It starts this sunday at 8pm.

Someone on here had a contact on the program. Do they have any idea when the 8 will be reviewed?

Hopefully the first program. :)

First program has the Ford GT on AFIC, dont know about anything else.

I am afraid my contact has left the program now so no more inside news I am afraid.

I have set the series link on Sky and I suggest you all do the same.

Chris

Originally posted by c170673
I am afraid my contact has left the program now so no more inside news I am afraid.

I have set the series link on Sky and I suggest you all do the same.

Chris

Just got to install the 120GB HDD that just arrived in the SKY+ and I'll be ready!

I've checked the programme listings and absolutely no mention of the RX-8 in programme 1

"Jeremy Clarkson and the team return with a new series of the motoring magazine. Richard Hammond celebrates 40 years of the Porsche 911 by taking the GT3 to its limits, James May tries out the new BMW 5 series and Ford's latest supercar, the GT40, is tested. Plus, a tribute to the endurance of the Toyota pickup, and a chance to see how the show's 20-year-old Jaguar finally met its end"

But its not a 'GT40' only a GT :D

Originally posted by RobDickinson
But its not a 'GT40' only a GT :D

And it's very cool. I sat in one at the US grand prix

There is a half page on Top Gear in this weeks TV times, doesn't give any dates, but puts the RX8 up against the Z4 for best sports car. Unforgiveably though they have a small picture of the pre-production RX8 which has the shorter less agressive nose and narrow lights.

Cheers
---Dave

Doesn't look like its going to appear on next Sundays show either. TiVo lists the programme description as: "Motoring magazube featuring news on the latest cars, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. A special edition from the Isle of Man showing what the team got up to during their summer holidays."

Originally posted by GarySargent
Doesn't look like its going to appear on next Sundays show either. TiVo lists the programme description as: "Motoring magazube featuring news on the latest cars, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. A special edition from the Isle of Man showing what the team got up to during their summer holidays."

I believe Clarkson road tested the S2000 with some of its competitors on the IOM, so it could well be that.

Mark

Clarkson is reviewing the RX8 on Top Gear this Sunday
2/11/03

Fairfieldhouse, How do you know..?

Review
Motoring magazine featuring news on the latest cars, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. A special edition from the Isle of Man showing what the team got up to during their summer holidays. Jeremy drives the quickest BMW M3 that money can buy and puts the Mazda RX8 through its paces. The star in a reasonably priced car is Stephen Fry.

http://www.radiotimes.beeb.com/jsp/frameset/index.html?src=http://www.radiotimes.beeb.com:80/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=105&programmeId=14358705&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details.jsp

Tivotastic

I now live in Canada but do miss watching Top Gear. Can someone either find the clip and post it or give us a summary of what Clarkson has to say.

Thanks

Go to the BBC website and look up program schedules. Click
on Top Gear and it tells you what cars are being tested this
Sunday.

A stupid question, but as I am new to this can someone tell me
how I would change my name from fairfieldhouse (not my real name believe it or not). I have been in to edit but can't see how to do it.

I dont think you can change the member name - JimBobJoe or BlueAdept will be able to confirm this. As you've only done 2 posts though, perhaps creating a new logon is easier?

Can anyone confirm there conga cap this and post the file?

I will almost def miss this show, might bodge the VHS clock into action if I can defeat its technobable.

Originally posted by jimbobjoe
Tivotastic

Just picked one up at the weekend. Think this will be it's first assignment! :)


-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
Just picked one up at the weekend. Think this will be it's first assignment! :)


-andy-

Give it a couple of weeks and you'll never understand how you managed without one before. Tivo rocks.

By the way, where did you find one ? They haven't been made for a while.

Originally posted by renegade_si
I dont think you can change the member name - JimBobJoe or BlueAdept will be able to confirm this. As you've only done 2 posts though, perhaps creating a new logon is easier?

I don't think member names can be changed, With a low post count I'd recommend abandoning that account and creating a new one.

Clarkson is reviewing the RX8 on Top Gear this Sunday
2/11/03


I have a bad feeling in my blood that all reviews so far have gone too well. I can just hear Jeremy..."This car has less torque (talk)than a than a 'Halloween movie theatre"

Originally posted by Pillman
Clarkson is reviewing the RX8 on Top Gear this Sunday
2/11/03


I have a bad feeling in my blood that all reviews so far have gone too well. I can just hear Jeremy..."This car has less torque (talk)than a than a 'Halloween movie theatre"

Clarkson reviewed the RX8 in one of the newspapers (The Times??) and gave it quite a decent review.

Originally posted by whiteco
Clarkson reviewed the RX8 in one of the newspapers (The Times??) and gave it quite a decent review.

Well he described it as an automotive toupee but otherwise it was favourable.

Originally posted by whiteco
Clarkson reviewed the RX8 in one of the newspapers (The Times??) and gave it quite a decent review.

Clarkson can be fickle.

To make it easier for everyone here's the clicky...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/prog_parse.cgi?FILENAME=20031102/20031102_2000_4224_29844_60

My Sky+ is set already :D

I guess depending what is said on Sunday, there will be two schools of opinion next week:

1 - Clarkson is a god and he recognises the RX-8 is a truly unique and fantastic car.

2- Clarkson is a tw4t and doesnt know what he is talking about.

or any other combination of the two sentences above :D

Hummm - doesn't say if the Stig is going to drive it around the track.

... or off an aircraft carrier for that matter!

Originally posted by RX-Late
... or off an aircraft carrier for that matter!

Doesn't matter anyway: IT HAS ROTORS!!:D :D :D

They'll probably do the test against a couple of Chinooks & a Lynx:cool:

Originally posted by RX-Late
Hummm - doesn't say if the Stig is going to drive it around the track.

The Stig unmasked himself in his autobiography and I think that he's going to be replaced - hence the aircraft carrier stunt this week.

It's still my favourite show of the week. I saw 5th Gear on Monday, what a dreadful show that is (17 minutes of rubbish excluding adverts). However I used to love 'Driven' - great show, shame channel 4 took it off the air.

How interesting...Spoke to Hamer at T W Whites and they tell me the car is with them on Friday, and will be PDId and ready by next Weds.....Therefore for 2 days, I'm staying put...

Originally posted by renegade_si
How interesting...Spoke to Hamer at T W Whites and they tell me the car is with them on Friday, and will be PDId and ready by next Weds.....Therefore for 2 days, I'm staying put...

????????????????????:confused:

Originally posted by renegade_si
How interesting...Spoke to Hamer at T W Whites and they tell me the car is with them on Friday, and will be PDId and ready by next Weds.....Therefore for 2 days, I'm staying put...


er... did you mean to post this in the "Hello and Goodbye (Newbury)" thread? Because then it makes sense!!

oops
sorry.

wrong thread.

too excited -see I told you - got two windows open in IE at the moment...sorry guys...


I meant to say in this one that Im sad the stig wont get to drive the RX8 around to give a REAL test of the car like for like against its peers....

Originally posted by AndyPearce
The Stig unmasked himself in his autobiography and I think that he's going to be replaced - hence the aircraft carrier stunt this week.

& he is?

Yeah, yeah

Tell us Si, who was he?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/features/essex_celeb/stig.shtml

"One man who has experienced the highs, and more particularly the lows of Formula 1 is Essex based racing driver Perry Macarthy. Test Driver for Benetton, Arrows and Williams, he's taken part in the 24 hour Le Mans race he's great mates with Damon Hill and has now written a book called "Flat Out Flat Broke" about what life is really like as a F1 driver.
Fans of the BBC's Top Gear programme might know him better as the Stig, the mystery driver who test drives all the top of the range supercars on the programme. "

Originally posted by jimbobjoe
Give it a couple of weeks and you'll never understand how you managed without one before. Tivo rocks.

By the way, where did you find one ? They haven't been made for a while.

You can still find them on eBay. Plenty of standard and modified ones on there. Mine's had a larger (120Gb) disc installed so it gets around 40 hours of Best and 70 hours of High Quality recording..

There seems to be plenty of other bits and pieces you can do to them as well, so might havment"; filename=""
Content-Type: application/octet-stream

Originally posted by jimbobjoe
Give it a couple of weeks and you'll never understand how you managed without one before. Tivo rocks.

By the way, where did you find one ? They haven't been made for a while.

You can still find them on eBay. Plenty of standard and modified ones on there. Mine's had a larger (120Gb) disc installed so it gets around 40 hours of Best and 70 hours of High Quality recording..

There seems to be plenty of other bits and pieces you can do to them as well, so might have a play at a later date. Some people have wireless network cards installed so they can access them from work over the 'net and give the boxes recording assignments.. lol!


-andy-

For those sky+ guys then its just as easy to lob a new disc in there too. ITs the only bit that goes wrong with them. No other bits needed - just unplug the old and replug in a standard PC hard drive. IT sorts itself out automatically. Great for when you are out of warranty and sky charge £50 just to come out (before new hard drive cost of £120) and a new (larger) hard drive is only £50 too!
no comments on the stigs unmasking then?

Originally posted by renegade_si
http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/features/essex_celeb/stig.shtml

"One man who has experienced the highs, and more particularly the lows of Formula 1 is Essex based racing driver Perry Macarthy. Test Driver for Benetton, Arrows and Williams, he's taken part in the 24 hour Le Mans race he's great mates with Damon Hill and has now written a book called "Flat Out Flat Broke" about what life is really like as a F1 driver.
Fans of the BBC's Top Gear programme might know him better as the Stig, the mystery driver who test drives all the top of the range supercars on the programme. "

I am somewhat disapointed. :(

Originally posted by RX-Late
I am somewhat disapointed. :(

I know what you mean. Now if it had proved to be Michael Schumacher (fat chance with his costs/schedule) or similar.....

Stu C

Me and my mates were thinking someone like Damon Hill.

Never heard of Perry I have to say...

According to my digiguide, the RX8 is on Top Gear tonight.

Yep, we are all standing to attention with our 'record' buttons at the ready.

Clarkson really does have a lot of power within the industry. Apart from us I bet Mazda UK will be watching with baited breath.

Just imagine he says it's a 'Girls Car' or something:eek:

Did I doze off or something? I saw the Volvo jumping caravans, the BMW Ms, Stephen Fry, and the roadster test; wasn't there something else meant to be on? Maybe it wasn't delivered to them in time.

Yes, you're right. no mention of the RX8 !

Can not believe this...not a word...my times Saturday review said it would feature...I find it astonishing that such a unique car does not get a mention...

Im still 15 minutes behind - talknig about the school run.

Good old Sky +

phone rang....

I suppose their test car wasn't delivered on time. :)

cant believe the Honda got an airing ahead og the RX8. I am thinking about phoning Greg Dyke right now to get them to stop this bias towards BMW's and to review the car that is making all of the headlines at the moment.

Bar Stewards - the lot of them. An I have to wait till Jan 15th for my 8 ........... Only 7 months after ordering I guess, not as bad a some

I did have high hopes of Clarkson on the cliff top shouting "You've got the wrong car" either that it would be the RX-8 or that he'd fall and break his ruddy neck.

Gutted, how long do I have to wait for this contraption and how long do I have to wait to see top gear (or so it is called) review it?????

This must be the most elusive car in the history of motoring. :mad:

Its not listed on Sky for next weeks either I'm afraid (but then again it wasn't on this weeks listings!)

Surprised - like Jezza- that the s2000 came last - not that 0.4 sec in total between 3 cars in the wet proves anything ...

Definately seemed to be an episode heavily featuring German sports cars (with the S2000 and a Volvo crashing through caravans thrown in for good measure) without specifying it being a German car special.

Obviously singing the praises of the beamer M cars history (while impressive) was deemed to be more important than a review of the car containing the Engine of the Year - a strange decision.

Still, I'm sure they'll show it soon, and having a new Stig who seems as capabale as the last should give it a fair test on the track and hopefully give a fair reflection against the competition.

Definately off the the Isle of Man when my 8 arrives :D

Did it with the MX5 club about 3 years ago - AND they closed part of the TT track for us to race along!!!

Perhaps its something for us to do with the RX8 club too?

Originally posted by Nirolex
Definately seemed to be an episode heavily featuring German sports cars (with the S2000 and a Volvo crashing through caravans thrown in for good measure) without specifying it being a German car special.

Would have been a German special if Volvo wasn't Swedish!

Gutted.

It bloody well better be on next week.....

I feel like a right numpty too....

I told friends:

"The car I've ordered that you all say will never arrive? Well watch Top Gear on Sunday and you'll see what all the fuss is about"

*sigh* I can just hear the ribbing I'll get tomorrow!

I can't get the real car...
I can't get a model car...
I can't get a promised Top-Gear review!

The RX-8 is nothing but a tease.

Originally posted by DannyA
Would have been a German special if Volvo wasn't Swedish!

Hence the reason why I said "with the S2000 and a Volvo crashing through caravans thrown in for good measure"
;)

Originally posted by Lensman
I can't get the real car...
I can't get a model car...
I can't get a promised Top-Gear review!

The RX-8 is nothing but a tease.


Lensman
sounds like another conspiracy for the old lounge thread
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6064&highlight=conspiracy+theory

hang in there folks

When I ordered my car on 13th Sept I test drove a Tit 6 speed and a Red 5 Speed. The dealer told me that 'Jeremy Clarkson test drove this for Top Gear yesterday' I can't remember which one is was (too much Stella) but I guess it was the 6 speeder. This was before his Times? review so he has done it for TG.

Maybe next week then:(

I'm going to get a ribbing at work as well.


BTW - Who is the new Stig?

Although strictly speaking Volvo is now American

Does anyone know why the RX8 wasn't featured?

Just had an email from a nice lady at the BBC, she said " Subject to scheduling, the RX8 review will go out on Sunday Nov 11th"

Spot the deliberate mistake...just wazzed off an email to see if she meant the 9th or the 16th

Jan 11th is a Sunday, I hope they haven't delayed it until then.

OK here's the Latest Official News on Top Gear.

I've just had an email back from the nice lady at the BBC, correcting the previous date given (11/11) for Clarkson's RX8 review. It will now be aired on...

Sunday 23rd November (Scheduling permitting)

Originally posted by Ricardo
OK here's the Latest Official News on Top Gear.

I've just had an email back from the nice lady at the BBC, correcting the previous date given (11/11) for Clarkson's RX8 review. It will now be aired on...

Sunday 23rd November (Scheduling permitting)

Well, assuming this is true, I should have mine by then. It will be interesting to compare his review with how I feel. It's not often I will have a car (hopefully) before reviews like this.


Stu C

Thanks for the research. I enjoy the Top Gear program - we get it on the BBC World channel on our cable TV. Of course, the BBC programming can be a bit iffy - even the cable people here can't figure it out sometimes, so setting the video recorder can be a bit of a lottery.

The version of Top Gear shown on BBC world is not quite the same as the 1 hour UK version. They cut bits out of the World version and some times mix which filmed reports go in to which programmes.
I expect they often drop "star in a reasonably priced car" as most of the people interviewed won't be known outside the UK.

Simon

Tonight’s 'Top Gear'....SAAB 95...cutting edge programming

Given Clarkson's comments in the times today about the RX-8 having problems in the wet, I guess we should be glad they haven't previewed the car yet.

..they did slag off the 95 though didn't they pillman - apart from that (actually pretty bloomin good) 50-70 pickup in 2nd...

I was straining my eyes to see if they have rated the coolness of the 8 on the board and not told us.... Couldnt see it.

Regarding handling in the wet problems, read the threads in the Discussion forum, and see what North Americans are saying about the efficacy of the DSC control. After reading them, I will NEVER switch mine off!

Yeah, but us Brits drive round corners all the time.... :)

I prefer driving the car with DSC off. Far more natural feel.

Originally posted by Contigo
I prefer driving the car with DSC off. Far more natural feel.

Far more natural feel? 99.9% of the time it shouldnt be doing anything. That 0.1% mebee it should be doing something. Seems like it doesnt intervene unless things are looking bad.

As for traction control, I managed a decent amount of wheelspin on a start today, no gadgets steped in (was 1/2 second or so). Still running in so I'm not realy going for quick takeoffs yet.

There's a snipet in this months TG mag were Mr. Clarkson mentions the RX8 while talking about modern sports coupes in general 350Z-Crossfire-Celica-Hyundai Coupe-GTV:

Quote:


And let's not forget the Mazda RX-8. Now this is one of the best handling cars I have ever driven and I just love telling friends of my mother that is has a Wankel rotary engine. But the styling's chintzier than a pair of council house curtains.

It rather looks like they had a 'design' suggestion box at the factory and decided to adopt everyone's idea. So as a result it's a two-door four door, with the boot of a saloon, the front of a Humber, gills and some triangles. And this from the company that brought us one of the most heavenly creations of all time the last RX-7.

Originally posted by RobDickinson
Far more natural feel? 99.9% of the time it shouldnt be doing anything. That 0.1% mebee it should be doing something. Seems like it doesnt intervene unless things are looking bad.

As for traction control, I managed a decent amount of wheelspin on a start today, no gadgets steped in (was 1/2 second or so). Still running in so I'm not realy going for quick takeoffs yet.

I love the DSC on this car, it lets you get the tail out a bit, even a little wheel spin off the line. But it wont allow you to swap ends, and it wont leave you in the middle of a junction spinning the wheels. Thats good enough for me on the public roads at this stage. Maybe I'll try the DSC off after I've been on the skid pan at the track day.

This is so different to other so called performance cars, the DSC mechanisms are very intrusive and far from natural to drive. This is especially for front wheel drive platforms with far too much power. The 3.0 V6 Alfa's are riduclous, the traction control is operating 100% of the time, you dont drive the car the computer does, or you wont be on the road. Even on the Golf R32 where they have had to bolt on expensive 4 wheel drive to try and handle the power, the traction control has to kick in at the slightest throttle use.

Cheers
---Dave

Just to remind everyone:

Top Gear RX8 Review Sun 8:00pm
Fifth Gear RX8 Review Mon 8:30pm

Hmmm isn't it filmed on a Thu and wasn't it quite wet on Thu? :(

Surely someone must have been there / know the time is scored?