Top Gear Around The World

The 12th season of Top Gear UK will soon begin to air on November 2nd and the kind folks at the BBC have released a little teaser trailer for all of us to enjoy. From the looks of the trailer, the new series will be brilliant. The trailer shows cars such as the Dodge Challenger, Cadillac CTS-V, Corvette ZR1, Lamborghini LP560-4, racing driver Mika Hakkinen, and the usual three middle aged men just cocking about. The video can be found here.

Top Gear US has also had some news with the launch of their new site with some previews of what we can expect from the new series. The site is still quite UK oriented, but there is US specific material, and we can expect more as more work gets done and the pilot gets closer to air time. The US site includes a blog, photos, videos, and if you have spare time on your hands, some of those videos are actually worth a watch.

Top Gear Australia has aired 5 episodes so far and the cast seem to be on the right track. Although many reviews stated that they didn't see the Aussie trio mashing together as well as their British counterparts, they need to remember that the Brits have been doing it for years and that the Aussies have barely started. Having said that, I do see the Aussies coming together better now in the features, and the film work is coming close to that of Top Gear UK quality. They are not yet as entertaining as the UK trio, but the chemistry is definitely coming together. We'll just have to wait and watch the rest of the series to see if they can hit it off hard.

For those of you having never watched Top Gear, Finalgear.com is a great site to visit where you can find links to torrents for not only Top Gear but Fifth Gear as well. The Finalgear forums are also very busy and occasionally informative, where you can find episode reviews and ratings on the boards, and even previews for upcoming episodes.

Photo Hunt: Mean Machines 2008

Deepavali marked the conclusion of the Mean Machines 2008 autoshow at Juru Autocity. Mean Machines is labelled to be the biggest car show in the Northern Region, but I would only say that the turnout was slightly above average. Some highlights of the cars on display include a pair of Lamborghini Gallardos and a few tastefully done BMWs at the Motorsport Division tent. Local motoring sites such as Zerotohundred and Autojunctions were also around to show their support. Enjoy some highlight pics below.

Lastly, which idiot thought that this was a good idea?

Rise of the GTR

(picture taken from autoblog)


The Nissan GT-R. Known as Godzilla, or a 911 killer on the 'Ring....until Porsche started an accusation...



Anyway, there's a cool video about how Carlos Ghosn, hailed as Nissan's saviour, brought the GT-R to life.

They have a really good marketing strategy, getting the enthusiasts and crowed excited without the conventional media advertising. Smart indeed.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/21/video-nissan-gt-r-documentary-by-national-geographic/


The video is about 47 minutes but it's a nice watch.

If the video is not there anymore, try torrenting it. There's no guessing when it'll be off the site.


...

There has been news in forums about how Nissan is voiding warranty on the GTR when transmission problem occurs...well, tough luck for those owners who apparently launched the car far too many times...sadly enough it's hard to take forums seriously...


It apparently cost USD 20k for a new transmission....


Or USD 20k for a Nismo titanium exhaust system..








( from http://gt-rr.com/gt-r/r35/nismo_japan/part/exhaust_system_titanium_with_diffuser/pid/178 )



Either way...it's still a great car, depending on the hands of the owners.


-Seng Lee

Meet the Beckers

Got to love it when automakers pay attention to owners demographically...and use that to blow other automakers.



It's rather true for drivers around my area, whether it's Boston or Rhode Island.

But nevertheless, it's an entertaining jab at other automakers with stereotyping at its best.

-Seng Lee

Photo Hunt: Pixar CARS Failed Audition Pictures

Covers come off BMW's race S1000RR

Cologne, Germany: BMW finally unveils the official colours their new WSB contender will sport when it hits the tracks next year. The official version looks very similar to the preview shots we saw of the bike earlier, and it is confirmed that the S1000RR will be ditching all of BMW's own suspension setups in favour of standard telescopic forks and coil-over.

The S1000RR will be going head-to-head with the Japanese litrebikes, Ducati & their 1098R, and the Aprilia RSV4 in 2009, with the BMW ridden by Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser.

Looking at the pictures now, I am sad to say that I feel the race livery is not only unattractive but also the least intimidating. However, how the S1000RR will perform on the track has yet to be seen, and we can be certain that BMW will definitely bring something new to the WSB table. Feel free to leave comments on BMW's latest effort.

[Source: BMW via Autoblog]

Porsche calls "Bullshit", Nissan fires back

"7 minutes 29 seconds"; Words that have haunted German automakers Porsche since Nissan announced that their new GT-R had set a new record on the infamous Nurburgring in April 2008. Out to prove the Japanese wrong and to salvage whatever it could to uphold the pride of their 997 Turbo, Porsche actually bought a brand new GT-R in the U.S. and shipped it over to Germany, where they then proceeded to carry out their own 'hot laps' of the Nurburgring.

Porsche, however, were unable to emulate the lightning quick pace set by the Japanese, and then started pointing fingers at Nissan, saying that the Japs cheated by using non-standard tyres and that such a feat in the GT-R was not actually possible. Porsche even took the car back to the Nissan development shop near the track to ask for help in achieving the stated time, where apparently Nissan's chief engineer himself diagnosed the car as improperly broken in and performed the recommended servicing procedures for Porsche.

Nissan have now officially posted a video of the GT-R's lap accompanied by pictures of the tyres used on the car. Look below for the official released video. What do you have to say now, Porsche?

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Photo Hunt: Chinese Fireworks

Some random shots I took at a fireworks show in Xiamen, China. Feel free to post your opinions on the comments page. Enjoy (hopefully)