In addition to being fairly unoriginal, Marty McFly owns the manure shtick, we can't help but notice that they're against global warming and yet dropped a bunch of methane-producing material on his front step. Might as well have tried to spray old CFC hairspray in his face. [Gaurdian]

Here's Clarkson's review and, just as importantly, the power laps of both cars. We know one of our mothers will be very disappointed.

Clarkson and his midget mate Richard Hammond were down under for Top Gear Live, which is sort of like Muppets On Ice, but with cars. We've already heard Top Gear USA was canceled, but it's interesting to hear the less-PC version of events.

We do however think Clarkson is wrong on one key point: it's not Americans who "just don't get it, really" it's NBC. [via CarsGuide]

The highest-rated, most-watched automotive show on television is not immune to the impending doom that is the Carpocalypse. The BBC reported yesterday there will be budget cuts across the board in 2009 and Top Gear will feel that budget-cutting heat. We're being told the next season will be cheaper to produce and not only that, it’s likely viewers will notice.

According to Andy Wilman, the producer for Top Gear:

No point in moaning about that – all shows are suffering… so no reason why we shouldn’t suffer as well.

Our problem, though, is that there is no fat to trim off the show, in that we waste almost nothing behind the scenes and the old cliché of every penny goes on screen is actually true.

So in 2009 the budget cut has to affect what you watch.

Wilman also joked about Clarkson’s idea:

Instead of trimming back a little bit on every show - losing a helicopter here or a truck crash there - we'll endeavour to make 13 out of 14 shows as per the usual [Hollywood producer] Jerry Bruckheimer standard, and then the last one, when we only have a tenner left, will be utter, utter *****.

The Stig also spoke his mind about the cuts:

.—. .-.. . .- ... . / -.. —- -. .—--. - / —. . - / .-. .. -.. / —- ..-. / — . .-.-.- / .. .—--. — / .. -. / .-.. —- ...- . / .— .. - .... / - .... . / .... .- — ... - . .-. / .- -. -.. / .. / -.. .-. .. ...- . / ..-. .- ... - —..— / ...- .-. —- —- —- —- — .-.-.- / — .- -.- . / ... ..- .-. . / -.— —- ..- / -.. .-. .. -. -.- / -.— —- ..- .-. / —- ...- .- .-.. - .. -. . .-.-.-

We don’t mind Clarkson’s idea so much, but losing content from the show will really affect the impact Top Gear has on enthusiasts. Will this really affect the production quality of the show? Probably, but not as much as you’d think, though they may have to cut down on Clarkson’s banter every now and again. We hear he's now being paid by the word.

[via Telegraph.UK]

I spent most of my time in America this time in a new Corvette ZR1. It is a fabulous car. Mesmerisingly fast, good looking and amazing value. But after three days the damn thing was beginning to disintegrate. It made me growl with annoyance and despair.

The thing about the ZR1 is that it’s not just mesmerizingly fast, good-looking and an amazing value (at least here. In England it costs $200k), it’s built extremely well too. The aluminum chassis is as basic and as strong as it gets, every piece of running gear is of the highest specification available and the carbon fiber bodywork is some of the most well-laid, best-fitting we’ve ever seen.

Then there’s the interior, which we think is what Clarkson is talking about. It’s cheap...really cheap. Wonky plastic buttons abound, the 3ZR package brings ugly, atrociously stitched leather in poorly chosen color combinations and the steering wheel belongs in a Cobalt, not a 205 MPH supercar. But despite all that, it should fundamentally be capable of holding itself together. We just don’t know what Clarkson is on about. Do you? [via the Sunday Times]

Writing in his Top Gear column, Clarkson notes, "This is the car used by Lewis Winthorpe in the film Trading Places. It was also used by Idi Amin, Mao Tse Tung, Leonid Brezhnev and Elvis Presley.

"From 1963 to 1981, this was the most expensive, most advanced and most governmental car in the world. When I have fitted flags to the front wings - black eagles on a red background - I shall feel like Mussolini."
Clarkson goes on to note that his hand-built piece of history - which features hydraulic air vents and just about everything else - is not in what you might call 'showroom condition.' In addition to many other parts its in need of front brake calipers - £3,000 before labor - and brake pads - a sniff at £500 a pad. Clarkson goes on to note that should the electric actuators for his hydraulic window lifts fail, they'll cost him £5,000 a piece, just for the parts.

But, does Jeremy regret his purchase? "The thing is though, even if I buy a whole trolley full of electric window switches, and several spare exhaust pipes, the Grosser will still have cost me less than Johnny Rotarian's 540i. And when it's working, gliding from place to place on its air suspension, I tell you this: it will be the coolest car on the roads today." [Via Top Gear]

Residents around Top Gear's studio/test track in Surrey have been complaining so much about the racket created by Clarkson, Hammond, May and their tame racing driver that the show may be forced to pull stakes and move to another locale. While some reports suggest that it could endanger the May start of the next season, the Top Gears maintain that whatever happens, they'll be on the air.

Top Gear Strikes Back [Top Gear via Leftlanenews

Related:
Gratuitous Top Gear Hoonage Pluging [Internal]