On this episode, Jeremy drives a Ford Focus RS in Wales, Jeremy drives a plastic British supercar, Jason gives some money-saving tips, Jay Kay rocks Top Gear, Top Gear features some RS Fords, and the guys find out how many bikes a bus can jump over.
Segment 1: Ford Focus RS and its Competition
Ford Focus RS |
The segment starts with Jeremy talking about the Ford Escort Cosworth. He says that Ford had an idea to put a big engine in an Escort, and created the boy racer. He then walks over to a Ford Focus RS and says that Ford promised a Focus with 300 bhp and all-wheel drive. Instead the Focus RS has 212 bhp and front-wheel drive. He then walks over to a Subaru Impreza and then the Stig drives the Subaru around the test track in 1:39.0. During the test lap, Jeremy says the Impreza is a tuned-down rally car is not particularly good looking. The Stig then drives the Honda Civic Type R around the test track in 1:38.06. Jeremy says that his mother has a Civic. All but one Civic is a motherly car. The Civic Type R is a mother of a car. The Stig drives the Focus RS around the track in 1:33.8. Then the show cuts to Wales, where Jeremy is driving the Focus RS. Jeremy picked Wales because there is so much empty road. The Focus RS has sporty seats, a start button, a hideous steering wheel. Other than those items, Jeremy says the Focus RS feels like a normal three-door Focus. There is no cup holder. The Focus has 2.0L turbocharged engine and is fast. It does not feel like it has the oomph that the Impreza has. The Focus had a faster lap time than the Impreza because the Focus handles very well. The Focus can go fast around corners. The Focus RS cost under 20,000 pounds. It brings power to the people. The Focus has some issues. It is not a very firm ride, does not pick up Radio 2, and it has problems going uphill on curvy roads. To end the review, Jeremy says the camera crew and drive the Focus back to the studio as Jeremy gets into the Subaru. Jeremy says the problem with the differential is that when the Focus accelerates, it goes in the direction the differential is pointing in. The driver has no control of the car. The car has horrendous torque steer. Jason then says that no dealership has a Focus RS. The customer who wants to buy one cannot take a test drive in one. Jason then explains how a someone can use an ad that says he/she is selling a Focus RS for 12,000 pounds and suckers a customer into giving him/her the customer's credit car information. The customer waits for months and then is forced into buying the car at list price, instead of the discount price.
Segment 2: The News
Vauxhall Meriva |
Mazda RX-8 |
Volkswagen Tuareg |
MG XPower SV |
Segment 3: How Many Bikes can a Bus Jump Over
Segment 4: Noble M12 GTO
Noble M12 GTO |
Segment 5: Jay Kay Rocks the Suzuki
Jay Kay |
Jay Kay of Jamiroquai is the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car. This guy is quite a car fan. Jay Kay has a Mercedes-Benz Pullman, a Ferrari 550, a Lamborghini Muira SV, a Ferrari 360 Spyder, an Aston Martin DB5, and a BMW 2002 Turbo, just to name a few. His first car was a BMW 1602. He also had an original Batmobile. Jay Kay explains his love for cars. Jeremy and Jay Kay play a game to recognize cars. The first image is shown and Jay Kay correctly guess that it is part of a Ferrari Enzo. The next image appears and again, Jay Kay is correct that the image is part of the new Mini. The third image is shown. It is a door handle. Neither Jeremy nor Jay Kay could guess that it was part of a Vauxhall Vectra, a car despised by Jeremy. Before the fourth and final image is shown, Jay Kay confesses that he has driven his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon into his own moat. The fourth image is shown as a yellow item with a vent in it. Neither guy could guess it. Someone in the audience guessed Lamborghini. The image is revealed to be the front bumper of a Lamborghini Murcielago, a car that Jay Kay has not driven. Jay Kay's lap will be shown later on. Jay Kay says he has driven a Focus RS and says he did not quite like it.
Segment 6: Different Ford RS Around the Track
Ford RS200 |
Segment 7: Audition tape.
Jeremy says he was humiliated by the RS200 footage and by Jay Kay. He then says it is time to humiliate another person. He says that there were several applicants who wanted to be a presenter on Top Gear. He shows an audition tape for a guy called Gazz. Jeremy says that guy was very dull.
Segment 8: Inside Deal with Jason Dawe
Jason Dawe |
Segment 9: Ford Escort RS1800
Ford Escort RS1800 |
Richard gets booed for saying he does not like all RS. Richard talks about the Ford Escort RS 1800. It was made for 2 years. Richard says that when he was little, he really needed the car. It is Ford's most successful rally car. Richard finally gets to drive one. It was an advanced car for 1977. 109 Escorts were made into RS1800. Richard says the car is an "antique." Richard was not going very fast because he was intimidated by the car's owner.
Segment 10: Bus Jump Continue
The bus jump is finally shown and the bus cleared three bikes and destroyed the other 11 bikes. One audience member predicted three bikes cleared. That ends the show.
Overall, this was an okay episode, subpar for Top Gear standards. There was very little humor. The ending was great though. Seeing a bus trying to jump over bikes was very entertaining. I knew the bus wasn't going to clear all the bikes. The destruction caused by the bus was great. The Jay Kay segment was entertaining as well. The RS segments were okay, but they were not funny. Jason Dawe segments have become outdated. He does nothing else but give inside deals. He does not take part in the actual reviews of the cars. The chemistry has yet to be fully developed between Jeremy and Richard. This episode was less than stellar. It is one of the worst episodes in Top Gear history.
Final Verdict: 44 Stigs out of 100. This is bad by Top Gear Standards. The Jay Kay and bus jump saved this episode from getting even less Stigs.
CarJunkie
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