so anyone still watch Top Gear US?

i'm finnaly getting around to watching the 3rd season... seems more of the same taking the UK stuff... but it still not bad so far... really enjoyed the peel... yes it's a direct knock off of clarkson in the p50 but with the Rut's flair :)...

I kind of miss them actually testing out a few new cars. Now its just challenges. Which were my favorite bits in the UK version but I guess I should be careful what I wish for.

Was there a new episode this week? I am fairly certain some dumb show my wife scheduled might be now conflicting with Top Gear.

Wasn't it Top Gear UK that had an entire episode trying to kill a red Toyota pickup? That was a good one. And wasn't it also them that drove a huge millitary-turned-civilian moster of a vehicle and really kinda beat on it. Actually setting a bomb off under it and it drove out of the crater with a rear tire ripped off? Good stuff.

OK, now that I just rewatched the Marauder Army truck episode I have a few Q's... how does one find the funds to basically destroy a 1/2 million dollar vehicle, then blow a perfectly good H3 to pieces and crush two cars and yank a real police ramp truck backwards down the street with all six tires locked up and smoking?

Also TGUK had the excellent (I forget what car) drive it off of a Royal Navy landing craft full of Royal Marines. Waiting for TGUS to re-make that with a US Navy landing craft - though TGUS would probably use some kind of big SUV for it, since US beaches don't usually have that long of an underwater shelf that shallow :)

irish44j wrote: Also TGUK had the excellent (I forget what car) drive it off of a Royal Navy landing craft full of Royal Marines. Waiting for TGUS to re-make that with a US Navy landing craft - though TGUS would probably use some kind of big SUV for it, since US beaches don't usually have that long of an underwater shelf that shallow :)

that was season 2 or first ep of season 3... was the Jag they'd messed with to make it super car fast with a ton o nitrous as I recall...

problem with driving it off a US carrier is we have flat ends, the UK has a nice ramp so it looks much kewler... :)

irish44j wrote: Also TGUK had the excellent (I forget what car) drive it off of a Royal Navy landing craft full of Royal Marines. Waiting for TGUS to re-make that with a US Navy landing craft - though TGUS would probably use some kind of big SUV for it, since US beaches don't usually have that long of an underwater shelf that shallow :)

I think it was the new Fiesta.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

correct.

/postwhore

Javelin wrote: Every time they do an *original* episode, it's good (Alaska 4x4 trip, first cars, used cars from auction). Every time they *copy* a UK episode, it sucks (last night).

umm, yeah... about that..

TGUK did all that stuff years ago. they didn't go to Alaska, but they did go across South America. .and Africa.

one thing that i can't stand about the US show is that they don't do nearly enough of the "famous person driving the slow race car followed by an interview" thing that is the most awesome part of TGUK. everything is a stupid gimmicky "challenge" where the "winner" gets to drive some car for the last segment. i was honestly hoping that Loud Italian Guy would "win" the right to drive the Lambo and accidentally jump it like he did that Caddy in season one, but no, they let Annoying Little Race Car Driver "win" and drive the Lambo..

In reply to novaderrik:

They didn't go to Alaska though. Even just changing the schtick up a little bit makes it a worthy clip.

I nearly spewed beer out of my nose when Rut actually bought the Merkur from Tanner. Cause you know that it was real!

In reply to Javelin:

I would have.

novaderrik wrote: TGUK did all that stuff years ago. they didn't go to Alaska, but they did go across South America. .and Africa.. ..

The UK guys didn't do Alaska, but they did drive from Nunavut, Canada to the magnetic north pole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vduhp2F9KXg

Javelin wrote: In reply to novaderrik: They didn't go to Alaska though. Even just changing the schtick up a little bit makes it a worthy clip. I nearly spewed beer out of my nose when Rut actually bought the Merkur from Tanner. Cause you *know* that it was real!

i didn't say that i didn't like the Alaska show- it was one of my favorite all time TG shows- but it was just a variation on something that TGUK has done many times in the past.

JoeyM wrote:

novaderrik wrote: TGUK did all that stuff years ago. they didn't go to Alaska, but they did go across South America. .and Africa.. ..

The UK guys didn't do Alaska, but they did drive from Nunavut, Canada to the magnetic north pole. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vduhp2F9KXg

a couple of years later Captain Slow used that same Toyota truck to cause that volcano in Iceland to erupt and disrupt air travel all over Europe for weeks.. i'd like to see Ruttledge do anything comparable to that..

Not to quibble (much) but I thought the volcano trip actually used the identically prepped truck the camera crew was driving during the polar expedition

JoeyM wrote: Not to quibble (much) but I thought the volcano trip actually used the identically prepped truck the camera crew was driving during the polar expedition

It was the exact same truck. Beginning of the episode/segment they actually go retrieve the truck from wherever it is they left it, if i remember correctly.

Turns out there was no scheduled recording conflict this week in my household for TGUS. Watched the latest episode with my wife the other day.

She was just about dying of laughter when that little cow jumped out of the trailer.

I thought the last one was actually pretty funny. The Italian guy spouting "Patton" quotes while driving the John Deere got me laughing pretty hard.

EDIT: Did want to see someone other than Foust get to play with the Lambo, but you know that wasn't going to happen.

I just knew Rut was going to screw up that trailer challenge after all the crap he was talking.