Steve Sutcliffe - What a nice man....
Discussion
Actually, no...
What a complete, self-obsessed, smug tosser.
In this weeks Autocar (tyre test, aka shameless plug for Pirelli and Micheldever tyres), Sutcliffe answers his critics who poured shame on his now infamous 200mph drive-by on the autobahn. How does he answer? "Leave me alone". Well, what maturity. Oh, as well as that, he slags off an Alfa he's never driven (nice one, jokes about Alfas are so last century) and he makes some smart alec comment about someone who tells him that his column is a waste of space. I think he managed the dizzy literary heights of "Get lost". What a journalist!
In fact, the whole magazine is getting a bit desperate now. Sutcliffe's favorite bottom cleaner, the irrepresible Chris Harris tells a huge shaggy dogger where the punchline is that someone ran out of petrol (the ending of this particular tale left me feeling the same as when I walked out of the cinema after watching The Fellowship of the Ring, i.e. Is That It?
Thank God for Pistonheads.
The only thing PH isn't is quality toilet reading material. We are left to look forward to Steve Cropley's diary:
Monday: drove a Ford Focus. Nice car.
Tuesday: Sat in a new Rolls. Nice car.
Wednesday: Drove a Toyota Corolla today. Nice car...zzzzz..zzzzzz
What a complete, self-obsessed, smug tosser.
In this weeks Autocar (tyre test, aka shameless plug for Pirelli and Micheldever tyres), Sutcliffe answers his critics who poured shame on his now infamous 200mph drive-by on the autobahn. How does he answer? "Leave me alone". Well, what maturity. Oh, as well as that, he slags off an Alfa he's never driven (nice one, jokes about Alfas are so last century) and he makes some smart alec comment about someone who tells him that his column is a waste of space. I think he managed the dizzy literary heights of "Get lost". What a journalist!
In fact, the whole magazine is getting a bit desperate now. Sutcliffe's favorite bottom cleaner, the irrepresible Chris Harris tells a huge shaggy dogger where the punchline is that someone ran out of petrol (the ending of this particular tale left me feeling the same as when I walked out of the cinema after watching The Fellowship of the Ring, i.e. Is That It?
Thank God for Pistonheads.
The only thing PH isn't is quality toilet reading material. We are left to look forward to Steve Cropley's diary:
Monday: drove a Ford Focus. Nice car.
Tuesday: Sat in a new Rolls. Nice car.
Wednesday: Drove a Toyota Corolla today. Nice car...zzzzz..zzzzzz
I've been an Autocar ( and Motor) reader for 20 years 
. It saddens me to see the irresponsible attitude they've been taking recently. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, but closing you eyes on a motorway, for fun??? Also Sutcliffe's advice to a teenager borrowing his Mum's WRX to dump the clutch at 6000rpm, while racing other cars on public roads.
I love reading what it's like to drive high performance cars, but not when it's being done in a blatently dangerous and stupid manner.
. It saddens me to see the irresponsible attitude they've been taking recently. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, but closing you eyes on a motorway, for fun??? Also Sutcliffe's advice to a teenager borrowing his Mum's WRX to dump the clutch at 6000rpm, while racing other cars on public roads. I love reading what it's like to drive high performance cars, but not when it's being done in a blatently dangerous and stupid manner.
Certainly, the close crpped one does seem to be displaying an unseemly arrogant swagger these days.
Boy racer antics are of course, to be lambasted but I suspect the 'eyes closing' incident may have been a bit of literary 'poetic licence;' at least one hopes so!
Nevertheless, as had been said by others, it would be a tragedy if such superb general road testing themes were outlawed by careless phraseology.
After all, there is nowhere near enough hyper speed reporting done in the mags so this was a nice return to the halcyon days of Dron and Vivian blasting all over Europe in something exotic, wearing overly sized frilly shirts in a flamboyant attempt to get laid.
Style and panache, something Ugnaught McSutcliffe seems blissfully unaware of as he 'larges it up.'
Boy racer antics are of course, to be lambasted but I suspect the 'eyes closing' incident may have been a bit of literary 'poetic licence;' at least one hopes so!
Nevertheless, as had been said by others, it would be a tragedy if such superb general road testing themes were outlawed by careless phraseology.
After all, there is nowhere near enough hyper speed reporting done in the mags so this was a nice return to the halcyon days of Dron and Vivian blasting all over Europe in something exotic, wearing overly sized frilly shirts in a flamboyant attempt to get laid.
Style and panache, something Ugnaught McSutcliffe seems blissfully unaware of as he 'larges it up.'
I once saw Steve Sutcliffe doing a photo shoot of a nice little red Caterham at the Chobham Test Track in Surrye. I believe the pictures were then used to promote subscrptions to Autocar, probably 6 years ago. All he was doing was driving at the camera man and flinging it sidewise and totally loosing it. The photos show the car in a nice slide - I can guarantee he never held one slide without spinning it.
Mark B said: I once saw Steve Sutcliffe doing a photo shoot of a nice little red Caterham at the Chobham Test Track in Surrye. I believe the pictures were then used to promote subscrptions to Autocar, probably 6 years ago. All he was doing was driving at the camera man and flinging it sidewise and totally loosing it. The photos show the car in a nice slide - I can guarantee he never held one slide without spinning it.
Funnily enough, I took a load of pics at the Autocar Sideways Challenge. The best ones were all just before a spin, like this :
More here www.pbase.com/srider/sideways_challenge_2002
Mark B said: I once saw Steve Sutcliffe doing a photo shoot of a nice little red Caterham at the Chobham Test Track in Surrye. I believe the pictures were then used to promote subscrptions to Autocar, probably 6 years ago. All he was doing was driving at the camera man and flinging it sidewise and totally loosing it. The photos show the car in a nice slide - I can guarantee he never held one slide without spinning it.
I was a the Autocar Oversteer Challenge too, from what I remember I thought he was actually quite good. Maybe they have been giving him lessons.
Mind you, I now think he is a t***ser after his recent rantings!
robp said:
Mark B said: I once saw Steve Sutcliffe doing a photo shoot of a nice little red Caterham at the Chobham Test Track in Surrye. I believe the pictures were then used to promote subscrptions to Autocar, probably 6 years ago. All he was doing was driving at the camera man and flinging it sidewise and totally loosing it. The photos show the car in a nice slide - I can guarantee he never held one slide without spinning it.
I was a the Autocar Oversteer Challenge too, from what I remember I thought he was actually quite good. Maybe they have been giving him lessons.
Mind you, I now think he is a t***ser after his recent rantings!
he was good, but the M3s (which he was driving) seemed the easiest to hold sideways, unlike the Jag S-type R, 400bhp, no LSD=much spinning
>> Edited by srider on Thursday 30th January 13:06
I've just entered my 50th year of reading Autocar (very slow reader?) and have seen good, bad and indifferent staffers work their way through the system. Come back John Miles, please.
I don't doubt Sutcliffe's ability as a writer or driver and he has written some very good articles. This weeks effort is poor and seems to be a weak attempt at humour intended to give his column some sort of edge but at least he printed the critical letters so he can't be cast in an entirely negative light.
I thought that the worst bit of Autocar journalism I have seen in recent years was Chris Harris smuggly slagging off the traffic arrangements for the British GP the week before the event took place and making a huge thing out of the chaos he, Nostradamuslike, predicted. Not only was he totally wrong about the 'chaos' but he didn't even have the grace to apologise.
Notwithstanding all I have said 2003's Autocar is much more informative than 1953's even if it lacks the amazing cut away drawings that made each new car launch so exciting.
I don't doubt Sutcliffe's ability as a writer or driver and he has written some very good articles. This weeks effort is poor and seems to be a weak attempt at humour intended to give his column some sort of edge but at least he printed the critical letters so he can't be cast in an entirely negative light.
I thought that the worst bit of Autocar journalism I have seen in recent years was Chris Harris smuggly slagging off the traffic arrangements for the British GP the week before the event took place and making a huge thing out of the chaos he, Nostradamuslike, predicted. Not only was he totally wrong about the 'chaos' but he didn't even have the grace to apologise.
Notwithstanding all I have said 2003's Autocar is much more informative than 1953's even if it lacks the amazing cut away drawings that made each new car launch so exciting.
I don't read Autocar but I have heard all about Mr. Sutcliffe's recent antics. It sounds like he has run out of interesting things to say.
Ian Frasers column in Evo went this way. He seemed to be trying too hard to say something controversial each month. Whether this was the reason for him being replaced or not I don't know. I know I wasn't sorry to see him go though. Maybe Sutcliffe will go the same way?
Ian Frasers column in Evo went this way. He seemed to be trying too hard to say something controversial each month. Whether this was the reason for him being replaced or not I don't know. I know I wasn't sorry to see him go though. Maybe Sutcliffe will go the same way?
I wrote the first letter published in his column this week! I was livid when I read his original comments. Fair do's about having the letters printed, or was he forced too?
The magazine seems to be loosing some of it's formal edge. It used to be a bloody good reference tool, now there is too much of a gutter press style to it's content. Too many computer generated pics of cars that end up costing £5-10k more than stated and claims on the cover that don't ring quite true when you read the article. Maybe we'll have topless babes adorning page 3 soon?
The magazine seems to be loosing some of it's formal edge. It used to be a bloody good reference tool, now there is too much of a gutter press style to it's content. Too many computer generated pics of cars that end up costing £5-10k more than stated and claims on the cover that don't ring quite true when you read the article. Maybe we'll have topless babes adorning page 3 soon?
Sadly true of most car magazines, certainly EVO has gone badly downhill IMO, for this very reason. The writers are all more interested in making a name for themselves rather than just reporting. The whole lot of them seem intent on becoming the next Clarkson. I have a subscrption to EVO but may well cancel at the end of the period. Rich...
ultimapaul said:It used to be a bloody good reference tool, now there is too much of a gutter press style to it's content.
Perhaps, but only the criticisms of the macho 200mph run. Criticisms of the totally irresponsible and slap-worthy "driving with eyes closed" incident have been notably absent.
gnomesmith said:but at least he printed the critical letters so he can't be cast in an entirely negative light.
Call me cynical, but I don't think Sutcliffe has any problems printing letters that remind everyone what a 200mph hero he is, especially as he can then smugly print "oh go away" and "leave me alone" (presumably adding 'you big girl's blouse' under his breath).
Nope, I'm afraid that its still a whitewash and until he comes clean and prints something along the lines that he acknowledges he was a total tosspot for admitting he drove with his eyes closed for longer than it takes to blink, then he'll get no respect from me.
gnomesmith said:
Notwithstanding all I have said 2003's Autocar is much more informative than 1953's even if it lacks the amazing cut away drawings that made each new car launch so exciting.
Shame upon you sir. Cast your mind back to the glowing portrait of McNab which graced one of the issues you claim to have read.
Complete with a handsome photograph too - certainly not a cut-away drawing. Informative and exciting, of course, and surely worthy of a place in a corner of your intellectual grey matter (albeit now depleted, obviously).
I take this insult very badly. Indeed I am deeply hurt, and although my Doctor says I must not push, I will on this occasion push for an immediate apology.
Meanwhile, I regret to say that I have taken the very serious step of crossing you off my Christmas Card list. You need not bother to visit either - I have instructed my butler to turn you away should you have the temerity to appear at the Castle door.
I no longer have the pleasure to be Sir,
Your obdt. svnt.
The McNab
JonRB said:Perhaps, but only the criticisms of the macho 200mph run. Criticisms of the totally irresponsible and slap-worthy "driving with eyes closed" incident have been notably absent.
gnomesmith said:but at least he printed the critical letters so he can't be cast in an entirely negative light.
Call me cynical, but I don't think Sutcliffe has any problems printing letters that remind everyone what a 200mph hero he is, especially as he can then smugly print "oh go away" and "leave me alone" (presumably adding 'you big girl's blouse' under his breath).
Nope, I'm afraid that its still a whitewash and until he comes clean and prints something along the lines that he acknowledges he was a total tosspot for admitting he drove with his eyes closed for longer than it takes to blink, then he'll get no respect from me.
Hear hear. I'm actually considering cancelling my subscrption, notonly because of this, but a general creep towards tabloidism by Autocar.
Well said Jon 
Ian, you misunderstand your devoted. A cutaway drawing of The McNab would have made fascinating reading - you must agree its far better than some smug git boasting of driving with his eyes shut?
Besides, it would give us mere mortals a fascinating and thrilling look inside your mind (quite literally), assuming you agreed to that part being "cut away"!
Sympathies to the sauce jibe Ted made. In an effort to get a good nights sleep, I myself was forced to drink sherry from a tumbler. I'm sorry to any persons this may have offended, but in my defence, it kind of worked.
Ian, you misunderstand your devoted. A cutaway drawing of The McNab would have made fascinating reading - you must agree its far better than some smug git boasting of driving with his eyes shut?
Besides, it would give us mere mortals a fascinating and thrilling look inside your mind (quite literally), assuming you agreed to that part being "cut away"!
Sympathies to the sauce jibe Ted made. In an effort to get a good nights sleep, I myself was forced to drink sherry from a tumbler. I'm sorry to any persons this may have offended, but in my defence, it kind of worked.
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