The Grand Tour

[ThatOneEuroE30]

^ you are the only person in the world to think that. Clarkson hammond and may are geniuses hands down the best at what they do. With leblanc, harris etc you can tell with the car reviews they were trying to hard to find the metaphors and phrases that just come so Naturally to the other three.

[Nader393]

I tried to watch Top Gear a few years ago, and could only take it in doses. Tried to watch this Grand Tour, and it was exactly the same. Interesting automotive specimens in ridiculous, contrived situations, lots of fake drama. The car show version of "The Bachelor."

Then there's the hosts: Clarkson is offensive to look at, he should be on radio. The excitable little guy from The Monkees needs to get a few good nights' sleep to fix the bags under his eyes. And it's disconcerting to see the quiet bumbling older guy, their most likable host, be used as a punching bag. Maybe it's an inside joke amongst them, because he's probably the most knowledgeable and capable driver of the three. Maybe they all defer to him off camera.

OTOH, I just saw Matt LeBlanc do the review of the Porsche 911R on the current Top Gear, and he seemed more genuine, was much more likable. Like Chris Harris. And the bit with the sandwich was fitting, a throwback to his Joey Tribbiane character that suits him so well.

I don't know why I felt like I had to say all that. But I feel a little better now.

[djjerme]

I looked at it like a band.

If every member of the Rolling Stones left the band, then went and formed a new band called say Rolled Stones, and they found new musicians to become the New Rolling Stones which is the real band?

Just like many bands, the original TG reboot was built on ideas that Clarkson and his partner at the time.

And just like a band, put them back on a stage together and they fall back in to their old shtick. I think they are just having some fun with trying out new bits. With Top Gear, yes it was still great with them at the helm, there was certain expectations or traditions that they may have gotten a little bored with or new stuff they wanted to try that the format wouldn't allow.. I mean, at some point you get tired of playing "Satisfaction" the same way, every show..

On a similar note, BBC needs to just let Top Gear die, or relaunch it with a completely new format. It has now become the imitators..

[Das Delfin]

I think a lot of bench racers underestimate the amount of skill required to be a good NASCAR driver by a fair amount.

Top Gear did an episode about exactly this. Richard Hammond started the episode with the usual european stance of talking down to americans like we're sub-human, nascar only turns left, there's no refinement or elegance to it etc, but he ended the episode with the realization that it's basically balls to the wall insane and takes a lot of skill.

Hence the irony of an american lap driver. I think they made a really cool decision doing what they did. I can only pray celebrity brain challenge or whatever isn't an actual thing...

[agent]

I finally got to watch the first episode tonight. I thought it was pretty solid as well, though I agree the RAF joke could have done with one less cut. I had to go back and watch the intro a second time; it was nothing short of awesome.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Successful drivers making lateral moves and seeing equal success is exceedingly rare, no matter where they start. It also doesn't make sense to move from where your bread is buttered to a place where you're unheard of, have no clout, and likely don't get paid as much to start. There's more to it than "nascar drivers just can't compete outside of nascar." Who in their right mind would leave a well paid and respected position as a nascar driver to go overseas (there is no racing series in the US where you'll make nascar money) to basically start from scratch?

They do it. They get tired of it and wanna try something new. And yes your right its not easy to make a move and find success on both ends. But it just seemed like they couldn't do anything. I would like to see a nascar driver take up road course racing over seas. Your good at what you were brought up with. 80% of nascar drivers came from the oval dirt racing. It is funny how much more them guys get paid then your road racing drivers unless your a big time name like Hamilton.

[stonea]

Remember when Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart traded cars at Watkins Glen a few years ago? Stewart was setting decent times in the F1 car and Hamilton was struggling if I remember correctly. However I think they could have picked a "better" driver. My pick would have been Robby Gordon.

[varg]

With out a doubt. Going 200 mph into corners with inches between the cars and the walls. If you have ever noticed the drivers that come into nascar with a f1/ indy or other road racing back ground they are flops. They can make laps but they never run consistently or be competitive most end up going back to where they came from like Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambros, Danica Patrick while still competing isn't really competitive either more of a pretty face for the sport.

Successful drivers making lateral moves and seeing equal success is exceedingly rare, no matter where they start. It also doesn't make sense to move from where your bread is buttered to a place where you're unheard of, have no clout, and likely don't get paid as much to start. As for moves away from nascar driving there's more to it than "nascar drivers just can't compete outside of nascar" too. Who in their right mind would leave a well paid and respected position as a nascar driver to go overseas (there is no racing series in the US where you'll make nascar money) to basically start from scratch?

[ThatOneEuroE30]

The Grand Tour

I think a lot of bench racers underestimate the amount of skill required to be a good NASCAR driver by a fair amount.

With out a doubt. Going 200 mph into corners with inches between the cars and the walls. If you have ever noticed the drivers that come into nascar with a f1/ indy or other road racing back ground they are flops. They can make laps but they never run consistently or be competitive most end up going back to where they came from like Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambros, Danica Patrick while still competing isn't really competitive either more of a pretty face for the sport.

[varg]

I think a lot of bench racers underestimate the amount of skill required to be a good NASCAR driver by a fair amount.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I thought Mike Skinner was a weird choice at first, but the character he is playing grew on me fast when I realized he hates foreign cars in the same way that the guys on top gear usually talk shit about Americans. I got a kick out of his "opinions" of the M2

"Couldn't pull a greasy string out of a dogs ass"

I got a chuckle out of that one

[Das Delfin]

I thought Mike Skinner was a weird choice at first, but the character he is playing grew on me fast when I realized he hates foreign cars in the same way that the guys on top gear usually talk shit about Americans. I got a kick out of his "opinions" of the M2

[stonea]

I just hope they call him Jennifer and bulldoze his house

They definitely didn't bulldoze his house ;D

[Brezzi]

thought it was solid - I'm stoked they're all back together. James May's continuation of the The Ferrari The Ferrari joke gets me every time.

[DEV0 E30]

The audience part looked too forced and overly scripted.

The joke about the Royal Air Force being the best, they didn't need to add so many cuts. A simple before, then after them looking beat up would have worked. Adding so many cuts seemed like filler and trying to force for laughs. That's really my only complaint, but it wasn't really something to complain about.

Rest of it was very good, I can't wait for long challenges and specials like on TG. The specials like Africa, South America, Arctic, etc were always my favs. Really looking forward to the rest of the season. The tripod is back!