The car ain’t the star on Top Gear

Aug 10 2008 by Alan Ross, Magic 1170

LAST week’s column was all about the electric car. Perhaps the BBC2 motoring show Top Gear may have featured some of these around their test track . . . but if they did, I missed it.

Top Gear is now a massive hit around the world. In this country it has a huge audience — some of whom care very little about motoring — and this latest series has again been a delight.

Clarkson, Hammond and May are fast approaching “national treasure” status, but a little nagging voice has started muttering in the back of my head . . . something about cars.

Cars. That was what Top Gear was meant to be about. It’s now a brand, of course, appearing on another brand, the BBC.

Is it just me, but have most of the “Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car” had some show to plug? And have most of those shows also been on the Beeb?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the show to bits . . . but it’s a comedy show, not a programme about motoring, or one that bears any relationship to the sort of cars most of us drive.

If I see Clarkson doing tyre squeals in another limited-edition £100,000-plus sports car, before declaring: “Actually, it’s not very good,” I’ll scream.

They must spend an absolute fortune on post production. The camera angles are wonderful and everything seems to be filmed by at least 20 cameras in glorious colour.

In order to bring us exotic locations, and probably to boost overseas sales, this series has ventured around the globe.

In one episode the entire team was in Japan, where Clarkson was in a Nissan sports car which looked like it was from the 22nd century. Hammond and May weren’t impressed, pointing out that it was “only a Datsun, really”.

When the satnav switched itself off due to Clarkson pushing every button on the panel at once, his face was a picture. And the episode which attempted to prove that an Austin Allegro could fly had me in hysterics.

But should I buy a Honda, or a good old Ford? What are the merits of the Fiat 500 versus the Mini? Is the Corsa as much fun as the telly commercial makes you think it is?

You won’t find out on Top Gear. I’ll still be riveted to the next series, never fear. But the occasional mention of an ordinary car around the £9000 to £15000 mark might be fun too, fellas!