Top Gear Xmas Special 2014 (Esprit in Patagonia)

[jonwat]

Writing in The Sunday Times today, Clarkson says: “You get the sense that there’s a never ending supply of — let’s call them youths — coming out of the darkness, hurling anything they can lay their hands on.”

The BBC is showing Top Gear’s Patagonia special in two parts, culminating in video footage of the assault, which forced Clarkson, co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, and a crew of 29 people to flee the country.

Andy Wilman, the show’s executive producer, said that at one point a lorry was driven across the road to block the crew: “The terror was from knowing that they [the attackers] were all organising themselves rather than being like revellers on the high street on a Saturday night having a bit of fun. That was the terror that made you think: ‘What’s coming round the corner?’ That’s when we decided to go across country, go across the river into Chile.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fc18c

[Advantage]

8:30 tonight. BBC2.

[Advantage]

Just watched Part 1. The Esprit accounted for itself very well and was the only car not have mechanical issues. Even if it explodes in a ball of flame next time it has done well.

[Choppa]

Quite enjoyed Episode 1. 1600 miles across Patagonia in a V8 Esprit? - not a problem in the slightest apparently 

[Mark Blanchard]

Quite entertaining.  The Lotus is showing up the other 2 cars (and one of them is my other car!).

 

I hope it gets people rethinking Lotus reliability.

[Jacques]

 ha ha, really amusing. The Lotus surely will go up in Price after this show, a few quid, now that every single twat in an off-roader will want the new sports utility all terrain vehicle - the Lotus Esprit twin turbo V8! Heck, maybe even the government want to talk over Lotus to make some more of them and have them ready to invade Russia's Tundra. They could just paint them... British racing green

But the worst is yet to come, so prices may roll Down Again, ha ha, I really enjoyed part one, and hope the producers have found a way to make up a propper part two, and not a local war or what ever.

I am actually surprised that the Lotus Esprit have held up on all those press on roads, or should we say jurasic park landscapes I am surprised that the Porsche have had it's fair share of problems. But, of course, I am not surprised that the American car is utterly crap, looking good in a dealers exhibition, but cannot drive, is slow, uses twice as much petrol, and is constantly breaking Down, with lots of parts simply Falling off the tractor  car. Fortunately, most parts are not needed for driving, so it may acctually be the last of all three to still drive in the end ?

 

So far, a really good testimony to Lotus! Dare I say, much to their own surprise?

 

Hmm....  Maybe I should not be lowering mine in rideheight  after all... And maybe I should postpone that lower Sport300 front spoiler?

I think as a natural consequence after seeing this programme, TLF could maybe  have a camo version of it's cover too, to suit all of our hunting needs (from within the Esprit, naturally.

 

So, what's the conclusion so far?

A Lotus Esprit can be used to:

- pick up girls,

- drive fast,

- be a movie star,

- drive off-road,

- conques new territory,

- way faster than Porsche or ford,

- great for helping out other sportscar drivers stuck in traffic,

- show some other well fames car manufactures with their nose high up in the sky, something about light weight, performance and reliability.

 

Of course, this may all change on a dime

 

 My respect in part one, goes to Captain slow, for being the fastest, the best driver, knowing how to Cook a cow, helping the other two when they were stuck, being the first on the broken bridges etc. That should make up for some of all the times the others have mocked him in the other shows

 

Looking forward to seeing part two!

 

Merry Christmas,

Jacques.

[Advantage]

Part 2 tonight at 8pm on BBC2. But given the lack of outraged response to Part 1 perhaps this sacrificial bitsa V8 isn't such a big deal after all.

[The Pits]

I still found it painfull to watch in many different ways but, when it wasn't being abused, I thought the Esprit looked fantastic and yes I enjoyed seing it outperform and outlast a Porsche and a Mustang!

[Jacques]

Of course one would not misuse or mistreat ones Esprit to such endavours.

Never the less, it help up better than the others, so far.

 

I would have used a hilux or a frontera for this trip. But it wouldn't have been the same of(f) course.

 

Merry Christmas,

jacques

[mr.oogieboogie]

I liked the way james may filled his pants when the lotus went sideways

[tonytransam]

Maybe this will make them easier to sell!

Been trying to sell mine for sometime, 17000 miles from new, all I get is has this been rebuilt, has that been rebuilt, has it had this, has it had that. It's done 17000 I wouldn't have bought it if it had needed rebuilding with such a low mileage. Maybe this will show them in a new light! Although I must say watching last night has given me more admiration for the model, in fact I have always found top gear very complimentary to the Esprit even holding its own on the track.

Maybe I'll keep it.....

Edited December 28, 2014 by Roger Moore

[jonwat]

Thought it was pretty boring, but the Esprit was superb as always

[qwerty123]

Shame the poor cars will never come back to the UK, they're probably destroyed by now...

[Advantage]

Part 2 just dispatched. The Esprit suffered zero mechanical maladies - well none that were aired. It sustained minor damage by driving it onto unsuitable terrain, but was the only vehicle of those three which was fully functioning - right up until a bunch of brain dead extremists decided to trash it. 

[Mark Blanchard]

Great show and shame about the ending.  My only gripe is after Clarkson said "the Lotus Esprit was the most unreliable car in the world," and then it proving reliable, he didn't give the car the recognition it deserved.

 

Lets hope the Esprit gets a bit more respect now.

[Andy_A]

Just finished watching part 2 of the Top Gear Christmas special with a Lotus Esprit V8, Porsche and Mustang being driven by the usual crew through some usual, and some more startling escapades.

 

I noticed that the Lotus number plate is the same as my V8's with one digit different! I also noticed that they changed the wheels from the original Oz racing (standard on a '96 V8) to the more modern slab sided ones in part two. They must've damaged them in some of the silliness that went on.

 

I was proud that the Lotus was the only car not to break down, very saddened at their treatment of it, and devestated that it was left in Argentina....Don't they know how rare 1996 V8 Esprit bits are?

 

Anyways, I'm sure the Lotus was the least of their problems!

[Bibs]

The wheels they changed to were Oz Route's from an early 4 cylinder SE. The reason for this is that they were the only size of wheel that they could find snow tyres for. 

[Choppa]

Keep an eye out this Argentinian eBay type site I'm sure some V8 bits will turn up on there soon.

 

http://listado.mercadolibre.com.ar/lotus-esprit

 

 

Postage might be a bit expensive though.

[Advantage]

Postage might be a bit expensive though.

It's ok, I'll collect in person.

[Mark Blanchard]

The wheels they changed to were Oz Route's from an early 4 cylinder SE.

Not wanting to sound like a total nerd, but those Oz Routes were off an earlier X180 / Turbo.  The SE's had deeper dish rear alloys.

 

I had them on my car and they looked total pants.

[lotusesprit1]

The esprit did much better than I thought it would, I think James May has more mechanical sympathy than the other two.

 

Are Mustangs that bad to drive compared to other cars from the period? 

[tonytransam]

If Jeremy Clarkson won't say it I will!

Lotus Esprit V8, the toughest, most reliable car...................in the world!!

Edited December 28, 2014 by Roger Moore

[Bibs]

https://www.instantcarcheck.co.uk/Report/h982fkl/lboyl

 

That plate has been on the car since 2001 according to that website! 

[Dave Hopwood]

Hmmm

 

They cut bits off the porker and the ford but didn't touch the Lotus ?

 

IMO they switched the car for a older X180 (hence the old OZ wheels ) later shown in the episode

 

And I think (and hope) the V8 was preserved

 

Dave

[Mark Blanchard]

Are Mustangs that bad to drive compared to other cars from the period?

Old Mustangs have vague steering and handle like a wheel barrow. But most American cars from the early 70s are bad to drive. And there are a lot of 70s European cars that are bad to drive too. I used to own a 1972 Avenger and that was absolutely terrible.