Last night's Top Gear

[Alastair]

Oh man - I hadn't heard about that. Where's the drool face?

[mid]

This month's mag has a short list of all the main features coming this series (not necessarily in broadcast order). An Audi up a mountain road versus a guy climbing straight up the side of the cliff should be fun, too, as should Greyhound Vs. MX 5 round a dog track.

[forpey]

That M6 was a bit of a joke. Its a 500bhp car, but the default setting is 400bhp?! What's the point? Why would I want to drive around in 400bhp mode? Surely they can make a car which has 500bhp and doesn't require you to be the Stig to drive it... lets be honest the only people driving this car will be geeky men having a mid-life crisis.

But yeah, the series is gonna be a stormer, if a little short. The race is gonna be ace!

I think I've converted my girlfriend to watching Top Gear now, although it maybe because of Richard Hammond.

[NeilMcRae]

I didn't see Top Gear but from what I hear they compared it to a porker and AMV8? The porker is bad comparision as its hardly a grand tourer and the AM is a lovely motor also.

I'm hoping to pick up my M6 up in a few weeks (depends on how soon I can get a cab). Having driven the 5 and 6. I can tell you that being able to limit the power is a godsend, particularly in London. without it you'd end up parked in the transit van in front of you. The M6 is nimbler than the 5 Great fun overtaking the Ferrari's though

Regards,
Neil.

[mid]

I thought I remembered you saying you were getting a new M, Neil, but for some reason I got the impression you preferred the 5, or I'd have said.

It was a pretty unfair comparison all round, really - the Porsche doesn't have the bootspace of the other two so it's no good to many that want the others, the M6 is never going to come close on looks in my book (but then we're on forum record for our differences of opinion about Chris Bangle), and the AMV8 can't compete in raw power but just looks so very, very nice.

I agree about there being far too many gadgets in BMWs, but that's largely because like Clarkson I'm a bit thick when it comes to all this setup fiddling malarky. Am I right in thinking that 400BHP mode saves you a fair bit in fuel economy, too?

[Rossco]

Ohh its back, need to set the video to record this tonight!

I love the big races too, really cool. Plus Clarkson is a legend! 8)

[demon9k]

I didn't see Top Gear but from what I hear they compared it to a porker and AMV8? The porker is bad comparision as its hardly a grand tourer and the AM is a lovely motor also.

I'm hoping to pick up my M6 up in a few weeks (depends on how soon I can get a cab). Having driven the 5 and 6. I can tell you that being able to limit the power is a godsend, particularly in London. without it you'd end up parked in the transit van in front of you. The M6 is nimbler than the 5 Great fun overtaking the Ferrari's though

Regards,
Neil.

I don't like you

[MartyG]

Having driven the 5 and 6. I can tell you that being able to limit the power is a godsend, particularly in London. without it you'd end up parked in the transit van in front of you.

And here's me thinking people can limit the power with the right foot

[Alastair]

Having driven the 5 and 6. I can tell you that being able to limit the power is a godsend, particularly in London. without it you'd end up parked in the transit van in front of you.

And here's me thinking people can limit the power with the right foot

I agree, they may as well have a 'mode' in the M6 where you get 85 bhp for town fuel economy super savings

[mid]

Have you driven a BMW Marty? I tried briefly, and discovered a semi-legitimate reason for them getting the bad reputation they have. The accelerator was horribly sensitive; trying to keep it at a moderate speed was really tiring, I found. I'm sure it's something you can get used to, but I found the balance between stalling it and rocketing off a nightmare. So the limiter probably makes sense from that point of view.

[MartyG]

Not anything with the power of the M series no, can't say I have. My bike will rocket me off to 100 in 7 seconds though, you just don't have to twist the throttle all the way. My comment was in jest though really

[mid]

I kind of figured it might be, but I was really surprised at how difficult it was to keep that power under control when I wasn't prepared for it.

[MartyG]

I can see that might be an issue on autos - but if you have a clutch it really shouldn't be an issue at all - though as they said on Top Gear; just because you have a bigger wallet, it doesn't mean you're a better driver

Anyway, a car like that doesn't belong in a city centre, it belongs on open stretch of A road.

[VR46]

Just watched last Sunday's episode, Top Gear back to it's best, such an all-round well produced program.
Out of the Supercar test, the 911 would have been my choice, never looks dated imo and peed all over the other two in the test.
The Isle of Man is nice place to go (esp for TT races in June) and it doesn't rain all the time, just most of it.
Should be a great, if short series.

[forpey]

the 911 would have been my choice, never looks dated imo and peed all over the other two in the test

I did have a lot more respect for the 911 after Sunday night. The new design isn't very... well, 'new'. But there is something to be said about what James May was getting at - its the unassuming, under-stated pick of the bunch, which isn't flash anymore - but so what? I think a lot of the new GT cars like the AMV8 have an image problem, in that as nice as they are, Wayne Rooney will probably buy one.