Do you think there is any room for James May to do a William Woolardy bit.
I did used to like the old Top Gear of the early 80's especially when Woolard actually opened the bonnet and explained something to you.
Maybe things have moved on since then and everyone is more informed about the mechanics of the car now.
Maybe there's a market for a "Hayes Manual" tv channel. If all the people on all the forums who say they want a show about real cars and how they work, this channel could make a fortune.
Do you think there is any room for James May to do a William Woolardy bit.
I did used to like the old Top Gear of the early 80's especially when Woolard actually opened the bonnet and explained something to you.
Maybe things have moved on since then and everyone is more informed about the mechanics of the car now.
I do like the show these days especially the News bit, not fussed about Star in a car bit, only enjoy the F1 drivers when they make an appearance.
TBH, I think it's very easy for those sort of features to become rather dull.
I did, however, immensely enjoy the feature where they attempted to build a Caterham 7 while the Stig drove one up from the factory.
I guess the trick would be to frame technical features in such a way that they remain entertaining.
The one suggestion I have is that they might do more to interact with petrolheads.
Clarkson's always taking the mickey out of Toyota's, for example.
It might be fun to have them attend an MR2 OC track day and give him a go of a 500bhp MR2 and have the craic with the various members etc.
They could do features where they visit rolling-road days (perhaps tune a car of their own for the event), go to track days (after buying a suitable car of their own), and attend club meetings etc.
I wish they'd do a 3 car shoot out with the following 70's icons....
Actually, that could make a good "interactive" feature too.
Get each of them to pick a particular car then they could each visit the relevant OC, pick out a couple of the best cars of the type, take them back to the TG track and conduct a bunch of challenges to see which one is the best.
There's plenty of scope for explaining some of the technology to be found in some modern cars today. My next new Golf MK7 has so many, including Start/Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Regenerative braking to name but three and there's much more.
Any decent motoring programme that isn't just a platform for incessant puerility, could at least show how some of these things work and demonstrate it to the general public especially those of us who spend our own money on new cars.
There's plenty of scope for explaining some of the technology to be found in some modern cars today. My next new Golf MK7 has so many, including Start/Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Regenerative braking to name but three and there's much more.
Any decent motoring programme that isn't just a platform for incessant puerility, could at least show how some of these things work and demonstrate it to the general public especially those of us who spend our own money on new cars.
Good point.
I like TG and like to see the lads mucking about etc.... But I think there's room for a bit of technology. I was wondering recently how stop/start technology worked so googled it, I think a 5 to 10 minute article each episode would be good. A lot of posters on here say they don't really enjoy the star in a reasonably priced car section, me included, so they could ditch that
I cant believe that some people who I work with are naieve enough to actually believe that the 3 presenters each made it to the 'start of the Nile' at almost the same tiime! LOL
The show is obviously scripted from start to finish, with staged 'accidents' and planned beforehand 'larks'.
But hey, who cares? I enjoyed every moment of this Africa special and cant wait to find out what they come up with next
I cant believe that some people who I work with are naieve enough to actually believe that the 3 presenters each made it to the 'start of the Nile' at almost the same tiime! LOL
The show is obviously scripted from start to finish, with staged 'accidents' and planned beforehand 'larks'.
But hey, who cares? I enjoyed every moment of this Africa special and cant wait to find out what they come up with next
It's like when they have to travel across Europe. The car versus public transport etc... They always arrive within minutes of each other
Good point.
I like TG and like to see the lads mucking about etc.... But I think there's room for a bit of technology. I was wondering recently how stop/start technology worked so googled it, I think a 5 to 10 minute article each episode would be good. A lot of posters on here say they don't really enjoy the star in a reasonably priced car section, me included, so they could ditch that
There's a section in the Top Gear magazine where a cartoon James May explains some kind of usually car-related technology. They could film that.
There's plenty of scope for explaining some of the technology to be found in some modern cars today. My next new Golf MK7 has so many, including Start/Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Regenerative braking to name but three and there's much more.
Any decent motoring programme that isn't just a platform for incessant puerility, could at least show how some of these things work and demonstrate it to the general public especially those of us who spend our own money on new cars.
There's plenty of scope for explaining some of the technology to be found in some modern cars today. My next new Golf MK7 has so many, including Start/Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Regenerative braking to name but three and there's much more.
Any decent motoring programme that isn't just a platform for incessant puerility, could at least show how some of these things work and demonstrate it to the general public especially those of us who spend our own money on new cars.
Jezza did a bit of that in the recent Kia C'eed review.
I think a few petrolheads on here are completely misunderstanding why Top Gear is one of the BBC's most successful programmes worldwide.
It's not because they pander to the average car buyer, that was Top Gear Mk1 and the days of Woolard and Goffey. Nobody should be watching Top gear these days expecting a review of a Mondeo or a Corsa (god forbid) and neither is it a programme for the esoteric desires of car geeks.
It is just an entertainment programme based around cars and it has been for the last 10 years.
Those races are designed to be close, the results though are real.
I realise that they are designed to be close, it just wouldn't work if there was even a couple of hours between them, but you're not telling me the producers can accurately predict that Jeremy in a car can do a 1000 mile journey and turn up at a restaurant 5 minutes before James and Richard who have taken a ferry, 3 trains, 2 buses, a taxi and a 500 yard dash!
i think clarkson said on his twitter a new series in the summer
from wikipedia:
Series Twenty
Clarkson confirmed on his Twitter account that Top Gear would return in summer 2013.[3] Filming for a long distance race between a Toyota Corolla and a Americas Cup yacht for the forthcoming series was completed in New Zealand in March 2013. [4]
Although I watch TG for entertainment and have pretty much zero interest about cars in general, I have learnt quite a bit about cars, engines and driving through watching the show.
I also learnt that Rwanda isn't a flat, featureless savannah, that it's possible to drive a Peel P50 into a lift and that you can drive an old-gen Audi A8 from London to Edinburgh and back ion a single tank.
Comments
i think we all know that TG is an entertainment show with three 40-somethings pratting about in cars which most of us can only dream of doing.
If you want practical advice about motoring then watch Fifth Gear
Maybe there's a market for a "Hayes Manual" tv channel. If all the people on all the forums who say they want a show about real cars and how they work, this channel could make a fortune.
Only Richard is under 50 these days.
TBH, I think it's very easy for those sort of features to become rather dull.
I did, however, immensely enjoy the feature where they attempted to build a Caterham 7 while the Stig drove one up from the factory.
I guess the trick would be to frame technical features in such a way that they remain entertaining.
The one suggestion I have is that they might do more to interact with petrolheads.
Clarkson's always taking the mickey out of Toyota's, for example.
It might be fun to have them attend an MR2 OC track day and give him a go of a 500bhp MR2 and have the craic with the various members etc.
They could do features where they visit rolling-road days (perhaps tune a car of their own for the event), go to track days (after buying a suitable car of their own), and attend club meetings etc.
Ford RS2000
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Vauxhall Firenza (Droop Snoop)
If memory serves me right the Dolly would show a clean set of heels to the others, also if you could get the Vauxhall started:D
Just been thinking there were loads of cars of that era that were bloody good if you could stop them rusting and get them going.
Fiat Super Mira Fiori (my mate had one and it went like billio)
Sunbeam Lotus
Renault 5 GTi
Actually, that could make a good "interactive" feature too.
Get each of them to pick a particular car then they could each visit the relevant OC, pick out a couple of the best cars of the type, take them back to the TG track and conduct a bunch of challenges to see which one is the best.
Any decent motoring programme that isn't just a platform for incessant puerility, could at least show how some of these things work and demonstrate it to the general public especially those of us who spend our own money on new cars.
Good point.
I like TG and like to see the lads mucking about etc.... But I think there's room for a bit of technology. I was wondering recently how stop/start technology worked so googled it, I think a 5 to 10 minute article each episode would be good. A lot of posters on here say they don't really enjoy the star in a reasonably priced car section, me included, so they could ditch that
The show is obviously scripted from start to finish, with staged 'accidents' and planned beforehand 'larks'.
But hey, who cares? I enjoyed every moment of this Africa special and cant wait to find out what they come up with next
It's like when they have to travel across Europe. The car versus public transport etc... They always arrive within minutes of each other
There's a section in the Top Gear magazine where a cartoon James May explains some kind of usually car-related technology. They could film that.
Yes, preferably by a man with adenoids.
That would certainly help with my insomnia.
Jezza did a bit of that in the recent Kia C'eed review.
It's not because they pander to the average car buyer, that was Top Gear Mk1 and the days of Woolard and Goffey. Nobody should be watching Top gear these days expecting a review of a Mondeo or a Corsa (god forbid) and neither is it a programme for the esoteric desires of car geeks.
It is just an entertainment programme based around cars and it has been for the last 10 years.
Those races are designed to be close, the results though are real.
I realise that they are designed to be close, it just wouldn't work if there was even a couple of hours between them, but you're not telling me the producers can accurately predict that Jeremy in a car can do a 1000 mile journey and turn up at a restaurant 5 minutes before James and Richard who have taken a ferry, 3 trains, 2 buses, a taxi and a 500 yard dash!
It seemed like someone had it in their hand and deliberately smashed the window, and it didn't look like a rough hit either
i think clarkson said on his twitter a new series in the summer
from wikipedia:
Series Twenty
Clarkson confirmed on his Twitter account that Top Gear would return in summer 2013.[3] Filming for a long distance race between a Toyota Corolla and a Americas Cup yacht for the forthcoming series was completed in New Zealand in March 2013. [4]
I also learnt that Rwanda isn't a flat, featureless savannah, that it's possible to drive a Peel P50 into a lift and that you can drive an old-gen Audi A8 from London to Edinburgh and back ion a single tank.
Lots of moments like that feel staged to me. I don't care. Comedy usually is scripted.
Spot on.
Top Gear is more staged than a pantomime, but I don't care.
That's what makes it such entertaining TV.