Top Gear USA

[crayzayjay]

Went to the filming of the first two episodes of TG USA yesterday :D

We (me + gf) nearly didn't make it there in time due to the stupid amount of traffic on the roads, and once in Godalming there were no signs for Dunsfold Park (Aerodrome). I asked a local for directions, he said he was going towards the Aerodrome so i followed him for most of the way there on some awesome twisty country roads. After he turned off i carried on driving at an insane pace, trying to make it to the Aerodrome before the doors shut (10.30am). We finally managed to get there at about 10.45, and there were so many hangars inside the Aerodrome but no sign posts to be seen anywhere. So i parked in a car park which had some nice cars in it and figured the TG studio would be one of the surrounding hangars. There was a classic car restoration place there which had some nice cars outside, including a 70's BMW 'Batmobile', mk1 Lotus Elan (60's?), and a big ol' American classic. Not it. So we start walking towards another hangar and see none other than Richard Hammond and James May running into it through a side-door! Success! Saved by them being late, we snuck in behind them! :mrgreen:

Clarkson starts laying into them for being late, saying that James still doesn't know the way to studio :lol:

The studio had a few cars in it, and the first one that caught my eye was a beautiful white Lamborghini Miura. However it wasn't getting much attention from the crowd and at one point this bitch put her handbag on it and started going through it. I wanted to slap her in the face :x

Less than a couple of minutes, the show was about to start. The audience is shuffled around JC, who is getting ready to introduce the first episode. He mutters something about Americans and when the cameras roll, Jeremy opens with the classic line: "HELLO FATTIES!" :lol:

Everyone explodes in laughter, and JC does a second take, sticking to the script. The first car he introduces is the BMW M3 CSL. Now as this was "Top Gear USA" i figured there would be some American cars and some Europeans / Japs. Unfortunately, there was absolutely NO new material :(

The features have all been previously shown on TV and basically all they did was go through the bits in the studio again.... being quite sad i even recognised bits of the script - i dont think they changed that either though so i dont know what the point of the whole thing was...

EPISODE 1
* BMW M3 CSL
* BMW M1 / E30 M3 / E34 M5
* BMW Z4 vs Honda S2k vs Porsche Boxster (mk1!!!!) - really disappointing - first of all, it seemed like some kind of BMW special and secondly they featured a car that was no longer in production (boxster)...
* Saab 9-5 vs Harrier fighter jet

Tea / coffee break - much needed as the studio is f*cking freezing and the industrial heaters are switched off when they're filming, meaning most of the time....

EPISODE 2 - Lambo special
* Lamborghini Miura
* Smart Roadster
* Lamborghini Countach
* Mazda RX8
* Hammond - how to escape a drowning vehicle
* Lamborghini Gallardo

There was a nice black Countach in the studio and it sounded AMAZING :D

JC, RH and JM were all very friendly with the audience, signing autographs and generally chatting to people. Also, some of the scenes took quite a few takes as the guys pissed about a fair bit. At one point JC says "well i wouldn't drive the Z4 because i wouldn't want to look like a cunt" :lol:

Overall, a good day. I think i'll try to get tickets for a future episode so i can see some new features and not freeze my ass off so much :)

[TT]

A single world caught my eyes.. "Miura".. now let me read the rest LOL

Ok, read. A bit disappointing to know there will be no new material at all :? But still must have been wicked to be there with them :D

I suppose it is too much to ask for pics of the Miura? Wich color was it? And interior?

[lev_p]

beautiful white Lamborghini Miura

:lol: You obviously read too fast :wink:

BTW, any photos of the studio? I can't figure out completely how they film it (purely professional interest).

[crayzayjay]

The Miura - first one i've ever seen in the flesh - is drop dead gorgeous. White exterior, black leather interior.

I'm ashamed to say i forgot my digital camera at home. I spent the night at the gf's and only figured out at about half one in the morning that my camera was sitting on my desk at home... Considered driving back to mine and getting it but decided against it. So i took a few pics with my phone, pretty shabby quality but i dont mind posting them if you still want them....


As for how they shoot it, well, imagine a completely square hangar. The cars are parked in there like they would be in a car show. They simply move the cameras and audience around, and alter the lighting of course...

[TT]

As far as Miuras go, I saw one today too ;) (and I NEVER forget my camera :P)

http://img221.exs.cx/img221/5213/lambomiura067iu.th.jpg (http://img221.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img221&image=lambomiura067iu.jpg)

[crayzayjay]

A few pics... sorry about the quality :oops:

http://img93.exs.cx/img93/4950/51ka01504ev.jpg

http://img93.exs.cx/img93/3769/51kc01524ey.jpg

http://img93.exs.cx/img93/1527/51kc01533xy.jpg

http://img93.exs.cx/img93/256/51ke01704gu.jpg

[crayzayjay]

LOL.. i know you never forget your camera, TT :P

Unfortunately i tend to forget it more than i remember to bring it along. I do have tons of pics of a trackday i went to a couple of months ago, including Formula Audi's, Caterhams, Clio Cups... Just tell me where to post the thread and it's done :D

One of Clarkson reversing the Countach:

http://img93.exs.cx/img93/4426/51kd01647jo.jpg

I dont think he could have actually got in :lol:

[DeMoN]

OMG I wish I would be there. Where is this being recorded, honest to god, I'd trade my American Airlines miles just to travel wherever they are filiming it and go to one of the recordings. Yeah I agree, not that good that they use the same scripts, however, being there must have been totally different than just watching the episode off a screen. Did you get an autograph? Was there a track somewhere close to the studio? Is there anyway to see the stig take a lap?

I'd pay quite a lot to have stig drive me like crazy on any fast car, do you know if this is possible?

How did you get the tickets? How much did you pay? Sorry for all these questions, but its one of my dreams, to be in that studio.

I hope they test the Infiniti G35 now that its MUCH easier for them to get it from the U.S. than it was to get it from Japan over there (or are G35 easy to get in England?).

[crayzayjay]

lol.... ok, answers one by one:

1) It's recorded in DUNSFOLD PARK (AERODROME) GODALMING, SURREY GU8 4BS, not far outside of London

2) Didn't get any autographs - i've met JC before and wasn't sufficiently starstruck to ask for an autograph... besides they were being hounded by such sad bastards that i didn't want to join the queue. Might gets pics taken if i go again, if i had a decent camera i would have

3) It does look like there's a track near the studio, but you can't really walk very far from the studio itself as there was security there... but it does look like there is a track, yes.

4) You're unlikely to see the Stig do a lap. it's almost surely pre-recorded

5) I highly doubt that the stig would give you a ride on the track. there are far better ways to get track thrills, believe me. "Palmer Motorsport Sensation", look into it. I promise you it's a stunner of a day and you drive a couple of cars that are far quicker than what the Stig is likely to be driving on the day.

6) Tickets are free. You email them and they pick a certain number of people at random from the thousands that mail in.

7) I dont see them testing a G35 anytime soon. Not available in the UK.

[ikon2003]

Wow, very cool info. Thanks for all the details of your expedition. Ya, it kinda sux there's no new material for the US episodes, but i guess there could be a positive outcome (ie- show in US generates more revenue for the company, which in turn they can spend doing cooler stuff/more lavish experiments/crazier races, contests etc). Hopefully it will work out that way. And even so, it could be cool looking at some of the cars a 2nd time - things like the koenigsegg and zonda - can't ever get enuf of those, so i hope they mix it up a little bit, and hopefully they'll do some sweet episodes.

[ferrarif1fan89]

its a shame. i guess ill be dwnlding the european episodes (hopefully off of this site) off the internet. :roll:

[antonioledesma]

...and these USa episodes will be aired at discovery channel as I read in some topic?

[findleybeast]

despite its basically repeated material, I really can't wait to have them start airing it. Hopefully JC will abstain from too much anti-US sentiment though, and turn away possible viewers.

[crazidude]

heh I'd do quite a lot of things to actually watch TG live.

[nchs09]

As far as Miuras go, I saw one today too ;) (and I NEVER forget my camera :P)

http://img221.exs.cx/img221/5213/lambomiura067iu.th.jpg (http://img221.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img221&image=lambomiura067iu.jpg)tt omfg u are so lucky i have never seen one or heard one but i would love to <3 my favorite car evar

[DeMoN]

Thnx for answering my qtns. Too bad they wont review the G35. Have you ever managed to go to a recording on the other top gear?

BTW when you email them, you just say "i want to go" or do you have to convince them like saying your reason or watever? (do they even read what the person writes or the selection is totally random?)

[crayzayjay]

Thnx for answering my qtns. Too bad they wont review the G35. Have you ever managed to go to a recording on the other top gear?

BTW when you email them, you just say "i want to go" or do you have to convince them like saying your reason or watever? (do they even read what the person writes or the selection is totally random?)
I've never tried to get tickets before, so it was the first time i went to a recording of TG. It was actually my gf that got the tickets and surprised me with them. She must be a keeper :D

Follow this link for all the info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/prog1/weneedyou.shtml

[Toronto]

so we should be able to see you in the background :D
don't forget to point yourself out!

[crayzayjay]

No, it doesn't look like you have to be a UK resident. I just registered with "Applause store" and put my name down on the list again. I'll only go if i get tickets for the proper TG series and will take a proper camera if i do :D

[normy360]

Glad to hear Top Gear will be airing in the US. We already have Fifth Gear episodes on Speed Channel, but there are a fair number of reruns though. In your opinions, which show is better? It seems to me that Clarkson is the prototype car journalist with the best humor and dramatic flair, and everybody else is following his lead.

[crayzayjay]

TG > 5G, although it would be good if Tiff made his way back to TG

Ultimate lineup:
Jeremy Clarkson
Tiff Needell
Richard Hammond.

Gay boy James May can f*ck off as far as i'm concerned.

[666fast]

I like James May, I'd like him to stay. I'll have to keep an eye out for the show, hopefully Clarkson can keep his casual racism to himself otherwise it won't air for long. It's not so much that I think he is a racist, but he really pushes the boundaries with what he says sometimes.
Congrats on getting to see the show, must have been fun! And I hate you for seeing a Miura, you too TT.

[crayzayjay]

And I hate you for seeing a Miura, you too TT.
I've also seen an Enzo and a bunch of SLR's in the past month, not to mention lots of Lambo's :P :wink:


As for racist comments, JC did come out with a few when the features were originally filmed, it did make me think in the studio, "a few yanks won't like hearing that..." :lol:

[666fast]

As for racist comments, JC did come out with a few when the features were originally filmed, it did make me think in the studio, "a few yanks won't like hearing that..."


That was one of the first things to come to mind when I started reading this thread. In all honesty, I could care less what he says, but there are people, and a lot of them, that will get pissed even if it's blatant joke.

[Daggernite]

hey crayzayjay thats a pretty amazing story, I think anyone on JW would love to go see topgear be filmed in person. I'd class you as been very lucky, and If my girlfriend had of got me tickets to go, I'd love her for life :lol:

Got a few questions if you don't mind.

1. Do JC RH and JM seem like genuine friends when the camra's aren't rolling. Do they hang around with each other and have a laugh, or just go there sererate ways?

2. Is Hammond really that small, or is it just because hes on camra.

3. Do you know if JC has his GT40 yet? Like was it parked up outside the hanger or summat?

[crayzayjay]

1. Yeah, they certainly do seem like mates. JM seems to be the butt of most jokes. They were taking the piss out of him being an old Hugh Grant :lol:

2. Yep, Hammond is pretty damn short. It also doesn't help that he stands next to Jeremy, who is pretty damn tall.

3. Nope, no GT40 for JC yet. He was bitching about the Americans not knowing where England is.



JC drove in in a 997 (S?) and Hammond in an Impreza Sti. James didnt mention what car he was using. Probably his new (80's) 911.

[Daggernite]

Thanks for your answers, I've always thought thats what makes the show, them been friends, gives the show a warm laughable feeling I think. Thanks again for your answers, and maybe these shows for the states might help JC get his GT40 :lol: