on now!
backroom quiet for an hour i fancy...
|
Basically a poor prog this week, ok the merc was ok, but horrors of horrors the yanks have done it again, re written history and Lady P is driving a pink FORD.
This is the ultimate insult, I can cope with septics saying they captured the german u boat codes, beat the japs in Burma, constructed a glider to fly out of colditz, even re making the italian job in Los angeles, BUT LADY P IN A FORD?
Thats it - nothing short of war is required to right this wrong.
|
Thats it - nothing short of war is required to right this wrong.
The news seems to be saying that there is a war ...
|
|
Well Ford make the Thunderbird, the movie is called Thunderbirds so it makes sense to drive a Thunderbird and anyway Lady P certainly wouldn't be seen dead in a Renault. (and neither wood eye)
|
|
|
|
The little fellow seemed altogether calmer in a trance.
|
|
I notice he had to stand on a box............
|
|
Toss up between a DB9 and the McLaren, I think I would be heading to Neport Pagnell to be measured up.
|
|
|
|
Todays show was rubbish, I struggled to keep my eyes open. the Merc was nice, but the jewish hypnotist bloke was boring, and when they pretended he had hypnotised the small presenter, it got worse, it was cringingly daytime TV.
|
|
Amen to that Sooty.
|
If it was so bad why did you carry on watching it and not turn over?
i'm going to differ and say i did enjoy it. Could you imagine Tiff driving the T-bird through that village?
If uou don't like it don't watch simple as that..
|
If it was so bad why did you carry on watching it and not turn over?
It's the ONLY thing I watch habitually. Most days the idiot lantern does not burn in this house. It was still better than everything else that's on, but nly just this week.
|
In the space of a week it's gone from the best thing on tv to the worst..
amazing..!
could you see Tiff or VBH able to carry off what they done this week?
no neither could i.
|
lets be honest; if you could hypnotise VBH, would you waste your time playing with a pedal car? (although I admit it would be funny to hear her going "brrrm - brrrm!")
|
Apart from the very desirable McLaren Merc. the whole show was absolute rubbish!
The program makers are getting desperate to find yet more silly tricks. Escape to the sun, and DIY efforts on Discovery Home & leisure (Ch 133) with repeats of two & three year old programs is more interesting!
Roger.
|
I missed last week's so hopefully should see an improvement next week - this week was pretty dire - the nun story just came back to me!!
As for the Lady Penelope car - it was stated the car was perfectly road legal and was seen driving through Knebworth, but then he said 'the car has no rear view mirrors'. I thought all cars needed a minimum of two rear view mirrors.
|
I thought he said it had no wing mirrors.
Only one mirror required in a car. Goods vehicles need and exterior one as well.
www.motuk.co.uk/manual_660.htm
|
Could you imagine Tiff driving the T-bird through that village?
Opposite lock in Lady P's car? Ouch.
|
|
The way it's going, pretty soon discussion of it will be moderated off here as 'no connection with motoring'.
|
|
|
You are right ST, the program was rubbish. I kept watching it in case it got better, but it didn't.
The monster truck with the nun reminded me of the "disabled" bloke in Little Britain, and everone knows that Alfas are the most unreliable cars you could buy.
Perhaps the show should be put on in "childrens hour".
|
and everone knows that Alfas are the most unreliable cars you could buy.
Really? Much PERSONAL experience of this, have you? When are people going to give up on Alfa bashing when they haven't owned a recent example. How about you nip over to Technical and see how many posts there are asking for help on PSA and VAG group cars. You can post your apology later (always assuming you haven't got one of those DELL computers; everyone knows they're the least reliable out there*)
(* Actually, they don't, but it carries as much weight as your remark)
No Dosh
Backroom Moderator
mailto:moderators@honestjohn.co.uk
|
|
Get back in your cage, take a lie down, drink some herbal tea and keep yer trap shut ND. Dont want you destroying the myth of Alfa unreliability, its the only thing that makes Renault look good. IF Alfa bashing stops I dont want to be the only defender of the Reggie faith.
|
No apology from me matey.
Yes I am writing this on a Dell computer, just like my Passat, reliable and good. Not at all like my Alfa which went wrong about every time I went out.
The dealers were exciting as well, you never knew if they would mend the rotten thing.
Not to mention the depreciation of course, even if you could get a bid. One dealer told me to take it to an auction.
Yes it was a few years ago, but Alfas still come just about bottom of every survey.
There are no posts on Technical because most people have got more sence than to buy one.
Yes I hate Alfas, and I love VWs and Dell computers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basically a poor prog this week, ok the merc was ok, but horrors of horrors the yanks have done it again, re written history and Lady P is driving a pink FORD.
RR were offered the chance first and turned it down. They are 'too busy'.
|
And what about:
is i bling???
Lovely....
|
Compare with the recent 5th Gear programme on 4x4s. First, they thrashed them round a track to see which one was the best handler. They were driven much harder than they ever would be in real life. Then they put them throuh a punishing offroad course. Yeah, as if anyone buying a RAV 4 is going to use it for serious mudplugging. After the track bit, they reduced it to a play off between the RAV 4 and the X Trail. Because the Xtrail could get up a great big muddy hill and the RAV4 couldn't, the XTrail won.
This is hopeless. It didn't tell the average buyer in this market anything he wanted to know. Which is going to be the most reliable? Which is the best compromise between road car and off roader? Who has the best dealers? What are part prices like? I tought the whole thing was a waste of time.
|
This is hopeless. It didn't tell the average buyer in this market anything he wanted to know. Which is going to be the most reliable? Which is the best compromise between road car and off roader? Who has the best dealers? What are part prices like? I tought the whole thing was a waste of time.
I think you are mistaking "Light entertainment Programmes" for "Documentaries".
This type of programme ceased being useful in the real world a long time ago.
|
Trivia time.
Well, the SLR on the track was the very same one that I had parked on my driveway, and in which I had the finest run on Her Majesty's black top that I'll likely ever have ( www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=20970&...f ), but the one in the studio (as in Top Gear mag, too) had German plates.
Perhaps the programme is not all filmed on one day as I previously thought. (I guess we would have heard if the track SLR had been lunched!)
I bit my tongue previously, but no more: In the original thread, a post to the effect of "Go try an Impreza WRX, STi or Prodrive. You can have that performance for real world money", was made. Real money, yes. That kind of performance? Not even close!
I still want an SLR so bad that it hurts, and the missus has said I'm free to sell the house (perhaps the ultimate 'bling' statement to use that horrid word!). The downside is that I doubt she'd hang around to enjoy the SLR, so I guess she gets to continue enjoying her new kitchen.
|
Two things struck me about the programme.
For those who didn't see the programme the little presenter was hypnotised by a 'cabaret entertainer' and put into a car where he couldn't remember how to drive and later get in a pedal car thinking it was a Porsche.
There has been some recent publicity about the dangers of hypnosis. Also IIRC there have been a couple of cases in court where the claimant allowed themselves to look stupid as part of a show business act - barking like a dog etc etc - and now allege permanent psychological damage with re-occurrences of the trance-like state. Apart from the acknowledged medical dangers, it is surprising the BBC and the little fellow allowed this to happen, especially as the presenters can make fools of themselves without the help of a hypnotist.
Secondly the times around the test track. I seem to recall that the supercars driven by a racing driver lap in about 1min 33sec. The reasonably priced family car (Suzuki?) driven by amateurs lap in about 1min 48 sec. Have I got the times correct?
|
>Secondly the times around the test track....
On a track that length fifteen seconds is a very long way indeed, but each extra second saved takes much more effort and cleverness than the last.
|
>Secondly the times around the test track.... On a track that length fifteen seconds is a very long way indeed, but each extra second saved takes much more effort and cleverness than the last.
Obviously that is true. However the ultimate in road cars under track conditions is about 14% faster than a family saloon with no pretensions of performance; and an even smaller differential if driven by the same driver.
Under normal road conditions, and not exceeding the speed limits by too wide a margin!!, there is very little difference between the journey times of an average super-mini driven in a spirited fashion and a super-car.
|
1:33 is roughly a Boxster level of performance. 1:27 is a true supercar; 1:20 is what the SLR did.
I think the Stig only got something like 1:45 or 1:46 out of the Liana, so 1:48 is an extremely creditable time for a mere mortal. Clarkson's is something like 1:50.
|
65 postings about two episodes of Top Gear plus a sprinkling of 5th says it all, really. The shows got you going, so they did their job. HJ
The mickey-take of the Daily Mirror was excellent.
|
|
>> I bit my tongue previously, but no more: In the original thread, a post to the effect of "Go try an Impreza WRX, STi or Prodrive. You can have that performance for real world money", was made. Real money, yes. That kind of performance? Not even close!
You're right about performance figures, but I don't think a Prodrive Impreza would be far behind on any road.
If you want to go faster than a McLaren, get a motorcycle of course. £8000 should see you beating that 0-60 and 0-100 time with ease.
|
|
|
|
Nooo- 5th Gear was really useful tonight. Now I know what options to specify when choosing a car to break a world record for jumping with a caravan, and which £60k saloon to buy.
A good watch though - anyone would think TV was for entertainment..
|
QUOTE >> Nooo- 5th Gear was really useful tonight. Now I know what options to specify when choosing a car to break a world record for jumping with a caravan, and which £60k saloon to buy.
With a bit of luck it'll encourage all those caravan owners to try a wee jump or few ...
|
There has been some recent publicity about the dangers of hypnosis.
What that Pearl McKennar (not his real name) does is not really hypnosis. It\'s simply the willingness of the weak-minded victim to conform to expectations. That\'s what made the show so intelligence -insulting, along with the nun garbage, and the redicule of black and white people.
|
"There has been some recent publicity about the dangers of hypnosis. Also IIRC there have been a couple of cases in court where the claimant allowed themselves to look stupid as part of a show business act - barking like a dog etc etc - and now allege permanent psychological damage with re-occurrences of the trance-like state. "
Incidentally, none of the cases has been won.
As for:
"What that Pearl McKennar (not his real name) does is not really hypnosis. It's simply the willingness of the weak-minded victim to conform to expectations."
On what evidence might that be based? I went to a stage hypnotist show a few years ago and watched as a woman in front of me in the audience went to sleep every time the bloke asked the people on the stage to go back into deep sleep. Was she conforming to expectations? No, I don't think so; she missed half the show. What's your evidence.
Everyone can be hypnotised. Now that IS a proven fact and I am happy to look up references.
V
PS I thought Top Gear was just meant to be good, fun, car-based entertainment, not William Woollard droning on endlessly about car specs. For detail, read a car magazine. For entertainment, watch TV. If anyone's interested, I watch about two or three hours of TV a week (which might suggest I'm selective) and TG is part of that (which might suggest the opposite).
|
Vin,
"Everyone can be hypnotised. Now that IS a proven fact and I am happy to look up references."
There are degrees of susceptibility to hypnosis and much depends on the willingness of the subject to be hypnotised - didn't Clarkson say it didn't work on him? I understand that hypnosis has been tried as part of military interrogation techniques and has not been effective.
Obviously hypnosis has a part to play in genuine medical treatment but personally I don't think letting someone take control of your mind should be part of a stage act. Your example of the woman in the audience falling asleep is a good example of the dangers. What if something triggered the little guy into forgetting how to drive when opposite locking around Hyde Park Corner.
C
PS
Largely agree with your postscript - most of the Top Gear programmes I find entertaining and I like JC. However I thought last week's show not the best.
|
I have just noticed that there is a programme on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight called 'hypnosis ruined my life'. The synopsis states "documentary featuring individuals who claim stage hypnosis wreaked havoc on their minds and led to marriage breakdown, loss of employment and even death".
Possibly the claims in the programme are a load of rubbish but why take the risk of being hypnotised? just to be made look stupid for other peoples entertainment?
As a sequel perhaps Top Gear will feature Russian Roulette or a Nun driving the wrong way up a motorway - motoring connection.
|
|
Did anyone see the above programme on hypnosis?
|
|
I may have done, but I spent all night clucking like a chicken so can't be sure.
|
|
Well thats something to crow about
|
|
Yes, seeing it disintegrate was rather satisfying.
|
What the caravan, or the intelligence of the show's content?
Speaking of 5th Gear: it could just be me, but the back view of the new Quattroporte has uncomfortable echoes of the last Daewoo Nubira saloon about it...
I much prefer the styling of the Series 4 Quattroporte - one of the most coherent saloon shapes I can think of.
|
Touche, tunacat!
Have to agree, all those glassy eyes looking at very simple formulae was a bit pathetic.
|
5th gear caravan jumping tonight nothing like dumbing down!
they're getting as bad as each other.. still prefer clarkson and that little bloke though.
|
Saw a 4porte around here the other day and must say that in the flesh it makes a really welcome change from the same old boring Tuetonic rubbish out there (which includes my car).
As for the rest of 5th Gear I had recorded it, fell asleep during the beginning of the caravan jump piece and woke up as they finished it and credits. Had to re-wind to see if I had missed anything interesting and was pleased not to have missed out and used my time to a better use (ie sleeping).
|
|
Reminder...it has just started...they have old cars on it....
|
Interesting choice of seatbelt route by tonight's guest, I thought.
Am still trying to work out why....
|
I thought the show was a hoot (or perhaps that should be hooters ;-) ) as usual. I particularly liked them doing mean things to those old sheds. It does seem rather ridiculous that you can buy a car and fuel it to go to manchester and back more cheaply than a train ticket. Either cars are way too cheap or train tickets are far too expensive!
Still not sure whether i'd have a charger or a challenger.... think i'd get an interceptor instead.
teabelly
|
It does seem rather ridiculous that you can buy a car and fuel it to go to manchester and back more cheaply than a train ticket.
But I did exactly that many years ago when I was in Bristol and GF was in Cambridge. After a few weeks of paying for a return ticket leaving (horror of horrors) on a Friday when trains are obviously 50% more expensive to run, I did some sums and realised I could buy a car, tax it, service it, insure it and fuel it and still save money. And I could use it for the rest of the week if I wanted to. And I could have a seat. And there wouldn't be someone sitting next to me smoking. And it would get cleaned once in a while. And I could listen to my own music. And I could turn the heater on instead of standing on a cold platform. And I could turn the heater off if I was too hot.
And, best of all, door to door it was an HOUR faster. And that means two more hours with said GF.
|
Hilarious show - the best yet...
However much JC is getting paid, it's not enough!
|
Its nearly 11pm and I'm still recovering....Charger,Challenger-I had this arguement with SWMBO,just the other evening,when I was watching b I bought a oth versions of Vanishing Point back to back,with a stupid grin on my face,followed by a massive Classic American reading session ( this happens about once a week)....
Then cars for a quid! my other favorite subject! Once bought a Saab 900i off Ebay for £1.20,did a bit of work on it and ran around with it,laughing at all the comments of "ooh, a Saab- you come into money?"!!!! brilliant!
|
Jordan eh ? - I always had respect for her when she was a country. What does she do ?? Is she Britain's Secret Weapon to sap the strength of Germany's drivermeister ??
Little fellow still in a trance after last week.
BBC Health and Safety have obviously been sacked....
What did James May do tonight ?
Mmmm perhaps heartbeat is more my style after all...
|
But if she does paint a DB9 pink, I will never forgive her.
And yes, I realise, from her point of view, this isn't a terribly scary threat.
|
|
I can't get over the fact that you can buy a car for a pound! Mine is costing me around £7 per day to buy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
