Clarkson don't know ****.

 

I thought that was quite funny actually! I've no idea when the 25 became the 200 either.

 

2000 V reg

 

:naughtymarsh: it was 1992... didn't you hear what he said!

 

Top Gear is marketed to appeal to morons simple as.

It has to portray views and opinions that appeal to morons.

Clarkson writes most of the dross that is spouted on the show and he is a middle class northern cretin.

Spotting a trend?

Top Gear is the Jeremy Vile of motoring shows. If you wanted to hear a proper unbiased opinion on cars watch an old episode of 5th Gear before Tim Shaw & Tom Strong were on it.

 

I like Topgear, am I one of these "morons" you refer to?

 

anybody who takes the show, or anything said on it seriously, wants to watch who they call a moron.

My swift, brutal and factual two cents.

It was a review show, now it's an entertainment show. Dissing rovers, (even if they get it wrong) is popular, as is taking the **** of speed cameras or laughing at a fat person get stuck in a door.

It's all about the ratings, god help those who think they're actually watching a review for the new Jag XJ or whatever.

'Hello Lord Smith of the Manor up the lane'

'Greetings, my old chap, have you seen my new steed?'

'It is most certainly delightful, where did you come across such an exquisite example?'

'Top Gear on Dave'.

Rover cars are a public joke, it's allright sitting behind the wheel of a 200 and syaing 'well my headgaskjet hasn't gone yet'. But it's public image and you can no sooner say that than have someone whip around and say 'well thats cos we're pushing ya'.

It's just to poke fun and the like. I like rovers for what they bring to me, good fun and transport. It has no bearing on what top gear think, and I like top gear too because I know when not to take it seriously, i.e none of it.

 

1st rule of Journalism,

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

how could anyone hate a minor?

they are so sweet!

 

he hates Morris Minors?? y is that? can't see anyone hating those cars

 

I think I mistyped "he hates Allegros and Minors". That should have been "Allegros and Marinas". Can't remember Clarkson saying anything about them... bit before his time maybe? LONG before mine

 

I think the slow decline of clarkson may have already begun, the current series has so far been a bore.

 

Top Gear is crap now. The Africa & Artic chellenges were THE best thing they ever did.Everything else crap.

 

Don't know if anyone else finds these interesting, but found some more old Top Gear videos about rovers.

 

Don't know if anyone ele finds these interesting, but found some more old Top Gear videos about rovers.

Good grief. How embarrassing. I remember that rather churlish review but never recalled the name of the presenter. Now I find it is the same James May we know and love (well, us morons) on the new Born Again Top Gear.

To give Clarkson his due his opinion of the MG ZT260 V8 was "I'd buy one if I could be sure the company would be around in 5 years' time." I'm not sure if it managed 2 years from that broadcast, sadly.

 

I still love Top Gear. Best show on TV by a mile! If you watch it and wait for serious car reviews then your in the wrong place, but for entertainment its 10/10.

 

probably seen far too many repeats on Dave now as im just finding this series tedious and boring and Clarkson and Hammond just annoying now.

 

I think hes trying to be as far out to show he has no interest in the car or brand.

 

In my opinion, Top Gear is well past its sell-by-date.

I loved the old format as a show for car nuts only. It was quietly enjoyable and informative. Clarkson brought humour and pathos to it with his more emotive and entertaining reviews. He was an outstanding journalist at this time in my opinion, stiking the right balance between getting the facts across and providing entertainment.

In the early years of the new format Top Gear, I feel that again, the balance between entertainment and quality, factual content was about right. It breathed life into motoring shows and the challenges were genuinly entertaining. The natural chemistry between the presenters led to humour, but the humour was secondary to the content.

Now we have reached the point where the balance has tipped the wrong way. Every episode is geared up to provide humour first and quality content second. What makes this even worse is that the humour in question is of the lowest variety, seemingly geared to please the "chavs" and "barrys" of this world. Drawing a penis on another presenter's face? Wow, we're really moving comedy forward with that one.

Clarkson for his part has become a middle aged joke. He no longer looks cool in that early Top Gear euro-fro, jeans and leather jacket mode. Quite apart from the fact he is aging rapidly (which comes to us all), he seems to delight in looking as aged as possible. Instead of carefully considered opinions interspersed with cleverly placed humour, we get wildly overstated remarks with outrageous, extreme attempts at comedy. His opinions are worthless because they are so over-the-top and lacking in credibility.

Hammond seems to have fallen into a similar trap. I enjoy watching May in his own programmes, which are always very intelligent and well put together. On Top Gear, he is increasingly isolated. My bet is on James leaving some point in the future.

So my general view is that Top Gear is now a cheap ratings winner and should be brought to an end. One day, the mass audience will desert it (being so fickle, witness other programmes) and it will die an ignominous death. This shouldn't happen.

By the way, Rich Hall's Rover song was very funny...

 

So my general view is that Top Gear is now a cheap ratings winner and should be brought to an end. One day, the mass audience will desert it (being so fickle, witness other programmes) and it will die an ignominous death. This shouldn't happen.

I think the BBC are already concerned that the programme has had its day which is why the time slot has shifted, the most popular programme on tv at the moment is probably Xfactor and I think they have been forced to put TopGear on at a later time knowing it would flop.
(I remember in previous series Clarkson would make the joke about there being nothing on the other side except Heartbeat)

Have you noticed the amount of 'merchandise' and Top Gear books being bought out this Xmas? from toy cars and annuals to stig dolls, its just over kill, its had its day and should be replaced with a decent car show again that contains an element of fun.

I agree with you that what we essentially have these days is a version of 'last of the summer wine' only less funny (thats saying something). and your right that James May is the only one I have any respect for and I enjoy the programmes he does on his own more. I will watch tonight out of habit but if the last couple have been anything to go by it will be the usual predicatble crap all over again. (oh look lets see if we can make an electric car/convertable people carrier/boat-car/limo but lets see if we can do it as stupidly as possible for cheap laughs)

 

I like top gear for what it is - entertainment.

I think they have a go at most makes of car and have had some pretty easy targets through the history of MGR.

They did however do a wonderful tribute to the old Rover V8 and are very praiseworthy of Land Rover and Jaguar products in the main (except the S Type).

I always got the impression that a lot of what was said was based on what could (and should) have been.....

 

I think this ^^^ is fair enough.

I don't think Clarkson hates Rovers or MGs. If you watch his review of the ZT V8 you'll see this. He also said at one point that the sports car he would buy is the MG TF. At which point Richard Hammond asked him if he was feeling ok.

I think if you can remove your rose tinted specs for a moment you'll realise that not every single car that Rover ever made was exciting and world-beating. The Rover 25 doesn't really excite me at all, not even the prospect of owning a Gti. It does have the image of being driven by old ladies and that's not Clarkson's fault, it's the fault of the marketing men back in the 80's who thought that it was a good idea to replace the Austin badge with the Rover one on exactly the same cars.

 

Yeah Clarkson may have been a very heavily contributing factor in MG-Rovers demise, but this is man that is worth millions and was in the "celeb" bubble of ignorance and "I'm alright jack".

This is a man that get's the most desirable cars forced on his drive for reviews by the worlds most respected manafactuars, can buy Ferrari's like Kinder Eggs and has such a reputation that even if Top Gear did fold he'd surely be snapped up by other companies for a 6 figure fee.

Everyone watches him, probably Ferrari are still going today because of him, he's words and opinions echo not just throughout Britain, but the entire world, and over 80% of the people that love him see him as a reviewer, as the man who knows everything rather than what he actually is: an entertainer.

So with a epic reputation and a voice that reaches the far corners of the motor world, of course Rover didn't have a chance, Clarkson didn't actually plan to fold them, but his naive opinions of them and making them the joke of alot of things made people go elsewhere.

Rover didn't make cars that Clarkson liked much, and he flapped his arms in a strop about it alot of times, hence eventually the car's rep was so tarnished it was beyond saving.

So people who really hate Clarkson whilst I can very much understand why you do hate him (I personally think he is a arse for what he did to Rover), but don't think he was soley out to destroy them, that was just him not liking something and having an epic influence on people.

 

I don't think the demise of MG Rover was anything to do with Clarkson, the most you can attribute to him in my opinion is some moron vandalising a Marina because Clarkson said they were crap. I think he is in his little world, (ghost?) writing his books and taking a fat fee from the BBBC.
I would not call the programe entertaining either, James May can be i guess but the other two are it seems to me just out to take the **** out of the fat kid at school who wears spectacles i.e. the British car industry, with one or two exceptions, most notable Jaguar ....except the S-Type.
Ferrari are still going strong because they make very desirable cars and these days they make them well.
The "race" with the Veyron i found quite interesting up to a point where all of the shots for engine roar, noise and effect seemed to have exactly the same piece of soundtrack, probably recorded in a tunnel somewhere and the needle on the bhp type gauge (?) seemed to flick up to 1001 bhp with such ease. I found that patronising.

I don't hate him or his side kick the short arse, frankly they are not important enough. I find it difficult to see why so many others see a character i associate with a school bully (picking on the fat kid with specs) and actually appear to like him, big mouth and sheep blindly following maybe.
The guy looks for the easiest target and off he goes knowing that there will be people who own other (better in their eyes) cars and they will join in slating the fat kid.
The fat kid has some friends and i'm proud to be one of them.

Does the op really think he is confused as to the 200/45 model changeover or does he simply not give a toss?

 

The car Clarkson has slagged off more than just about any other in recent years is the BMW 1-series. Every single version from a 116i through to the 130i. Funnily enough they still seem to sell 'em.

 

oh look a morris marina on this weeks show....YAWN

 

I watched it up until halfway through the Lancia film when it became clear we were going to be getting back into the so-called "comedy" again. I was actually starting to enjoy the episode because, shock horror, they were reviewing cars again. Then they have to spoil it by having a Lancia disintegrate while Clarkson and Hammond are driving it without them apparently noticing. Then the race with the Marina which for some unknown reason has acquired a sideboard on its roof. Then Clarkson started bashing Hammond with his Lancia and I reached for the remote and pressed OFF.

It's finished.

 

Oh no, this isn't going to descend into a Clarkson bashing, Top Gear hating thread like the other 5 million, 4 hundred and thirty three thousand threads on here is it?

 

With all due respect and i'm not having a pop but......

my major complaint with Clarkson, is when he is trying to take off a Rover employee, and puts on a Brummie accent and comes across deliberately gormless...............which translates as owning a Rover, being a passenger in a Rover, or talking about a Rover...... is sub-standard.

I find that very offensive.

and yes there was another Marina on the "show" did anyone not expect the second piano?
The Marina is rear wheel drive the Lancia front, i suppose that doesn't count because it 's a BL car and they are star star star star.

I wouldn't have watched it but my son is over for tea and he asked.
Still that Lancia Stratos replica was great wasn't it....... bloody awful actually looked like a complata death trap!

 

my major complaint with Clarkson, is when he is trying to take off a Rover employee, and puts on a Brummie accent and comes across deliberately gormless...............which translates as owning a Rover, being a passenger in a Rover, or talking about a Rover...... is sub-standard.

I find that very offensive.

 

Why did you lot watch it then if you hate it so much? Just so you could have something to moan about?

 

Yes, bang on. Well spotted.

 

I knew there would be pro-Marina comments on here this evening as soon as I saw the Marina on the TV!

Great episode again! Far better than last week.

 

I knew there would be pro-Marina comments on here this evening as soon as I saw the Marina on the TV!

Great episode again! Far better than last week.

Not pro-Marina as such but its just got boring, its the same its 'heres some cars we found lets see how they compare to the marina, oh look the marina is crap and somethings fallen on it' wheres the originality gone?
they are even recycling the special guests now

 

IMO, people who believe MG-Rover went bust partly due to Jeremy Clarkson are just looking for any excuse. It's just what he does, he slag's all car manufacturers, Audi driver's are cocks, yet they sell by the bucket load.

The reason MG-Rover went bust was because they didn't sell enough cars, this was due to a number of thing's which we all know about (i.e reliability issues, ageing models/ engines, owners who didn't have the companies best interests at heart etc) and not Clarkson.

I believe that the car reviews they do are actually good, look at the likes of the BMW Z4 in the last series, the new Jag XKR etc. They seem to reflect the same thing as the other reviews given by other motoring companies.

Granted that the show is pretty much all scripted, but it is still a good watch. The one thing that kind of annoys me now is the news, they just pick a subject and go on about it, which is fine, but they don't talk about new cars etc anymore! I was hoping that they would show a picture of the new MG6 after its unveiling, I guess not

 

IMO, people who believe MG-Rover went bust partly due to Jeremy Clarkson are just looking for any excuse. It's just what he does, he slag's all car manufacturers, Audi driver's are cocks, yet they sell by the bucket load.

Clarkson owns an MG Midget and in my opinion has given some pretty decent road tests of the various cars.

I am outraged though!

To suggest stuff like MG Rover owners are dull and boring and have nothing better to do than moan is just ..its just... oh wait... :lol:

Its actually pretty accurate some of the stuff he comes out with. Heck even I was thinking to myself when that lancia kit car broke down on Sunday " lol... least it aint the head gasket.."