Top Gear: Series 19

The tyres are fun in the dry, scary in the wet... let me put it that way! In the snow a few weeks back - roundabouts quickly became hilarious, prompting me to swear to avoid going out in future!

GT86 could use a bit more bhp but lets just say, in 4 months the only car that's annihilated me is a GTR that saw fit to do somewhere approaching 100 in a 40 (I was doing 40!) :eek: All other times I simply enjoy the superb handling and ease at which you can balance just on the limit of grip the tyres give.
 
It's lap time does not seem bad considering it was a little damp:-

01:31.3 Toyota GT86 19.03
01:31.4 Audi TT Mk.II 2.0T
01:31.6 Honda NSX-R (wet) 01.10
01:31.8 BMW M3 E46
01:31.8 BMW 535d 06.10
01:31.8 Nissan 350Z
01:31.8 Mazda RX-8 03.05
01:31.9 BMW 130i (E87) 07.06
01:32.1 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG (wet) 14.01
01:32.2 Ford Focus RS Mk I 01.02
01:32.2 Mazda 6 MPS 08.06
01:32.5 Renaultsport Mégane 225 Cup
01:32.5 Lotus Esprit V8 (cold tyres) 01.10
01:32.7 Audi TT 3.2 quattro
01:32.8 Jaguar E-Type (modernised) 06.05
01:32.8 [[Honda Civic Type R#2nd generation (EP3 chassis)|Honda Civic Type-R (EP3-2004 Facelifted)]} 05.06
01:32.9 SEAT León Cupra R 05.06
01:32.9 Mercedes-Benz SLK350
01:33.0 Audi RS6 (very wet)
01:33.0 Vauxhall Astra VXR 06.09
01:33.0 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (owned by Jeremy Clarkson at the time) (very wet) 01.06
01:33.1 Noble M12 GTO (wet) 01.02
01:33.2 Audi Q7 V12 (wet) 14.04
01:33.3 Volkswagen Golf Mk.IV R32
01:33.4 Cadillac CTS-V First Generation (very wet)
01:33.5 Honda Civic Type-R (FN2-2007) 10.06
01:33.5 SEAT Leon Cupra Mk2
01:33.7 MG ZT 260 04.05
01:33.7 Volkswagen Golf Mk.V GTI 05.06
01:33.7 2002 Honda NSX (very wet)
01:33.8 Clio Renault Sport 182 04.06
01:33.9 Holden Monaro (wet) 03.06
01:34.0 Renault Mégane 225 05.06
01:34.0 Renault Clio 200 Cup (Not Shown on TV)[4]
01:34.2 MINI Cooper S Works 05.06
01:34.2 Ford Mondeo ST220 08.06
01:34.7 Jaguar XKR (melted snow) 09.01
01:34.9 Ford Focus ST (wet) 07.03
01:35.0 Volvo S60 R 02.09
01:35.2 Ferrari 575M Maranello (very wet) 01.04
01:35.3 Vauxhall Vectra VXR 08.06
01:35.4 Renault Avantime (tuned by presenters) 12.03
01:35.5 Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse SS
01:35:5 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG (wet) 01.08
01:35.6 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 02.08
01:35.6 Lotus Elise (wet)
01:35.8 Citroën C4 VTS 05.06
01:36.2 Aston Martin Vanquish (very wet) 01.04
01:36.2 Renaultsport Clio V6 (very wet)
01:36.9 Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 09.02
01:37.0 Mercedes-Benz SL500 (Ronnie O'Sullivan's) 04.04
01:37.0 Porsche Boxster (very wet) 03.02
01:37.3 BMW Z4 3.0i (very wet) (E85)
01:37.4 Honda S2000 (very wet)
01:37.9 Saab 9-5 Aero 03.03
01:38.0 Maserati 4200 GT (very wet)
01:38.06 Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)
01:38.2 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (very wet) 11.04
01:39:0 Subaru Impreza WRX (Europe-spec)
01:39.4 Bowler Wildcat

After all it's quicker than the above, with stickier grippier tyres it could maybe be faster on lap time again?
 
theres lots of "dubious" times on the leaderboard from the old days when they didn't note how bad the weather was.

I think the e46 M3 was one of them.

Its faster than most of the Golf GTis, the Leon Cupras, the Megane 225, the 350z, the RX8 etc.. which sounds about right.
 
Using a Astra VXR to demonstrate FWD handling... Fair...

Still, the GT86 would be more appetising to me if it came from the factory with forced induction and around 260bhp on tap.

Handles like a dream, drives like a dream, moves a fast as a A1 going 0-99. Think I would go for the scooby badge to.

I totally get the car and why it has been built. Just doesn't do anything for me though.
 
I thought the VXR comparison was pathetic.

You don't go into corners with your foot mashed to the floor in any car, if you did the same thing in a GT86 you would spin out.

Yes we all get the 86 gets its tail out, thats great.
 
It was more about explaining under and oversteer, same reason why they had the e63, to give silly oversteer slip angles, easy to show in the astra an example of silly understeer.

Surprised at the lap time, quicker than I expected it to be.
 
Pathetic how? They needed to show the clear difference between under and over steer. Yes us lot know what it is, but a lot of people who watch top gear these days it would seem don't. How else would you have them demonstrate it?
 
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I thought the oversteer/understeer explanation was a good idea too...

pioneer2000 said:
Mustang - 12mpg, can't go round corners, is ridiculously massive, poor build quality... But gigantic engine. Lol, so stereotypically American.
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:D I get 1-2mpg more in mine for the drive to work and back :(

Definitely would not mind swapping for the GT 500!
 
When they go out and do these races on public roads, do they get an exemption from the police for the speeds they do, or do they just risk it?
 
oldbag said:
When they go out and do these races on public roads, do they get an exemption from the police for the speeds they do, or do they just risk it?
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Risk as far as I'm aware. I've never driven in Europe so I'm not sure how well their motorways are policed. But I've been on coaches in Italy and everyone seemed to be crazy and nailing it everywhere. Not sure they would get an exemption.
 
I thought the oversteer/understeer demonstration was great. It's not often TG actually explains things properly. Showing extreme examples of both is the best way to make it understandable for the wide variety of people who watch TG.
 
ZG002 said:
Risk as far as I'm aware. I've never driven in Europe so I'm not sure how well their motorways are policed. But I've been on coaches in Italy and everyone seemed to be crazy and nailing it everywhere. Not sure they would get an exemption.
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The toll roads don't seem to be very heavily policed and I don't think I've seen a speed camera on them either. However the non toll dual carriageways it's not worth going faster than the speed limit as there appears to be millions of the cameras. And they were grey so blended in until on top of them.
 
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