twokidsnosleep

"So don't be a ******. "

I'll let that slide this time, only because you are from BC; but next time:
I have only seen top gear on computer links, never a whole show. Is Clarkson the pudgy host guy??

rocket88

that would be James May, Clarkson is the tall one.

rrobello

here is his obituary.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpL9a-5LFpI

incomingRPG

It's just wrong to have to shift with your left hand.

And as for his statements, I say "Whatever, he just doesn't get it!"

Hollywood_North GT

Good luck with that.

runfox

Yeah his artilce on the Mustang is intersting to me in that it gives a little insight to how the british think.

I just sort of feel sad for that mindset that anyone could in any way desire a VW golf over a Mustang GT.A VW golf may have some good egeneering, but its about as plain and unexciting as a cordboard box, where as the Mustang although less techically advanced, is all about sensory percetion, Excitement for the masses at a price we can all afford. All the European cars he talks about, rich mans toys, the average working stiff european could only dream of having as much fun as we have in our "OX CARTS" !!

Rondosa

It's hard to understand Clarkson unless you watch a few episodes of the whole show. He's not anti-american or anti-anything really, he just reviews the cars on an individual basis, and usually skews things a little for entertainment. I personally find the show wildly funny and the only reason I order BBC Canada on digital cable.

I love how they have carte blanche to do whatever they want, like test which car would stand up better against full thrust jet wash from a 747. Go Ford Monteo!!

Anyways, the Mustang was reviewed by Richard when it first came out and he quite liked it - he's an admitted muscle car fan though. However, I really can't argue with anything Clarkson's said about it, the Mustang really does have pretty archaic technology and I do feel like there's a lot of wasted "space" in the engine. But I still love it!

Fun top gear videos: http://www.topgear.com/content/timet...ctions/videos/

Mustangfreak

I HATE it when people complain about it not having IRS. IRS sucks. Most of the Mustangs out there are used for drag racing. IRS SUCKS at drag racing.

Hollywood_North GT

Yeah, that must be why 99% of the world's automakers use it.

Bit of an overstatement, don't you think?

RalphBullit

it's not what British think,it's what he personally thinks
If Europeans thoughts were similar to Clarkson's ,there wouldn't be tenths of privately imported Stangs in every European country.We Europeans love Mustang almost as much as Americans.The problem is instead of a beautiful pony-car we can get a Ford Fiesta at our Ford dealerships.Fortunately not everyone listens to him and there are still people who fall in love in some American cars and would never buy a Golf because they claim it's a piece of junk.

Secondly,complaining that the Mustang GT engine doesn't make enough horsepower is ,saying that Americans can't make enough horsepower from an engine is even worse.Why? because his Ford GT is American-made and it makes 550hp from a 5.4 engine,So Jeremy stop repeating this bull****,I am sure that you do know what is the power of your car and where it comes from,or maybe you are retarded???

Thirdly,there will be many more power choices for the 4.6 engine.300 is just a base,maybe Clarkson should take some tuitions about engineering!

Cheese302

i agree, my family has 3 v8 mustangs. and none of the three have ever rolled onto the strip.

rhumb

And why does IRS suck, other than hugely decreased unsprung weight, greatly increased compliance, greatly increased ride/handling envelope, greater handling range and better geometry control over varying road surfaces?

99.9% or the Mustangs never get withing 10 miles of a drag strip, being used primarily on the rough and tumble of real world roads, not the highly artificial confines of an arrow-straight and creamy-smooth drag strip, which is about the least challenging test of a suspension's capabilities outside of parallel parking.

Perhaps that Stang's are used somewhat disproportionately as drag cars, competition wise, is that the lively axle renders it with one hand tied behind its back when it comes to any test that values broad-spectrum handling capability and compliance, unless your willing to throw out any and all ride consideration of an all out Grand Am cup ride (which race on fairly flat and smooth roads when it comes down to it and is more likely a reflection of the Stang's big motor than handling finesse over the M3s).

Yeah, dat ol' ox-cart axle is fine for those pinching pennies, haul trailers or who live their performance-car experiences but one 1/4 spurt at a time. On the other hand, and in the rough and tumble of real world driving, there are very good reasons for, and benefits to, an IRS in a performance car (and no, not for a cushy ride to put that old red herring to rest).

Sure, they may be a bit more pricy -- though the oft quoted $5K premium is either grossly overstated or an indication of SVT's engineering and manufacturing ineptitude, post Colletti -- but probably represents a better VALUE overall (there IS a difference between low price and high value).

And IRSs may, as a package, weigh a bit more than a live axle, but far more importantly, they pare down huge poundage where it does the most damage to performance and vehicle dynamics -- unsprung weight and better enables a car to actually put the ponies to the pavement over a far wider range of driving conditions.

As for at the strip, the Vettes, Vipers and multitude of other IRS cars don't seem to have suffered too much.

RalphBullit

please guys do not begin a new IRS discussion,Ford should offer it as an option on Mustang.THE END.

95cobraR

I agree. I watch the show for its entertainment value. I certainly would not buy (or buy) a car based on anything that the show stated.

Who is the chick that has recently been on the show? Wow, she is cute (and I love her accent and the tight shirts and pants)!

Bit of an overstatement, don't you think?

GT98

yeah right...most cars have a twist beam for FWD applications as worse as a live axle...

Not to mention millions and millions of trucks built with live axles also..

rhumb

Ackkk, I did bite Mustangfreak's bait a bit to easily!

Twistbeam rear axle's are OK on cheap FWD application and don't suffer a RWD live axle's main Achille's Heel, massive unsprung mass.

And yes, millions of trucks, well known for their handling performance and chassis dynamics, do use live axles ... and leaf springs, and ladder frame chassis, and .... but I'd rather the Stang have somewhat better than pickup truck class handling and suspension.

But back to the thread, Clarkson's comments do capture well the Stangs strengths and foibles, of which, as with all cars, it has both. It is good to get different perspectives on the Stang outside the immediate choir and cheering section that you would find in this or any other models forums.

Sonic05

Clarkson pretty much hit every reason I bought the car. If I wanted an expensive, refined, personality-free car, I would have bought something else.

I wanted a cheap, rough, loud, simple, fast, no appologies throw back to the 60's AMERICAN muscle car.

THANK YOU FORD FOR MAKING MY DREAM COME TRUE!

On a side note, how can an engine with "the power of a juicer", haul a car that is made from "pig iron and lava" to 60mph in 5 seconds? I guess it must warp physics? Oh wait, it has TORQUE! Notice they never talk about that? Clarkson talks from all the episodes I've seen. He is still funny though!

Hollywood_North GT

Please, let's just leave trucks out of a conversation about performance automobiles, shall we?

AnotherMustangMan

Hahahaha.

IRS is superior, thats indisputable. BUT, if the Stang had it, what would we have to complain about?

Moosetang

Man, I can't wait for Clarkson to do a review of the GT 500. Going to be a hell of a Top Gear segment.