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

[scooters]

I don't think the altitude thing was staged but it was a bloody dangerous stunt - often the production team don't seem to have a huge imagination. Altitude sickness can kill....quickly....and 3 middle aged out of condition blokes (Hammonds belly!) could be prime candidates.the 'cruiser slipping down the himm was staged as was the Yungus Road - . I do not doubt the challenge of driving the road and rather them than me but the passing incident looked like a set up to me - looks like a crew vehicle to me and no close up shots. Having said that - the fear on Clarkson's face is genuine enough and I suspect that somthing similar had happened and it was re enacted for our benefit

[dollywobbler]

Well, there is a limit to how much you can stage stuff. I agree that the passing incident was suspect. I mean, there were loads of different camera angles and wide shots - with no cameras.However, while I do grumble, fair play to them for driving so high, and in such conditions. Would I like to drive through a rain-forest? Er, no thanks! Not without air con and a large quantity of bug spray!

[Torsten2001]

Clarkson looked genuinely scared on the Road of Death...

Ah, but look at all the camera angles. I thought he was not driving the car and it was staged. There was a couple of long distance shots of him 'driving' (or parked) in the car hanging off (or sitting near to) the edge but there were a lot of clever angles to make it look good, and none close up with him and the car. If it was near the edge i bet someone else was in it. Suspect it was the same with the sand dune at the end. As 55 bloke says i think the insurers would put a stop to it if there was anything actually properly dangerous going on. Sorry for being a pedant, was getting on one there. Did enjoy it in its own right. Was thinking 'How do i get a job like that', travelling round the world just doing cool stuff. Wonder if next time they do it they might need some advice on the way round about their pensions? I could do that.These sort of episodes always result in a bunch of people wanting to imitate it though. My mates father in law is driving to the North Pole or whatever next year in a Land Rover a la Top gear. Hope he falls through the ice. That will teach him to come up with his own ideas in future.Although i really want to go to Vietnam to make a bike into a boat....

I truly enjoyed this very much, it was a proper adventure but what struck me as a bit odd was the fact that Mr Clarkson was passing the Land Cruiser on the left, as we do in the UK, being Bolivia the Land Cruiser should’ve been on the edge BUT, early on you see the Land Cruiser parked up next to their tent, you can’t tell if it’s exactly the same one but you just know that it is, of course the camera crew were ahead of the Range too so if it wasn’t set up and it was so dangerous there surely the camera crew would’ve stopped the Land Cruiser before it got tricky.I would've loved to have done everything they did especially with the massive resourses and back up they had, and I'm afraid I'd have picked the Range Rover!

[Pete-M]

I've just been outside and started my old Turbo Rangie after talking about this on 'ere. I'm now gutted I sold the bloody thing, and that the bloke is finally (after close to six months) coming to pick it up tomorrow.The Rangie must have known people have been talking about them, as it started first turn (on jump-leads, naturally, it's not been run since June), settled down to a nice even 750 rpm idle and ran beautifully - better than it did when I was using it, and the cam knock seems to have gone, so I suspect an oil change will do it the world of good.Bollocks, anyone got an LPG'd Classic they'd like to swap for my A6?

[Guest]

I truly enjoyed this very much, it was a proper adventure but what struck me as a bit odd was the fact that Mr Clarkson was passing the Land Cruiser on the left, as we do in the UK, being Bolivia the Land Cruiser should’ve been on the edge

I've not seen the show, but I read something about it a couple of years back. When you go on there, you have to switch road sides. With vehicles being LHD, it means the drivers who are closest to the cliffside have a better idea of where their wheels are going - important when two lorries meet and one might have to reverse!

[seth]

What Hirst said /\ There was a link put up on R-R a few days ago with lots of info about the road. Those going uphill also have general right of way so as to prevent downhill vehicles simply being driven at breakneck speed expecting others to stop.We watched the programme last night and thought it was superb. It could be that Clarkson did have to get past something but that camera cars were not in sight at the time so the internal car shots of him being very scared were genuine but the external stuff was re-done using a crew car. I don't really care anyway. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to drive that road at all let alone in broken vehicles. One ball joint collapse/spring break (as Hammond had later on) etc at the wrong time and over you go. Game Over. No Second Chance.

[55bloke]

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it, hugely entertaining telly. All the comments have been really interesting, and the cynic in me tends towards the view that it wasn't QUITE as hair raising as it appeared, but who cares?! I can't decide if I'm envious or not- seems like a dream to be paid to have such adventures, but would I really want to take such risks?

[seth]

Here's the link that was on R-R

 

http://www.ssqq.com/archive/vinlin27b.htm

 

[pogweasel]

Bloody hell, I just looked at that site Seth. That road has undone it's pants, revealed a massive wang and wazzed all over every other road I have ever driven on.

[warren t claim]

All this talk of Range Rovers makes me want to buy one, dress in womens underwear then lob my knob up the exhaust pipe. Do you think we have a picture of someone doing this anywhere on here?

[seth]

Bloody hell, I just looked at that site Seth. That road has undone it's pants, revealed a massive wang and wazzed all over every other road I have ever driven on.

Exactly. The point is, the three TG presenters drove along that road in knackered old 4x4s. Even if everything else in that programme was "made up" (and I think only about 5% was) that still makes them bigger men than me. REPESTC

[Mr Lobster]

^ Indeed, I wouldn't want to drive that road in anything, least of all a worn out 4x4.

[Torsten2001]

I truly enjoyed this very much, it was a proper adventure but what struck me as a bit odd was the fact that Mr Clarkson was passing the Land Cruiser on the left, as we do in the UK, being Bolivia the Land Cruiser should’ve been on the edge

I've not seen the show, but I read something about it a couple of years back. When you go on there, you have to switch road sides. With vehicles being LHD, it means the drivers who are closest to the cliffside have a better idea of where their wheels are going - important when two lorries meet and one might have to reverse!

Very interesting, that would account for Swiss and Italian built trucks being RHD up until fairly recently!

[pogweasel]

I'd have a crack at driving it, but I bet my bumhole would be 0.0000000002mm dia by the end. I spend alot of time driving about hilly bits for work when I do my gps surveys, and some of that has you sphincter-clenching, and that's with only a couple of hundred feet drop to the side and only a 0.2% chance of meeting anything coming t'other way, and then it's only for a couple of miles, tops....

[trigger]

I was reading about that Bolivian road of death here http://www.ssqq.com/archive/vinlin27b.htm after a thread on RR about it, I found it very interesting and explains about the driving on the left as well.

[pogweasel]

Oh and this thing about stuff coming up having priority over stuff coming down... isn't that true here too? Pretty sure you have right of away up the hill (unless you meet a massive truck or peasant farmer with a trailer full o cows) - recently had this in wales and had to reverse about half a mile up hill on a particularly shit bit of track/road... had about 6in clearance to the right before a big drop as the rain had washed out a massive rut where my o/s wheels should have gone. It's at that point where you realise unglazed rear doors are not such a good thing.

[dollywobbler]

Oh and this thing about stuff coming up having priority over stuff coming down... isn't that true here too? Pretty sure you have right of away up the hill (unless you meet a massive truck or peasant farmer with a trailer full o cows) - recently had this in wales and had to reverse about half a mile up hill on a particularly shit bit of track/road... had about 6in clearance to the right before a big drop as the rain had washed out a massive rut where my o/s wheels should have gone. It's at that point where you realise unglazed rear doors are not such a good thing.

Yup, it is Pog. Dates back to when trucks and cars were so feeble that if they stopped on an incline, they might not get going again!

[STUNO]

OH JEEEZ.. it's new years eve here. ch5 7.30 pm to 1.30 am.Best of top gear marathon, and the others are no better . the Aus version started the oher day, I'm not sure how old it is but it's a straight copy of the UK version

[55bloke]

Watched something on Channel 4 last night, "Greatest TV shows of the naughtys" or something, and guess what was voted No1? Yup, TG was at No 1, in front of X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, BB, The Office, etc!! Restores your faith in the great British public!!

[trigger]

I rarely moan about TG but tonights episode has to be the worse yet!There was nothing worth watching at all on it, only the slagging of the X6 went towards trying to redeem it and most of that seemed pointless!

[dollywobbler]

I beg to differ. I found the bit about road signs very interesting. Genuine facts on Top Gear? Blimey. The Vauxhall thing was utterly forgettable mind.

[Albert Ross]

What Vauxhall thing?The Insignificant thing?The Insigina? (Yup, as once spelt by a customer who had just bought one)

[HillmanImp]

I rarely moan about TG but tonights episode has to be the worse yet!There was nothing worth watching at all on it, only the slagging of the X6 went towards trying to redeem it and most of that seemed pointless!

I actually thought it was probably the best proper top gear for ages (not a special like last week) with no stupid 'lets travel to the moon in a jet powered wheelie bin with the usual hilarious consequences', just a generally good entertainment show. However i was a bit drunk, so could have got it all wrong.

[Rod/b]

I thought it was good telly, tonights episode, especially old Seasick Steve and his Old Knacker hubcap guitar!

[trigger]

It looks like I was in the minority then! I just thought the insignia Vxr test was a bit dull although the signs part of it was interesting and I wasn't really sure what the awards part at the end was all about neither.

[retrogeezer]

what about travelling all over the world for minor bits on the X6?

[trigger]

Well I'm glad the BBC are spending my TV licence fee money wisely.

[AXrescuer]

It looks like I was in the minority then! I just thought the insignia Vxr test was a bit dull.

Bloody hell trig, how could it be anything other than dull?

[Tayne]

.

[trigger]

Most people seem to be saying what a good show it was last night but i got bored, like i said earlier the awards part was a bit dull though James and Richard headbutting the camera was quite funny and the VXR test was very boring.I also thought Seasick Steve was a bit of a strange choice of SIARPC, mainly as I've never heard of him, I spend the 5-10 minutes that he was on asking the wife who C16 was! Though i did like his Morris Minor Banjo playing.