Comments on: Top Gear Australia – more than the manufacturers bargained for

By: ALF

ALF — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:06:50 +0000

LOVED THE SHOW,DID NOT MISS ONE AND HOPE TO SEE A 09 SERIES. WHO CARES HOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO CARS, IT IS A VERY SMALL COST COMPARED TO WHAT GAME SHOWS GIVE AWAY EVERY WEEK DAY AND NO ONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT. THE COST OF REPAIR TO AIR TIME IS CHEAP.

By: Bret

Bret — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:51:08 +0000

Alex, how an I “totally wrong”?

If you are too bluffed to realise almost EVERYTHING on the TGUK entertainment program ain’t scripted, then that’s your problem.

It’s entertainment, it’s fun, it’s light hearted – but it isn’t genuine motoring juornalism.
If you believe something “because Clarkson said..” then you are a fool.

And I would also like to think that anyone able to spend half a mill on a car is probably brighter than you, and understands that Clarkson sprouts BS most of the time, because thats what’s entertaining, rather than concrete facts and information about a car.
(Maybe the “old money” rich might be an exception here though?)

By: Cupid Stunt aka No Name

Cupid Stunt aka No Name — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:11:09 +0000

For once I agree with Thomas79. Thats gotta be a 1st.

Yep they were a little too heavy handed. Cuasing that sorta damage just driving a Lambo for an hour or two is ridiculous.

Anyway – go to BBC iplayer and see the latest episode where Clarkson drives a ne Fiesta off a landing craft ito a metre of water onto a beach with the car full of Marine Commados. Say no more but its the best yet.

By: Wenthworth

Wenthworth — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:33:05 +0000

TGA is total crap. For example they had a Maybach on the show and the only thing I learnt was that it comes with headphones in the armrests. Thats it. I understand SBS had to make the show to keep the rights to TGUK but thats not a good starting point to make a tv show, just ask Channel 9 they made survivor here for the same reason another failure.
SBS grow some Balls and make this national embarrassment stop.

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:02:35 +0000

Bengie, TGUK is now an international show thats been running for 12 seasons so you would expect it to have more viewers etc, that doesnt disprove anything ive said before, so maybe you should go back to your day job. Or try to do a better job than the TGA hosts can.

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:54:23 +0000

BM, how do you know the lambo was cold when they revved it?you were there, were you?

By: Benjie

Benjie — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:47:31 +0000

Falcodore:

You do realise that Top Gear UK receives over 1300 times the viewers the Australian version does?

That’s about 385-million (estimated viewership including internet downloads) versus some 300,000 on good weeks.

They also have the credibility and rarely perform such lame stunts like the lawn bowls *yawn*.

Top Gear Australia is an absolute joke, they need to go back to their day jobs.

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:40:15 +0000

Wheelnut, totally agree with your ideas, lets lobby the powers that be, Freehand productions. Waduya think?

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:32:44 +0000

I do love TGUK, dont get me wrong. And , yes TGA needs a little work, like more critical assessment when testing a car or when comparing cars, what makes one car better than the other?
I reckon all TGA needs is a spit ‘n’ polish and it’ll have a nice shiny paintjob. FAIR DINKUM!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:22:20 +0000

And to those whinging about the damage to the cars. Not only did Clarkson blow a tyre on a VERY EXPENSIVE Bentley, that would have also caused damage to the paintwork etc. Dont here anyone of you ppl complaining about that!
Those of you complaining about the “reasons” they hate TGA seem to be praising TGUK for the exact same “reasons” and you sound like a bunch of hypocrites, just like my nieghbour who successfully lobbied to have my BBQ removed from the front patio cause she doesnt like the smell of a barby, very un-australian.

By: Falcodore

Falcodore — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:07:00 +0000

Warren Brown had a few things to say in todays tele and one of them was that TGA is not a car show that putters around the streets in a car just to tell you how good the stereo is! Its there to put the car through its paces and test its limits.(think he was having a shot at The Car Show)
And to those who think TGUK isnt scripted or set up, you truly are MORONS!
Take for example, last knights ep when they were driving the alfas into the judging area. there’s no way those judges wouldnt have known Hampsters car wasnt being towed, not only would they have been blind not to see the tow strap, but the fact his engine wasnt running would have been a dead giveaway!

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:14:12 +0000

One improvement could be to have something similar to the cool wall… but isntead of uncool through to sub zero; they could Australian-ise it and call it the s–t wall and classify cars from s–thouse or s–theaps through to s–t hot

And in terms of the Track – instead of using Bankstown Airport why not use a recognised [private] racetrack like Wakefield Park – near Goulburn.. the lap times are almiost the same and if they tested a number of cars on one day [prerecorded] it would cost less to hire/lease. Plus they could do a review of the cars on the way there and back

By: Andrew Skegg

Andrew Skegg — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:36:27 +0000

It’s not the guys fault. They have been given a copy of an original formula from the US series and none has attempted any modification to Australianise it, or improve it in any way. I love the UK series, and I would love the Oz series if it was truly and Australian original, not a cheap knock off copy of another’s idea. Sorry guys nice try, but let it die.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:35:33 +0000

Bret, you are completely wrong. For a start, TG UK has quite a high profile audience and that includes a lot of people with money so they may well take his opinions or at least go and look at a car that he has reviewed because they like it a lot. It’s a very enjoyable show and that spans to people with large bank accounts I’m sure.
The beauty of TG UK compared to TG A is that a lot of it isn’t scripted and when it is, you can tell (anybody believe Jeremy rolled that car while driving it last night?). TG A was so obvious with it’s scripting and almost the whole show had obviously been previously written (probably because they had nothing interesting to say themselves). I think the thing with TG UK is that they are all very different people and they all have different views, but those views are not written for them unlike TG A. And before this comment gets any back lash, please people, the scripting was so obvious on TG A! Not on TG UK though. Clarkson, Hammond and May are all funny by themselves, they don’t need writers and I’m pretty sure they don’t have them.

By: Lox

Lox — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:22:07 +0000

I think youll find the main difference is when TGUK guys do road tests of new cars ists either one of them at behind the wheel driving around an english town or on a winding country road or driving across Europe on the high speed motorways whilst the other 2 try to beat JC to the destination using some other method of transport.

- What about the times they spend on the track thrashing cars?

And how safe was the UK episode where they have trucks crashing thru a brick wall or getting caught on fire. I find these episodes hilarious but these guys aren’t being any better on their cars than the aussie guys are. If you can’t see this comparison you’re blind.

The Never use a brand new $150K+ sports car and crash it into another $150K+ sports car or do what it’s not designed to do…

- Neither have the Aus guys in any of the ep’s I’ve seen so far.

Seriously, gives the guys are break on the Aus show. Car companies can’t be that ignorant to the fact of what will go on the show, surely….

By: Bret

Bret — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:16:20 +0000

David_T
I think you will find that no one thinking about buying a half million dollar car gives a rats about Clarkson’s opinion either.
For that matter anyone considering buying any car shouldn’t pay any attention to what Clarkson’s scripted “opinions”, on an light entertainment program, are!
This is NOT real motoring information – it’s entertainment. It’s all pre-scripted. Enjoy it for what it is, but don’t treat any of it with any credibility.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:51:34 +0000

I agree it shouldn’t be called Top Gear either as its not of the same calibre…. How about Neutral or Reverse or even Car Jack’n Off?

By: David_T

David_T — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:45:52 +0000

I think the reaction of the manufacturers to damage says it all re industry reaction to the show.

If Clarkson crashes a Lamborgini, Lamborgini would more than likely clap their hands and give him the keys to another one! They know that it means the people all around the world will be watching it, downloading it from youtube, and their potential customers will be listening to him for his opinion…. Clarkson’s opinion of a any new car can make or break its commerical success.

But when TGA damages something, its just a pain in the arse cause they have no credibility, and no one thinking about buying a half million dollar car gives a rats about Warren Brown’s opinion, or that of the other two saps.

The fact that holden is bitching about them damaging astras just says that holden doesnt think TGA will lead to any additional sales of astras.

Thus if no one values the opinions of those on TGA, then it shouldnt really be call Top Gear, cause it not anything like Top gear. Its just knobs messing about in cars in a unfunny way. You may as well call it something else and replace the guys with chicks in bikinis.

By: Spitfire

Spitfire — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:34:58 +0000

Memo SBS. Leave this tripe to the commercial networks, and do what you do best, quality television.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:05:24 +0000

I know I’ve already written this, but I am pretty sure the BBC picks up the bills for all the damage the boys do to the manufacturers cars, why don’t the SBS do the same?