Why Top Gear is the best show in the world

[rez333]

Check out the above video. It captures the heavenly passion and excitement of driving like no other video ever has. It's precisely why Top Gear should keep its winning formula.

For those who had never previously seen Top Gear or understood what kind of show it is, watch the video and understand. I think that TV is not the right medium to do serious car reviews. TV is a shared medium - shared with the family, whereas the Internet is a solitary medium and therefore the Internet is a better medium for serious car reviews. TV is the perfect medium to have a shared experience, which is why Top Gear is so brilliant: it's a show everyone can enjoy.

Top Gear allows me to experience cars and driving, not just know about them in my head. Thank-you Top Gear!

[305pride]

that was effing beautiful

[christianmotox]

Agreed!


Long live G Wiz!

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by rez333

Check out the above video. It captures the heavenly passion and excitement of driving like no other video ever has. It's precisely why Top Gear should keep its winning formula.

For those who had never previously seen Top Gear or understood what kind of show it is, watch the video and understand. I think that TV is not the right medium to do serious car reviews. TV is a shared medium - shared with the family, whereas the Internet is a solitary medium and therefore the Internet is a better medium for serious car reviews. TV is the perfect medium to have a shared experience, which is why Top Gear is so brilliant: it's a show everyone can enjoy.

Top Gear allows me to experience cars and driving, not just know about them in my head. Thank-you Top Gear!

From the limited number of shows I've seen, I fail to see the reason why its so popular. Most of their reviews are just variations on a theme. They'll complain that German cars are too complicated, Australian cars are too simple, American cars are too cheap, Italian cars are too expensive, etc as well as throwing in a number of jabs at the people from that particular nation. Then one will usually say that despite whatever issues they have with the car, its worth it in some way while another completely disagrees and says you'd have to be foolish to consider it. Their challenges are foolishness, and I'll admit they're pretty entertaining. Many call it the greatest car show ever, I have to point out that the best parts of the show are not exactly about cars, and the stuff that is actually about cars is far from the best. So I don't understand how it could be the best car show.

[christianmotox]

I find it extremely funny, and entertaining.

They don't give a cr@p when it comes to real comparison test's or reviews, but that's what makes this so unique and wonderful. If i want serious car talk i just grab a magazine or something like that.
This show is just over the top entertainment TV, with a few moments of actual decency.

They are Biased, stupid, obnoxious, and sometimes racist, but all in a funny way that its hard to describe.

BRILLIANT!.

[305pride]

i love top gear.

[xs29j8]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

From the limited number of shows I've seen, I fail to see the reason why its so popular. Most of their reviews are just variations on a theme. They'll complain that German cars are too complicated, Australian cars are too simple, American cars are too cheap, Italian cars are too expensive, etc as well as throwing in a number of jabs at the people from that particular nation. Then one will usually say that despite whatever issues they have with the car, its worth it in some way while another completely disagrees and says you'd have to be foolish to consider it. Their challenges are foolishness, and I'll admit they're pretty entertaining. Many call it the greatest car show ever, I have to point out that the best parts of the show are not exactly about cars, and the stuff that is actually about cars is far from the best. So I don't understand how it could be the best car show.

I agree... entertaining yes, serious car review no... best car show?

Just IMHO...

XS

[305pride]

the words i would say is "the worlds most entertaining car show". emphasizing the word entertaining.

[rez333]

Originally Posted by christianmotox

I find it extremely funny, and entertaining.

They don't give a cr@p when it comes to real comparison test's or reviews, but that's what makes this so unique and wonderful. If i want serious car talk i just grab a magazine or something like that.
This show is just over the top entertainment TV, with a few moments of actual decency.

They are Biased, stupid, obnoxious, and sometimes racist, but all in a funny way that its hard to describe.

BRILLIANT!.

They're really finding their groove now. Their recent episodes including trying to be chauffeurs and trying to run a car-themed museum exhibition. I've noticed a trend to purposely make idiots of themselves whilst trying to accomplish these feats. In other words, they attempt to screw up the challenge as much as possible whilst still achieving the challenge's goals.

If one could compare it to a "factual" but "entertaining" show, one could look at "Mythbusters" for a direction they might have taken. By comparison, "Top Gear" is far more entertaining than "Mythbusters". Mythbusters satisfies intellectual curiosity in a mildly entertaining way. Whereas "Top Gear" is all about giving the audience an amazing and fun experience, and minors on the "intellectual curiosity" bit.

What makes Top Gear brilliant is because it's honest. The excitement of fast and powerful cars is not about boring performance numbers, it's about a certain sumthin-sumthin that can't be readily measured. When you watch say the Camaro "review" - you get it - because they show why it's fun, not try to explain it. And when they do explain something, it's done in the most entertaining way possible - and the British way is through dry wit.

Making fun of the car, and then choosing it as the car they'd prefer is being honest. The Camaro is a stupid car. The Maserati is
an idiotic car. But we know what they mean: it's stupid from a practical standpoint, but they choose it because the cars evoke excitement. And so by calling them stupid and then choosing them, they show that cars aren't just about practicality - they are all about stupid fun.

Other serious car shows like Fifth Gear try to explain fun cars through facts and figures, as if somehow one can justify a sports car as a sensible thing to buy. They aren't. Sports cars aren't sensible, let's be honest with ourselves!

Top Gear is the best car show in the world, because it makes everyone love cars. If you look at the audience in the hangar, they are a mix of all sorts of people - not just male car geeks. Top Gear is responsible for bringing car love to the masses, and that's why it is the best car show in the world.

[98_Camaro]

Originally Posted by rez333

They're really finding their groove now. Their recent episodes including trying to be chauffeurs and trying to run a car-themed museum exhibition. I've noticed a trend to purposely make idiots of themselves whilst trying to accomplish these feats. In other words, they attempt to screw up the challenge as much as possible whilst still achieving the challenge's goals.

If one could compare it to a "factual" but "entertaining" show, one could look at "Mythbusters" for a direction they might have taken. By comparison, "Top Gear" is far more entertaining than "Mythbusters". Mythbusters satisfies intellectual curiosity in a mildly entertaining way. Whereas "Top Gear" is all about giving the audience an amazing and fun experience, and minors on the "intellectual curiosity" bit.

What makes Top Gear brilliant is because it's honest. The excitement of fast and powerful cars is not about boring performance numbers, it's about a certain sumthin-sumthin that can't be readily measured. When you watch say the Camaro "review" - you get it - because they show why it's fun, not try to explain it. And when they do explain something, it's done in the most entertaining way possible - and the British way is through dry wit.

Making fun of the car, and then choosing it as the car they'd prefer is being honest. The Camaro is a stupid car. The Maserati is
an idiotic car. But we know what they mean: it's stupid from a practical standpoint, but they choose it because the cars evoke excitement. And so by calling them stupid and then choosing them, they show that cars aren't just about practicality - they are all about stupid fun.

Other serious car shows like Fifth Gear try to explain fun cars through facts and figures, as if somehow one can justify a sports car as a sensible thing to buy. They aren't. Sports cars aren't sensible, let's be honest with ourselves!

Top Gear is the best car show in the world, because it makes everyone love cars. If you look at the audience in the hangar, they are a mix of all sorts of people - not just male car geeks. Top Gear is responsible for bringing car love to the masses, and that's why it is the best car show in the world.

I have to agree with this 100%. Bravo.
On the other hand, I like Top Gear because it's entertaining! I can get all the facts and figures I want from the internet. What makes Top Gear likable is that they make everything seem fun. More specifically, in this video, you see them taking on that incredibly windy road at the end, 8,000 feet up in the air in a Lamborghini. I know for a fact, I could not do that (there'd be bricks in my pants right at the start), and even though I'm just watching them, I still feel the excitement as though I was there.

[Apex Motorsports]

That is one of my favorite segments on one of my favorite shows. Top Gear is the only show I regularly watch. Thats a lie, I also watch Phineas and Ferb with the kiddo.

[Crowley]

Originally Posted by rez333

Check out the above video. It captures the heavenly passion and excitement of driving like no other video ever has. It's precisely why Top Gear should keep its winning formula.

For those who had never previously seen Top Gear or understood what kind of show it is, watch the video and understand. I think that TV is not the right medium to do serious car reviews. TV is a shared medium - shared with the family, whereas the Internet is a solitary medium and therefore the Internet is a better medium for serious car reviews. TV is the perfect medium to have a shared experience, which is why Top Gear is so brilliant: it's a show everyone can enjoy.

Top Gear allows me to experience cars and driving, not just know about them in my head. Thank-you Top Gear!

+1 .. I haven't seen too many Top Gears that I haven't liked .. My favorite is when the did the Carrera GT. To me, GOD himself touched the exhaust note on this car.



I love the show .. I don't always agree with them and they do put on a SHOW for sure, but when it comes to attempting to experience cars I will never own .. I think it works!

Crowley

[BigDan]

Here's Top Gear testing the new 2010 SS. It aired on Sunday in the UK but it will take about 8 months for it to air on BBC America.

I started a thread yesterday in the VS section yesterday but it got deleted as usual.

ENJOY
http://www.youtube.com/user/JtypeRbm#p/u/5/7L01r8vdTxw

Maybe a current Camaro owner could start a thread with my link and it wont get deleted based on the fact that I drive a competing car.

[BigDan]

Originally Posted by Crowley

+1 .. I haven't seen too many Top Gears that I haven't liked .. My favorite is when the did the Carrera GT. To me, GOD himself touched the exhaust note on this car.



I love the show .. I don't always agree with them and they do put on a SHOW for sure, but when it comes to attempting to experience cars I will never own .. I think it works!

Crowley

Here's a video of the ultimate Carrera GT disturbing the peace.