Typical Clarkson
 

Catching up on this year's TOP GEARs, came across a great quote:

"There are two types of petrolheads - you've got idiots like this (points to Hammond) who like the Porsche 911, and you've got people like me who'd rather have anthrax than a 911 because I'm a Ferrari person"

And then Hammond points out that Clarkson never drove his Ferrari because he was sick of getting spit on and keyed, and so he let it sit so long in his garage that it eventually wouldn't start. "That's why I love the 911," Hammond says, "because you can use it every day . It's... A... CAR."

Clarkson is hilarious... but man he irks me. :p

Thats why I love him though, he stands behind his opinions to the death, even when he knows he is making himself look like a fool.

Clarkson is a comedian. People that take him too seriously just don't get it. I like him a lot, even if I don't always agree with him. He says what he wants, even if it means constantly contradicting himself.

I love how he screams with glee whenever he drives a Porsche--nothing but praise and admiration. Then during the studio portion, he slams the car mercilessly...

Have you seen when he trashes Hammonds 911 then Hammond hands it to him in a drag race...

I know he's a comedian, and I don't take him seriously. I actually think he's a hillarious human being.

I'd also like to point out that he ranked the 996 Turbo the number 2 best car of all time a few years ago.

In the road test I just watched, he summed it up thusly: I have enormous respect for the Porsche, but it doesn't inspire passion. Hammond's counter was what good is passion if the car doesn't work - you can drive the Porsche in traffic, over speed bumps, it's reliable, and just as fast if not faster. And then May jumped in with shut up both of you, this argument has gone on for 40 years and will go on for another 40, the proper place for it is in the pubs.

This episode just emphasizes why I love TOP GEAR - the chemistry between the hosts.

No, please do share...

I believe he is referring to the R8 video.

I believe it is this

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yes it is the R8 episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUDsn32wdXo

And i see someone beat me to the punch

Would the extra 50lbs that Clarkson weighed made a difference??

Has anyone got the video of Clarkson smashing the GT3 into the tire barrier? Yes if the drive the 911 poorly it will bite you.

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I wonder if his attitude is a conscious effort to make the show more entertaining .
You know - I'll hate the 911 , Hammonds will love it and May is the voice of reason.

Are there really people (other than Corvette owners) who really can't see the genius of the 911? - After 40 + years ??!!??

I saw a fantastic Top Gear yesterday, I think its the new series, where they took a GT3 RS (Hampster), the new stripper Lambo (jeremy) and a race track spec Aston Martin (Capn Slow) in search of the "greatest driving road in the world" .

Magic televison, keep an eye out for it.

you have nailed it. i enjoy the show but rather in spite of clarksons 'humor'.

He doesn't hate Porsches. He just likes to make fun of them.

from Timesonline

Now, though, after 40 years of constant development, the rear is held in place as firmly as Lake Mead. Which means the latest models are sculptured proof that in a battle for supremacy between God and German engineering, beardy is always going to finish second. A modern 911 shouldn’t work but it does. Brilliantly.

There’s a lightness to the steering that you just don’t get in any other car. It whispers information to your fingertips about what the front wheels are doing and how they’re feeling. Driving a 911 is like making love to someone you care for in the bridal suite of the George V hotel in Paris. It makes my GT feel like a knee trembler among the empties outside a Rotherham nightclub.

And on top of this a 911 is beautifully made and small, so you can use it every day. Also, it has two small seats in the back, a useable boot and prices start at under £60,000.

This, then, is a 177mph car that you can choose with your head and your heart. It’ll make love to your fingertips and stir your soul. There is no part of your body that it will not stimulate and caress. But don’t, whatever you do, buy the convertible, because this won’t stroke your penis. It’ll make you look like one.

ian

So he just hates cabriolets then, Ian? :)

I have a real mental problem, I can't get enough of cars. Everything excites me, working on them, driving them, watching them, reading about them, but even I will admit that every car show on tv is pretty poor...except for Top Gear. YouTube is essential to me only for that reason. Clarkson makes me laugh like no other.

I think this might actually be the case. I was reading a few of his articles that he writes for te Sunday Times in Britain the other day, when you read his actual reviews of the 911's he is full of praise and admiration. I do firmly believe that he wouldn't buy one though. He is quite clearly interested in totally impractical cars. Like someone else pointed out, I admire him for his stand even in the face of overwhelming opinion.

(Don't take the show too personally...)


Yes

And yet he has Porsches all over his very own "greatest cars" list... including the 356, the original 911, the 928, the 944 Turbo, and the 996 turbo near the top of the list.

I understand his point, though. He has immense respect for what a Porsche is, he just doesn't feel anything for them.

I wonder if he is just compensating for the fact that he (apparently) cannot drive a 911 well?

Best show crew since Monty Python. British, of course. They could probably have debated any topic and being successful.

Just to keep you entertained here is a Clarkson comment about the Cayenne and in case you didn't know Lurpak make butter...

"What was Porsche thinking of? An SUV off-roader? That’s like the board of directors at Lurpak deciding to branch out into video recorders"

He goes on...

"It really is absolutely hideous. They’ve obviously spent much time and effort giving it the Porsche family nose, but this is like fitting Meg Ryan’s conk on the front of a buffalo."

I've never seen that r8 vs 997 clip before. Hands up who else cheered when they showed the 997 winning? :D

I sounds like the audience did too - for good reason, the R8 is one of the ugliest cars on the road, IMHO, and the 997 Carrera is gorgeous (not so much for the turbo).

Now that I think about it, it seems like Clarkson is almost ALWAYS wrong. Wrong about buying a FordGT, wrong in his predictions about almost all the road tests. Come on, a S2000 over a Z4 or a Boxster?

Why did they put the R8 against the 997S as opposed to the 997TT? It seems that that is a more fair comparison in terms of money.

Note they haven't gotten lap times on any of the higher performance 997 yet. And when they do test a Porsche it is almost always raining.

In that drive through teh Alps with the 3 supercars, I just loved how Clarkson kept referring to Hammond's "Beetle". Cracked me up.

It really is a great show, lots of interesting cars and the hosts have great dynamics.

Sure makes all the other car shows look lame... counting cupholders in minivans.

yeah, really, it's not like Porsche has any experience racing in the dirt/gravel. :rolleyes:

Clarkson- "Hammond, how's your Beetle?"

Hammond= "good, how's your Audi?"

It's those type of exchanges that keep me addicted to this show.

Actually when you read the rest of the article he starts to really appreciate what Porsche have done with the vehicle dynamically. He can't believe that the car is so fast, corners so well, AND is good off-road.

QUOTE:
"This, then, is a simply staggering engineering achievement, a car with the build quality of a volcano that will match anything from Land Rover on the rough and go home as though it’s being fuelled with extra-hot horseradish sauce."

He still thinks it's ugly though...

Link:
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article1005563.ece