The Grand Tour

[FourWheelDrift]

kowalski655 said:

Liking it so far
Senna loodta bit "Hot Wheels" but not too bad

What's the snag with the $2K house? Crack dens all around?

Haven't had a good nose around but it's style looks like houses on and around Bishops Street - https://goo.gl/maps/83MJg9gDD4t probably not on there but nearby.

Houses were selling on that street last year for $20,000. - https://www.redfin.com/MI/Detroit/5100-Bishop-St-4... but prices have gone up since. At least the estimates have gone up I guess no one is buying at estimates.

This one https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4876-Buckingham... on doesn't really look bad Buckingham Avenue is only £7,500 - https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4002909,-82.943376...

[kowalski655]

Doesn't LOOK like murder central,but you never know. Poor, certainly, but no worse looking than some UK estates.
Only they have guns!

[FourWheelDrift]

You're right, I thought this guy was just a hipster with his man bag, but I can now see he's just mugged an old woman for her handbag - https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4002909,-82.943376...

[macushla]

kowalski655 said:

Liking it so far
Senna look a bit "Hot Wheels" but not too bad
Genuine LOL at the blind bend called Stevie Wonder and "Palm oil is ruining it for the orangutan"."Just that one"

What's the snag with the $2K house? Crack dens all around?

Edited by kowalski655 on Sunday 20th January 12:32

Houses like this exist because land isn’t scarce in the US. They can simply abandon an area and leave it rot whilst developing a brand new million acres a few miles up the road. We can’t comprehend that because we can’t think in terms of their space. Nobody in the US bats an eyelid at a 50 mile each way daily commute

[Hereward]

ashleyman said:

The posts about the teeth are spot on. Couldn’t stop seeing them. Clarksons belly is also quite hilarious.

Apart from that I thought the episode was great! I would take The Exorcist.

Indeed, May's teeth were shocking in the opening Detroit segment but seemed better in the studio so maybe he had an interim visit to the hygienist. I missed lots of the episode by either staring at May's teeth or Clarkson's belly

[PhantomPH]

(As much as I cannot believe I am saying this), to me it felt tired, old and way out of it's time.

Ironically, this kind of show now contributes to the 'anti-car' attitude. Instead of counteracting that, it just adds to the belief that big ICE vehicles are 'for neanderthals and boorish louts' - legacy attitudes.

Hammond was just as annoying and talentless as he has always been and Clarkson seemed to be going over the top to come across as the kind of dinosaur that confirms the stereotype.

The lack of empathy towards Detroit was shameful, really.

All that being said, the production was top notch as always and those cars were BEASTS! For my money, I'd have the Demon - and just keep it in street spec with my box of stuff in the garage.

• I am expecting a flaming for this post - I'm actually disappointed to be thinking in this way!!!*

[lost in espace]

I don't understand the mentality of becoming a multi-millionaire through, and not employing a dietitian and someone to help with your fitness/health. Surely you would want to live as long as you can and enjoy your massive bank account for as long as you can. I suppose JC's personality is contrary to this, and this is his appeal.

[V8covin]

I must be the only one who prefers Hammond to the other 2....especially May,not a fan of him at all

[andy_s]

lost in espace said:

I don't understand the mentality of becoming a multi-millionaire through, and not employing a dietitian and someone to help with your fitness/health. Surely you would want to live as long as you can and enjoy your massive bank account for as long as you can. I suppose JC's personality is contrary to this, and this is his appeal.

That would entail eating *shudder* kale and knitted yoghurt though. Leave him to his [late, cold and underdone] steaks and beer, see that belly? All bought n' paid for lad...

[PositronicRay]

I liked Clarkson's piece in the St.

The M1 is the spine of Britain. Head and brains in Yorkshire, pelvis ant testicles in London.

It's pieces like this that make him the man he is.

[macushla]

andy_s said:

That would entail eating *shudder* kale and knitted yoghurt though. Leave him to his [late, cold and underdone] steaks and beer, see that belly? All bought n' paid for lad...

Does it really? Everything in moderation and a moderate amount of exercise. It’s not all about eating til the “Waffer thin mint” sees you explode, or eating cardboard and exercising every second of the day. It really isn’t difficult.

[FiF]

kowalski655 said:

Doesn't LOOK like murder central,but you never know. Poor, certainly, but no worse looking than some UK estates.
Only they have guns!

Maybe so, but it generally looks more civilised and tidier than living near anywhere occupied by the the All Ireland Caravan Club. Plus let's face facts, the latter also have guns, and drugs, not to mention dags and feral toddlers.

[andy_s]

macushla said:

andy_s said:

That would entail eating *shudder* kale and knitted yoghurt though. Leave him to his [late, cold and underdone] steaks and beer, see that belly? All bought n' paid for lad...

Does it really? Everything in moderation and a moderate amount of exercise. It’s not all about eating til the “Waffer thin mint” sees you explode, or eating cardboard and exercising every second of the day. It really isn’t difficult.

I know, I know; tongue in cheek / :JCmode:

[andy_s]

FiF said:

kowalski655 said:

Doesn't LOOK like murder central,but you never know. Poor, certainly, but no worse looking than some UK estates.
Only they have guns!

Maybe so, but it generally looks more civilised and tidier than living near anywhere occupied by the the All Ireland Caravan Club. Plus let's face facts, the latter also have guns, and drugs, not to mention dags and feral toddlers.

"As of 2016, Detroit has the fourth highest murder rate among major cities in the United States after St Louis, Baltimore and New Orleans and the 42nd highest murder rate in the world."

Surprised Chicago wasn't the worst tbh.

[h0b0]

lost in espace said:

I don't understand the mentality of becoming a multi-millionaire through, and not employing a dietitian and someone to help with your fitness/health. Surely you would want to live as long as you can and enjoy your massive bank account for as long as you can. I suppose JC's personality is contrary to this, and this is his appeal.

This English obsession with weight as if the thinner you are the more Intelligent you are is getting almost as tiring as the Grand Tour moaners. Particularly as the last time I was in the UK everyone of those thin, health conscious geniuses were also the smokers.

Speaking of which.........Clarkson has recently quit smoking. It appears the wisdom on here would have him back on the cancer sticks and eating toilet paper.

I thought the first episode was fairly standard stuff for the team now. They were a little unfair about Detroit as they showed when they went to the downtown which is being rejuvenated. Clarkson might have some issues with Detroit as he did mention he was nearly murdered there previously only escaping because he worked for the bbc and the US have a strange respect for them. The cars they chose for the piece were perfect.

[thegreenhell]

macushla said:

kowalski655 said:

What's the snag with the $2K house? Crack dens all around?

Edited by kowalski655 on Sunday 20th January 12:32

Houses like this exist because land isn’t scarce in the US. They can simply abandon an area and leave it rot whilst developing a brand new million acres a few miles up the road. We can’t comprehend that because we can’t think in terms of their space. Nobody in the US bats an eyelid at a 50 mile each way daily commute

I saw a documentary about this a few years ago. Apparently, if I remember correctly, most of the houses were abandoned during the sub-prime market crash a decade ago, many repossessed by the banks, and some the occupants just upped and left before the banks came knocking. The thing was, they were still accruing property taxes while stood empty, with interest on top, so although you could now buy one of them for almost nothing, as soon as you took possession as the new occupant you would be accountable for all the back-taxes owing on the property, which could be many, many thousands, often far more than the property was worth. I think there was some law that meant that the finance house didn't have to pay the taxes while the house was still vacant, but they would have to pay them if they demolished or redeveloped the land in any way. Hence them all just sitting empty. There are whole neighbourhoods there that are almost like ghost towns.

[PositronicRay]

thegreenhell said:

macushla said:

kowalski655 said:

What's the snag with the $2K house? Crack dens all around?

Edited by kowalski655 on Sunday 20th January 12:32

Houses like this exist because land isn’t scarce in the US. They can simply abandon an area and leave it rot whilst developing a brand new million acres a few miles up the road. We can’t comprehend that because we can’t think in terms of their space. Nobody in the US bats an eyelid at a 50 mile each way daily commute

I saw a documentary about this a few years ago. Apparently, if I remember correctly, most of the houses were abandoned during the sub-prime market crash a decade ago, many repossessed by the banks, and some the occupants just upped and left before the banks came knocking. The thing was, they were still accruing property taxes while stood empty, with interest on top, so although you could now buy one of them for almost nothing, as soon as you took possession as the new occupant you would be accountable for all the back-taxes owing on the property, which could be many, many thousands, often far more than the property was worth. I think there was some law that meant that the finance house didn't have to pay the taxes while the house was still vacant, but they would have to pay them if they demolished or redeveloped the land in any way. Hence them all just sitting empty. There are whole neighbourhoods there that are almost like ghost towns.

Ah that makes sense, I'd heard that some US property taxes we're huge too. Preferring to tax property rather than income.

[anonymous-user]

macushla said:

Houses like this exist because land isn’t scarce in the US. They can simply abandon an area and leave it rot whilst developing a brand new million acres a few miles up the road. We can’t comprehend that because we can’t think in terms of their space. Nobody in the US bats an eyelid at a 50 mile each way daily commute

Indeed.

We have no concept of long distance in this country, because the UK is tiny.

It boils my piss when you are trying to sell a nice car, and someone won’t come and look at it because it’s 3 hours drive away from them, and apparently “too far”.

I have family in the US, and the last time I was staying at their house, they asked if we would like to visit a proper hillbilly ‘County Fair’ with rodeo riding, monster trucks, corn dogs, and filled with people named Cletus.

Of course we said we would like to go, and my cousin told me it wasn’t far at all, just in the next town along the highway from where they lived.

It was at least a 2 hour drive at a constant 70mph or so.

Didn’t bother me at all, but many little Englanders would have their heads explode at the thought of a 4 hour round trip just to go to a local fair.

[PositronicRay]

Lord Marylebone said:

macushla said:

Houses like this exist because land isn’t scarce in the US. They can simply abandon an area and leave it rot whilst developing a brand new million acres a few miles up the road. We can’t comprehend that because we can’t think in terms of their space. Nobody in the US bats an eyelid at a 50 mile each way daily commute

Indeed.

We have no concept of long distance in this country, because the UK is tiny.

It boils my piss when you are trying to sell a nice car, and someone won’t come and look at it because it’s 3 hours drive away from them, and apparently “too far”.

I have family in the US, and the last time I was staying at their house, they asked if we would like to visit a proper hillbilly ‘County Fair’ with rodeo riding, monster trucks, corn dogs, and filled with people named Cletus.

Of course we said we would like to go, and my cousin told me it wasn’t far at all, just in the next town along the highway from where they lived.

It was at least a 2 hour drive at a constant 70mph or so.

Didn’t bother me at all, but many little Englanders would have their heads explode at the thought of a 4 hour round trip just to go to a local fair.

I think the thing is in 2hrs, you're in a similar place you've just left, similar landscape similar people.

2 hours in the UK you can be in a different county, city, country, landscape. One of the benefits of our Isle.

[Terzo123]

I've only seen the first 20 minutes or so of the new episode. Seems good so far but........

Mays teeth, belly, Clarksons belly and the wee ones spray painted black hair.

Time has not been kind. You would think they would put a bit of effort in.

Jezzo