But, Jim, I don't hate him....I used to really like him when he wrote for Fast Lane - I think the old TG just got incredibly lame.

I never cared about who presented top gear now or in the old format. For me it's about the machines and the new towns ,cities and country's.

I don't think there are enough programs about all types of vehicles and engineering in general. It's my fault really as I don't subscribe to any pay for Chanel's etc.

We need to remember that most presenters are someone's son/daughter or father/mother.

A bit of respect makes life nicer.

TV presenting doesn't get shoutier than this.

Could've got Greg Wallance to do it huh.

Hopefully it'll settle into it's own style but please stop trying to be the old top gear.

AND STOP SHOUTING ALL THE BLOODY TIME.

p.s. not sure if I mentioned all the shouting.

Really, so surface changes or surfaces in general aren't 50% of the components in generating a slip angle? His comment sounded fine to me, in the context of dirty tyres and track condition changes.
Try looking into Chris Harris, he's got quite alot of history racing and being a motor journalist.

I too was a bit disappointed that they merely copied the old format. That said, a new team of presenters has to grow on me as well. The sad thing about Clarkson and co. is that they also kept on repeating themselves and almost turned themselves into a parody. The end of their show would have been inevitable within a year or so given the lack of originality. Driving cars almost nobody can afford, etc. It was more a show about them than a show about cars, something which topgear really should be about!

Sure, the amount of surface grip has an effect on slip angle but I don't see the relevance in terms of whether a track is entertaining or not.

I think my understanding of slip angle might be different to yours Muzzie but I don't want to go completely off topic by getting into a what I'm sure would be a reasoned discussion between intelligent, articulate individuals. After all it's quite a complicated subject to discuss solely in text, hence why it's so misunderstood.

We could always start another thread in the handling section. What d'you reckon?

No regrets on cancelling my TV license last year after watching this garbage on Iplayer.

If it doesn't get (much) better very quickly this will surely be the last series.

Do you not (yet) need a licence to watch iplayer? I thought you did (or will)

Not yet, they've recently been talking about changing that though.

Yes, if you like! It'll make a nice change from the norm.

My comments were more directed towards having a technically competent speaking driver, rather than just stig.

I'll rewatch Harris and listen to his delivery, see if I can hear what you are.

Well, in the interest of balance, I enjoyed it overall. There were bits I hated a bits I really liked.

I don't get why they interviewed two people with no connection at the same time. In the past they've interviewed in pairs but they've always been members of the same band or actors playing opposite each other in the same film.

This double interview didn't work for me. And, as others have said, do most of us sat at home want to hear about how much money Gordon Ramsey has? I related more to Jessie Eisenberg who was at least a bit humble and grounded.

However, I liked that they changed the lap to a rally cross stage and gave them a half-decent car.I hope they keep that.

The presenters are a matter of personal taste. If you dislike Chris Evans then you are unlikely to enjoy this iteration of Top Gear.

Personally, I like that he has genuine enthusiasm for the job and his love of cars is evident. If I had been handed this role (regardless of how wealthy I already was) I'd have a permanent Ricciardo grin and you'd inevitably find me quite annoying because I probably wouldn't stop going on about it.

Le Blanc was good IMO. The first American presenter on a British institution of a show is bound to draw criticism from but I thought he did it in his own way and didn't try to imitate anything that has come before.

This series was never going to get rave reviews. Those that loved the old line up will slate whoever took over (much like Evans taking over Wogan) and those that disposed the previous lot will now moan because the new series it too similar.

I'll keep watching and I'll probably check out Clarkson and co. on Amazon when it arrives.

Saw the repeat tonight. As there have been fairly negative reviews I had low expectations. But on balance, I thought it was ok and think the show has potential.

Hopefully, they'll find their own path and take TG in a fresh direction and put the Clarkson era to bed.

I only saw the start of it.........will catch all for a full review later but an initial opinion - they should've used the opportunity to make a complete new start afresh.... new logo / new music - not the same old formats / style / comments which is what I saw from the start.... YouTube car reviewers are making the best PetrolHeadonism stuff for me now...

I'm that sort of female

Is that really you Theresa?

I totally agree with this. It just seemed like a parody of the tedious bits from the Clarkson era.

Got as far as half way through the embarrassing Reliant segment before turning it off. Not for me!

Like Jim C I switched off during the Reliant segment.

Chris Evans tried too hard and Matt Le Blanc isn't a presenter.

I'll stick with the old TG team on Amazon.

New start - But we have to accept that TG is a world brand and to change both the presenters and the show may not go down well with the broadcasting organisations buying the product. I expect we have to give it time to stabilise and then see if it gets better. The initial brief may have been not to change the basic style.

Re the shouting, last night I watched the other part, Reverse Gear or Missed Gear or whatever it was called and Rory Reid was shouting just like Ginger Rodgers was the night before. Chris Harris wasn't and he was hard to hear. To me there seems to be something odd about the acoustics that the sound people don't seem to have overcome very well.

All in all, about the same relatively average standard as the last TG but better than the worst of the last series - remember that pathetic Peugeot sketch. Now that really was embarassing.

...........summed it up perfectly, a presenter he is not.

Yes I thought the studio sound was off too. Seemed fine on all the recorded stuff but was poorly mic'd on the "live" stuff.

I don't usually express an opinion on this sort of thing, but I'm watching it on iPlayer now.

I think it is inevitable that people will be comparing it with the previous version, and if you do that you are going to give it the thumbs-down. But these people are under no brief or obligation to emulate what went before, and seen in its own right it seems OK to me.

If Evans had done it in a tfi style, or like he presents on radio I'd have been far more comfortable with it.
Trying too hard and also trying to emulate former 'glory' with a new team is a mistake.
I hope it evolves and improves as they make it their own.

I got bored of the word 'solid' on extra gear too, it felt a bit too gangsta for me.....

Agreed about the audio - sounded like it was in a giant bathroom and the presenters were having to shout, didn't sound close-miked. But I think the other criticisms are a bit harsh - if you really don't like Chris Evans you're not going to be converted. I thought he was OK, I enjoyed his genuine enthusiasm. Matt LeBlanc was good, I thought the whole UK vs US joke was fun too so willing to give it a bit more time.

Afraid so

It's about 15/20 years since that photo was taken I'm even fatter and uglier now and Clarkson doesn't have much of that hair left neither

Theresa, you sound a fun girl to me & obviously reading past the jokes & japes you are well respected on here. Hope you get things sorted out wheels wise by the way.

Thanks Jim

Did you never actually watch Clarkson? Shouting was about his only talent. They made repeated jokes about him shouting.

Did you never actually watch Clarkson? Shouting was about his only talent. They made repeated jokes about him shouting. [/quote]

Clarkson has gone, a time in the past. Let's just see how Evans gets on in the future eh?......

+1