Are you going to watch The Grand Tour (Top Gear 2)

[tones]

Episode 5 - the Jim Clark piece was excellent.

Agreed. From a long-time Clark fan really well done, with only one mistake - he did not have the choice between the BOAC 500 (where he would have shared a Ford 3L

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_P68

with Graham Hill) and the Formula 2 at Hockenheim, but contractural obligations obliged him to do the latter. He wasn't enthusiastic about it - the car wasn't at all competitive, and, as his mechanic said on the programme, he wasn't at all optimistic about achieving a decent result.

P.S. I'll add to it that it makes it sound as if Clark and Lotus simply turned up at Indy in 1965 and won. In fact, they turned up in 1963, when Clark came second (he should have won, because winner Parnelli Jones was dropping oil all over the track and should have been black-flagged). In 1964, they made the patriotic (if incorrect) decision to use Dunlop tyres, which fell to bits. In 1965, all went well - Clark led for 190 of the 200 laps and Indy was changed forever.

 

[blossomchris]

The no's are now a no in front of yes.


Bloss

 

[robs]

Yes, wish they'd do a few more pieces in similar vein to that Jim Clark segment, really good.

 

[Space is the Place]

Yes, wish they'd do a few more pieces in similar vein to that Jim Clark segment, really good.

Yes it's interesting they are three intelligent journalists, i think if they were more themselves and less scripted it would make for interesting viewing. Better have a picture of the P68. Is it just me, or are cars from the late 60s early 70s as good (looking) as it gets?

 

[Rug Doc]

Is it just me, or are cars from the late 60s early 70s as good (looking) as it gets?

I agree with you. 65-74ish was a time when some beautiful machines were designed.

 

[avole]

Any show that survives with one of its members being Clarkson deserves recognition.

 

[Space is the Place]

I agree with you. 65-74ish was a time when some beautiful machines were designed.

Of course the C's,D's and E's were nice too! Probably appreciate them now i'm older.

I blame Aurora 917s and Prototype Top Trumps, and the white Esprit in the The Spy Who loved Me, i knew who Giorgetto Giugiaro was when i was 7!

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Just watched the latest episode. The Jim Clark item alone is worth the Amazon Prime membership fee.

And what a sound from the Lotus 25. Here we are 54 years later with wet farts in cardboard boxes. Oh well.

 

[tones]

Just watched the latest episode. The Jim Clark item alone is worth the Amazon Prime membership fee.

1000% agreed

And what a sound from the Lotus 25. Here we are 54 years later with wet farts in cardboard boxes. Oh well.

And from something that was designed to drive a pump on a fire truck!

 

[tones]

I agree with you. 65-74ish was a time when some beautiful machines were designed.

Especially this:

 

[tones]

I thought James May's piece on the history of the Porsche 917 was excellent. He sometimes is not quite right*, but an excellent effort compared to the usual dross and makes it worth watching.

* For example, John Wyer was not brought in to solve the 917's terrifying high speed handling. Impressed by Wyer's Gulf-sponsored Ford GT40s (including the justly celebrated chassis 1075 that won Le Mans in 1968 and 1969), Porsche made Wyer's outfit the official Porsche team. Porsche's faith in Wyer (who had been Aston Martin's manager in its world sportscar championship win in 1959) was fully justified.

 

[SteveG]

I enjoyed the 917 piece as well - including the mini race between it and the current quickest production Porsche. I was quite impressed that the production car was quicker in fact, as that 917 still seemed very rapid.

For me The Grand Tour is vastly better than Top Gear now - so much so that I don't bother watching Top Gear any more.

 

[tones]

I enjoyed the 917 piece as well - including the mini race between it and the current quickest production Porsche. I was quite impressed that the production car was quicker in fact, as that 917 still seemed very rapid.

Of course the modern car was on modern rubber and had many more years of development behind it. Imagine what a 919 would have done to the 917!

For me The Grand Tour is vastly better than Top Gear now - so much so that I don't bother watching Top Gear any more.

I don't actually watch Top Gear. I like TGT, because, on the computer, I can quickly skim over the nonsense (nearly all Clarkson and the pathetic Conversation Street) and get to the interesting bits.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

@tones

I saw the 919 at Brands last year. Good grief. With nothing like a decent set up, it was hitting over 190mph before braking for Paddock. It’s one of those circuit cars that has surreal acceleration and braking. With time and tyres, I’m sure it would’ve cleared 200 before Paddock. From memory, at the 1986 British GP, cars were hitting 180 to 190 at that point.

 

[TPA]

I enjoyed the 917 piece as well - including the mini race between it and the current quickest production Porsche. I was quite impressed that the production car was quicker in fact, as that 917 still seemed very rapid.

For me The Grand Tour is vastly better than Top Gear now - so much so that I don't bother watching Top Gear any more.

The 917 was an extraordinary race car, and great to see Dickie Attwood driving it in anger. Getting a 917 out of shape at 78 has to be one of the great motoring TV moments. As for Top Gear, I just haven't enjoyed the episodes I've seen, far too awkward for me so I've not bothered to watch it any more.

 

[tones]

@tones

I saw the 919 at Brands last year. Good grief. With nothing like a decent set up, it was hitting over 190mph before braking for Paddock. It’s one of those circuit cars that has surreal acceleration and braking. With time and tyres, I’m sure it would’ve cleared 200 before Paddock. From memory, at the 1986 British GP, cars were hitting 180 to 190 at that point.

A truly extraordinary machine, possibly the most complex racing car ever made. Ever seen the little video Porsche made to celebrate it? A bit cheesy, but nicely done - our elder daughter (Masters in Science Communication from Imperial College) would have appreciated it:

That last win was most impressive - the front axle electric motors failed right at the start, the car spent over an hour in the pits, came out second-last - and won.

 

[MikeMA]

Top Gear is right off my radar these days. In fact all modern car and bike related stuff is rapidly dropping off too.

Having been a teenager in the 1960s I really love classic, old, fast and extremely noisy motorbikes and cars but I'm left wondering what place their modern and totally boring counterparts have in the modern polution conscious world.

 

[robs]

Mongolia tonight made me laugh out loud several times, as well as being spectacular.
Made me realize I hadn't watched TG for 3 weeks and not missed it...forgotten it was on TBH. Caught up - just does not compare any more.

 

[wyjsar]

Mongolia tonight made me laugh out loud several times, as well as being spectacular.
Made me realize I hadn't watched TG for 3 weeks and not missed it...forgotten it was on TBH. Caught up - just does not compare any more.

Yep, Mongolia was a good one.

 

[windhoek]

Yeah, I laughed at times as well. And perhaps for the first time on one of these specials, I realised that the car really is the star of the show as they often say it is at the end of the episode!