Top Gear Madness

Keeping in mind that this episode, featuring the thrilling Bugatti v. Eurofighter jet race, has not yet aired and that this is amateur film-making — citizen journaslim, if you will.

With all credit and thanks to the fine folks at autospies.

Be still, heart!

Ferrari Foxy at 60

Top Gear's Summer special issue is devoted to the Italian supercars, featuring Clarkson, Hammond, May and others riffing on their fondest Ferrari memories. Oh, and then there's the show-stopping, eye-popping FXX lap.

What image pops in your head when you pout your lips and seductively purr the word, "Ferrari"?

Well, for me, it's Count Elmo's ill-fated 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta from "Viva Las Vegas". Elvis, Ann-Margaret, Vegas at it's lounge-est, and a Grand Prix in the Vegas desert. It was the first time I loved a car in a movie more than any of the actors. Later, there was the awesome 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I saw that movie in my senior year of high school and mostly just resented the spoiled rich kids. I cheered when the car park guys took that Ferrari for a spin behind the smart-ass brats' backs.

Ferrari has a theme park in Abu Dhabi and remains the exotic car for rich bastards to show off from the safety of their climate-controlled garages. Or for idiot celebs and other douchebags to crash, in the case of the poor Enzo.

These Italian stallions are born to run, meant to piloted by a skilled and passionate racing driver, and available only to people who mostly do not deserve the priviledge. *Sigh*

Anyway, do check out Top Gear's Ferrari-fest, and allow yourself a moment of Ital-lust. Then go to Jalopnik and buy the "Save the Enzos" t-shirt.

Top Gear's 100 Fastest Cars

A work of art indeed, and do check out all the controversy and pithy comments on the accompanying blogs!


Top Gear's 100 Fastest Cars

Why I Love the Science Channel

Perhaps it's because I was preoccupied with moving halfway across the country; maybe it was the malcontented self-absorption that comes with having a disgusting cold/flu/bronchitis misery; possibly it's because we were without cable TV for some time: for some reason I did not know that Top Gear episodes were nonchalantly being shown on the Science Channel.

WTF?

Here I've been watching pirated videos all this time, when proper full-screen episodes are quietly running on my TV?

They are out of order. No matter! I watched Season 5, Episode 2, wherein Clarkson in the Lotus Exige nearly outfoxes an Apache helicopter and the Stig inaugurates the speed board with the Exige,driving the Bowler Wildcat ultimate off-road supercar encourages the Hamster to declare that he is, "a driving god", James May pooh-poohs the Maserati Quattroporte, and much more petrolhead fun.

The Sci Channel schedules shows a new episode on the 25th. I am ecstatic. Now, to purchase a DVD recorder...

Top Gear

I haven't been this excited in a long time. So far, it's just gossip and hearsay, but the very idea of Top Gear coming to U.S. TV is too scrumptious to bear.

My prayer is that when they do, they bring Clarkson, the Hamster and the Stig with them. If a new cast of petrolheads is foisted on us, a crew of American doofuses and hee-hee girls in tight shorts, all is lost. If that's the case, please, TG, I beg of you: just don't do it.

Here's a favorite TG video moment:



Yes, that's the car that various idiots keep crashing.