts the car enthusiast in me when a car is trashed, but I don't get all 'Angry of Pinner' about it. I guess those that do look on a £5k Renault 4 as being a classic investment to fettle and look after. Whereas the TV show look at it as £5k out of the budget and a disposable item.
For an entertainment show it was ok. Personally I prefer CHM for their interaction, I thought the last series of TG was getting there with these three, but now I'm not so sure. There seemed to be forced camaraderie where before it seemed more 'natural'.
ben5575 said:
Really enjoyed it. It helps that my passion for cars was formed ragging a Renault 4 around fields at age 12.
Enough funny jokes to keep it interesting, the roads were genuinely sketchy in places and my second car was a 205 GTI, so I related to the Rally. I was more concerned about the apparent 'dumping' and subsequent littering of the Renault in the middle of nowhere than I was caring about a high milage 106. But then priorities I guess.
Contrived or not, a great adventure that I'd like to do myself one day.
Chris Harris has tweeted that the Renault is coming home and will live on.Enough funny jokes to keep it interesting, the roads were genuinely sketchy in places and my second car was a 205 GTI, so I related to the Rally. I was more concerned about the apparent 'dumping' and subsequent littering of the Renault in the middle of nowhere than I was caring about a high milage 106. But then priorities I guess.
Contrived or not, a great adventure that I'd like to do myself one day.
I don't dislike this lineup of Top Gear - I do really dislike the high pitched squealing from the presenters though - mostly Paddy.
I watched the Nepal episode last night. I really enjoyed it actually. It has occurred to me that Flintoff is possibly one of the most famous people on earth, the bit when the cricket obsessed holy men talking to Chris Harris find out he is in the other car is great. I also like that mums 5000 miles from the UK still take to Paddy McGuiness.
The scenery looked as amazing as I'd hoped (always wanted to see the Himalayas) and the photography was superb.
I was quite amused about the reaction to the use of the 106 Rallye, these were never really intended to be polished garage queens, they were cheap cars intended to compete in the 1300cc rally class. Plenty got stacked back in the day. Having travelled far too many miles in my mates old XSI I was very impressed it went the distance.
That Hulas was epic though, it was quite appealing on a basic level. I suspect it actually was 4 wheel drive, but selectable like an old Land Rover so it normally runs in 2wd.
The scenery looked as amazing as I'd hoped (always wanted to see the Himalayas) and the photography was superb.
I was quite amused about the reaction to the use of the 106 Rallye, these were never really intended to be polished garage queens, they were cheap cars intended to compete in the 1300cc rally class. Plenty got stacked back in the day. Having travelled far too many miles in my mates old XSI I was very impressed it went the distance.
That Hulas was epic though, it was quite appealing on a basic level. I suspect it actually was 4 wheel drive, but selectable like an old Land Rover so it normally runs in 2wd.
thiscocks said:
the same format to the letter just without the same presenter rapport
This pretty much sums it up for me. The chemistry is slightly better than in previous seasons (where it was dire), but the original TG team had so much more time to develop theirs that the contrast remains pretty stark.Much like The Grand Tour, I treat this as light entertainment and find it hard to get worked up about a TV show. It was entertaining enough, without reaching the heights of most of the previous Top Gear and Grand Tour 'specials'.
thiscocks said:
Shows how little the topgear crew / bbc must know about cars to trash one for a laugh
ben5575 said:
I was more concerned about the apparent 'dumping' and subsequent littering of the Renault in the middle of nowhere
Am I missing some implied sarcasm? Do people really think these things are true?
I like Harris when he's in control of the content but in this company he cheapens his capabilities.
Paddy has a decent personality but Freddie just comes across as someone completely out of his depth as a presenter.
Overall though, the format is good - I love road trips (and this is why I am happy with the direction TGT is taking) - but there is nothing new in what these three are doing and nothing that we haven't seen before.
Take CHM's original Vietnam special on bikes... Now that showed the country off and introduced a new method of transport but their time at the tailors, getting fruity suits, was both fun and brief. This latest trip had them wearing something funny but it has already been done and therefore added nothing.
Picking inappropriate cars for the roadtrip ahead - what's the point? Having Flintoff choosing something that bailed the other two out when theirs failed to cut the mustard... why? It felt forced.
I'll continue to watch but I can't help think places like PH could come up with more interesting vehicles and places to visit.
Paddy has a decent personality but Freddie just comes across as someone completely out of his depth as a presenter.
Overall though, the format is good - I love road trips (and this is why I am happy with the direction TGT is taking) - but there is nothing new in what these three are doing and nothing that we haven't seen before.
Take CHM's original Vietnam special on bikes... Now that showed the country off and introduced a new method of transport but their time at the tailors, getting fruity suits, was both fun and brief. This latest trip had them wearing something funny but it has already been done and therefore added nothing.
Picking inappropriate cars for the roadtrip ahead - what's the point? Having Flintoff choosing something that bailed the other two out when theirs failed to cut the mustard... why? It felt forced.
I'll continue to watch but I can't help think places like PH could come up with more interesting vehicles and places to visit.
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