Jezza reviews the new C70

[Murphy]

I think that is the point MrsM. If you want a review, and something more factual there are plenty of other programmes out there that cover it. 5th gear is one and driven is it ?!!? Anyway, the point of Top Gear is written in the style of a entertainment show based on cars. I think it is spot on for entertainment, and I do read Clarkson's Times motoring section as I like the bloke, but each to there own I suppose.

[pyrotechnictigger]

I think he is superb. Column in the Sunday Times is always deliberately OTT and at times utterly ridiculous but always a good laugh. He got this dead right though about the new Alfa 159:

Apart from a silly on cruise control (It's the second time he has said that a car has frightened him because he can't find the off button- IT'S THE BIG MIDDLE PEDAL)
He finished with ..."It's an absolute gem"
but has this lovely bit...
"If you have even the faintest trace of petrol in you veins, if you are even on nodding terms with the concept of good simple engineering, you should drive this car. Because it doesn't matter what you have now, you'll be smitten. I was."
and...
"It's exactly one million times better looking than a BMW 3 Series"

[lance]

It would be good to see some 80s and 90s re runs of the show, it did at 1 time seem more factual, However like Murphy there are other shows out there that are.
I love JC sarcasim humour and would love to him review Toyota Yaris Estate (Dwaff Hurse) or for instance Murphys smart cart, or 1 of our torque steering beasts. JC thinks around 200bhp to be the limit really for front wheel drive, I would love to see him drive a stage 2 rica, I doubt he would publically admit that torque steer and front wheel drive spin is fun, even though most of us know it is.
Generally I would to see more motoring programs on television, theres never enough even low budget stuff on!

[Murphy]

Murphys smart car!

He did review it. The one criticism IIRC was the initial purchase price.

V6 Brabus review. The engine never made production but the car did hey viking

What car review

5th Gear review

Top gear review

[speedswede]

It would be good to see some 80s and 90s re runs of the show, it did at 1 time seem more factual,

Lance, do a search on google videos - I found one recently on there with Clarkson doing a review at an autojumble. He must have been in his late 20s and did not come across well.

If you review a 1980s episode of Top Gear now, you will find that the presentation from the likes of William Woollard, Chris Goffey and the like is quite wooden and the show itself is only marginally interested because it has some cars in it.

In hindsight, Jane Root (controller of BBC2 at the time) made the right decision when she ditched the original Top Gear format in around 2000 (IIRC?)

As for Channel 4 "Driven" - this is no longer in production, and you have the Channel 5 "Fifth Gear" which features old format Top Gear presenters trying to emulate the new Top Gear format but not doing it very well, IMO.

As for Men & Motors channel - apart from re-runs of The Professionals and Minder, there seems to be precious little motoring content. The shows that are motoring led, like Used Car Roadshow, are again quite wooden and not very interesting, IMO.

But, each to their own. I appreciate some people don't like JC and the new TG format.

[Goof]

I think that is the point MrsM. If you want a review, and something more factual there are plenty of other programmes out there that cover it. 5th gear is one and driven is it ?!!? Anyway, the point of Top Gear is written in the style of a entertainment show based on cars. I think it is spot on for entertainment, and I do read Clarkson's Times motoring section as I like the bloke, but each to there own I suppose.

Exactly Murphy.
Some tend to forget that the idea of television is primarily entertainment!!!

Personally I like the whole TG programme - it takes the pompous stuffyness out of car attitudes. i.e. - if it's crap, then why not say so!
Just because it's made by BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, ... ... doesn't make the best thing since sliced bread.

"Porsche Boxster S - really says that you can't afford a 911" - loved it!

[Wobbly Dave]

Fifth Gear review of C70 CC
http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain....201&model=1065

what car -
http://www.whatcar.com/car-review-su...1&MA=45&RT=758

Murph...we'd all have to join the smartthingys forum to read the review of your new motor - cant be arsed.

[Goof]

"It's partly based on a Ford Focus - so that's a good start." - which part???

[After_Shock]

Goof think he means the suspension and chassis, which cant complain about and there modified sufficiently from the std Ford bits anyways.

speedswede unfortunately im away at the moment and both suffering from heavy exposure to the sun and excessive drink so I cant reel off a list of what Volvo has invented over the years but I will certainly find out for you when I get back. 'Volvo has a good marketing department' very wrong unfortunately as there marketing department is crap and dont shout about safety at all, people perceive a renualt clio as being the safest things on the roads now simply because they get 5 stars in NCAP which is a load of crap anyways.

Saabs are very safe cars and I have no problems with them, would love a 9-3 as think its one of the best looking cars on the road today, but still its not as safe as a Volvo or in many cases as reliable since GM took over.

[Wobbly Dave]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=209

Interesting angle?

[speedswede]

... I cant reel off a list of what Volvo has invented over the years but I will certainly find out for you when I get back.

Many thanks, I look forward to learning more about Volvo

Saabs are very safe cars and I have no problems with them, would love a 9-3 as think its one of the best looking cars on the road today, but still its not as safe as a Volvo or in many cases as reliable since GM took over.

Saab was the first to achieve 5-star ratings with EuroNCAP. I agree that this is not necessarily the measure of a safe car. Volvo does its own real life accident studies in Sweden. ...but so does Saab. Folksam is a Swedish insurer that consistently rates Saabs as safer based on real life studies. There is no doubting that both Saab and Volvo are amongst the safest cars on the road ...but it will all depend on the type of crash. Renualt appears to be good at making cars that achieve good ratings in EuroNCAP tests.

I do agree with you that they are not as reliable since GM took over. They are amongst the worst marques for reliability with average warranty costs amongst the highest.

[After_Shock]

It is a shame the way saab has gone with reliability, and its sad to say that Ford apears to be doing a better job with Volvo than GM with Saab considering neither GM nor Ford have any real cash to do anything with either.

Ncap is a pile of crap to be fair, its five individual tests which it isnt exactly hard to engineer a car to pass those tests.

From the crash tests ive seen both NCAP and not the Saab 9-5 has done very well but not matched the S60/V70 range and the 9-3 has taken a step back in terms of safety, both makes are no doubt ahead of everyone else but unfortunate to say GM has never shouted about safety in Saab's and so appears to be getting rid of the safety they had as yet another cost cutting exercise.