Kanon23

So much better than car shows from US/Canada...

Here's the link to some of their famous clips:

http://www.sleepy-fish.com/other_veh.htm

Check out the Vids from both shows~

sauceman

Yep, discovered this lately. I'm all with you on the comparison.

Motor Trend TV, AutoWeek, MotorWeek, you name it, all a bunch of puppets who only read press releases then air the same thing. No actual risk taking, and especially no passion from them. Just a bunch of cheerleaders.

So much for the help they could provide...

Kanon23

I like the special things Top Gear/Fifth Gear people do to test out cars. 2 of my favourites:

1. Aston Martin DB9 VS Train
2. McLaren MB stops from 120mph to 0 in a very short distance...

SWEET~

PS I also like the latest episode: Landing on a moving car from a parachute

Euro4gen

I watch Top Gear (all the latest 1 hr shows can be downloaded from eMule). It's also aired on BBC World but it has been edited to ~25 mins. 5th Gear is also ok. Tiff Needell and Jeremy Clarkson are very passionate about cars.

iTimmy

I've watched them all as well and I just love the crossfire review! So truthful, try getting a honest review like that from some rag on this side of the pond. The problem in this country the car reviewers are in a tough situation because they are supported heavily by the automobile manufacturers.

vasu

I love the show, go tabout 8 gigs of it

mg7726

yes, both shows rock!

Dan Martin

Does anyone know if there are Top Gear DVD's available?

dom

Wow, that site looks to have hours and hours of fun. Thanks Kanon.

fdl

I've never seen any dvd's, but I've thought of making my own. Is that legal?

fdl

wow, they really tear apart that vette! If we have any vette fans here, you may want to avoid that particular video

dom

What do they say about it though? It was an 05 right?

fdl

They make fun of the cheap plasticy interior, the cheeap fibreglass body, the clunky transmission, old fashioned leaf springs, etc. They even take a shot at american politics.

But in the end the car pulled off a decent lap time, even though it was all over the track.

dom

So it was an 05?

Damn I wish I had sound at work.

fdl

I'm not sure if it was an 05. They said it had 400 hp, is that what the 05's have?

dom

Yup, and the pic on the page looks to be an 05.

It seems US car mags claimed the C5 ZO6 could compete performance wise wiith anything in the world. I'd think the 05 would be just as capable. Do these guys not like the handling? I can understand the cheap int and tranny complaints but acceleration and handling wise this thing should be able to hang with the best in the world.

fdl

They were very impressed by the handling, despite being blown away that the car still uses leaf springs (many jokes about this). Hang with anything in the world? Well thats a stretch. It's time was around EVO range. Accel-wise they drag raccd an NSX, 911, and TVR, and came in 3rd.

dom

This car should be capable of 0-60 in 4.2-4.3 sec. What did it lose to in the Acc run, the 911 and TVR?

If it lost to a normally aspir 911 then these guys either could'nt drive it or they were being biased. And even a 911 Turbo or GT3 would be a drivers race. Did it have the Z51 package? That pack brings the 05 extremly close to C5 ZO6 performance.

Going by what US car mags have found, the C5 ZO6 performance specs and lap times surpass or at least equal 911's of all manner and the 360, so its really not that big a stretch. Of course I'm not talking about Enzo or Porsche GT perf here.

Can't wait for the 06 Z06 6.4L LS7 engine pushing out 500+ HP and 500+ lb/ft. It should be a Viper killer.

EDIT: I guess I'm a noob but what the big deal about leaf springs?

fdl

I think it lost to the TVR and NSX.

they didnt say, so probably not.



Actually, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

They are just EXTREMELY old technology and more like something I would expect on a pickup truck.

dom

Lost to the NSX ? Best times I've seen for the NSX are low 13's. This Vette has already been tested by MT and run a 12.7. There's no way with everything being equal and that NSX being stock that it lost. Thee's just no way and I think you can agree with that.

Just as I said that the download which was at 12% dissapeared from my screen? WTF.

fdl

thats what the video showed. The race was 1/2 mile, not sure if that makes a difference.

dom

Only 5 hr 55 min left in my download

fdl

what kind of crappy connection do you guys have there at work?

ion-tsx

Some of the Articles on the site are from the Magazine EVO which is an amazing periodical. It is UK based and has thick full issues which usually take a few evenings to get through. Worth a look. Only down side is that it is kind of pricey ($11 cdn) Maxim had recently been involved bringing it to the US/Canada and the price went down to +/- $6. I haven't seen any for this cheap around much lately.

dom

Its now down to 2hrs and 48 min

fdl

I'm starting to think that Top Gear has an anti-US car bias. I just watched the chrysler crossfire review and they totally ripped it apart, including shots at American beer and other such things. It was much worse than the vette review.

ClutchPerformer

I think they just have an anti-crappy-car bias. When America comes out with something WORTHY of the world's respect, then the world will respect it. The old SLK (which the Crossfire is based on) is not a "great" car. And the Crossfire is, if anything, not as good as the SLK. That car's not gonna impress the man who drives CL65s, M3s, S4s, Ferraris, Zondas and Konigseggs all day.

Leaf springs...

sauceman

It probably does, the NSX has better aerodynamics than the Corvette.
Drag Coefficients:

Corvette Cd: 0,31

NSX Cd: 0,30

At high speed, it could be enough to give the NSX the edge.

xizor

its not a formal measurement of any kind, its like the laps on Best Motoring, there's tons of variable. The vette had wheel spin off the line, the NSX rocketed off the line without any problem. Not a scientific test, but somewhat of a realistic test.