Top Gear
January 2, 2008By all rights I shouldn’t love this show as much as I do. Unlike the three hosts, I’m Left-wing and I believe in Climate Change. But I resent being patronised and lectured on what I should believe, which is what most political commentators on the Left and Right do quite often nowadays. So I enjoy seeing these three hoon about in cars. Watching it is a sheer act of joyous rebellion against the thin-lipped humourless political commentators that dominate both sides of politics.
I also learned quite a bit about what makes a good car. Until I watched Top Gear I didn’t even know what Torque Steer was. Or that the Bugatti Veyron and the Aero TT were the world’s fastest cars (250mph). It’s a public service, don’t y’know.
And it’s also unashamedly fun. Over the past few years they’ve performed stunts like building amphibious cars across the English Channel, been chased by racist rednecks in Alabama, driven across the African desert, and raced by car and dogsled to the North Pole. And that was only in the last 12 months. My only complaint is that the BBC hasn’t released a Complete Boxset for each season. The current DVD’s are only badly edited compilations, and they just don’t compare to the full episodes.
This show isn’t for everyone. If you’re an environmentalist that thinks the Car is the enemy of humanity, then avoid this show like the plague. But oddly enough, I love it.
