another top gear episode with a short section regarding the mini convertible during their news session. a little criticism regarding an openometer?

regardless
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/T...ull_204202.htm

at 16:30

 

That is pretty cool!

 

Well, I agree...the openometer is weird. Harmless, but weird. As a whole, though, I think the new carbio is super, so I suppose that bumps the openometer up to merely quirky.

 

What gets me about the openometer gauge is that they spent time on the engineering instead of making functional ones like temp/oil/boost.

 

+1 on liking the new Cab, but quirky is a bit kind for the openometer. Ridiculous comes to my mind. To think of the $$ they spent engineering and fabricating it -- resources that could have been used for more noble purposes.

BTW, the following sketch in that Top Gear episode about cars built behind the iron curtain had me laughing so hard I almost peed my pants...

 

I would agree with you on the openometer! But I also see why they did it. It goes with the whole theme of "Always Open"! I would like to se more useful gauges myself, but this s kinda cool!

 

i always love me a good top gear episode! thanks for the link!

 

if this website has all the full episodes i will love you forever. Being at college i don't get BBC America anymore. This was the one show i watched every week

 

who doesnt love topgear...

yeah... you are just gonna have to search topgear season x on streetfire.net.

they usually have the season and episodes in full

 

Dude! Why do we not have a show like that in the states?

Who wants a Ford Fiesta now?

 

It would be great to see a American Top Gear! But all we have is roundir round racecar drivers. Who would host such a show...

 

Jay Leno

 

Mike Rowe, for one.

But, jez, landing the locations would be crazy difficult. The Marines? A mall? I had a hard enough time getting malls to let us shoot part of a major-network makeover show I worked on...

 

You do realize that NBC filmed a pilot episode with Adam Corolla as the host... Check finalgear.com if you haven't.

And I agree with JC on this one. The Openometer is the stupidest idea to come to motoring in a long, long while. Thankfully, from what I have read, it's optional.

 

O...M...G.............the Fiesta test drive was absolutely brilliant!!!! Who wouldn't love to have a romp in a shopping mall!!!!! And beach landing craft???? Very impressive!!!!!

 

Bloody Brilliant, that's the best episode I've seen in a long time!

Agree that the openometer is a bit silly but let's face it, MINI's are a bit silly in general. Or rather they at least have the ability to be, unlike competing cars.

 

sweet, thank you so much for this.

did anyone watch all the way through to the end when they have the vet chase the ford through the mall

 

Yes, they are expanding Top Gear to the US (with Adam Corolla)... and they've already started the first season of Top Gear Australia.

After watching the ausie one, I'm even less excited about the US prospects. None of these spin-offs will improve on the original. In fact, the ausie show is like a poor caricature of the original UK version. Even the hosts they hired fit obvious stereotypes of the original -- there's the tall, loud one; the comically short one; and the gay one who doesn't drive very well.

I don't see any reason to waste time with the spin offs when the gold-standard original is readily available on youtube, bittorrent, etc.

 

Here Here! I agree wholeheartedly.

 

Well, sure it will never be that same. But they can get the concept down!

 

Yeah remember the U.S. version of Junkyard Wars? Ugh.

 

Oh yeah...any MINI owner's dream. I doubt a MINI would have done as well with that beach landing though...that was a lot of water!!!

As for the U.S. version...enthusiasts might get it, but the masses? Not sure. Add to this they'd need several seasons to get a formula together and TV execs don't have the attention span for that.

 

I understand one of the highly regarded MINI tuners is working on a conversion kit to change the openometer into the valveclatterometer. Now that will be a useful addition.

 

Not on Coopers!!! Sorry, that was tacky.

 

One of the reasons I'm leaning towards a Cooper for my next MINI. If when BMW/Peugeot figure out what the heck that rattle is & how to fix it I'd be happy with an R56 MCS, but not until they do.