Letter to Top Gear
Discussion
You chaps haven’t given the recent troubles at TVR enough of an airing – it’s a National Tragedy and, on your part, an oversight that verges on the hypocriphal.
I’ve bought every one of your mags, watched every one of your TV shows and, probably, one way or the other received every DVD you’ve ever produced including Mr May’s “Christmas Jobbie” that keeps repeating the same questions and then downgrades me to a TVR Chimaera together with the witty sideline “and you’ll also need another car – for driving”. I wonder where Mr May was coached in the art of the pregnant pause ----------------------------------------------------------------but then again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I don’t. Been reading you, James, for 20 years – I know you’re more original than that.
C’mon guys, I watched, with real tears, the Clarkson eulogy when he took the (BMW) Roller over the Humber Bridge to bemoan the yesteryear of British Engineering, the Whittles, the Wallaces, etc. and I know that TVR is a brutish and comparatively agricultural pastiche of the same ideological spirit. But it is, unquestionably, of the same spirit and it’s the only one we’ve truly got left in our “engineering is for sad t
ts” culture. Great Britain needs a TVR to stick two fingers up to the establishment every time it gets a purchase order. I want my kids to be able to buy 500bhp, 1000kg TVRs running on BioFuel that is farmed on land owned by TVR - just to fuel TVRs - it wouldn't be that hard; it was normal 100 years ago to set aside land to feed your friggin livestock. If TVR goes, a big part of our National (up yours) Identity will go with it, and it won't return in any of our lifetimes. And that will be a very sad thing.
You should comment, and you should do so without the “what’s going to fall off next” popularism that has, to an extent, caused TVRs problems, or at least its folklore. If you want supercar performance, and you want supercar levels of visceral experience, and you want supercar levels of dramatic presence, and you want it at a 10th of the price of a supercar because you can’t afford a supercar then - bits are going to fall off from time to time. Celebrate it rather than berate it, you know that your lives and careers have been enhanced by the existence of TVR, so please stand up for what it means rather than capitalise on cheap jokes derived to perpetuate the common wisdom.
P.S. and don’t give me that Noble, Caterham, Marcos, bullshit – it’s just not the same level of aspiration or ambition, and you know it!
Yours truly,
Jap
(They won't print it)
I’ve bought every one of your mags, watched every one of your TV shows and, probably, one way or the other received every DVD you’ve ever produced including Mr May’s “Christmas Jobbie” that keeps repeating the same questions and then downgrades me to a TVR Chimaera together with the witty sideline “and you’ll also need another car – for driving”. I wonder where Mr May was coached in the art of the pregnant pause ----------------------------------------------------------------but then again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I don’t. Been reading you, James, for 20 years – I know you’re more original than that.
C’mon guys, I watched, with real tears, the Clarkson eulogy when he took the (BMW) Roller over the Humber Bridge to bemoan the yesteryear of British Engineering, the Whittles, the Wallaces, etc. and I know that TVR is a brutish and comparatively agricultural pastiche of the same ideological spirit. But it is, unquestionably, of the same spirit and it’s the only one we’ve truly got left in our “engineering is for sad t
ts” culture. Great Britain needs a TVR to stick two fingers up to the establishment every time it gets a purchase order. I want my kids to be able to buy 500bhp, 1000kg TVRs running on BioFuel that is farmed on land owned by TVR - just to fuel TVRs - it wouldn't be that hard; it was normal 100 years ago to set aside land to feed your friggin livestock. If TVR goes, a big part of our National (up yours) Identity will go with it, and it won't return in any of our lifetimes. And that will be a very sad thing. You should comment, and you should do so without the “what’s going to fall off next” popularism that has, to an extent, caused TVRs problems, or at least its folklore. If you want supercar performance, and you want supercar levels of visceral experience, and you want supercar levels of dramatic presence, and you want it at a 10th of the price of a supercar because you can’t afford a supercar then - bits are going to fall off from time to time. Celebrate it rather than berate it, you know that your lives and careers have been enhanced by the existence of TVR, so please stand up for what it means rather than capitalise on cheap jokes derived to perpetuate the common wisdom.
P.S. and don’t give me that Noble, Caterham, Marcos, bullshit – it’s just not the same level of aspiration or ambition, and you know it!
Yours truly,
Jap
(They won't print it)
Jappo said:
I’ve bought every one of your mags, watched every one of your TV shows and, probably, one way or the other received every DVD you’ve ever produced including Mr May’s “Christmas Jobbie” that keeps repeating the same questions and then downgrades me to a TVR Chimaera together with the witty sideline “and you’ll also need another car – for driving”. )
You might like to enlighten James as to the difference between a Porsche 911 and a Cayman while your at it, biggest load of toss I’ve ever seen! He should be ashamed to put his name to it.
GregE240 said:
Jappo said:
.....blah blah......
P.S. and don’t give me that Noble, Caterham, Marcos, bullshit – it’s just not the same level of aspiration or ambition, and you know it!
Yours blindly ,
Jap
(They won't print it)
They might now I've amended it for you. P.S. and don’t give me that Noble, Caterham, Marcos, bullshit – it’s just not the same level of aspiration or ambition, and you know it!
Yours blindly ,
Jap
(They won't print it)
Is it any wonder they take the mick out of TVR owners when they get letters like that?!Hmm, nice letter, but unlikely to be printed. TG have successfully managed to put the boot in to TVR by perpetuating the TVRs smell of glue/are unreliable/only for neanderthals with big biceps myths, and their "swansong" comment was the final straw as far as I am concerned. At no time have they managed to inform or provide a balanced view of what was going on in Blackpool. I do not expect them to start now.
I'm not blind and I'm not wearing blinkers and also, I wasn't meaning to slag off other UK manufacturers. I've had a Caterham and driven both Noble M12 and Lotus Exige 240R - they're fantastic drivers/fun cars, very enjoyable and completely worthy in their own right. However, in making so much of their cars bespoke, particularly their engines, TVR were trying to reach a different aspirational level in that it was always their intent to become more of a British Porsche/Ferrari/Aston than the low volume pure driver's machines that the other guys aspire to being. Whether or not you believe that this aspiration was a mistake it's a shame that, in this regard, they may well be the last of their British breed.
I must admit their blatant attempts to stick the boot in to TVR every time they get a chance really only got to me during London Thunder. In a difficult time when the workers were losing jobs etc, just before Xmas we asked if they could make an announcement on their news page, they did but they had to have a dig, they gave no contact details and had an unnecassary dig at TVR's at the end of the piece!
I think they need to know that its the readers that pay their wages, without whom they wouldnt have a job! I am actually cancelling my subscription to TG as I hardly get chance to read it these days anyway, but their handling of London Thunder was appauling and the final straw
Maybe others should do the same, maybe then they will start to understand if they piss off readers, they will stop reading.
Mike
I think they need to know that its the readers that pay their wages, without whom they wouldnt have a job! I am actually cancelling my subscription to TG as I hardly get chance to read it these days anyway, but their handling of London Thunder was appauling and the final straw
Maybe others should do the same, maybe then they will start to understand if they piss off readers, they will stop reading.
Mike
Well this is my view of all three of Top Gear presentors.They are tressel legged,bombastic,I think I can drive fast cars, self opionated old farts, that would be better employed pushing wheelbarrows or supermarket trollies up and down the M1.The TV bosses need to get rid quick, then employ that bird Vicky Butler whatever her name is, to head up Top Gear, at least shes nice to look at and also knows what shes talking about!Untill that happens I'll carry on watching Postman Pat and his Black & White cat Jess.
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