Top Gear Season 22 & Xmas Special

Cosimo · 2 Feb 2015 at 08:09

Another enjoyable episode.

Joe T · 2 Feb 2015 at 08:10

Yup, enjoyed this one.

rodenal · 2 Feb 2015 at 08:13

ZG002 said:
That drag race, have cars really come on that far in the last few years? Seems like only yesterday the GTR was murdering all but the hyper cars in drag races? Off quick then just got chewed up.

I wouldn't go reading too much into it - you could repeat the start several times and get lots of different initial results due to drivers and the surface etc. Plus the on road difference between two cars with a half second difference 0-60 time is not a lot

You also need to remember that when you're looking at cars like these that can accelerate to 3 figures so quickly the 0-60-100 type portion is an incredibly short part of the actual "race", which is where the Nissan's most impressive.

ZG002 · 2 Feb 2015 at 08:16

I'm guessing in the next few weeks a few YouTube videos will pop up with the same race or as close as can be too it anyway.

flibbage0 · 2 Feb 2015 at 09:08

Vertigo1 said:
God that fake May-Hammond argument at the end was tedious. I know it's all scripted but that was farcical. Are we really expected to believe that May preferred the GTR to the Bentley? The man who actually owns a Bentley and constantly rants on about "cars developed at the Nurburgring"?

Like I said, we all know it's scripted but there needs to be a degree of believability about it.

Overall I thought it was tedious. Dedicated most of the programme to the road trip and yet they didn't really seem to "do" that much. Aside from the hill climb bit and the herding at the end, I've already forgotten what else they did out there.

James May loves the GT-R

As shown in this clip, which was filmed 3/4 years ago.

bayo000 · 2 Feb 2015 at 09:13

I thought it was pretty good. Getting bored of all the number plate references though

rossk26 · 2 Feb 2015 at 10:03

Really enjoyed that episode, well apart from the cow herding part.

Is the GTR really that slow? Or is it just the fact James May is a pansy and wouldn't go full pelt?

I thought it looked spectacular on the hill climb. Ah I do love a GTR!

Freefaller · 2 Feb 2015 at 10:09

James May isn't call captain slow for no reason

oHUTCHYo · 2 Feb 2015 at 10:14

Always has me in kinks...

Clarkson: "...let's not get bogged down with ooooo did what to ooooooo"

Clarkson has made several similar phrases (S12E01, S12E08 and now S22E02. I'm reliably informed it's a nod to Monty Python, which I'm ashamed to say I've never watched!

miniyazz · 2 Feb 2015 at 18:45

Glad to see it's not just me who thinks the published stopping distances are a joke. However it would be very interesting to test that out with 'normal' cars.

Yaayuh! · 2 Feb 2015 at 18:50

miniyazz said:
Glad to see it's not just me who thinks the published stopping distances are a joke. However it would be very interesting to test that out with 'normal' cars.

What're you talking about? Don't all Astras come with carbon ceramic brakes?

chroniclard · 2 Feb 2015 at 18:51

Fairly sub par that one.

miniyazz · 2 Feb 2015 at 19:40

Rossi~ said:
What're you talking about? Don't all Astras come with carbon ceramic brakes?

The only car there with ceramic brakes was the Bentley and that took substantially longer to stop than the others. The benefit of ceramic brakes is in braking endurance anyway isn't it? A one-off emergency stop from 60mph is hardly going to be taxing, a one-off emergency stop from 140mph on the other hand..

Jester* · 2 Feb 2015 at 19:52

I enjoyed it. SIARPC is prime time for putting the kettle on and getting a cheeky biscuit.

Every time I watch these kinds of episodes I keep thinking to myself......I wish I had that job.

Rroff · 2 Feb 2015 at 20:02

rossk26 said:
Really enjoyed that episode, well apart from the cow herding part.

Is the GTR really that slow? Or is it just the fact James May is a pansy and wouldn't go full pelt?

I thought it looked spectacular on the hill climb. Ah I do love a GTR!

I don't think he pushed it - all other tests I've seen while the CGT is seriously fast it can't hold off the GTR not even close - slightly beats it off the line if R mode is disabled but that is it.

Episode was worth it just to see some GTR action.

MassiveJim · 2 Feb 2015 at 20:08

I enjoyed it and genuinely laughed out loud in a couple of places, but it is getting a bit old now.
I still enjoy it just not as much as I used to.

I missed the 2nd half of the special and it isn't on iplayer anymore, where can I get hold of it now (legally) and was it better than the first half ?

Skillmister · 2 Feb 2015 at 20:18

Thought that episode was a bit flat over all. Also expected them to do a bit more than dust driving after the whole 'phone in the toilet' thing..

Malevolence · 2 Feb 2015 at 21:25

"You plumsack", I don't know why but that just tickled me to the point of tears for some reason.

miniyazz · 2 Feb 2015 at 22:31

Skillmister said:
Thought that episode was a bit flat over all. Also expected them to do a bit more than dust driving after the whole 'phone in the toilet' thing..

The glossed over point here also is that they took three disgustingly complicated, expensive cars to an extreme environment, covered over 1000 miles in horrendously dusty & hot conditions, mixed road quality, etc and not a single breakdown. I doubt they'd gloss over things like punctures and definitely not more significant breakdowns, they love dragging cars through the mud. Almost as though it wasn't staged

Wonder which support vehicle got to carry the fuel :eek:

Rroff · 3 Feb 2015 at 01:53

miniyazz said:
Wonder which support vehicle got to carry the fuel

LOL hadn't thought of that, though the last few "long" trips they've done mostly seem to be filmed in and around the same 15 miles or so while trying to make it look spread out then a bit at the destination not even sure they don't just fly most of it.