type R panned by Clarkson

[Seirrah]

Originally Posted by fennj

The EP3 has only just become afordable to the baseball cap/Hoody mob and that's the early examples.

I wear some tops whcih have hoods...are you stereotyping all people with hoodies? I'm doing a PhD in Physics

I think TopGear stereotypes people and cars all the time ('footballers', WAGs, 'housewives', 'BMW drivers' ....etc etc) , but you can't take it too seriously. I found the 'boy-racer' stereotype thing really funny (just as when he reviewed the Focus ST ASBO.......and I'd happily buy an EP3, if I liked the look of it!

[Conrad'67]

Who is listening to that decrepid old fool Clarkson anyway? I had an EP3 which was cool. Now i've got an FN2 and it looks way better . The elderly tend to dislike modern design anyway.

[fennj]

Originally Posted by Seirrah

I wear some tops whcih have hoods...are you stereotyping all people with hoodies? I'm doing a PhD in Physics

I think TopGear stereotypes people and cars all the time ('footballers', WAGs, 'housewives', 'BMW drivers' ....etc etc) , but you can't take it too seriously. I found the 'boy-racer' stereotype thing really funny (just as when he reviewed the Focus ST ASBO.......and I'd happily buy an EP3, if I liked the look of it!

Me too I have a Supadry and an adidas Hoodie, and you knew exactly what I meant

[Rizlam]

Originally Posted by Munro

Topgear magazine rated the new CTR as best hot hatch out of 29 currently available, yet JC slates it (again). TG are not exactly consistent in their ratings.

Top Gear mag and Top Gear the program are editorially independent. Take for example the Nissan 350Z; TG mag loved it, JC hated it.

[brawnr]

I'm glad today is over...been getting snide comments all day from colleagues

Jealously is a cruel beast.

[DouglasW]

think theres too much time spent bombing around the track in supercars trying desperately to make the tyres smoke - therefore making them all look THAT bit younger (apart from stig of course!)

cars at a meagre (!!!!) 18k probably represent too much of a drop downmarket to be accurately reviewed for using in the real world

also getting a bit boring comparing hot hatches to various breeds of dog, but hey, we do all tune in regardless - and comments above quite right... prog it is only entertainment now

...and they have managed to dampen my enthusiasm (just a bit!!) about type s gt just confirmed today that it should be with me by the end of this week.. hopefully not loads of "isnt that the car on top gear that was a bit crap?" comments!!! (which maybe saves me having to justify why i went for type S instead of the R in the first place!!!)

[kevj121]

I used to drive a gti6 and loved it, the CTR which I have had for 3 weeks now reminds me so much of the gti6 and Its just so lovely to drive..I would not have bought it if it had a boy racer image anyway..so long live the new CTR as it is; everyone just go out and enjoy a great drive.

[PTR]

I have posted my opinion on the video thred but I insert it here also!

"
concerning of the new vs. old laptimes:
sorry to say guys but lap time is one thing, driving feel is another...
this car with the very low tech suspension has lots of lots of understeer, what I feel on my car also! (on track days especially!)

I prefer the handling feel of the 7gen. CTR
I could accept that I am slower if I have a really good driving feeling in the car.
I mean the car is turning actively!

but this 8gen. CTR is all about understeer... if u can get it right and u control the understeer u can be a bit faster than the old one!
But controlling understeer is booring, too easy, way less fun than play with the tail of the car!

That's my opinion! Still like the 8gen. but it's not a real R! The real R meant something else..... "

[cnicolini]

I have just complained on their website and told them 'what does the man know, who paid £80k for a FORD GT40, I mean all that money for a FORD!!!' We should all complain:
BBC - Top Gear - Homepage

[Civic Fan]

It's great to see every one on here get so emotive about the car. Weather you agree or disagree with the comments JC made or even that of other members on this thread, at least the topic has stirred up some real passion and lively debate. Even if the car has one or two slight flaws its clear that the majority of people especially owners like if not love the car regardless. I do and I don’t even have one! Am I biased? – Yes. Is my judgment clouded? – Perhaps. Do I want one? – Er… does any one want a slightly used right arm and leg?!!

Just look on the bright side. The revised/face lifted version should be a scorcher. Well let’s hope anyway.

Cheers all.

[minisweeper]

Originally Posted by cnicolini

I have just complained on their website and told them 'what does the man know, who paid £80k for a FORD GT40, I mean all that money for a FORD!!!' We should all complain:
BBC - Top Gear - Homepage

How much time do you have on your hands? Seriously?! The best possible outcome from complaining to topgear is that JC would read it out on the show and everyone would get a giggle out of it.

[illegalhunter]

All this form a guy who bought a Ford GT 40 and it was PISH

[CivPilot]

Originally Posted by cnicolini

I have just complained on their website and told them 'what does the man know, who paid £80k for a FORD GT40, I mean all that money for a FORD!!!' We should all complain:
BBC - Top Gear - Homepage

I really, really hope your joking? You actually formally complained because his opinion did not match what you thought it should be?

The end result will be Clarkson and the boys (and probably the millions of viewers if he decides to make it a news item) laughing their arses off and you having some sort of blood pressure induced attack. Calm down, he is totally entitled to have a different opinion to you and totally entitled to air it wether you agree with him or not.

Oh, and not being a pedant or anything... well actually I am....

The Ford that Clarkson bought was a Ford GT. NOT a GT40, GT40's were made years ago and raced at LeMans and were named as such because the roof was 40inches off the road. The new lookalike was actually a bit taller so the '40' was dropped from the name. In fact Ford NEVER officially refered to the car as the "GT40" even when it only existed in concept form, it was always called the "Ford GT"

And the reason his car turned out to be more trouble than it was worth was due to the Alarm system fitted by Ford UK constantly shutting the car down, the car itself was fine and the American models (without the Ford UK alarm addition) work very well indeed. In fact for the money he paid (it was infact around £101k on the road) there wasn't alot that could keep up on straights or twisty's. Hell, the Ford GT even won the British evo car of the year test when it launched in the uk against cars costing several thousand more.
So dissing his knowledge based on your lack of knowledge only makes you look a little... erm... ill informed. Sorry.

Ford GT, Proper honest supercar... unfortunatly 'blessed' with a UK fitted alarm system .

[cnicolini]

To hell with Clarkson, he brought a Ford at the end of the day! I would of brought a Ferrari or maybe a Dodge Viper, but not a Ford! Let him read out the email, he had it in for the Type R right from the beginning as he took the P out of the triangler exhausts. The Civic's world apart from any other car on the market in looks, and its cheaply priced! How many concept cars actually get built, good on you Honda!

We have to take a stand in this country or people will walk all over you! Look at our fuel prices, nobody can be bothered to strike, so it keeps going up! If we were in France they would nt take it!

[Civic Fan]

Originally Posted by CivPilot

I really, really hope your joking? You actually formally complained because his opinion did not match what you thought it should be?

The end result will be Clarkson and the boys (and probably the millions of viewers if he decides to make it a news item) laughing their arses off and you having some sort of blood pressure induced attack. Calm down, he is totally entitled to have a different opinion to you and totally entitled to air it wether you agree with him or not.

Oh, and not being a pedant or anything... well actually I am....

The Ford that Clarkson bought was a Ford GT. NOT a GT40, GT40's were made years ago and raced at LeMans and were named as such because the roof was 40inches off the road. The new lookalike was actually a bit taller so the '40' was dropped from the name. In fact Ford NEVER officially refered to the car as the "GT40" even when it only existed in concept form, it was always called the "Ford GT"

And the reason his car turned out to be more trouble than it was worth was due to the Alarm system fitted by Ford UK constantly shutting the car down, the car itself was fine and the American models (without the Ford UK alarm addition) work very well indeed. In fact for the money he paid (it was infact around £101k on the road) there wasn't alot that could keep up on straights or twisty's. Hell, the Ford GT even won the British evo car of the year test when it launched in the uk against cars costing several thousand more.
So dissing his knowledge based on your lack of knowledge only makes you look a little... erm... ill informed. Sorry.

Ford GT, Proper honest supercar... unfortunatly 'blessed' with a UK fitted alarm system .

I disagree with your comments on the name. It is well documented that the real reason the GT40 is know as the "Ford GT" has nothing to do with the measurements of the car. In fact a British company, Safir Engineering, who made continuation GT40s in the 1980s, owned the GT40 trademark at that time, and when they completed production, they sold the excess parts, tooling, design, and trademark to a small Ohio company called Safir GT40 Spares. Safir GT40 Spares licensed the use of the GT40 trademark to Ford for the initial 2002 show car, but when Ford decided to make the production vehicle, negotiations between the two failed. It is speculated that too high a price was demeaned of Ford for the rights to the GT40 name and as a result, the new “Ford GT” does not wear the GT40 badge.

I also disagree with your comments on the reliability of the car. Early production Ford GT’s experienced many minor problems (including glitches with the electrical and climate control systems, leaking power steering and engine coolant hoses, and a steering column rattle on some cars), and two bigger problems.

In December of 2004, Ford recalled all Ford GTs that had been built up to that point (448 units were built, but only 283 had been shipped to dealers, and only 106 had been delivered to retail customers) because of concerns regarding the strength of the suspension control arms. They had been "squash cast" for added strength, a new process also used by Porsche and Alfa Romeo. But after Ford discovered a crack in one of the high-mileage development cars, the company decided to replace the parts on all the production cars.

There was also a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) to inspect the engine on early cars built in 2004 for an oil leak at the main seal. The finish of some crankshafts was flawed, causing an oil leak. Ford dealers stopped the leak with a new main seal and a "Speedi-Sleeve" around the crankshaft, a device commonly used to repair worn engines in older cars. Some journalists felt that this was an improper fix for an expensive supercar and criticized Ford for not either replacing the defective crankshaft or replacing the entire engine. There are a few other TSBs for the car, including the need for hose clamps to be adjusted or replaced!

[Civic Fan]

Originally Posted by minisweeper

How much time do you have on your hands? Seriously?! The best possible outcome from complaining to topgear is that JC would read it out on the show and everyone would get a giggle out of it.

Why should cnicolini not complain if they feel strongly enough about it. There are plenty on this site that seem to have just as much time on their hands and feel only too justified in voicing their opinions no matter how bigoted or far off the mark they are.
You may not agree with the action taken but give them credit for having a go regardless of the outcome.

This thread has shown a lot of owners of the CTR and the humble civic to be passionate and some what affectionately fanatical. JC himself will cream over any Aston Martin regardless of it'S flaws in much the same way. Different car in a different class but the emotion is the same. How many of the critics on this site who openly defend JC against fellow members and who vehemently voice distain of those members, do so in the direction of JC when he shows the same traits? Not very fair or consistent and rather smacks of hypocrisy me thinks.

Don’t mean to flame you but one or two members here are a little too free with the negative criticism, which in my book is confriontational and bordering on offensive. My apologies if it was not intended that way but please bear in mind that emails, forum replies and text messages are not the same as the spoken word and can be misinterpreted. I’d hate to see some one reported for an action of which they are innocent.

[cnicolini]

Thank you. You are right, there's no need to complain and moan about it on this site, we have to let them know that they are wrong. (directly)

JC was negative right from the start and did nt have a good word to say about the car. You cant compare a Type R to all of the other cars that he tested on the track, its a fast hatch back and not a £100k Ferrari. For the money you get alot of car. I swear he must get back handers from people, he never slags off Ford, but hates Vauxhall and never has a good word to say about them either.

[CivPilot]

Originally Posted by Civic Fan

I disagree with your comments on the name. It is well documented that the real reason the GT40 is know as the "Ford GT" has nothing to do with the measurements of the car. In fact a British company, Safir Engineering, who made continuation GT40s in the 1980s, owned the GT40 trademark at that time, and when they completed production, they sold the excess parts, tooling, design, and trademark to a small Ohio company called Safir GT40 Spares. Safir GT40 Spares licensed the use of the GT40 trademark to Ford for the initial 2002 show car, but when Ford decided to make the production vehicle, negotiations between the two failed. It is speculated that too high a price was demeaned of Ford for the rights to the GT40 name and as a result, the new “Ford GT” does not wear the GT40 badge.

So your ignoring the fact that the original GT40 was 40inches high, hence the name, and the new car is nearer 44inches?

The car was named the GT after the Grand Tourisme category where it was intended to compete; the 40 represents its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.
Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of LeMans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkVs, numbered GT40-P-1000 through GT40-P-1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname."

(See we can both quote WIKI )

Regardless of the licence issues you mention the "40" refers to hieght, so refering to the new car as GT40 is still incorrect. You should be calling it "GT43"

As for the reliability side of things (again, you quote directly from WIKI), well if this board is to be beleived then the 2006 Civic is the most unreliable car on the planet... just good we don't beleive everything we read, especially from a user filled in site like WIKI

Ps. Anyone who really thinks a Dodge Viper is a viable alternative to a Ford GT is clearly crazy and need proffesional help, in the nicest way

[basegreen]

Originally Posted by cnicolini

Thank you. You are right, there's no need to complain and moan about it on this site, we have to let them know that they are wrong. (directly)

JC was negative right from the start and did nt have a good word to say about the car. You cant compare a Type R to all of the other cars that he tested on the track, its a fast hatch back and not a £100k Ferrari. For the money you get alot of car. I swear he must get back handers from people, he never slags off Ford, but hates Vauxhall and never has a good word to say about them either.

Nail on the head there, I think!

[robbo51]

As a former Skoda owner, I remember last year, Hammond causing a stir in the Briskoda. net Forum because he labelled Skodas as VW's for poor people.
Emails were sent (I think over 300 in the end)
Not one acknowledgement from TG or the BBC