Comments on: Top Gear Australia – first episode

By: PT

PT — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:56:22 +0000

Well if episode one was passable, # 2 was a shocker. The ideas are ok and the photography is good but the hosts are proving to be idiots. Basically they all need to shut up and listen to each other rather than carrying on like a bunch of drunken footballers at a wake.

Cox is particularly annoying and comes across as a boorish, macho idiot. Anyone who refers to themself as a racing driver ( hes done it in each show now) without being a paid up professional is taking themselves far too seriously.

I’d fire the lot right now and start again with HG & Roy.

By: Big Ramifications

Big Ramifications — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:08:04 +0000

That whole shark scene was fake. It was just stock footage, fake backgrounds, and fast editing. What an absolute effing disgrace by the Top Gear morons.

“Let’s start with a stupid idea and then lie about the execution. Yeah, that’ll be a TOP IDEA for our first episode!”

Count how many times you saw the whole moke and a shark in the same shot.

By: Mag-X

Mag-X — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:29:14 +0000

I just finished watching the episode, and I didn’t think it was that bad really. It wasn’t as good as Top Gear UK, but that show’s that’s to be expected. It’s still 100000000% better than Car and Driver TV, or whatever it is that they show on PBS and Spike TV.
The show seemed very rushed. It’s like they tried to cram too much in one episode.
I’ll be waiting for the next episode, and I cannot wait for the American version. Even if it’s not the UK version, more Top Gear is always better than less.

By: 1985 Gripen

1985 Gripen — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:50 +0000

Thanks for the info, Jeff. I didn't know this show was in the making. I'm surprised that the wikipedia listing makes no mention of the failed earlier attempt to bring Top Gear to the States. Discovery Channel a few years ago aired episodes of the U.K. version which were heavily edited (especially Clarkson's anti-American sentiments and cars not available for purchase in N.A. were edited-out) and then Discovery Channel started casting for a homegrown version of Top Gear which would have starred three American motorsports drivers I've never heard of (one was from NASCAR, one from IRL or CART or something, and I think the other was from that dirt track circuit thing). I believe a pilot episode was shot (at a track in the Mojave Desert outside of L.A. - I bet that heat would have been great for forced-induction cars like our Saabs...) but never saw the light of day. I'm guessing the project was abandoned (thank goodness). I really like the U.K. version even though I have to admit it's disappointing to see so many cars we can't buy here in N.A. (Alfa, FIAT, Peugeot, Citroen, Skoda, Seat, Vauxhall, Opel (excepting the Saturn versions of the latter two), etc.). I hope on the U.S. version they feature some cars like the Tesla Roadster and Saleen S7 and maybe the Fisker Karma, American cars not likely to be featured on TGUK.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:35:48 +0000

Aw. Well, you get the idea.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:34:31 +0000

saabseller – Er, the US version is on track for a mid-season debut next year:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(U.S._TV_series)

I’m excited, I like Adam Carolla. Of course, it all depends on whether the hosts are allowed to crap on any car they want like in the British version. If they can’t do that, the show will definitely suck.

By: Simon A

Simon A — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:10:29 +0000

Well I liked it. It reminded me of early UKTG, when they hadn’t quite settled into their roles, and were still experimenting with things like the camera angles for the track (good point Dan9-1). I think it shows a great deal of promise, and if SBS get a chance to run a second season, I think that it will grow into its own entity, and not just a franchise.

People need to give it a chance to grow, and not just to give up because it’s not a polished as the UK version. Remember that it’s only been 1 episode!

By: Saabseller

Saabseller — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:32:45 +0000

I’m over and out on the first episode. When the idea of a US Top Gear was mooted, it was decided to leave it, and that is the way it should be. Bit like an Australian Seinfeld with some local yokel in the lead … yikes

By: cj

cj — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:51 +0000

Wrong toppics but some pics of the 9-4x at Teknikens varld…

http://www.teknikensvarld.se/bilspionen/nyheter/080929-saab-9-4x-94x-2009/index.xml

Looks good to me

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:06:19 +0000

Great site. How come there isn’t an entry for the 9-5 in the cars tab, though? Just curious.