The Top Gear UK series has been one of my favorite automobile review shows (actually of any show) that I have ever seen. The combination of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond leads to a perfect group of car review gurus. Jeremy Clarkson is my absolute favorite with his extreme humour, and his never ending hatred for almost every American car. I love American cars, but his jokes on the US car industry never get old. The only thing thats bothers me is that he doesn't stick to what he says he likes. The first time Jeremy drove the 638hp supercharged 6.2 liter V8 he said he was "in love". But later on in the series he brought the ZR1 over seas and drove it around their Top Gear track side by side with the 2nd generation Audi R8. Jeremy took back his original positive statement about the ZR1 and only had negative things to say.
In my opinion the ZR1 and the 5.2 liter Audi R8 are 2 completely different cars. On one hand you have an all wheel drive naturally aspirated 525hp optional automatic transmission luxury car, and on the other you have a supercharged 638hp 6.2 liter real wheel drive 6 speed manual demon on wheels. I agree that both cars are built for performance and as a symbol of status, but in my opinion the cars main volatile variable is the driver. Its hard to mess up driving an Audi R8 when you could throw the keys to a sixteen year old girl and she could drive the car flawlessly. But it takes some talent, patience, and skill to control and be able to fully harness the capabilities of the Zr1.
I dont like that Jeremy Clarkson and the rest of Top Gear have turned the show into a slight satire, exaggerating and sometimes completely lying about some of the cars they review and drive on the show. In 2008 the hilarious trio reviewed a fully electric Tesla, but gave a horrible testimony on the car. The cast said the Tesla ran out of battery power after just 55 miles, but the car actually lasts for over 210 miles. Tesla decided to sue Top Gear over the accusations earlier this year.
I love the show Top Gear, but it seems that it is about pure entertainment more then the actual facts and specifications of the car they have on hand. It also bugs me that Jeremy Clarkson is rarely pushing the cars to their limits by himself. He has video of him driving the cars and acting like a crazed lunatic, but he is having stunt drivers to all the cool exterior action shots. If you have the guts to bash a piece of art that a company has been working on for years at least have the guts to push the car to its limits, and dont lie or change your mind about your opinion later to please your country.
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