Jeremy Clarkson, the host of BBC's TopGear seen on TheLearningChannel here in the states wrote the above review of the Ford Mustang GT. Now read it through, because while it may not seem favorable, it does give a good glimpse of how Europeans, especially the UK view our Auto Industry and Cars. In the end, although Mr Clarkson, does have some unfriendly things to say about the Mustang, he does admit that he was toying with the idea of bringing one home with him. Maybe Jeremy should drive the GT500 when it's released.
Now if you really want to punch him, go to the following site;
http://www.urban75.com/Punch/clarkson.html
After you slap Jeremy Clarkson, go to the main page and check out Urban75, but be warned, don't leave nasty comments on their site, or you end up in the F*ckWit Gallery, which you should check while you're there.
5 comments:
He's completely right. Mustang would be a nightmare in Europe. It is big and consumes a lot of gas by their standards.
However, I would like to point out a couple of things:
1. We do not extract as much power as we can from the engines because Americans demand reliablity.
2. Europeans don't drive 3 hours round trip to work every day, nor do they drive 1K miles on weekends for fun.
Shawn, I agree a Mustang would be out of it's element on European roads. It's size compared to European roads and the cars on them is large.
As for Americans demanding reliability, I don't think Europeans consider cars to be disposable items, I'm sure they require reliability also. While I consider American cars to be very reliable, some European brands as well as Japanese are well known for high milage reliability. Just ask anyone who has over 200,000 miles on a Honda, Volvo or Mercedes.
You do hit one point right on the head, driving habits in Europe and the United States are vastly different. By the nature of our nations vast expanse, we drive farther and longer than the average European. This may also explain the European view of American cars as soft riding cars that don't handle as well. If you're driving short distances, you will put up with a harsh ride, in favor of better handling, than you would if you need to commute an hour or more or are driving cross country. As for a 3 hour commute, I'm hoping that's a rare occurance, but have known people who's commute is almost 2 hours.
There is a definite difference in driving perspectives and needs between the U S and Europe.
But notice that the attraction of the Mustang is such that even after arguing it's bad points, Mr Clarkson considers bringing one home. Jeremy Clarkson is a bit of a Ford fan, as you will know if you heard about his purchase and subsequent return of the Ford GT supercar.
actually I wasn't trying to say that European cars are not reliable. I just didn't write it properly. LOL
Okay, the point I was trying to make is that they put much less demands on the car than we do. It's one thing to drive a 500 hp car for 30 miles than it is to drive it 300 miles daily.
Of course, he's writing for a European audience, so he's completely right. Europeans would hate the Mustang.
I agree, this was a great article. It showed as stated already , the difffrence in driving habbits and Mind set of Americans and Europeans. I also have to admit bias , as I am a Big fan of both Top Gear ( 5TH Gear ) and Mr Clarkson's.
Midnightmagnum
Dotty Gale, yes they pay him well and gave him a TV show, Wed night at 10 TopGear.
He's not such a bad guy, I've read more of his reviews, and he is a little quirky, but that's the UK for you.
Midnight Magnum, I also am becoming a fan of the show and the man. I think we'll be seeing more references to Mr Clarkson's reviews here.
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