NEW New new new New top gear ON HOLD, RIP?

[Chris2cv]

Not saying that I was a massive fan, but he seemed enthusiastic and pretty genuine in his presenting, just a fairly normal guy (I suppose the Hammond of that version). Harris is obviously the one with the knowledge about cars, (May) where Matt was the "personality". I would have thought it better to have bought in a new third presenter and kept Chris and Rory, instead of what happened. But, time will tell.  

[HMC]

Electric conversions on sportscars is where it’s at this week. Hopefully budget constraints mean old end of life models have been sourced by the production team. Will it be an intellectual challenge or will it get all bash it with a hammer (que laughter) - an interesting acid test of how these segments will be treated with the new line up.

[HMC]

Actually I think there’s a clip of a triumph spitfire understeering (how did they manage that?) into some barriers so that’s one of the vehicles.

[HMC]

Harris- bmw battery powered Spitfire 260bhp

Mcguinness- Modded Nissan Leaf 100bhp

Flintoff- Subaru brat (Tesla) 500bhp

[hairnet]

caught the end of harris sentence where he said spitfire with i3 bits underneath (i was on the throne as its more fun than listening to mcguinness)

not interested in the others - mmmm spitfire

 

 

[Tayne]

Top Gear: charging your electric car is inconvenient and will take hours and hours and hours.

 

Also Top Gear: charging your electric car is something you can do in a pit stop in a 24 minute race.

[HMC]

Loved that; somehow they also managed to have part of Mansfield town centre closed off for a race as well. 

[sutty2006]

I’m surprised one of them didn’t end up through the front of a shop window..... or those flimsy barriers with the GP stood behind. Still a good show though 

[HMC]

Yes, felt a bit old school, various bollards were within easy reach too.

[Jamie]

Shame that bloody star in a car is back. Stupid self promotion bollocks 

[Jerzy Woking]

Even liked the review of the Tesla-fitted in with the rest of the show. Well, except the Stars in a Car feature, but that can do one, although it does allow me to.make a cup of tea without pausing the program.

[LightBulbFun]

On 6/20/2019 at 8:13 PM, Yoss said:

and got on a number 26 bus. They boarded a some sort of Alexander Dennis low floor thing

Trident ALX400 to be specific   http://www.countrybus.org/TA_Stagecoach/TA_1.htm (it made me feel mighty old when Ian added them to his bus stop!)

pretty much the only low floor bus that I like/I think looks  halfway decent, I might be slightly* influenced by the fact I grew up on them the 26 48 and 55 are literally the 3 local routes here, and where all run by stagecoach with Tridents for a very long time  (my mum remembers them pre tridents when they were serviced by Volvo Olympians but sadly I dont, I just fondly remember Routemasters on Route 38 and 73)

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 6/20/2019 at 12:46 PM, Datsuncog said:

.....tiresome Marina/piano thing seemed particularly unnecessary, and I gather their Grand Tour rehash is pretty much more of the same, with a recent 'highlight' being Hammond taking a hammer to a really clean, low mile Allegro 3 estate that had been enthusiast owned for many years....

Nothing's changed, then.

[Jerzy Woking]

How much is a basic service on a BMW 320, main competitor to the Tesla S?

It rarely gets pointed out that the Tesla won't need a service in the same sense that the BMW has one. Or does the BBC not want to say that?

My electric scooter service consists of a check on brakes, lights, head and wheel bearings, and tyres. Takes all of 10 minutes, with no parts such as oil and filters to buy.

[Zelandeth]

55 minutes ago, Jerzy Woking said:

How much is a basic service on a BMW 320, main competitor to the Tesla S?

It rarely gets pointed out that the Tesla won't need a service in the same sense that the BMW has one. Or does the BBC not want to say that?

My electric scooter service consists of a check on brakes, lights, head and wheel bearings, and tyres. Takes all of 10 minutes, with no parts such as oil and filters to buy.

Ooh...colour me curious.  What's that like to ride?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Have to say last night's episode was quite good for the most part, the road test of the Tesla was actually useful and felt like proper journalism.

Had Clarkson done it, they would have "tested" it by drifting it around a shopping centre whilst being chased by helicopter gunships or suchlike.

But I would have expected nothing less from Chris Harris, I like him and he seems to have a bit of integrity. He has singled out quite rightly that a) electric cars are happening and the new Tesla is probably going to be the most important one of this current EV generation because of who it's aimed at and how "normal" it is. He delivered some genuine consumer advice and I feel I know more about the car.

I'm not 100% on McGuiness yet. He's just too showbiz for me and I can't see past that dreadful "take me out" pish.......however on balance he did do Phoenix nights......

Flintoff is the big surprise. Some of the studio bits feel a bit wooden but that will likely polish out over the series. However outside the studio he comes across really likeable, no airs or graces. This is not what I expected, I tuned in convinced I wouldn't warm to him and the opposite is true.

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[Jerzy Woking]

11 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Ooh...colour me curious.  What's that like to ride?

It's God-its a Lifan Eco 3. Definately faster than a 50cc four stroke scooter or bike, both in acceleration and top speed. Mine will get to 38 mph in favourable conditions. I have got 30.miles out of a charge (it dropped to 10% at that mileage). Charging takes about 8 hours which is done every two rides (I do round trips of about 10 miles each time). Takes seconds to plug the charger in.

Main difference is the absence of noise, which on a 50cc bike isn't much either. Running costs are cheap-costs about six pence to charge overnight.

Was thinking of selling it as it wasn't fitting into my plans, but started to use it again now. I like it.

[HMC]

6 hours ago, They_all_do_that_sir said:

Have to say last night's episode was quite good for the most part, the road test of the Tesla was actually useful and felt like proper journalism.

Had Clarkson done it, they would have "tested" it by drifting it around a shopping centre whilst being chased by helicopter gunships or suchlike.

But I would have expected nothing less from Chris Harris, I like him and he seems to have a bit of integrity. He has singled out quite rightly that a) electric cars are happening and the new Tesla is probably going to be the most important one of this current EV generation because of who it's aimed at and how "normal" it is. He delivered some genuine consumer advice and I feel I know more about the car.

I'm not 100% on McGuiness yet. He's just too showbiz for me and I can't see past that dreadful "take me out" pish.......however on balance he did do Phoenix nights......

Flintoff is the big surprise. Some of the studio bits feel a bit wooden but that will likely polish out over the series. However outside the studio he comes across really likeable, no airs or graces. This is not what I expected, I tuned in convinced I wouldn't warm to him and the opposite is true.

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk
 

Couldn’t agree more on all points. The showbizzy aspect of mcguinness I agree with, but like at the electric car expo to me it comes across a bit tongue in cheek and not taking himself seriously so to my mind that’s fine

 

[beko1987]

9 minutes ago, HMC said:

Couldn’t agree more on all points. The showbizzy aspect of mcguinness I agree with, but like at the electric car expo to me it comes across a bit tongue in cheek and not taking himself seriously so to my mind that’s fine

 

I laughed very much at that bit, because we watch (well, used to) take me out alot and he was doing a massive parody of himself in that bit. 

The bit where he was in the caravan and the other two called him was funny too

[HMC]

I’m probably childish but I laughed more than I have done for a very long time during a top gear episode when they were doing that electric shock lap thing.

[flat4alfa]

It was enjoyable for me

[flat4alfa]

On 6/23/2019 at 9:31 PM, sutty2006 said:

I’m surprised one of them didn’t end up through the front of a shop window..... or those flimsy barriers with the GP stood behind. Still a good show though 

Thought the same.,  And Flintoff did have a proper off too

[Kiltox]

14 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

How much is a basic service on a BMW 320, main competitor to the Tesla S?

It rarely gets pointed out that the Tesla won't need a service in the same sense that the BMW has one. Or does the BBC not want to say that?

My electric scooter service consists of a check on brakes, lights, head and wheel bearings, and tyres. Takes all of 10 minutes, with no parts such as oil and filters to buy.

I’ll have an accurate answer to this question in a month or so. 

“Electric cars don’t need servicing” is a fallacy though - don’t know about Tesla but other EVs have very ordinary service schedules and costs even if they don’t actually consist of changing oil etc. 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I’ll have an accurate answer to this question in a month or so. 
“Electric cars don’t need servicing” is a fallacy though - don’t know about Tesla but other EVs have very ordinary service schedules and costs even if they don’t actually consist of changing oil etc. 

For routine servicing I doubt there is much difference, most of the non drivetrain bits to my eye are pretty much the same.

Suspension might have a harder life coping with the additional weight so I would expect things like bushes and linkages to need changed more frequently

The big savings will come once the cars start to hit the sort of mileages where ICE cars are needing DPFs/DMFs/Turbos/clutches/timing belts etc. The electric motors should and do last forever.

However on balance the cost of replacing batteries is still high, but older Nissan Leafs (leaves?) Seem to hang on to decent battery capacity even on taxis with moon mileage.

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[loserone]

"And costs" isn't quite right, nissan charge about the same but include breakdown cover in the price.  Adhering to the schedule without dealer input is costing me very, very little.

All modern cars are heavy now, so suspension is unlikely to be much more of an issue.  I'm sure the battery is a liability, but the costs are only about comparable with a DMF/turbo issue on a diesel, and I'm not seeing any worrying degradation

[Kiltox]

3 minutes ago, loserone said:

"And costs" isn't quite right, nissan charge about the same but include breakdown cover in the price.  Adhering to the schedule without dealer input is costing me very, very little.

All modern cars are heavy now, so suspension is unlikely to be much more of an issue.  I'm sure the battery is a liability, but the costs are only about comparable with a DMF/turbo issue on a diesel, and I'm not seeing any worrying degradation

Can you detail what it costs? Interested to learn (and pro-EV, fwiw)

[loserone]

It's mostly in my thread in the moderns section.  It eats front tyres because I drive like a wanker.  I extend brake fluid and coolant to a little bit more than two years because it seems to be okay to do so.  There's a pollen filter.  And although the 12v battery seemed to be screwed, I charged it and topped it up and it's done me another winter.

Costs aside from tyres <£50 over 18k so far.  And it's paying for itself over three years, assuming100% depreciation, just commuting 50 miles a day.

I have used two pairs of front tyres (maybe one and a half, they weren't new when I got them) in that time, £120 a pair

[Chris2cv]

I missed last week, as I was busy, but made the effort this week, to actually watch and give it a fair chance, instead of playing internet or having it on in the background. It was pretty good, a good mix of entertainment and a proper review as well. The bit with the hearse was genuinely entertaining, and I will watch again.  My only real concern is that it does still look like the others bully Chris Harris, I know that there is a fine line between banter and bullying but I was not always convinced that it fell the right side. Perhaps I am a little over sensitive on this.

 

Incidentally, Jerzy Woking, I was looking at those electric scooters last week, as my moped is "getting a bit" knackered. I have seen some excellent reviews and some not so good ones, so will be interested in your experiences.

[robinmasters]

I've just watched my first episode of 'new' Top Gear. It's fucking awful. 

McGuiness and Flintoff know nothing about either cars or entertainment. The other bloke's ok, but is mostly sidelined. Either make it about cars, or make it about teh lolz. Currently it's about neither. 

[face]

I just got around to watching Sunday's effort. I can safely say I am already tired of the laddish forced banter. Harris is a decent presenter, but is the 'comedy' bullying of him starting to make anybody else slightly uncomfortable? In my eyes, he looks fed up with it himself.

The Harris only test-drive was actually a blessed relief, and I can't even remember what car it was now. We also don't get to see the hot-lap summary for the time-setting either.

They're trying too hard and I think it shows.

Possibly two proper journalistic types and one penis would be better, rather than the current otherwayroundary.