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Top Gear EP Responds To India Special Criticism

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

"It's your fault." "No, this was your bloody gag." "Dad! Look at my painting!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t seen the Top Gear India Special yet, stop reading and go here. If you have seen it, you are either eagerly clicking to the next page to see Executive Producer Andy Wilman’s thoughts – perhaps to understand why it was what it was – or you’re wondering, “What’s the fuss about?”

 

Apparently the fuss was big, 900 comments on the TG home page big. People weren’t happy and to be honest we’re in that group. It felt forced, campy, staged and just produced. Their “mission” seemed too abstract and far fetched compared to epic journeys in the past. We didn’t rant on the TG thread, but enough people did to get a response from the creator of the greatest show in the universe. Jump to see some example comments, and his reply. (Don’t worry Top Gear, we still watch you for hours. Every single day.) (more…)

04.01.2012 News 15 Comments

5th Gear Wuvvvs the Ferrari Spider (Video Review)

Friday, November 11th, 2011

One thing that often lacks in video reviews or driving videos is driver emotion. Cruise youtube and you’ll see a lot of people talking about cars the way your professor taught you about economics: Factual, direct, maybe some trite joke about cost of beer versus volume to keep everyone awake. Or it’s regular people driving really fast, with the same Terminator face we all wear when we’re trying to not die at the hands of several hundred horsepower.

 

But something is missing. It’s the feeling cars give us. Simply sitting down in my ERA Cobra makes me smile, laugh and make engine sounds. (But if you watch this, you’ll understand I’m not normal).  To be fair, not every car gives your brain a blowjob. I’m not going to laugh like a maniac while driving a new Passat (probably more tears of shame). But I will in a Caterham. That kind of childish emotional display is part of what makes Top Gear UK so great. It’s the difference between watching Steven Hawking and Chris Tucker commenting on Sophia Vergara’s tits.

 

That’s why I love this video of Fifth Gear’s Vicky Henderson reviewing the new 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider. I’ve never seen her have so much fun in a car, and that visible emotion tells me this car must be unbelievable.

 

-Zack K

 

11.11.2011 Editorials, Video 1 Comment

Fan of Clarkson? Prove it. Buy his Lambo.

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

You know those crazy super-fans, that buy anything that was ever touched by their idol? The people that buy a pen that was held by Janis Joplin, or the stained underwear that was allegedly shat in by Bon Jovi? I wonder if there’s people like that for the hosts of every car fan’s favorite ongoing porno, Top Gear? If so, this car will be snatched up in a second. Of course, the super-fan will also have to have a job, and a good one. Jeremy Clarkson’s Gallardo Spyder, is up for sale, for the sum of $146,000.  At least this is something you can use, unlike a Star Wars toy signed by Mark Hamil that’s still in the original box.

I guess between his Ford GT and Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Black Series he has enough excitement. Plus, I think that somehow those are less flamboyant. Or maybe it’s because Clarkson knew that as long as he owned the Gallardo, he could never date Kristin Scott Thomas. Yeah, I’m sure Ms. Thomas will steam the windows of her G whiz when she sees his Ford GT.

24.02.2011 News, Photos, Video 8 Comments

Sorry For the Temporary Darkness

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Hey Guys-

We’re sorry, but The Smoking Tire will be rather quiet the next week and  a half, as it has been for the last week and a half. I’m working full time for the Top Gear Taxi Service, helping to promote the US Version of Top Gear, until November 19th, and Tom is working on other projects as well while I’m working on this side project. Normal content will resume on November 22nd, but until then, we’ll be making our new T-Shirts available starting Thursday or Friday, as well as announcing the winner of our T-Shirt slogan contest. Until then, expect multiple daily updates from me via social media sites, so if you haven’t started already, make sure to:

Friend Matt on Facebook

and

Follow Matt on Twitter

Thanks guys!

Matt

10.11.2010 News 6 Comments

Review: Top Gear USA Live Studio Taping

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

As many car nuts know, Top Gear, the most successful car show in the world, has come to America. We’ve gotten our own spinoff show, airing this Fall on the History Channel. While some have applauded the fact that Americans will now get more of the show we love, others have completely written it off as a sub-standard copycat show that could never be as good as the original, before seeing even a single frame of film. Well, I just had to see for myself. Top Gear USA just started taping their in-studio segments today at an airport hangar in Irvine, CA, and whaddya know? The whole TST crew took a little road trip in the Raptor to see how it’s going to turn out. Hit the jump for a preview of what Top Gear USA has in store for us.

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13.10.2010 News, Reviews 22 Comments

Review: Jeremy Clarkson’s “Duel” DVD

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

I greatly respect Jeremy Clarkson for many reasons. He basically does the best possible version of what I could be doing, and makes a ton of money doing it, but more importantly, he has found a way to drive sports cars for a living, and keep it going for nearly thirty years, all the while expressing his true opinions virtually uncensored. I, for one, can tell you how difficult that actually is, because I’ve just barely scrapped my way through the first 10 percent of that, and some people seem to think I’m successful.

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24.12.2009 Editorials, News, Reviews, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Jay Leno Gets a Ride in the McLaren P11 – VIDEO

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Jay Leno: Lucky guy. He got to take a trip over to the Dunsfold Aerodrome in England, better known as the Top Gear test track, and brought back with him some very impressive footage of the pre-production supercar in action. This video is interesing enough on its own merits, but, speaking as someone who has watched more than his share of Top Gear in my life, I can say this car is insanely fast, even without a lap timer. The speed at which the P11 negotiates the Hammerhead is absolutely incredible (and I just re-watched the Gumpert Apollo sequence to be sure), and in the rain the test driver nearly loses it going around Gambon, but recovers just in time.

23.12.2009 News, Video No Comments

Britain’s Got Talent, Germany’s Got Car Bores

Friday, December 11th, 2009

borebenz

On an episode of last season’s Top Gear, the trio went on a search for the biggest car bore: the sort of man who can tell the difference between the K-series and G-series Porsche 911E based on year of production and factory camber adjustments. At the classic car rally they dug up a few worthy of the title, but eventually concluded that it was none other than James May himself. (Watch the video on Top Gear’s site here.)

Well, now they may have found their match.

“It had to be a car from January 1993 to August 1993, because after that they changed the name from 600SL to SL600, and I preferred the script of the old lettering, which wasn’t italic, but underlined.”

Carsten Günther: airplane pilot, Mercedes aficionado, and the last person to be stuck in a zombie apocalypse with. Talking to Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine in January 2006 about the Mercedes SL73 AMG he fastidiously hunted down, and the SL600 (not 600SL, he’ll be quick to tell you) he owned before that.

Article scanned from German Car Zone, via Jalopnik.

- Blake Rong

11.12.2009 Editorials, News, Uncategorized No Comments