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Old 10-02-2009, 12:46 PM   #1
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"End of it all"

Taken from VWvortex car lounge...
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4588235



Quote:
Originally Posted by clarkson
Quote »
As a reader of Top Gear magazine, you are a foot soldier, part of a vast army of people whose communion wine has an octane rating and whose pew is made from Alcantara by Recaro. Unless of course you are reading this in a dentist's waiting room. In which case you are not a foot soldier. You have toothache, and you have my sympathy.
Let's be clear. I am not speaking now to people with toothache, or to those who have read Practical Caravanning and Dogs Today and are now ploughing through Top Gear magazine because it's that or the instructions on the vomit bag. I am speaking only to the army of genuine car lovers and the news is not good.

Of course, as is the way with all foot soldiers in all armies, you do not know the news is not good. And you will continue to not know until a dirty great missile lands on your car and blows it into the middle of next week. The fact is, though, that you are under attack. And you have no idea.

As a member of the Top Gear team, I get to see all the tell-tale signs. I see the press releases from the loony left. I get the Google alerts. I read the complaints sent to the BBC. So I know what's coming. And what's coming is the End of Days.

The number of people who dislike cars is very small. A few ramblers, some bods in Friends of the Earth, various people who run road safety charities. But they are noisy, and they are motivated. And unlike us who simply worship at the temple of speed, they make it their life's work to bring all that down. To burn our churches. And hang our leaders. And not stop until you, me and everyone we know is going to work on oxen. And what makes it so depressing is that there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.

I honestly can see a time when there are no supercars, and when the hybrid eco electric lentil you are allowed to drive to work every other day is governed by spy satellites to 20mph. And I don't see this coming in a hundred years. I see it in less than 20. Maybe 10.

"The number of people who dislike cars is very small. A few ramblers, Friends of the Earth and people who run road safety charities. But they’re noisy and motivated"

You may argue that this is nonsense and that Ferrari is in rude health at the moment. Absolutely. So is Bentley and so is Rolls-Royce. But that's because they are selling cars to people in Russia and the Middle East. That won't last.

The fact is that they simply can't stay in business without Europe, which is now fundamentally anti-car and America, which since the dawn of Barack Obama, is even more green than the lawn outside the White House. He wants to reduce greenhouse gases and because he's serious about that, the V8 will have to go. Not just in pick-up trucks and SUVs, but in Ferraris and Maseratis as well.

Run around all you like, but there is nothing you can do. Yes, a handful of sheikhs may keep Ferrari in business for the next few years, but eventually, without California and Cheshire - and with less dependence on the sheikhs for oil - all they'll be making down there in Maranello is branded aftershave and baseball caps.

It's not just market forces either. Now, if you drive a really expensive car around Britain's cities, you are very often subjected to a torrent of abuse from the hirsute and the stupid. They believe they have right on their side so they point with their bony, wizened fingers, and spit, and bang on your carbon-fibre roof. Only the other day, a taxi driver, normally the last resting place for the sensible, gave me a ton of what for, for driving a Range Rover. If this kind of thing gets worse, the number of people prepared to stick it out will dwindle to nought.

Seriously. When Henry VIII declared war on the Catholics, some continued to worship Johnny Pope, but after a few burnings, it quickly died out. Car love will go the same way.

And I haven't even got to the biggest problem of them all yet. The mothers of those who've been killed on the roads.

I am able to deal with anyone whose objection to speed and car use is environmental. They are talking utter claptrap and the figures back it up. Similarly, I am able to deal with cyclists. They are jealous. But it is impossible to make a coherent argument for unrestrained car use when you are face-to-face with a mum whose kid has been splattered all over a bus stop by some halfwit in a Corsa.

Boris Johnson, as is often the way, hit the nail rather beautifully on the head when writing in the Daily Telegraph recently. He explained that he often receives complaints about the number of traffic lights in London but says each one is the result of a campaign. And when that campaign has been led by someone whose child has been run over, it is extremely difficult for a local council to turn away and do nothing.

Yes. I can come here now and say that deaths on the road are inevitable and that building a
set of traffic lights or a footbridge on the site of each tragedy is utterly preposterous. But you try saying that to someone who is crying.

And so, combine the sobbing mothers, the stupid environmentalists, the jealous and the communistical and you end up with a small but powerful wave in the face of which we, the army, are powerless to do anything. Don't forget, the Boxing Day tsunami was not tall but it wiped out everything.

So there you are. One bereaved mum. One man with a beard. A splash of Al Gore and a curious new hatred for the rich and all I can say is this: get your order in now for the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Because I can't see its like coming round again.

PETER WHEELER
Since I was last here, Peter Wheeler, the charismatic former boss of TVR in Blackpool has died after a short illness.

Peter was credited, rightly so, with taking the company from a maker of kit cars to a full-on Northern thunderstorm in the world of high performance. A Griffith on full chat, through the Trough of Bowland... it was a magical experience.

It was much like Peter actually. Having made quite a lot of money from playing poker at university, he moved into North Sea technology where he made even more. Which he then invested in TVR. An endless succession of increasingly flamboyant cars resulted, until one day, he decided he'd had enough and sold out to a Russian business boy who effectively piloted the entire operation into a hillside.

I knew Peter quite well, not through cars but through shooting. He actually won awards for
his countryside husbandry and his shoot was brilliant. Most of the time, on most shoots, birds come from the same direction; not at Peter's they didn't. You had to be alert. Much like you had to be in one of his cars.

In between drives, he'd ferry his guests around in an armoured and tracked Volvo army toy, smoking and generally moaning about the Labour Party which he hated. And then we'd have a big lunch, smoke some more and then shoot some birds that had come from behind us, in the face.

I'll miss him, and my deepest sympathies go to his wife Vicky and their children. Who obviously will miss him a great deal more.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-cla...it-all-2009-09


I have to agree with clarkson here. I know many dont like his views on cars, but he seems on track here. I see cars going into the ****ter, as he does, in the next 10 years or so. So much view on "green" here that I couldn't have said it better than him :
"...America, which since the dawn of Barack Obama, is even more green than the lawn outside the White House.."

anyways. Discuss. agree/disagree?
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Old 10-02-2009, 12:56 PM   #2
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I kinda agree. He seems to have a solid point here, but then again, cars can be efficient and still be powerful.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:00 PM   #3
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I think more of his point was super cars. Most supercars have a big ol' V8 in them or bigger and too most people v8's = ****ty gas milage. Also, there is the fact that these cars cost as much as some houses and with the ****ty economy these companies are holding on by fingernails.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:19 PM   #4
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This is an argument he's been making for a while. I agree it's under attack. But here's the thing. Cars like that exist because of human nature. People are competitive. Human beings have since the beginning of time raced everything that moves. People race themselves, horses, then cars and other vehicles. We all have the drive to have our car be better and more capable than our neighbors. And the rich can afford to have it. I kind of think to the contrary here. Clarkson sees the death of the performance car. I say no. There will always be a demand for them. I see the death of the car for automatic transportation, but I see performance cars surviving because they are their own experience and lifestyle. Look at horses. Hose riding and racing is hobby now. It used to be the transportation for everyone. It has been replaced by the car but the enthusiast sector has survived and is still prevailent today. The same will happen to the automobile.

Also. The envirmentalists bitch about emmissions an pollution. Get this tho. Current car engines are only like 35% efficient. If we work to make efficiency much greater, even to like 50%, emmissions will be down huge amounts, as will pollutants, mpg will go way up, and guess what?.....power will increase dramatically. Death of fast cars....quite the opposite.

Also just cuz there's new technology coming out and that hybrids are mostly vag mobiles right now does not mean it will stay that way. Hybrids as we know them will be gone within 10 years. The volt platform is FAR superior to that of the prius and insight. O and if the volt isn't fast enough for u, then how about the Fisker karma, and it's 400whp and 960rwtq. People still want fast and fun cars especially ones that are more efficient and have new technology.

As far as the crying mothers go. It's sad and it sucks. But the fact is that there are 9 billion people on earth and a good percentage of them are ****ing idiots in some regard. This **** has happened, it does happen, and it will continue to happen. These people are the same type of people who stopped flying after 9/11. They are scared and tormented. Not dignified if u ask me. As such fear shows little faith and much weakness and insecurity. Welcome to earth, **** happens and we all die.

Clarksons point is valid, but it would require people to not be people anymore. And throughout history I've found that human nature will prevail. Fast vehicles are here to stay people.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:25 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliott18t View Post
I think more of his point was super cars. Most supercars have a big ol' V8 in them or bigger and too most people v8's = ****ty gas milage. Also, there is the fact that these cars cost as much as some houses and with the ****ty economy these companies are holding on by fingernails.
Not really. Most of their clientele is fine. They may have lost alot of money but they still have a ****load. Ie if u had 200million and lost 100 million to madoff, guess what u still have 100 million dollars. And u probly won't have to sell ur ferraris or cancell ur 458 italia order.

Yes maybe their lower income customers may have trouble but those are people who stretched themselves a bit to have that car. Most of ferraris clients have so much money that it doesn't matter
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:27 PM   #6
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if you have that kind of money thats not how you would look at it. thats half of your money gone! I wouldnt be buying ferraris, id be looking for ways to get that money back!
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:36 PM   #7
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Obviously it would depend on how they were living. But 100million is an unbelievably huge amount of money. And honestly money stops mattering the more of it u have. Yes it's half, but the remaining half is still unfathomably large.

And also. Most of these people would get their money back. Everyone is panicing and cluster****ing all over the place. This is a natural economy cycle patience is a virtue. And if u panic u get what u deserve and are a ****ing idiot just like the rest of the idiots who caused this. It's not that hard to be smart, stupid people caused this and it is mostly them who will suffer from this. Because smart people who got ****ed over will find a way back up. **** stupid people. I don't feel sorry for people that bough houses they couldn't afford with money they didn't have. I don't feel sorry for the idiots that granted such loans. I don't feel sorry for the ****tards who put everything they had with burnie. They're all ****ing retards and deserve to be homeless and to whore themselves for a living. Madoff was a douche, but he took advantage of stupid people, that's the American way and he got away with it for a long time cuz he wasn't stupid. It isn't that hard to have common sense, and in the animal world stupidity gets u killed. Same is still true of us, though it may not kill u, just **** u over

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Old 10-02-2009, 01:41 PM   #8
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100 mill is not unfathomly large anymore.. anyways, this about cars not money.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:48 PM   #9
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Yes it is if ur smart with ur money. And ur right. Sorry I got into a rant.

Point is though. Human nature insures that we will always have fast cars, and other vehicles cuz we all want to be better than others. Idiots try and limit things, but in the end they will fail. They always have. They always will.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:54 PM   #10
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yeah, lots of people are dumb with money though, IE lotto winners.


anyways I do agree that we have some sort of natural instinct to want to race/have some sort of performance model.
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Old 10-02-2009, 02:29 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndubz View Post
Yes it is if ur smart with ur money. And ur right. Sorry I got into a rant.

Point is though. Human nature insures that we will always have fast cars, and other vehicles cuz we all want to be better than others. Idiots try and limit things, but in the end they will fail. They always have. They always will.
You are incredibly misinformed... Please stop relating cars/sales to human nature. Human nature is only emotion and instinct, nothing more. It is not instinct for ANY human being to drive a fast car.
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Old 10-02-2009, 02:33 PM   #12
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The last show of the season almost made me cry. The end was so sad.

Clarkson speaks truth.
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Old 10-02-2009, 02:57 PM   #13
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You are incredibly misinformed... Please stop relating cars/sales to human nature. Human nature is only emotion and instinct, nothing more. It is not instinct for ANY human being to drive a fast car.
Human nature makes us competitive. Racing is competition. as is social status. Cars are absolutely related to human nature. As are houses, clothing, jewelry, etc. its all about making yourself seem better than those around you. Yes for mating, and yes for the ego that resides in all of us. U sir, seem to be the one who is misinformed.
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Old 10-02-2009, 04:04 PM   #14
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I really don't think it will ever disapear. Cars are not super popular if you see the news and keep in mind all news shows and papers have an agenda. First and foremost is to sell papers. Green and Socialism sell right now.

I have been alive since the 70s and can tell you this is the 3rd time in my life that this whole green thing has come along. During the oil crisis is was a huge deal. We were forced to wait in lines for gas. In school we literally worked with the lights off. Seriously they cut power to the school. I also grew up in a solar powered house. Didn't work so great but the house still exist and is still solar powered.

During Clintons first term it came back again. Next thing I know we had to buy shopping bags made out of recycled material to get our groceries. Funny we all had them and there are probably 20 land fills full of these bags. Half way thru his presidency they focused more on ripping people off and the green thing got kicked to the curb.

Now the politicians of the world have figured out they can use this green agenda as a way to manipulate and control us. But the best part is we thank them for it and make them even more powerful.


If anyone here can remember back to the 70s and 80s after the oil crisis we had the worst cars ever made. From about 74 maybe 95 you have got the most terrible cars imaginable. Now some may disagree but your wrong. Cause wether you like a car from the era or not you are either going to buy it and modify it or you really haven't driven that car in awhile. Sorry the Grand National was not that fast and the style and design were ****.

I bring this up because this is whats going to happen again. But I say embrace it. Let it happen. When this happened in the 70s it meant you could buy a second hand ferrari for $1000. I kid you not. Same thing will happen this time around.

Car manufacturers are currently making cars for the politicians. Think about it. Who would want to buy a Toyota right now? No one wants a toyota. They are boring. But my god they give the green crowd a boner. However as stated in the article they are a small group of people. Unless they can convince you a prius is cool you are not gonna buy it. What will happen and it's already happening is these cars are sitting on lots and not selling. You see bigger and better cars coming down the road now almost daily.

Not to mention for almost every guy I know it's a real motivation to own a beautiful expensive sports car. If I wasn't able to own a Aston Martin I wouldn't work 60 hours a week like I do. I would work 35 hours and **** strippers and take E. Seriously thats what I would be doing. I would have nothing to enjoy that would justify me working so hard. Only thing keeping me going is so I can have a mansion in a few years with 10 exotics sitting in the garage. I think alot of men are like that and it would kill our economy if we took the sports cars away.


OK I just rambled on and typed like a nut sorry but I will post it anyways.
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Old 10-02-2009, 04:11 PM   #15
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aston martins are pieces of **** and the jaguar variant is always better... and cheaper... but i get your point. I like alot of cars from the time-era your talking about and alot of others do. They may not always be the prettiest thing but they are not horrible like you say. I know this green thing isnt new, infact I think its dumb. There is a **** load of other things that pollute more than cars.
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Old 10-02-2009, 05:43 PM   #16
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aston martins are pieces of **** and the jaguar variant is always better... and cheaper... but i get your point.
Well I was hoping to get one or the other in January. But after 20 years of dating I finally met a girl I want to marry. So I got to get a house and rings and have a wedding and all that stuff that goes along with it. Heard it here first I am gonna ask someone to marry me.


However I did just get a company credit card with a 35k limit. Already joked and said I was gonna go buy a jag with it. LOL
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Old 10-02-2009, 06:05 PM   #17
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Human nature makes us competitive. Racing is competition. as is social status. Cars are absolutely related to human nature. As are houses, clothing, jewelry, etc. its all about making yourself seem better than those around you. Yes for mating, and yes for the ego that resides in all of us. U sir, seem to be the one who is misinformed.
Everything you just said is due to society, nobody is born with those urges. I went to school for this kind of stuff so you should lose the ego that society has caused you to have
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Old 10-02-2009, 08:09 PM   #18
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aston martins are pieces of **** and the jaguar variant is always better... and cheaper... but i get your point. I like alot of cars from the time-era your talking about and alot of others do. They may not always be the prettiest thing but they are not horrible like you say. I know this green thing isnt new, infact I think its dumb. There is a **** load of other things that pollute more than cars.
You should be expedited to the tower of london for that one. Stick to V-Dubs. They may share some parts, but they are by NO means the same.
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Old 10-02-2009, 08:11 PM   #19
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Everything you just said is due to society, nobody is born with those urges. I went to school for this kind of stuff so you should lose the ego that society has caused you to have
I once heard of a place where people had this mentality.........oh what was it called again?........... Oh right, the Soviet Union. No thanks man
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Old 10-02-2009, 09:22 PM   #20
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I once heard of a place where people had this mentality.........oh what was it called again?........... Oh right, the Soviet Union. No thanks man
Lol, what mentality is that? An educational mentality?
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