Just to get everyone on the same page, Top Gear is a British car-reviewing sort of show. Some of what they test may or may not even be available here in the States. And I can't say their reviews are always fair or reasonable or relevant to anything whatsoever. It boils down to this... 3 car nuts having a LOT of fun, presented in a way that is entirely entertaining. But first...
Ooh, a Nate character trait:
I am not a fan of misinformation. I tend to correct things if they are wrong. I get the feeling this makes me come off as an ass. Sorry if I ever come off that way, my "don't be an ass" skills can be missing at any given time, but I won't apologize for correcting something that is not as it should be. So this is informational, this is knowledge I'd like to impart on the masses (all 3 of you) who read this blog...
What's that singer kid's name that's all famous right now? Justin Bieber. I'm not a fan, but his last name is a good example of the point I'd like to make. Is it pronounced "bye-ber"? No, it's pronounced "bee-ber". If I said, in a conversation, "that kid, Justin Bye-ber", would you correct me? Probably. I would hopefully appreciate that I learned something new and would try my best to remember it in the future so that I may pronounce it correctly from then on.
Let's move on to a different word: Porsche. It is pronounced "porsh-uh". A saying that has stuck with me; "You sit on a porch (porsh). You drive a Porsche (porsh-uh)." An explanation, "Porsche is a family name, and the family members pronounce their surname PORSH-uh, not PORSH!" (source: http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa020401a.htm)
Join us next time for, "It's BIMMER, not BEEMER! (...unless you're actually talking about a BMW motorcycle)"
Moving on:
So this is one of the first clips of Top Gear I ever saw, years ago, and it certainly helped drag me in. I haven't been able to get enough ever since. I can't say I agree with the sentiments towards the car itself... I've actually driven two old Porsche 911s in my life (a '73 and an '81), in an environment that was fully supportive of actually wringing them out, and they were an absolute blast. I can attest to the point made about "the engine in the wrong place" that affects handling and I actually almost wiped one out on a highway exit ramp... in front of the owner...due to that particular characteristic. (Yes, I went into the corner pretty hot, but he WAS chasing me down in a BMW M5.) However, the entertainment value of this video supersedes what is done to this poor car which, in my opinion, wins anyway.Without further ado, How to Kill a Porsche 911:
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