The Top Grand Gear Tour Thread: The End of an Era

TexiKen

Cars are cool. Cars are fun. There are many a show about them, but one that took the world by storm, with amazing camerawork, likable hosts, and a increasing penchant for pissing people off. It was glorious.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_gfHpqzZGY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bmqdnx5R1U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtcbsi8itHw


But lo, times change, and what was once one show, is now two.

You've got The Grand Tour, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, which airs on Amazon Prime Video:




And the current incarnation of BBC's Top Gear, hosted by Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reed, as well as retaining parental custody of The Stig. Everyone's favorite german girl Sabine Schmitz shows up from time to time too:



......plus some various country versions of the show that no one really cares for. Oh yeah, Fifth Gear is a decent show too.


So let this be a thread where we talk about the show, the host's other endeavors, the best place to get your teeth whitened, and just how important chemistry is to making a show work.

Decius

Good pep talk...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE3OEtJei3s

...I mean what could possibly go wrong?

TexiKen

Watching the new premier of TGT it's so much better as they just copy Top Gear because fuck them, they wanna start something bring it, they're the fathers to that style of show. It's still absolutely beautiful and the best 4K experience bar none (I don't think it was up for any Emmy's last year on the technical side which was bullshit), the celebrity thing was better than it has been on New Top Gear, and I'm really surprised they showed Hammond's crash, it was interesting that it happened after he got his lap time. Which just makes them keeping the other two ribbing him constantly right before the crash in the show, good on them.

The only fault is the lack of real music. The Who was used in the beginning, and that was it. I had a feeling they wanted Zeppelin for the hill climb (Immigrant Song mainly) but never got it.

And James looks weird with the short hair (and skinny jeans). It's what he had when joined the show in season 2 on the previous series but his face is chubbier and looked like he actually exfoliated or something; it didn't have the red blisters of Clarkson's "dehydrated" face and I kept wondering if he's trying to copy Stephen Fry's style.

All in all, glad to have it back.

DanHibiki

I think the thread title should be: the best tv show, pause, in the world.

DanHibiki

Alternatively: the future is a car crash that just won't stop burning.

Rhesus Positive

Three competing ideas for a thread title? How could we possibly resolve this?

VishNub

I really liked this episode, though I thought they were going to spend a lot more time on the crash than they did. Nonetheless, it felt a lot more genuine than a lot of last season's episodes. I hope they keep it up.

LoonyEclipse

Rhesus Positive wrote: »

Three competing ideas for a thread title? How could we possibly resolve this?

I believe by, as is tradition, a drag race.

Decius

Now we have to Top Trumps this, with what we each drive, to see who would win.

I'll start; 2012 Lexus IS350 AWD

Jazz

Just starting the new ep now, but I saw something in the sizzle reel for the "next 11 weeks" that made me squee. Bugatti EB110! Holy shit! AND a Jaguar XJ220! Racing!

I am salivating.

Also Hammond falling over in mud in a forest somewhere will never not be awesome.

Welcome back, boys, I've missed you.

TexiKen

2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring.

see317

LoonyEclipse wrote: »

Rhesus Positive wrote: »

Three competing ideas for a thread title? How could we possibly resolve this?

I believe by, as is tradition, a drag race.

Or we pick the one that, with strategic letters removed, spells out Arse Biscuits or some other marvelously juvenile prank.

Jazz

Larsen's Biscuits, Peniston Oils, Petit Entree, Amerdea du Fromage, etc.

Einzel

James with his new terrible hair looks so, so familiar to me but I can't place who he's doppelganging.

DanHibiki

Einzel wrote: »

James with his new terrible hair looks so, so familiar to me but I can't place who he's doppelganging.

Richard Dawkins?

Mortal Sky

Stephen Fry?

Jazz

Decius wrote: »

Now we have to Top Trumps this, with what we each drive, to see who would win.

I'll start; 2012 Lexus IS350 AWD

TexiKen wrote: »

2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring.

2010 Jaguar XF 3.0TD.

LoonyEclipse

2018 Kia Forté LX+.


Guys, I...I don't think I'm winning this one.

Jazz

You're winning "newest" quite handily so far

Ninjeff

2010 Tacoma TRD Sport....

I might be able to take Kia or the Jaaaaaaaaag

VishNub

'98 Subaru Forester?

I wish I still had my old car -- '95 oldsmobile. Yeah bench seats.

chromdom

You must now customize your vehicles, using only GBP400, to race to Tahiti in the most luxurious manner possible.

hawkbox

2008 Ranger, you don't know gutless if you haven't driven a Ranger.

Decius

hawkbox wrote: »

2008 Ranger, you don't know gutless if you haven't driven a Ranger.

I mean the Smart ForTwo still exists, so you aren't at the bottom of the totem pole yet.

Jazz

I did have a Yugo 45 once.

And it's not even the worst vehicle I've ever owned.

Doodmann

1998 Toyota Tacoma 4WD

I'm fairly certain this truck could outlive me if it wanted to.

Lord_Asmodeus

Do airlines seriously allow random weirdos to call up and if they happen to know the name of a passenger change their flight details? Because I assume that's a bit and all preplanned ahead of time

But I never know for sure

Ninjeff

Doodmann wrote: »

1998 Toyota Tacoma 4WD

I'm fairly certain this truck could outlive me if it wanted to.

High five Taco buddy!

Lind

Lord_Asmodeus wrote: »

Do airlines seriously allow random weirdos to call up and if they happen to know the name of a passenger change their flight details? Because I assume that's a bit and all preplanned ahead of time

But I never know for sure

Doubt it. Probably wasnt even speaking to a real person at the airlines but it was still funny.

Mortal Sky

I have a 1984 Subaru GL hatchback that gets 75 horsepower on a good day, and is actively beginning to get eaten by east coast road salt after 30ish years in the Pacific northwest, but it is so fun to hoon around on tiny mountain roads and outstanding for tight city roads

Jazz

They really have just gone full Top Gear, haven't they. No bad thing, generally they're shoring up season one's weak points.

It was odd that Clarkson didn't actually introduce the new driver by name at all, though. Had to wait for the end credits to find out who

she

was. Nice to see the Eboladrome still has that use too.

Snake Gandhi

Lord_Asmodeus wrote: »

Do airlines seriously allow random weirdos to call up and if they happen to know the name of a passenger change their flight details? Because I assume that's a bit and all preplanned ahead of time

But I never know for sure

I just watched, and he did mention it was a flight booked by his company, so it’s possible in that case someone from said company could change the booking.

But it could also just be a goof for the show, you never know with these three.

TNTrooper

Snake Gandhi wrote: »

Lord_Asmodeus wrote: »

Do airlines seriously allow random weirdos to call up and if they happen to know the name of a passenger change their flight details? Because I assume that's a bit and all preplanned ahead of time

But I never know for sure

I just watched, and he did mention it was a flight booked by his company, so it’s possible in that case someone from said company could change the booking.

But it could also just be a goof for the show, you never know with these three.

If you know enough personal information you could probably change someone's flight info but that was definitely scripted. I mean he wasn't even put on hold.

Jazz

TNTrooper wrote: »

Snake Gandhi wrote: »

Lord_Asmodeus wrote: »

Do airlines seriously allow random weirdos to call up and if they happen to know the name of a passenger change their flight details? Because I assume that's a bit and all preplanned ahead of time

But I never know for sure

I just watched, and he did mention it was a flight booked by his company, so it’s possible in that case someone from said company could change the booking.

But it could also just be a goof for the show, you never know with these three.

If you know enough personal information you could probably change someone's flight info but that was definitely scripted. I mean he wasn't even put on hold.

And he "just happened" to get the same rep again on his second call.

Decius

Also if you look at the seating as they boarded, there didn't appear to be any business class. Just row by row of 2x2 seating.

And it's JetBlue.

Foomy

Planes that size usually have a "business" class where you just get like an extra 2 inches of leg room, for the first 2-3 rows.

Jazz

Foomy wrote: »

Planes that size usually have a "business" class where you just get like an extra 2 inches of leg room, for the first 2-3 rows.

I wonder if the galley even stocked beer.

DanHibiki

I dunno about your guys but the last episode felt a bit too scripted.
Finish Line Chan though...

TexiKen

Due to the holiday I haven't gotten to the newest episode yet but I do want to say that the office park race circuit from Episode 3 was fantastic and I want more of those.

I also enjoy using "pneumonia" as a substitute for saying someone's drunk now.

Lind

I really enjoy Grand Tour this season. The few things I didnt like with S1 is gone or replaced for the better. Big smiles all around from me for this show.

King Riptor

I loved the" non scripted" trip segment.

Kinda wish Jeremy made a fire truck though. I imagine it would have been a Hilux with just a massive water tank and a pressure turret that left massive holes everywhere