Dare I mention....Top Gear....?

[pompei]

Well I'm going to be controversial and say that I enjoyed it. I thought the race graphics bit was very funny - the segmented section of the "sponsor" word read something else when the door was opened. Yes it's childish and boorish but I'm not really sure that they are taking the piss out of old cars - Hammond and May are fans of old, modest cars.I know it's wanton destruction to ruin a Marina, or ideed any car. I'd prefer if they didn't but I do think they were particularly unlovely cars. Each to their own. If they dropped a piano on a Morris Minor or MGB, what would the reponse be then?As has been said before, the more outrageous TG becomes, the more viewers it gets and ultimately the more money the BBC gets. So I guess the more protests are made, the more likely it is to happen again. And at the end of the day it's only a TV programme and nobody's dead

[Richard]

If you already have Sky it's fairly easy to get Sky+ for £30 (or even free but I was happy to pay £30) by phoning the cancellations department. I told them I liked the sound of Sky+ but it seemed awfully expensive and I was going to get Freeview with a PVR instead.

People have mentioned to me it's easy to wrangle stuff out of them but I was sceptical, not least in my own ability to pull off a deal or haggle with them but also whether they would actually back down or call my bluff!

If they call your bluff, and they won't, simply back down and say you've decided to stay after all. I'm crap at that sort of thing and even I found it easy.

[155V6]

Dreadful

But very very amusing at the same time. Turned heads like nothing else.

I had one in the late '80s when I used to paint all my cars matt black.The Marina was the only car I've ever hated though,& I didn't waste the paint on it

[Guest]

I just want to know what the point is of using Marinas, it's hardly like they have much relevance nowadays. They could use sodding Sierras and the majority of viewers would still think they were old and shit.

[morris_ital_lover]

Truth be told whilst I stick by my guns on my prebious comments at least it was a marina destroyed rather than something even rarer! Becuase of all of the 70's grot boxes the marina is definitel on the "more common" part of the graph!On another note, the chemistry is really dying it was noticeable that in the studio when they were "bantering" clarkson would turn to the masses for back up, as opposed to the old system where they would turn on May!I do hope that the programme is gets another series again in sans Marina bashing though!m0rris

[pompei]

I think it's because the Marina has become rightly or wrongly synonymous with crap. I happen to agree but there may well be many who think that on the basis of what's been written in msn articles of the worst evah car.

[brammy777]

Also, the fact its the most scrapped car ever, which i guess 'suggests' that even owners grew sick of them and got rid, makes many a person believe its shit. Out of all BL cars, the Marina is the most ridiculed, you would have thought theyd pick on the Allegro, but maybe they dont because the values have risen recently.

[vicsmith]

I don`t like the program anyway, but I thought this feature was particularily insipid. Not outrageous, not tragic or edgy or provocative but just completely shit. Capri gets it`s head cooked, 300ZX gets half it`s roof chucked over a cliff and used as a dodgem along with a 944, and a particularily cool-looking Marina gets flattened.Yeah, for anyone who likes interesting cars it was all really impressive. Cheers. That`ll teach me to pick Top Gear as the best of a bad lot, what was I expecting? Next time I`ll go with Wifeswap.

[Justin Case]

I didn't watch it because TG has become a boring predictable caricature of itself and nowdays I never even bother. Clarkson, May and Hammond play their alloted roles like actors in an amateur Christmas pantomime, endless supercars go round a Playstaion track without anyone actually telling you meaningful about the cars, and you know that any old cars will be unimaginatively taken from the MSN list of crap cars and made to do silly things before they are finally destroyed.Fifth Gear may not be perfect, but parts of it, especially the safety features, are at least well researched and presented.

[vicsmith]

Sorry forgot about the other big feature of the show, some sort of drifting contest between 60 grands worth of Jag and 60 grands worth of beemer, so we can all pore over two cars that will only ever be driven by fat cunts who own big companies and rat faced drug dealers with 6 pitbulls. At what point do these moments that have people "laughing their cocks off" or "hugely entertained" occur?

[retrogeezer]

I wonder if it was actually Clarkson driving in those exterior 2 car drifting shots?? I have my doubts.

I thought the race graphics bit was very funny - the segmented section of the "sponsor" word read something else when the door was opened

Something else they have already done before when they did a 24 hour race, one side had 'Larsen's Biscuits' so it said 'arse' when the door was open.It is getting more boring and more predictable.......the 'close' races between whatever are just getting ridiculous now.

[FredTransit]

I didn't watch it. Don't think I want to now

[Milford Cubicle]

A friend of mine was going to buy that Marina, it was for sale in Montrose.It looks a wee bit grotty to be fair, especially on the front valance, but if I recall correctly it only had 20k miles or something silly like that. I'm sure they wouldn't be picking on Marinas if the owners club weren't so hysterical.I think they like old cars really. Just the other week they were criticising the scrappage scheme and telling people to keep their old cars.

[FredTransit]

The problem is the 'kids' will only get the message old cars are crap and it's OK to wreck em for a laugh....

[Milford Cubicle]

I think they'd destroy new cars as well if it wasn't for the budget, they do pour scorn on new cars as well.

[IanF]

The problem is the 'kids' will only get the message old cars are crap and it's OK to wreck em for a laugh....

It's ashame Beetles are (relatively) so valuable really as at least something positive would come out of it.

[Mr Lobster]

I didn't watch it, not out of some boycott or anything, mainly just as I had better things to do.Don't think I'll be bothering though now...When TG is good it's very good - photography, lighting and all that. But too often it descends into rubbish and that seems to be the case last night.

[scooters]

Also, the fact its the most scrapped car ever, which i guess 'suggests' that even owners grew sick of them and got rid, makes many a person believe its shit. Out of all BL cars, the Marina is the most ridiculed, you would have thought theyd pick on the Allegro, but maybe they dont because the values have risen recently.

they did the same to a VDP 'leggro a couple of years back - be suprised if they did it again as one went on ebay recently for 1500 ish.the Volvo 940 struck me as a complete waste of a good car - the leather interior was mint - i nearly bought it but when I called the guy he said Top Gear had bought it.OK - not a classic but use- able in every way. With one hand Clarkson et al are slagging off the scrappage scheme whilst trashing pefectly good cars the scrappage scheme would scrap.TG is very good when it is good but can be crass

[Mr Lobster]

The problem is perhaps that TG (and any programme come to that) has to appeal to the biggest possible market.So for many many years the public has been 'educated' to think of old cars, and especially old BL era British cars as second best. So TG smashing up these cars appeals to the mentality of a disappointingly large number of people. In the same vein that people have been educated to see BMW and such as GR8 and more budget cars - Proton, Daihatsu, Hyundai, Kia etc as 'crap' irrespective of what they are like. If the BBC / TG could afford to be buying new Protons or whatever to destroy then I'm sure they would. Only then the Daily Mail would possibly go into meltdown with rage. The viewers would still love it though.With the EVO last week though its seems they had to explain why they destroyed it - to many viewers this is an aspirational car and might have caused the same sort of scandal if they had been destoying a new Ferrari / BMW / Focus RS / Lamborghini as to many TG viewers these are great cars not like the old clunkers they destroy now.Just my thought.

[pogweasel]

The "stars in reasonably priced cars" element is slightly interesting in that from day #1 they could have used reasonably priced cars that people actually buy, but then zooming a Focus or Mondeo round the track wouldn't be so interesting, mainly because they are actually good to drive, unlike much of the offerings from budget manufacturers which remain resolutely OK... Also,specific to last night's, they were actually enthusing about the relative merits of the cheap old crap they were driving. Hammond was pleased by the quality of the Nissan, even after nearly 20 years, and Clarkson was visibly excited to be ragging the Porka through the alps, old and crap maybe but still putting a big grin on his face. It's almost like the Marina Death was an afterthought, probably more a production decision than their own attempt at 'humour'. The Capri/Piano interface was genuinely ROFL though.

[dollywobbler]

Aye, very true. But then they go on about how good their 'bargains' were and then just smashed them up. Very grateful.

[morris_ital_lover]

On the Marina destruction as an afterthoght... May seemed genuinely pleased with the Marina after winning the race, shown through his tap on the steering wheel! And they had looked after the car for most of the programme.Whilst I know that in the past they have slated rovers and they didn't exactly like their cheap cars a couple of episodes ago, the reasonably priced car isn't ripped to shreds in every programme when it sits firmly in the market that the Marina occupied! Yet when the marina appears it is slated beyond belief!Although tbh, I think the marina came out well since the lasting image (apart from the piano) is that the Marina being guided by Captain Slow was better than the Capper and was victorious over the Porsche and "the Datsun"!m0rris

[M'coli]

The "stars in reasonably priced cars" element is slightly interesting in that from day #1 they could have used reasonably priced cars that people actually buy, but then zooming a Focus or Mondeo round the track wouldn't be so interesting, mainly because they are actually good to drive, unlike much of the offerings from budget manufacturers which remain resolutely OK...

This came from the shows with the Suzuki LianaJeremy Clarkson:"so what do you think of our reasonably priced car?"Patrick Stewart:"Average!"

[Claypole]

The crashing into each other isn't funny anymore it's just stupid and boring.

[dollywobbler]

It's like some of these 'hilarious' banger rallies really, but on TV. Where you buy a cheap 'shitter' and drive it to death all around Europe or something. I'd love to do a banger rally, but I'd want to keep the car afterwards, so I'd be the only one in the hotel car park in the morning checking the oil and tyre pressures...

[mnde]

I'd love to do a banger rally, but I'd want to keep the car afterwards, so I'd be the only one in the hotel car park in the morning checking the oil and tyre pressures...

Me too!! I really enjoyed that programme following Jack Osbourne on the Mongol Rally, it made me want to do something similar, but I'd deffo be nursing the car round and keeping it afterwards!Mark.

[Mr Lobster]

/\ Me too. The idea of taking some 'banger' on a round Europe trip sounds really appealing, but I'd wanting to be bringing it home afterwards and not covering it in fake dog fur or like some wacky Ghostbusters replica.

[Cavcraft]

+1.Though I fancy a 'round Britain' (or Lands End-John-o'Groats) run in really, really shit car for charity. As long as there was room to kip in the back and carry a few essentials it's be hoot I reckon but the cars have to be kept afterwards.It could just be me but I'd find it pretty funny to see a Hillman Hunter estate belching out smoke with a Yugo 45 in cold pursuit going through Skegness at 3.00 in the morning.

[Parky]

+2 - quite fancy Plymouth Dakar. Was down to do Staples to Naples until last employer decided after 15 years of hard graft they needed to downsize - but that said would I mind being on the Staples team as mechanic as you are the only one who knows anything about motors?Mmmm. Now let me see, you "have" to f*ck me over but any chance I could do you a favour?.......Hmmmm, how does bollocks to that sound?I'd try and do it in something like a mk2 Renault 5. Pref a 956cc version with 4 speed box. It would receive a quality hand painted "Gordini" paint job but would be brought home for full restoration afterwards. I have no doubt in my mind it would make it no problem!

[FredTransit]

I'd like to do a banger rally too, but can never commit so far ahead. I helped to get the capri off to Mongolia

 

http://mongolia.charityrallies.org/50north

 

It's the only thing coming home!

 

I would of course have to do a rally in a MK2 transit......