Top Gear 2002 style | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Thu 21 Oct 2021 18:46

Top Gear 2002 style - badbusdriver

Looking through the BBC 'catchup' this morning (for something else entirely), I noticed that the first episode of the 'Clarkson era' Top Gear was available. Looking a bit further, it seems all of the first two series are available anyway, possibly more. Not really a fan of Clarkson, but I was interested enough to download that first episode out of curiosity.

Quite enjoyed it, being a blast from the past. There was a feature on the Citroen Berlingo (which Clarkson really liked surprisingly), the Pagani Zonda and the new Mazda 6 amongst others. Before getting to the £10k (new) Berlingo, Clarkson was standing by a MK1 Focus and MK4 Golf (both 1.6), talking about that class of car being around £12k new!. The Mazda, and this was the top of the range 2.3 (n/a), under £18k!. We were introduced to the trusty Suzuki Liana in its roll as the 'reasonably priced car', and the first star was Harry Enfield. Of course no James May in the those days but Jason Dawe (whatever happened to him?) was there to talk about anything related to buying and selling cars and hot deals (as the facelifted Berlingo was imminent, you could get a new 1.4 petrol for £7.7k).

Anyway, having enjoyed it, I went straight into the second episode, and am now half way through the third (complete with Granny's learning to do donuts)!

Worth a look if anyone interested!.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 21 Oct 2021 20:20

Top Gear 2002 style - Engineer Andy

I remember those days (a little later), when you could also buy a Honda Civic Type R for £17k.... :-)

The start of the cheap, decent cars era. Glad I bought mine during it.

I think Dawe went back to M&M, then ??? I do remember Billie Piper being on for the 'Reasonably Priced Car' in those (good ol') days and wearing a see-through outfit... :-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 21 Oct 2021 21:25

Top Gear 2002 style - Metropolis.

Those early episodes are interesting to look at, especially for me the difference in chemistry between the hosts then, and through to the end of the JC era. People criticise the current TG hosts, but Hammond, May and Clarkson were just as wooden back then.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 12:24

Top Gear 2002 style - Gibbo_Wirral

I miss older Top Gear. They really made a rod for their own backs with the end-of-season special challenges they felt they needed to do every episode.

When they ran out of ideas (the Peugeot challenge and the "race against the sun" were terrible) is when the show ran out of steam

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 16:35

Top Gear 2002 style - badbusdriver

I miss older Top Gear. They really made a rod for their own backs with the end-of-season special challenges they felt they needed to do every episode.

When they ran out of ideas (the Peugeot challenge and the "race against the sun" were terrible) is when the show ran out of steam

Yes, I tend to agree. The show always had a silly side to it, but as the series wore on, they just got ever more ridiculous and Clarkson's ego got bigger and bigger!.

But in reference to my first post, re episode two and the Granny's doing donuts (in a Honda S2000), absolutely brilliant!.

I think that may have been the high point..........

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 16:43

Top Gear 2002 style - Engineer Andy

I miss older Top Gear. They really made a rod for their own backs with the end-of-season special challenges they felt they needed to do every episode.

When they ran out of ideas (the Peugeot challenge and the "race against the sun" were terrible) is when the show ran out of steam

Yes, I tend to agree. The show always had a silly side to it, but as the series wore on, they just got ever more ridiculous and Clarkson's ego got bigger and bigger!.

But in reference to my first post, re episode two and the Granny's doing donuts (in a Honda S2000), absolutely brilliant!.

I think that may have been the high point..........

I thought the Reliant Robin Space Shuttle was the best bit... :-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 17:45

Top Gear 2002 style - badbusdriver

I miss older Top Gear. They really made a rod for their own backs with the end-of-season special challenges they felt they needed to do every episode.

When they ran out of ideas (the Peugeot challenge and the "race against the sun" were terrible) is when the show ran out of steam

Yes, I tend to agree. The show always had a silly side to it, but as the series wore on, they just got ever more ridiculous and Clarkson's ego got bigger and bigger!.

But in reference to my first post, re episode two and the Granny's doing donuts (in a Honda S2000), absolutely brilliant!.

I think that may have been the high point..........

I thought the Reliant Robin Space Shuttle was the best bit... :-)

Now you mention it, that was pretty good too! (as was the rocket powered mini doing the ski jump!)

And just to correct myself, the Granny's doing donuts was episode three not two.

Edited by badbusdriver on 22/10/2021 at 17:47

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 19:41

Top Gear 2002 style - SLO76

Usually enjoyed watching Clarkson and co but they were at their best when they tested ordinary cars. Later episodes with unaffordable £100k supercars and luxury barges became increasingly boring. I’m just not interested in the million or so incarnations of the Porsche 911. A cheap car challenge involving £1500 Coupes, £100 bangers or similar will always hold my attention. James May is always watchable whether rebuilding an old typewriter, cars of the people or waxing lyrical about a Ferrari on a test track.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 22 Oct 2021 23:05

Top Gear 2002 style - Andrew-T

I never watched the old TG for very long, I found it too irritating. Cars weren't 'tested', they were just thrown about a bit and we were told whether JC liked it or not. I soon got tired of the whole schoolboy approach.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sat 23 Oct 2021 12:33

Top Gear 2002 style - Manatee

Before getting to the £10k (new) Berlingo, Clarkson was standing by a MK1 Focus and MK4 Golf (both 1.6), talking about that class of car being around £12k new!.

I paid £12,000 for my wife's new Civic 1.6 automatic in 2002. And £12,000 for its replacement, a Skoda Roomster Scout 1.2TSI DSG in 2014 which was a real bargain.

The Civic never missed a beat, and is still on the road with the friend I sold it to. I have less faith in the Scout but nothing has gone wrong with that yet, other than a propensity for fighting with other cars.

I don't think either of us will be having any more new cars, but never say never. The Scout is looking a bit knocked about but has only done 30,000 miles. My 2016 Outlander diesel is on about 32,000 and I hope to get a total of 10+ years out of it. There's nothing on the market that I really want, and I have my MX-5 for purely recreational outings.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator