Top Gear - S9 EP3 - 11th February, 2007 - Discussion

[vexor]

This week's show is an American special as Jeremy, Richard and James try to prove that a fly-drive holiday to Florida would be more fun if you bought a car instead of renting one. Having picked up some wheels for no more than 1000 dollars each, the boys embark on an epic road trip to find out who got the best deal, encountering heat, flies and very angry locals along the way.

[Ghostbat]

We know that the comcept works and hopefully it will be fun to see what cars they come up with but still I think it would be cooler with some slightly more expensive cars.

[ARMAN]

road trip? :P thats gonna be good!

[TopGearNL]

This will be great, can't wait! :lol:

[gucom]

lol this should indeed be awesome :lol:

[martin100]

Indeed this just HAS to be another hilarious feature :mrgreen:

[Stoopie]

Cool, I always like the features with the presenters buying cars and having to do accomplish objectives :D

[McLaren4eVa]

I heard stig's going to be wearing a fat suit in this episode. This one should be good, any news on when JC going to be testing the LP640.

[Max Power]

In case you don't know - Jeremy will be driving a Camaro from the 90s, Hamster a white pick-up and Captain Slow a sort of big-saloon, probably a Cadillac :D

damn, that's just spoiling it...

[TopGearNL]

HAHA...i have a feeling this is gonna be one of the funniest videos ever....especially if they drive through parts of the south ;)

Yeps - the TG crew in a roadtrip across America in $1000 rusted old cars... LOL! sounds indeed like the funniest TG vid ever!! :P

In case you don't know - Jeremy will be driving a Camaro from the 90s, Hamster a white pick-up and Captain Slow a sort of big-saloon, probably a Cadillac :D

It is sad how many cars you can find in the USA for less than $1000.

But it does make up for a hilarious feature :lol:

[ViperASR]

Cool, I always like the features with the presenters buying cars and having to do accomplish objectives :D

My personal favorite is when they bought the cheap used Porsches :D

[Stoopie]

^ Yeah that one was cool to :D But I liked the used exotics best :D With the JC's Maserati :shock:

[gman911]

Should be a good primer as I am planning a US roadtrip in the next 12 months.. but I will use a reliable car (probably!).

I wonder if Jeremy will get a Ford?

[Jabba]

No write up on tonights show ??

One things for sure, its going to be one hell of a big feature to upload :mrgreen: (500 MB ETA 3 Hours)

[TopGearNL]

I enjoyed the episode very much! The cars were really all a piece of shit.. LOL!

Typical Clarkson humour!

Mostly because of the small stuff like hitting each others cars...
What I really found hilarious was the paint job and the cars, it went terribly wrong in ALA-BAMA :shock: :lol:

Anyway was a nice and funny special! Won't say too much!

Will be a big upload since it was one feature, are you going to split it Jabba?

[Dubai]

^^^^^
aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA! Stop Talking about it...WAIT!.. Please! I have to sleeeeep. It's 2:18am, and I have to work tomorrow..

[gis]

Like TopGearNL said,the episode was great,typical clarkson humour but added with the usual races with hamster and James it turned out to be a funny road trip.

i wont say to much so it dont ruin it for people,but i loved the part when they had $100 to spend on there cars to help improve there journey,lol

[TopGearNL]

/\/\ Yeah your right LOL

Don't wanna spoil it, edited :wink:

[Dubai]

yyy y' yyy YY .... WhY Are yoU doing tHIs......

[gis]

^^^ dont worry,you shall have your top gear fix soon,lol

[jorge]

This sounds excellent, and i guess it`s gonna be extremely funny :D

[Jabba]

Will be a big upload since it was one feature, are you going to split it Jabba?

Impossible to split IMO, so it will just be one big feature and its ready now !

[TopGearNL]

Will be a big upload since it was one feature, are you going to split it Jabba?

Impossible to split IMO, so it will just be one big feature and its ready now !

Thanks Jabba!

No I was just wondering.. :wink:

[Caplax40]

Just got done watching the episode.

Reminds me of Borat in a way. Very funny but also disturbing at the same time.

I loved the episode immensely at it is probably one of my favorite episodes of any TV show ever but the part where they rolled through the small southern town with the writing on the sides of the cars really bothered me. The citizens reactions was pretty shocking.....unless you've ever been to the South that is. I think the writing on the sides of the cars was crossing the line, and very risky, but at the same time, people shouldn't react the way the citizens did.

With that being said, it was a great episode and I loved every second of it.

I really hope they do more stuff in America and travel to different regions. America has some great places to drive and adventures to be had.

[poltz]

Reminds me of Borat in a way. Very funny but also disturbing at the same time.
QFT.

But your post contais too much spoilers, I think. :)

[Everlasting]

Brilliant Episode!

[HeilSvenska]

It was amusing, but very disturbing to watch (only because I live in the US). First of all, they went to the wrong part of the USA. :P And you can't get anything with a $1000 unless you're lucky. And that whole thing with the paint... that was just asking for trouble.

[twboy1999]

lesson 1.. don't piss of the ppl in Alamaba


overall it was a great episode,, alot of entertaining moments


and hwo the hell did they fit a cow on top of camero.. lol

[RC45]

It wasn't that funny.

The entire thing was so obviously setup - from the "cars bought on the street" - which were actually bought at auction.. not from some murderers on the street.. I am confident there are also bad neighbourhoods in the UK - JC just chooses not to talk about them.

The stopping of the pickup truck in the water (anyone could see the practice skid marks ;))

The setup with the folks at the store - another obvious one.

The sad part is how much they had to stage to get fit the stereotypes.

Typical Clarkson really. Seriously - if he dislikes the place so much, why does he keep coming back?

[deuces]

hilarious but made me feel ashamed to live in america as usual...

[acmarttin]

Well so far the sentiments of the Americans can be felt. I'm really embarrassed by the Alabama part. I swear to you European members of JW, there is actually a large population of intellectuals in this country, we're just unfortunately overshadowed by our black sheep cousin "the redneck" :(

[subhir]

Every single state/nation/country/continent has parts which would react like that.

Don't tell me, if you drive around Manchester with a big "Eat S#%$ ManU" on the side of your car that you won't get stones thrown at you (if you survive!?!?!?!?)?????
Or like driving around Ireland, Scotland and England with "Rugby Sux" in capital letters!!!

Thats what make "Top Gear" enjoyable, they grab hold of the extremes and wring every little bit of fun out of it!!! Its nothing to get personal about, or feel ashamed of.

They just (at least one of the producers/directors/presenters/whoever) have a grudge against America and they seem to fixate on that (quite often actually), but whatever.

I love the show and no matter what anyone on the show (or off the show) says, I will continue to watch it and probably enjoy it!!!!!!

[ferrarif1fan89]

I'd like to address some points made in the film:

1. Miami is NOT that bad. They just happened to go car shopping in Liberty City, which happens to be ridiculously rough.

2: Moroso motorsports track is NOT abandoned, it is only opened on the weekends. I would know, because i live 5 miles down the road from it, and get my gas from the track.

3. New Orleans is actually WORSE than you can imagine by seeing the video. It is truly a ghost town. My friend lost his home, and I went up there to help him recover, and I can honestly say I will never sleep well again seeing the desolation and destruction. It was as if a war had gone on.

4. America is not as bad as you would gather from the video. Like has been said before, there ARE intellectuals, and we are overshadowed by rednecks, which are out in force by where I live.

Other than that, I loved the episode, and I liked recognizing the places they drove by in south Florida. :D

@RC, those aren;t practice skid marks at the end of the drag strip at Moroso, those have always been there.

And the scuffle at the store was not staged. That kind of thing happens by where I live, and judging by personal expierience of driving through the part of Alabama they were in, that was totally authentic. I am in no way proud of this, its quite embarrassing watching that and just thinking of the thoughts going through the heads of viewers around the world who had never been to America.

[Stoopie]

Awesome episode! :D I really loved that roadtrip, too bad for not really testing cars etc but this was great! Hilarious, I can't remember the last time I had such a great laugh watching TG :)

[LEXION]

ah, GREAT EPISODE!!! Really good. I was amazed by the redneck riot at the gas station, and the fact that everyone has a gun in miami.....but i liked the highway and the scenery. I would really like to do a coast to coast trip of America :)


Great show guys :wink:

[TopGearNL]

I was having such a good time watching it!

Alabama is a dangerous place :shock: :lol:

Was LMAO at the text that was written on the side of the cars and when they were attacked at the gasstation!

[ARMAN]

hahaha what an episode, i'd guess most of it was staged including gas station but as you say it is probably real... :shock: LOL signs on Hammonds car was the funnyest HAHAHAA :mrgreen:

Jeremy bought my all favorit american car and my favorit generation of it - 3rd gen :twisted: damn how bad i wanted one and still is one of my dream cars to have, drove once one in a used car dealership here with smallest engine 2,8 and didnt care about it having automatic gearbox :) 5l top model would be the choice :twisted:

[pitfield]

It wasn't that funny.

The entire thing was so obviously setup - from the "cars bought on the street" - which were actually bought at auction.. not from some murderers on the street.. I am confident there are also bad neighbourhoods in the UK - JC just chooses not to talk about them.

The stopping of the pickup truck in the water (anyone could see the practice skid marks ;))

The setup with the folks at the store - another obvious one.

The sad part is how much they had to stage to get fit the stereotypes.

Typical Clarkson really. Seriously - if he dislikes the place so much, why does he keep coming back?

Typical RC45 reaction.

It was hardly a public information film recommending that no one go to the states.

I'm sure too that there are bad parts in the UK, that was not denied.

It was a joke, get a sense of humour.

[ARMAN]

ummm I am rewatching this(cant help :)) and I have a feeling for 99% gas station is staged I mean "redneks in a pickup" coming etc it was just a coincedence someone came with pickup full of people.. the only "person" who was screaming was that gas station freak-a-"woman" :) watching theyr fases after they run away - pure fake LOL at least Hammond and James were looking fakely frightened 8)

[pagani]

It's funny as hell those dumb rednecks.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[blinkmeat]

Does anyone know the name of the piano piece (song) playing near the end of the feature? Is it craig armstrong?

[jorge]

fantastic episode!!!

it seemed more like a comedy show :roflmao:

[mevistox5]

3. New Orleans is actually WORSE than you can imagine by seeing the video. It is truly a ghost town. My friend lost his home, and I went up there to help him recover, and I can honestly say I will never sleep well again seeing the desolation and destruction. It was as if a war had gone on.

New Orleans was the part that shocked me most. Not the devistation itself, but the fact that ONE YEAR after, it still lacks real rebuilding efforts.

Nico

[ViperASR]

I'd like to address some points made in the film:

1. Miami is NOT that bad. They just happened to go car shopping in Liberty City, which happens to be ridiculously rough.

2: Moroso motorsports track is NOT abandoned, it is only opened on the weekends. I would know, because i live 5 miles down the road from it, and get my gas from the track.


4. America is not as bad as you would gather from the video. Like has been said before, there ARE intellectuals, and we are overshadowed by rednecks, which are out in force by where I live.

Other than that, I loved the episode, and I liked recognizing the places they drove by in south Florida. :D

@RC, those aren;t practice skid marks at the end of the drag strip at Moroso, those have always been there.

And the scuffle at the store was not staged. That kind of thing happens by where I live, and judging by personal expierience of driving through the part of Alabama they were in, that was totally authentic. I am in no way proud of this, its quite embarrassing watching that and just thinking of the thoughts going through the heads of viewers around the world who had never been to America.

As another member in Florida I agree with that. The skidmarks at the end of the dragway have always been there. I have been to Moroso a few times to go racing and it is actually a fun track, it is not a ghost town like we are ment to believe.

Miami is a very nice city, as long as you stay out of the "downtown" area where they obvioulsy were.

I agree that the scuffle at the store was not staged, the rednecks in the pickup may have been a coincidence but it also might not have been. Rednecks really do react like that towards some people, especially when they insult NASCAR and country western music.

[Shinigami]

It was a joke, get a sense of humour.
It's funny how RC's always calling us 'eurocrats' a bunch of stuck up blokes with no sense of humor, and he's the one who's getting all uptight about this episode.

Personally, I found it funny as he11, be it staged or not. I still wouldn't mind going on a road trip across America with my boss, who GASP, happens to be AMERICAN! (and he's a damn fine bloke and very, very intelligent too!)

Lighten up RC, it's just a TV show, we 'eurocrats' can atleast see it as such :roll:

[ferrarif1fan89]

@ mevistox5: The rebuilding efforts in New Orleans have been tremendous, but its still not nearly enough. You have to go there to truly grasp the damage. New Orleans is a very big city, and as most of the city was devastated by this storm, its not as easy as, say, cleaning up after 9/11, or putting up a few new power lines. This is like trying to rebuild New York, Paris, London, any major city after it being underwater, except with raw sewage still on the streets and hoards of homeless wandering around. After seeing the devastation myself, I honestly believe it will take more than 10 years to truly clean the city to the condition it was in before, and thats not even factoring in rebuilding what structures were lost ( A LOT). Its wiping the slate clean for what was once a gorgeous city (most parts).

[5vz-fe]

It was amusing, but very disturbing to watch (only because I live in the US). First of all, they went to the wrong part of the USA. :P And you can't get anything with a $1000 unless you're lucky. And that whole thing with the paint... that was just asking for trouble.

Try autotrader, put in 1000 bucks, you will be surprise on what you can buy. Those are probably 500 bucks cars.

[RC45]

It's funny how RC's always calling us 'eurocrats' a bunch of stuck up blokes with no sense of humor, and he's the one who's getting all uptight about this episode.

I have a sense of humour - I was raised on "British humour". I grew up in a commonwealth nation you seem to forget.

But this epiode is a cheap shot at poor black, latino, cuban and white communities... it is simply a class thing.

If you go to europe and hang out in the ghettos youwill see the same.

The gas station was so staged.. uhm - making a getaway and jumpstarting your car? puhlease.

not to mention, the fact that releases woudl have been needed from the folks filmed - the entire show is a "produciotn" folks.. not reality TV (which is also staged anyway).

I am aware of what and where Moroso raceway is... The 'practise' marks I was talking abotu were the ones the ATG guys drove over - the ones that stopped right before the grass where they stopped ;)

I guess if I wanted slapstick, I would watch Faulty Towers or Benny Hill - if I watch Top Gear I excpect car stuff.. not agenda laden political statements. :)

[dutchmasterflex]

This show was definitely one of the funniest episodes of Top Gear.. If it was real, they wouldn't have never gotten away from those rednecks in Alabama ;)

And as RC has pointed out, everyone in the film gladly signed the release to have their faces on TV.

Sure it's a production, its a freking TV show. But one hell of a production.. they did a lot of work making this episode and I think it paid off.

The thing about everyone in Florida having a gun isn't necessarily true, as most if the stereotypes they "poke fun at." In Florida your are legally allowed to conceal a weapon(thus the guy pulling out that tiny 22 from his back pocket), but because of this freedom, the Police have the right to forcefully take down anyone they pursue.

[mevistox5]

@ferrarif1fan89: Thanks for the insight. I can imagine that it takes long for such a city to be rebuilded. The fact that there is still a lot of debris or devistated homes to be seen, just as if it happened yesterday, is what disturbed me.

Nico

[nejcdolinsek]

This was probably the funniest episode of TG I've ever seen! :D

Anyone notice the hillarious credits?? :lol: :lol:

[sobolan]

1) the credits at the end were very funny..."Cletus Clarkson" :lol:

2) actually, you can do better for $1000. When I was a grad student in Houston, I managed to buy a '96 Accent, green, sunroof, tip top, for $1000. Drove it for 3 years, only changed oil and managed to sell for $1500. It had a manual and it drove very nice. Oh, and the AC was blowing ice cold...a must in Houston.

3) sometimes is better to rent than buy. As I did in Dec.-Jan., during my last visit to the States. Rented from Hertz, for 10 days, for 350Euro/$455, a red Nissan 350Z, with all the insurance you can buy and unlim.mileage. From SFO(SF airport). Wanted to get the GT-H, but the manager refused to offer unlim miles for it...
And I got there in style...hired a limo for less than the taxi faire to get there :P
Put the 350Z to good use, done a trip to Las Vegas (and back),...600miles in less than 8 hrs, including "toilet stops" (due to the "girlfriend factor... :twisted: )

Anyway...if you know where you can go, what part of the town is off limits...and that the americans really mean "private property"...US is a nice place to visit.


Judging by the regular unleaded price, 2.76 in Alabama's backyard...the feature must be shot during last year, fall (october?) Now you can buy premium for that even in Palo Alto, CA!

[HeilSvenska]

Who cares about the politics involved in the film, it was funny and it was good so shut up and enjoy :mrgreen:

I can't enjoy it when the country's being misrepresented on TV watched by 8 million people. That's not right, even if you shouldn't take Clarkson too seriously.

I did find the episode amusing, but not satisfying.

[666fast]

Well, I thought it was pretty funny. There were a few things that were a tad over the line. The paintings on the cars was a terrible idea. That could have actually gotten them killed. Whether or not the scene at the gas station was staged or not, I can't tell. But, people do get killed for less.

Some of the other things I found funny was the guy at the car dealer with the guns. LOL Does Florida have a conceal and carry law? If not, he commited a felony on television. heh

I knew what the premise of the show was before watching, so I was expecting the stereotypes. To be honest, they don't bother me much. It's only a type of humor that some people don't get. Many American television shows poke fun at Europe using stereotypes as well. What goes around comes around.

Overall, it was an excellent show, I found it very entertaining. Thats all it is anyway, entertainment. I just hope the folks that don't live here are mature enough to realize that as well. What was seen is not at all a snapshot of every day America. Though, I'm sure a few are kicking back sucking it up as if it's all 100% accurate.

FYI, while they were in new Orleans, the wrecked houses that had numbers painted on them. Those numbers explain whether or not people were found dead in them and how many.

[graywolf624]

They most certainly faked the gas station scene. Are there people that would get pissed off at such stupid sayings? Yes.. There are those people in many countries where they would react as such to insulting them (even Britain). But... Its just too much coincidence that a truck full shows up. Also notice you dont actually see any stones. Its hilarious dont get me wrong, but its quite false, even for the deep south. Then again you dont just run into cow roadkill either.. Nor does everyone in the city own a gun. Go to the ghetto though....

Then of course the track.. Clarkson himself has been on many American tracks.. Yet he trys to comment that the one of literally 1000s of tracks in the states has right and left turns... yeah.. umm.. ok..
And then he points out that the track is deserted.. Well yeah.. ya rented it out to shoot the show.. Kind of like you dont see anyone else on the track in any show.


Jeremy bought my all favorit american car and my favorit generation of it - 3rd gen damn how bad i wanted one and still is one of my dream cars to have, drove once one in a used car dealership here with smallest engine 2,8 and didnt care about it having automatic gearbox 5l top model would be the choice
The 5L isn't the top of the line. The top of the line was a 5.7 L iroc-z pushing out 245 bhp and 300 ft lbs of torque. Not bad for a car during the emission nut years. I should know, I use to race one. A hell of a good cheap racing car at about 1500 dollars plus parts.

[detltu6]

I have to say I would have passed out if I saw Jeremy Clarkson getting out of an old Camaro in New Orleans. That would have been hilarious.