Top Gear thread

[Rich]

Need to get a youtube video montage of Rutledge awesomes

[Raza]

Why does Rutledge do the interviews?  He has less charisma than the Stig.  Ferrara should do the interviews.  Or have a random audience member do it.  Rutledge sucks at them.

[SVT666]

I disagree. Yes, they use a British vocab, but it's more poetic, more fluid.

I agree with that.

Listen to the American hosts and every other sentence is a simile--which the Brits do, too, but they don't make a habit of it in the same obsessive way. The Brit hosts can get away with it because they're smooth enough to make it work. The American hosts all seem bogged down by their lack of knowledge of the English language.

I disagree with that.  The Brit hosts use the same terms to describe cars in every episode.  They are just better speakers.  Their use of vocabulary is just as limited.  They just don't use "awesome", which is more of an American term anyway.  I bet the Brits think the same thing of the Brit hosts.  Can't they use another term other than "Brilliant" or "Cock" or "Garbage".....

Also, come on, they survived going into Iraq...and the end...I thought this episode was a perfect example of why the American series will never be as good as the British one. You think they could do the same thing?

Go watch that Iraq episode and then watch Bolivia, Botswana, Vietnam, or North Pole and try and tell me that it was anywhere near in the same league as those episodes.

[Byteme]

 Can't they use another term other than "Brilliant" or "Cock" or "Garbage".....

Rubbish.  They use it a lot.

[hotrodalex]

You think this because you never hear the words the British hosts use because they are from another country.  If you haven't noticed the British hosts use the same vocab in every episode.  (i)Brilliant(/i) being the most common word they use.

That's what I was saying. But I agree with Teuton, it still flows better and doesn't sound as simple. And the Americans definitely use similes too much.

[the Teuton]

Let's compare the hosts:

Rutledge Wood: He's a car guy. His big break came in hosting NASCAR programs on SPEED, but he likes cars of all sorts. He likes NASCAR, though, which is unfortunate.

Adam Ferrara: His big break came through comedy.

Tanner Foust: Stunt driver, drifter, race car driver. Probably should've been The Stig if he isn't already.

-------------------

Jeremy Clarkson: Began his career as a journalist and TV personality. Got his big break after the Beeb picked him up in 1988 after doing four years of freelance car writing.

James May: Got his degree in music. Found his big break after writing for Autocar in the 1980s and creating one of its most controversial layouts as a design editor. He was fired in 1992.

Richard Hammond: He worked as a radio DJ and host in the late-1980s. Top Gear was his big break other than working in radio.

Each of them also do a ton of work outside of cars in their respective roles.
----------------------

So what we have in the first group are a guy who likes cars, a guy who drives cars and a comedian. In the second group, we have three storytellers.

[SVT666]

Ummmm.  Comedians and TV hosts are storytellers too man.  I see what you mean, but have you even watched the first few seasons of Top Gear?  Almost unwatchable.

[the Teuton]

Ummmm.  Comedians and TV hosts are storytellers too man.  I see what you mean, but have you even watched the first few seasons of Top Gear?  Almost unwatchable.

I blame it on the fat guy.

[Raza]

James May is the glue that holds them together.  If Top Gear were a band, James May plays bass.  He's essential and largely unsung.  Clarkson plays the drums and Hammond is lead guitar. 

[Mustangfan2003]

James May is the glue that holds them together.  If Top Gear were a band, James May plays bass.  He's essential and largely unsung.  Clarkson plays the drums and Hammond is lead guitar. 

I think I would swap roles there with Clarkson and Hammond. 

[Raza]

I think I would swap roles there with Clarkson and Hammond. 

No way.  Playing a guitar takes precision.  Drumming is basically hitting things with a hammer, which is Clarkson's specialty. 

[Mustangfan2003]

I say that because besides the lead singer the guitarist is typically the most popular person in a band.  That is Clarkson and I don't think I could picture this show without him.  Even the specials he does on his own are better than a lot of automotive shows. 

[Raza]

I say that because besides the lead singer the guitarist is typically the most popular person in a band.  That is Clarkson and I don't think I could picture this show without him.  Even the specials he does on his own are better than a lot of automotive shows. 

I'm going by instruments.  Clarkson on guitar would be a mess. 

[Mustangfan2003]

If I'm not mistaken Clarkson actually plays the drums. 

[Raza]

If I'm not mistaken Clarkson actually plays the drums. 

Actually yeah, he does love his drum kit.  I totally forgot about that. 

[the Teuton]

All of them in a band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySJ8CZmq2V8

[SVT666]

I can't find the newest episode of TGUS.  Finalgear.com doesn't have it, History.com doesn't have it, and Streetfire.net doesn't have it.

[Raza]

Don't know where else to say this...


They changed the song of the penalty bike in the Vietnam special for the DVD release of Top Gear.  In the original airing, it's Born in the USA.  On the DVD, it's the Star Spangled Banner.  And then May references Springsteen later and it makes it look like he thinks that Bruce Springsteen wrote the national anthem. 

[L. ed foote]

Don't know where else to say this...

They changed the song of the penalty bike in the Vietnam special for the DVD release of Top Gear.  In the original airing, it's Born in the USA.  On the DVD, it's the Star Spangled Banner.  And then May references Springsteen later and it makes it look like he thinks that Bruce Springsteen wrote the national anthem. 

Seems someone didn't want to pay residuals

[hotrodalex]

I can't find the newest episode of TGUS.  Finalgear.com doesn't have it, History.com doesn't have it, and Streetfire.net doesn't have it.

http://www.history.com/shows/top-gear/videos/top-gear-fast-in-florida#top-gear-fast-in-florida

[the Teuton]

I rather liked the new US episode, but I still liked the Brit special more. This was their best episode so far.

My biggest qualms: Not developing the Stig character more and not having enough time. 45 minutes isn't enough.

[hotrodalex]

Tanner would have easily won if he hadn't of taken that little detour to find the others. But I see why he did, as it provided a good photo op.

And my dad completely called Ferrara getting pulled over. He's been down there enough to know you'll get caught every time, especially in a bright yellow sports car.

[giant_mtb]

I thought the episode was pretty "meh."  The epic races they do just don't seem so epic yet.  They definitely need some better music.  TGUK takes the majority of their epic music from movie soundtracks, which I love because the music is always fantastic and I love being able to recognize it and think, "damn! good song choice, sound editors!"  All the TGUS music seems cheesy and home-made on a MIDI keyboard.

[Mustangfan2003]

I'm interested in seeing Tim Allen in the next episode. 

[Vinsanity]

I thought the episode was pretty "meh."  The epic races they do just don't seem so epic yet.  They definitely need some better music.  TGUK takes the majority of their epic music from movie soundtracks, which I love because the music is always fantastic and I love being able to recognize it and think, "damn! good song choice, sound editors!"  All the TGUS music seems cheesy and home-made on a MIDI keyboard.

+1. Why mention Miami Vice, but not take the opportunity to use Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" with some more dramatic video editing?

[TBR]

Watching the real TG special. First things first, my pants would have been quite brown after the landing. Second, the airport bit has been stupid so far. It's obviously a US military base, what the hell do they think is going to happen?

[the Teuton]

They still drove around in Iraq -- something most of us couldn't even fathom doing, even in a "peaceful" zone. I bet most of TG's viewers didn't even know there was a peaceful zone in Iraq.

[giant_mtb]

TGUK sure does love the "Stardust" soundtrack.

[hotrodalex]

Watching the real TG special. First things first, my pants would have been quite brown after the landing. Second, the airport bit has been stupid so far. It's obviously a US military base, what the hell do they think is going to happen?

At first I thought they were going to drop the cars out of the plane with a parachute. Then I wondered if they were going to have to drive them off the plane while it was still on the runway. Would have made it more interesting.

And I think it was a little stupid on purpose, playing on the notion that there is nothing in Iraq but gunfire and roadside bombs.

[L. ed foote]

Tanner would have easily won if he hadn't of taken that little detour to find the others.

Or if he had allowed the scooter to fall while dismounting.