Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear host, suspended by BBC after 'fracas'

[NemesisPrime909]

Originally Posted by fumanchu1

Yeah leblanc should be decent he has knowledge, can actually drive (that one's for you Evans) and is a funny guy... Evans on the other hand.... what were they thinking

The dude loves cars.

(Have you not seen his collection of Ferraris?)

Just listening to the guy talk about them you can tell he truly loves cars.

[fumanchu1]

Originally Posted by NemesisPrime909

The dude loves cars.

(Have you not seen his collection of Ferraris?)

Just listening to the guy talk about them you can tell he truly loves cars.

Having a collection and loving it is not enough to be put to headline a gearhead show, from what I've seen and heard, his driving is pitiful and he throws up his lunch if riding as a passenger.


Hell if having a ton of cars and loving them was the main criteria why not have Leno take over the show, I mean he has more cars and loves them more... oh wait because that would be dumb for a network to base their entire decision on those 2 points

[DAEMANO]

Originally Posted by fumanchu1

Having a collection and loving it is not enough to be put to headline a gearhead show, from what I've seen and heard, his driving is pitiful and he throws up his lunch if riding as a passenger.


Hell if having a ton of cars and loving them was the main criteria why not have Leno take over the show, I mean he has more cars and loves them more... oh wait because that would be dumb for a network to base their entire decision on those 2 points

My guess is that they didn't get Leno because he already has a show of his own and pretty much doesn't work much outside of L.A. anymore.

Evans' car collection is pretty highly regarded so I think his car knowledge AND his experience on television makes him qualified to, you know, host a TV show about cars. As far as hauling ass around a track goes, Schmidt, Coulthard, Harris and probably even Joey can do this in a way that Clarkson, Hammond, and May never could. I think they got the bona-fide gearhead staffing handled.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by fumanchu1

why not have Leno take over the show, I mean he has more cars and loves them more... oh wait because that would be dumb for a network to base their entire decision on those 2 points

Or maybe he did not want, or they could not afford him.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by PureShield

Fact: There are no bigger gearheads then Clarkson, May and Hammond.

lol that's funny

Where C/M/H really shine is their writing skills, they're all seasoned journalists who have been working for decades, they can churn out entertaining writing on a nearly daily basis if they have material to write about regular shows and newspaper columns for many years.

Personally I think they're weak in some areas, it's hard to not go into vague generalities but things like not having a good grasp of the technologies that have been around for years if not decades (like LSD's, active suspension, torque vectoring) and aftermarket support for cars being able to solve things like handling and reliability problems, eating up marketing material without enough skepticism, and almost zero insight into long term car ownership. I think Coulthard, Harris, and Schmitz are good candidates as they should bring more in depth technical knowledge to the program instead of Clarkson looking at the camera and saying in his cartoon voices "Wizardry!" or them pretending to fall asleep or fade to black when May starts talking.

tl;dr there are bigger gearheads out there, but none are better writers than the OT.

Whenever I see LeBlanc talk about cars he kind of seems like an airhead, like he understands the basics but for the most part is kind of like Leno in that he just spends money on them because he likes it. Can't speak to Evan's passion but I don't agree that spending a bunch of money on things makes you an expert.

LeBlanc's quotation here about his GT2 is really uninspiring, it's basically "I like it and the engines in the back so that's different"
http://jalopnik.com/top-gears-matt-l...rsc-1757290982

Staffing is interesting, they're upping the driving talent, names well known to enthusiasts with credibility and this article about Eddie Jordan combined with the earlier Coulthard rumors is promising. They are bar none my favorite broadcast team watching them do F1 on BBC.

http://jalopnik.com/formula-one-guy-...lso-1757353132

The names they're bringing up are good people that can talk intelligently about cars, but they're not creative writers. I'll be very surprised if they bring out the laughs and keep engagement up from the beginning. Even the old crew took 2-3 seasons to really get into a rhythm, I'll be very surprised if new TG doesn't flounder for a season or two, hopefully all the people they've signed on don't go down with the ship.

[PureShield]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

lol that's funny

Where C/M/H really shine is their writing skills, they're all seasoned journalists who have been working for decades, they can churn out entertaining writing on a nearly daily basis if they have material to write about regular shows and newspaper columns for many years.

Personally I think they're weak in some areas, it's hard to not go into vague generalities but things like not having a good grasp of the technologies that have been around for years if not decades (like LSD's, active suspension, torque vectoring) and aftermarket support for cars being able to solve things like handling and reliability problems, eating up marketing material without enough skepticism, and almost zero insight into long term car ownership. I think Coulthard, Harris, and Schmitz are good candidates as they should bring more in depth technical knowledge to the program instead of Clarkson looking at the camera and saying in his cartoon voices "Wizardry!" or them pretending to fall asleep or fade to black when May starts talking.

tl;dr there are bigger gearheads out there, but none are better writers than the OT.

Whenever I see LeBlanc talk about cars he kind of seems like an airhead, like he understands the basics but for the most part is kind of like Leno in that he just spends money on them because he likes it. Can't speak to Evan's passion but I don't agree that spending a bunch of money on things makes you an expert.

LeBlanc's quotation here about his GT2 is really uninspiring, it's basically "I like it and the engines in the back so that's different"
http://jalopnik.com/top-gears-matt-l...rsc-1757290982

Staffing is interesting, they're upping the driving talent, names well known to enthusiasts with credibility and this article about Eddie Jordan combined with the earlier Coulthard rumors is promising. They are bar none my favorite broadcast team watching them do F1 on BBC.

http://jalopnik.com/formula-one-guy-...lso-1757353132

The names they're bringing up are good people that can talk intelligently about cars, but they're not creative writers. I'll be very surprised if they bring out the laughs and keep engagement up from the beginning. Even the old crew took 2-3 seasons to really get into a rhythm, I'll be very surprised if new TG doesn't flounder for a season or two, hopefully all the people they've signed on don't go down with the ship.

I agree and can relate to about 90% of what your saying, but in saying that. it totally depends on how you define a Gearhead/Petrolhead/Car Enthusiast. To me being those things can mean you have a massive passion for cars. Weather you can name any car you see or rebuild an engine. If you you watch Clarkson and another good example of this is Eric Bana, you can just see the glow in there eyes when they talk about cars. As a lover of anything to do with cars I'm just happy that Top Gear is coming back and I also can't wait till the trios new Amazon show either .

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by PureShield

I agree and can relate to about 90% of what your saying, but in saying that. it totally depends on how you define a Gearhead/Petrolhead/Car Enthusiast. To me being those things can mean you have a massive passion for cars. Weather you can name any car you see or rebuild an engine. If you you watch Clarkson and another good example of this is Eric Bana, you can just see the glow in there eyes when they talk about cars. As a lover of anything to do with cars I'm just happy that Top Gear is coming back and I also can't wait till the trios new Amazon show either .

I bet Eric Bana has rebuilt an engine, he was so much more excited during that conversation than Clarkson, I would call him "more of a gearhead" than any of the OT in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't want to watch him do a car review he wrote himself. Feed the Beast was cool but it dragged on and never hit a balance that other good documentaries do.

I'm not demeaning C/H/M, there's a Q&A they did before a season a few years back and that really let them show their passion, but out of all the people I could think to call up to ask questions about cars and talk about cars they don't even break the top ten for me.

Their success, imo, was due to their writing skills not their 'petrolhead qualifications', (which is a point in Evans' favor). They have the passion, which is essential, but look up any car based youtube channel, there's thousands of people who are passionate and can talk into a camera (allegedly a point against Evans) and edit a coherent 10 minute segment, but only a few are really worth watching 90% of the time they put something out. Hell, May filmed himself cooking dinner and it was a riot.

Luckily, they grabbed one of those youtube fellas worth watching.

[PureShield]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I bet Eric Bana has rebuilt an engine, he was so much more excited during that conversation than Clarkson, I would call him "more of a gearhead" than any of the OT in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't want to watch him do a car review he wrote himself. Feed the Beast was cool but it dragged on and never hit a balance that other good documentaries do.

I'm not demeaning C/H/M, there's a Q&A they did before a season a few years back and that really let them show their passion, but out of all the people I could think to call up to ask questions about cars and talk about cars they don't even break the top ten for me.

Their success, imo, was due to their writing skills not their 'petrolhead qualifications', (which is a point in Evans' favor). They have the passion, which is essential, but look up any car based youtube channel, there's thousands of people who are passionate and can talk into a camera (allegedly a point against Evans) and edit a coherent 10 minute segment, but only a few are really worth watching 90% of the time they put something out. Hell, May filmed himself cooking dinner and it was a riot.

Luckily, they grabbed one of those youtube fellas worth watching.

Haha your talking to the wrong guy as I have literally watched every episode of Top Gear more than twice. Personally I like Chris Harris but the guy can get a bit boring. No body on youtube has the charisma that they have except maybe MCM. Me saying that there are no bigger car enthusiasts then them is me just being a fanboy :P. Everyone of those guys are massive car nuts in there own right.

[PureShield]

What Top Gear needs is a hardcore JDM host . Who's down for Keiichi Tsuchiya!!!!!

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by PureShield

Nobody on youtube has the charisma that they have except maybe MCM.

Truth, MCM and RCR are the only two youtubers with a personality I've seen, but it's abrasive like Clarkson so they'll probably be YouTube forever (although "Mr. Regular" is writing for R&T now...). Whether you like RCR or not, the guys who do it have Masters degrees in English Literature, they're writers and their reviews are jam packed with word play which goes back to my point about C/H/M, RCR gets a watch from me on every video they put out just like Top Gear once did.

My TG viewership has been spotty the last 5 years or so, TG lost me and I thought they were just going through the motions, their latest season was their best in the last five years imo. Like you, I watched series 5-15 probably 2x each as well, if not more. Shame Clarkson is a pillock but hopefully Amazon allows them to do something interesting and we didn't lose anything, but in fact gained because Amazon will make their show way more accessible than BBC did.



(especially as BBC is not renewing their streaming licenses on lots of big properties right now, it may be a big struggle to even watch new TG without a cable subscription to BBCA)

[DAEMANO]

Originally Posted by PureShield

Could mean many things, we truthfully don't know until it's officially announced.

Ummm yeah.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/11/t...r%27s-new-team

Chris Evans recruits a car-studded line-up for punchy reboot of world's biggest motoring entertainment show.

Motorsport guru and Formula 1 commentator Eddie Jordan, world record-breaking German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, renowned motoring journalist and YouTube petrolhead Chris Harris, and car reviewer and TV presenter Rory Reid are today all confirmed to join Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc for the eagerly awaited return of Top Gear.

The new team will cover the entire automotive spectrum and bring with them their own unique and very individual love of cars that will resonate with every type of Top Gear viewer, from the family who enjoy the entertainment values of the show, to aspirational car lovers and fanatical petrolheads.

Formula 1 heavyweight Eddie Jordan comes armed with a trademark no-nonsense, richly experienced view of the motoring world, and life in general, which is guaranteed to be anything but boring. The colourful Dublin-born entrepreneur has flirted with cars all his life, and as owner of the former Jordan Grand Prix team gave many of the world's most iconic drivers their first taste of the most powerful and loudest starting grid on the planet, including Michael Schumacher, who made his debut for Jordan in 1991, and Eddie Irvine.

Sabine Schmitz, the legendary Queen of the Nurburgring, re-enters Top Gear folklore by becoming the show's first female presenter in 15 years. Another familiar face to Top Gear viewers following her unforgettable appearances in series 5 and series 11, she has already completed some filming with Chris Evans in a sequence that will leave even the most hardened speed–demons gasping for breath when it debuts on TV (sick-bags not included!).

Motoring journalist Chris Harris, the man whose very name sends shivers through many car manufacturers' boardrooms, comes armed with a self-confessed determination to cause mischief and tell viewers insightful things about automobiles they probably didn't even think they needed to know.

And newcomer Rory Reid, who was recruited to Top Gear from the show's 2015 public auditions, is an award-winning journalist, has launched and presented for CNET's Car Tech channel, and also had a starring role in Sky 1's Gadget Geeks series.

Chris Evans said of his new Top Gear gang: "We really do have a bit of everything for everyone. A fellow lifelong petrolhead from the other side of the pond in Matt; a fearless speed-demon in the irrepressible and effervescent Sabine; the encyclopedic, funny and wonderfully colourful character that is EJ; Chris, one of the world's top no-nonsense car reviewers; and Rory, who simply blew me away in his audition and fully deserves his place on the team."

Eddie Jordan said: "I'm giddy with excitement to be joining Chris and the team. I have such enormous respect for all my fellow presenters and I politely ask that they go easy on these old bones. Cars are in my DNA and although I've been fortunate enough to accomplish most things I ever aspired to in motorsport, presenting Top Gear is quite simply the icing on the cake."

Chris Harris said: "Top Gear is the thing that helped shape my life with cars, my perception of cars and my obsession with cars, and I'm raring to give it a go. I'm also quite gobby and happy to get into trouble, so I'm hoping I can underpin the programme with journalistic credibility but still cause some mischief. And if it all goes wrong, well, I can say I was once on Top Gear, and just head back to being that annoying small bloke off YouTube."

Sabine Schmitz added: "I grew up next to the Nurburgring, and have been racing for most of my life, so the chance to combine both driving and filming was too good an opportunity to pass up. I've appeared on Top Gear a few times in the past, so I know we're going to have a lot of fun."

Rory Reid commented: "When I submitted my 30-second audition tape, I knew the odds were very firmly against me, as the auditions were open to absolutely everybody. To be the only person to make it through the open audition process makes me immensely proud. I've been a Top Gear fan for decades, but more than that, I live and breathe cars in a way that is perfectly compatible with the show. I'm looking forward to bringing my brand of knowledge, energy and humour to what promises to be a very exciting new series."

The Stig, clearly not wanting to be left out of today's announcement, sent the following reply via electronic communication: "-.-. .... . .-- .. . --..-- / .-- . .----. .-. . / .... --- -- . .-.-.-"

Top Gear returns this May to BBC Two and TV screens everywhere.
Biographies
Eddie Jordan

Eddie Jordan is an Irish former racing driver, team owner and entrepreneur. A host of drivers owe their breaks to Eddie as a champion of young talent, including Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine. Having suffered a number of major accidents while competing in racing, Eddie retired to set up his Jordan team in 1980. The team went on to be champions in Formula 3 with Johnny Herbert in 1987, Formula 3000 in 1989 with Jean Alesi - and in 1990 Eddie established Jordan Grand Prix and entered Formula 1. He sold Jordan Grand Prix in January 2005 and has since developed a portfolio of business interests as well as presenting the BBC's coverage of Formula 1. He has been inducted into the Irish Motorsport Hall of Fame and in 2012 he was awarded an honorary OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of his services to charity and motor racing.

Sabine Schmitz

Sabine Schmitz is a German racing driver who is already well known to fans of Top Gear. She grew up in her parents' hotel just 300m from the legendary Nurburgring track and has spent her life surrounded by cars and racing. She became the first woman to win the prestigious Nurburgring 24 hours in 1996, and repeated the feat a year later. Sabine became known as the 'World's fastest taxi driver' by driving passengers around the track in a BMW M5 and has since presented several motoring shows for German TV. She has appeared on Top Gear several times over the years, becoming a firm favourite with viewers. She still races successfully today and runs her own race team.

Chris Harris

Chris Harris is probably best known for his popular YouTube channel, Chris Harris on Cars, which he launched in 2014, established with the help longtime friend Neil Carey. It has already amassed over a quarter of a million subscribers and the content has been viewed over 20 million times.

Chris began his career in motoring journalism at UK-based Autocar magazine, becoming their official road-test editor. This gave him the opportunity to do some "racing and skidding" before starting a website for fast cars the week Lehman Brothers went under in 2008, which obviously ended badly. He then looked to solve his new found indebtedness at Evo magazine, and then became a member of the Pistonheads.com crew, as well as a regular feature on YouTube's DRIVE channel.

Rory Reid

Rory Reid is an award-winning journalist of 18 years specialising in cars. Rory has written and presented for the likes of CNET UK, where he launched the company's popular Car Tech channel, receiving a prestigious Association of Online Publishers (AOP) award for 'Best Use of Video' in the process. Rory has featured in a number of car-focused television shows and had a starring role in the Gadget Geeks series on Sky 1, where he reviewed cars and consumer tech. He was also a presenter on the hugely successful Fast, Furious & Funny YouTube channel. He is editor-in-chief of Recombu, specialising in producing car reviews.

[PureShield]

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

Ummm yeah.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/11/t...r%27s-new-team

Please read what I said. You sir need a hobby.

[DAEMANO]

Originally Posted by PureShield

Please read what I said. You sir need a hobby.

Oh I read it, but it was a weak statement given the amount of evidence available to the contrary. Specifically Harris being filmed with the show crew, Harris closing his Patreon account that funded his Youtube channel, and Harris abruptly stopping production of his Youtube channel. Anyone can precede their prediction with "could", that's measured in some instances, but spineless in others. You sir, need a clue.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

Ummm yeah.

Honestly, if this line-up had another show name associated with it, I'd be excited to see what it was going to bring and the discussion would be "can it beat Top Gear at it's own game?". I think the Top Gear name has such a specific style tied to it that it muddies the picture a bit.

I'm willing to give it a fair shot, and I'm thinking that having more presenters gives it a better opportunity for success than if they tried to just replace the previous trio and recreate the style.