Modern Vespa

Top Gear on BBCAmerica is really funny. I only just realized this because we switched to satellite and somehow this show which has been on tv for several years came to our attention.

We just saw the show where they went "caravaning". The guys had a trailer and a smallish car to tow it. One of the guys brought his dog. The guy driving the car didn't know how to tow a trailer and rammed it into a post, making a bit hole in it. The dog got car sick. They stopped for a snack, leaving the dishes on the counter.

When they got to the camp ground, the driver spent a lot of time trying to park the trailer, drawing a big crowd, and knocking down a neighboring tent. They opened up the trailer and found the aforementioned dishes broken all obver the floor of the trailer. Another of the guys tried to cook, I think he was making French fries, and set the trailer on fire.

Anyway, after this episode I was hooked.

Anyone else watch this show?

It is fantastic and I watch it every chance I get. Gotta love that Brit humour!

Top Gear is entirely fixed but good fun.

The shaggy maned one who looks like a refugee from 1976 (James May) lives around the corner from me and drinks in the local pub. He sometimes rides those of these as he is a man of taste:

<-- BIG fan right here (if you hadn't guessed).

I'm still partial to the big challenges/races they features. Above all, the Race Across London and The Africa Challenge. Bugatti Veyron vs. May/Hamster in a plane. May goes fast (for once). Crossing the channel on a Toyota (POWER!).

You get the idea.

I'm home every Monday specifically to watch 3 hours of it.

Clarkson is a hoot!

I loved the caravan story. Just about peeed myself, laughing.

Of course it is - that's why it's so great! I loved the race across London - they should have had a Vespa as one of the racers, of course. Stig on a bus in his storm trooper outfit, never even raising up his helmet shield. Is he ever unmasked?

The guy in the speedboat really reminds me of the guy who used to do Doorknock Dinners on Food Channel.

Love Top Gear!! So snarky.

OOOHHHH!!! Another good episode that came to mind :

Top Gear versus D-Motor!

TG : Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond (UK); James May (LGBT)
DM : Sabine Schmitz, Tim Schrick, Carston von Ryssen (D)

I TiVo It every week- Just saw an episode which featured a race to Iceland (?) where May & Hammond went by train/ ferry/ boat and Clarkson went overland.
It always leaves me in stiches. I'm a huge fan in spite of Clarkson's snarky review of the Vespa!

I think my favorite show ever was when they came to America and each bought a car for $1000 or something and had to drive cross-country. At one point they decorated each other's vehicles and just about bought the farm somewhere in Mississippi (?) or Alabama (?).
Hysterical!

I liked it when they filled the cars full of water and saw how far they could get around the track. That and the parking brake test. Lulz for Dayz.

Can't you lot access BBCi player from the web?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

A new series is on now every Sunday and up on the BBC web site for a week afterwards through BBCi player.

Alabama. I can't think of any other state that would despise a phrase like "Hillary for President". British Leyland. Hard to believe May and the BL Princess took it back into the black.

I'm such a TG Geek. 8)

No, it's UK only. We have BBC America, but it's a year behind (and not even owned by the Beeb... go figure).

The best we yanks can hope for are BitTorrent and YouTube. Thankfully, we're well-served by those.

We get it here in kangarooland too.
My favourite episode is when they made cars into boats.
They're all funny though.

Always a very enjoyable programme to watch, escpecially when JC is outrageous. Have you seen the one with them learing to drive large articulated trucks yet? One of JCs comments upset a few people. Good to see Richard Hammond has made such a brilliant recovery from his accident at neraly 300mph.

We have had a previous post a month or so about Top Gear (I love it!) But a lot of the Uk'ers didn't care much for it. I like the comedy relief it gives.

I like it, i do however know a lot of Bikers that hate Clarkson.
They just don't get him.

Top Gear is by far the best programme on British TV at the moment.
In the latest series they had to drive 3 diesel cars - a Jag, a Polo and a Subaru from ( I think it was Switzerland ) to Blackpool on one tank of diesel to switch on the Christmas lights. A trip of about 800 miles.
It was easily the most gripping challenge to date.
I agree with Wonder some of it is staged but not none the worse for that.
And no one has actually figured who the Stig is but the money is on it being Ben Collins.
Easily the best show.....................................................................................................in the world.

WHAT who are these people???

I like Top Gear, but have no love for Jeremy Clarkson. He is a tool of the first water.

https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic38426

I can't agree with you there. We need the Clarksons of this world who don't dress up thier presentations with diluted PR speak.
He's a brilliant gobshite.
Anyone seen Captain Slow drive the Bugatti Veyron at 250 mph on the VW test track ?
It still send shivers down my spine.
Billy-no-scoot

Bill, you don't realise Jeremy Clarkson is a seduction technnique!

I spent my formative teenage years fending off men like Jeremy Clarkson at school and college. He is representative of a thousand public school twits who think they are the mutts nutts, but are all mouth and no trousers.

I also hold him responsible for encouraging grown men to wear tight jeans with a blazer and loafers which is the worst outfit in the world.

But I enjoy his ill informed, highly prejudiced comments with glee.

And finally Richard Hammond made the point about - why bother with a Prius when for £5000 less you could have a Polo Blue Motion that does more to the gallon and doesn't have a huge battery and two electric motors to drag around?
How come it's taken this long for someone in the car press to point this out ?
Ok I'm overjoyed because of my hatred of the Prius (eventhough I really admire Toyota for having the balls to make the first mass produced hybrid) but it really is only a town car if fuel and emissions are your bag where as the Polo is a better all rounder.

Gets off soapbox

Billy-no-scoot

I'm not really bothered about the way that Clarkson looks and I don't think he cares much about his appearance either. He's not very self aware is he and if he is he doesn't appear to give a toss.
That's why we watch him because we actually want to be offended and outraged but granted entertained as well.
This is why disgusted of Tunbridge Wells simply refuses to change the channel. He/She wants to be appalled because it validates them.

Next week childrens parties.

Billy-no-scoot

[/quote]But I enjoy his ill informed, highly prejudiced comments with glee.[/quote]

I don't. The man's a buffoon. A clown.

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells wants to be offended and outraged? I think they always were. If anything they probably agree with his right-wing rants in his paper columns.

+1
My g/f constantly bugs me about getting her one. I tease her endlessly, including :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJjZIuF1lg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP-tyvBGla4

I think the 3 presenters are a good match, they just tried to launch a Top Gear Australia.... it was a struggle to watch without Clarkson and Co.
It's funny how "Top Gear" has become a brand! And a brand with a large budget, I would imagine.
The TV reviewer in Sydney's daily newspaper is besotted with Clarkson, I think she likes the jeans ands sports coat look!
He is witty and he knows it, and enjoys "stirring the possum" as we say here.
What was is that Clarkson called a truffle? A pharaoh's testicle! Very funny indeed!

Clarkson is a poor man's Blackadder.

Woo hoo to Blackadder!
"Baldrick, I would rather catch TB, than listen to you"....

I finally recognized the Bloody Stig reference after we finally got digital cable from CommieCast.

From Top Gear, I appreciate the fact that power (ie V-8 brute) does not always equal good car, necessarily. I get to hear and see a lot of non-North America car brands and styles. Plus, the goofy road-trip stuff thy do is informative, and hilarious!

SPOILER ALERT! For those who don't know the identity of The Stig,






















































James May

HA!

That was my first guess, then I was not so sure, I've been thinking it's Clarkson lately, like, he always seems to make reference to what music is playing in the car (how would he know unless he was in the car?).

May does have the 'drivers squint' though.

How is it you know this for sure?

To add fuel to the fire:

The Stig is not any of the presenters. He has been several racing drivers, since the current Stig is faster than the old Stig.

On one occasion he was the Formula One Champion.

So one helmet, but many Stigs.

Sorry Wonder the Stig isn't a F1 World Champion. He's a pretty much unknown who has raced and tested GT's ASCARS and many single seaters but hasn't raced F1's although he has been used as a test driver. He isn't a name as such. The old Stig was Perry McCarthy and depending on who you believe was let go because he couldn't keep his identity quite and that's why they killed him off.
Those who work in motorsport know who he is but no ones telling.
I have a name but I'm not telling eventhough I have in the past.
Billy-no-scoot

But once the Stig was a wannabe F1 Champion, right? Who since made it to the top?

No he's tested but not raced F1. He is well respected within racing circles but hasn't had a top drive so to speak but he has been on Top Gear doing other driving duties without all his gear on.
If my memory serves me well he's raced at Le Mans a couple of times as well.
Billy-no-scoot

Some say that his skeleton is made entirely of carbon fiber, and that he was raised by wolves until he became a member of Parliament. All we really know is he's called the Stig.

Some say that he thought Star Wars was a documentary. And that he recently pulled-out of "I'm A Celebrity" because he's frightened of trees... And Australia.... All we know is, he's called "The Stig!"