Top Gear Season Finale (sad)

[Supermans]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Again, I say I don't think performance is going anywhere...and now, I feel comfortable ammending that I think radical improvements in fuel economy aren't necessary for them to exist.

Realistically speaking, the only thing preventing an automaker like GM from making every car a performance, fuel-slurping car...is CAFE. When I speak of CAFE, I get a nasty taste in my mouth...but that's about it -- because CAFE is little more than a nuisance, imo. GM almost meets the standards TODAY...

Continuing to speak realistically...GM's portfolio in about 4 years will be super-efficient. The addition of the Cruze(40+hwy), Spark(expected 45+hwy), Aveo replacement(at least the same as Spark), Orlando(see Cruze), and VOLT(100+mpg) will ensure that. And since CAFE is fleet-wide...this means that GM just afforded themselves lots of wiggle-room for performance cars.


Just my .02, I suppose...but I'm not worried, or sad.

I hope you are correct in your assessment. Remember that the Government leadership can force GM to limit the amount of any type of vehicle they don't want to see many of as well. Ford doesn't have that problem so your scenario would apply to them more so. Let's hope supply isn't reduced because of CAFE standards or Government orders so prices can stay low on the base V8's.. Let's hope the current V8's aren't detuned to meet the CAFE standards either. Once GM reaches super-efficiency levels in 4 years, all that needs to happen is for even more stringent CAFE standards in you have V8's disappear altogether in 8 years just in time for electing a new President assuming Obama wins reelection. Overall things aren't looking good for the almighty and already efficient enough V8..

[Camaro Lives On]

That was the most calm Top Gear videos I've ever seen. I was looking though the comments, and 2 comments caught my eye.

Originally Posted by viperq

Its like Clarkson's last drive before his death.

Originally Posted by Friggatron

Wow, a seriously emotional bit of video and the score suits it perfectly, though i'd never complain to hear a bit more of that V12! Left me in a totally weird place, can't be certain if Top Gear will be back, and if it is, will Jezza still be in it? One thing is for certain, i'm sure Gordon Brown doesn't make life easy for them.

The video had so few words, and it was so serious, that it really has me thinking, will Clarkson be returning next season, if there is a next season? Maybe not nessecarily to death, but will he come back?

[Shadowsong]

Originally Posted by Camaro Lives On

That was the most calm Top Gear videos I've ever seen. I was looking though the comments, and 2 comments caught my eye.




The video had so few words, and it was so serious, that it really has me thinking, will Clarkson be returning next season, if there is a next season? Maybe not nessecarily to death, but will he come back?

No, top gear is not dead, yes clarkson will be back. That's all just internet rumor BS.

I mean, hell, at the end of the episode clarkson even said something about being back on the air in November.

[stovt001]

Notice in the Jay Leno interview, Clarkson remarked that it used to be traveling to America was like going to jail "except with more food" and that coming back to the UK was like regaining freedom. Now it is the other way around. I lived in Oxford for a few months while I was studying there. In fact some of my earlier posts on this site were from Oxford. Anyway, it definitely did seem like much more of a safety-conscious nanny state than we even have here. It seemed like no one could do anything without putting on some bright yellow, green, and orange safety vest. The government busy-bodies haven't restricted Americans quite so much...yet. Yes there is movement in that direction, but I also see very encouraging resistance to move government control. There are significant efforts, even among politicians, to do away with speed cameras. Supposedly the Automotive Task Force loved the CTS-V coupe. All hope is not lost. There are still plenty of people out there who understand freedom, and the best we can do is fight for it, and then exercise it responsibly.

[DHMotorSports]

Really Sad!

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Supermans

I hope you are correct in your assessment. Remember that the Government leadership can force GM to limit the amount of any type of vehicle they don't want to see many of as well. Ford doesn't have that problem so your scenario would apply to them more so. Let's hope supply isn't reduced because of CAFE standards or Government orders so prices can stay low on the base V8's.. Let's hope the current V8's aren't detuned to meet the CAFE standards either. Once GM reaches super-efficiency levels in 4 years, all that needs to happen is for even more stringent CAFE standards in you have V8's disappear altogether in 8 years just in time for electing a new President assuming Obama wins reelection. Overall things aren't looking good for the almighty and already efficient enough V8..

There are a lot of what-ifs and assumptions in your statement above...I am guilty, too of speculating beyond any reasonable point. Every one of your points/concerns are valid in the sense that they aren't "impossible". I just refuse to believe in a doomed future, and I see signs supporting my case, so I'm just not worried, yet.

I should also ammend this with this: I believe PERFORMANCE will live on, improve, etc. As of right now, I also believe V8 engines will have a place in that future, however their role will be moderately reduced from today and yesterday. Only because V8s aren't necessary for performance anymore. IF the unfortunate happens, and the V8 engine fades...which is, in reality...impossible, imo...there are still V10s, and V12s this day in age...why should there not be V8s two decades from now? But I digress...IF the V8 fades, I am 100% convinced it will be replaced with something better. A Twin Turbo V6, for instance, with the same characteristics of a V8 (torquey power), except with better mileage, and the ability to "turn up the boost".....who's to say....for now, lets enjoy what we have, and look to a positive future.

Originally Posted by stovt001

I lived in Oxford for a few months while I was studying there. In fact some of my earlier posts on this site were from Oxford.

Wow, I didn't know that!

Originally Posted by stovt001

....There are significant efforts, even among politicians, to do away with speed cameras. Supposedly the Automotive Task Force loved the CTS-V coupe. All hope is not lost. There are still plenty of people out there who understand freedom, and the best we can do is fight for it, and then exercise it responsibly.

IMO, the day we convince ourselves the world is going to end, is the day the ground splits beneath our feet.

[stovt001]

Yup, if you remember when we had our countdowns to the Chevy club website updates (that never happened!) I would always check in with "##:## GMT, still no update..." GMT as in the timezone for England. I procrastinated on a number of papers because of this site. Good times. This was one of the things that kept me connected back to the states whenever I felt a bit homesick.

Speaking of speed cameras and the UK, I remember seeing one Top Gear episode recently where a local British politician denounced speed cameras as unfair taxation and vowed to remove them. They gave him thunderous applause, invited him to come on the show, and even made a throne for him.

I honestly do have hope that there are politicians out there with a sense of fairness, and want to create constructive policies, not just implement knee-jerk reactions formed with political expediency in mind.

Then again, I actually preferred the speed cameras in Arizona since they announced their presence with signs well ahead of time. Police cars on patrol don't do that! Watching out for those signs kept me on my toes on an otherwise boring drive from LA to Tucson.

[SSmoked]

the ending was sad. but did any of u guys watch the full episode? the vaxhaul cars are wicked. the white one is like a cts-v without the cadillac, and the el camino clone is simply asom. great episode from the boys at top gear, there commercial adds for the VW scirroco were epic.