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During the later years of the show, there were American and Australian Top Gear branded versions, both were borderline unwatchable and were tasked with an impossible mission of replicating the secret sauce that made Top Gear one of the biggest and most popular TV series ever created.Īs the Top Gear Clarkson-May-Hammond era came to a close in 2015, the show tried to rekindle some of the nostalgia with a new team including Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans. Jeremy Clarkson was infamously suspended following a catering argument with one of the producers and not too long after was released from the BBC.
#The grand tour budget plus
The Clarkson-May-Hammond era of Top Gear ran for 21 seasons from 2002–2015 on the BBC plus 11 feature-length specials muddled in-between. Sure we had to overlook the occasional and obvious crazy antic, or questionable rhetoric, but we could live with that considering that the show’s humour and the host’s charisma outweighed the pixel-perfect information about the cars themselves. The combination of the latest and greatest exotic cars, picture-perfect destinations mashed together with three old-ball presenters with dabs of northern British humour functioned well for years. If I have a spare few hours and don’t want to think too much, more often than not I’m watching Top Gear reruns and laughing my head off in the process. We want to tour interesting places, not garages.People who know me kn ow that I’m a Top Gear nut. Strictly an outsider because it's not a coupe, but I had a 3-door V6 4Motion and did UK to the Nurburgring and UK to Le Mans in total comfort.Ĭan you think of any more? Just don't mention the MGF.
#The grand tour budget windows
And it's got electric windows (although the passenger side window doesn't open). I've travelled 400 miles in the 924S in a day and could do the same several days on the run with no problems. And it has the fiercest heater I've ever encountered. Because it's got a standard fit stereo you can spend £100 on a replacement head-unit with iPod connectivity and iPhone charging. It looks fantastic, is rear wheel drive, has squishy seats, has a superb ride, has the engine under the bonnet (so you can hear yourself talk in the cabin), does 30mpg and has acres of space on the back seat and in the boot.īecause it's a 2+2 you can recline the seats and have a snooze in a grotty French lay-by. So what about those of us who want to Grand Tour but don't have access to £80k and spend £100 a day on fuel bills.īeing totally biased I'd have to say the best budget Grand Tourer is a Porsche 924S, or, if you're going to slum it, a 944 S2. GTs mean style.īut all the GT cars mentioned above cost lots.
It might have been transport but it wasn't travelling in style. I once travelled from the UK to Monaco in the back seat of a 1998 Ford Galaxy people carrier, with six other people. To my mind the word grand in the name means it must have gravitas and look half decent. So it must be comfortable and have space for a few squishy bags - possibly even camping equipment if the ultimate destination is Le Mans or somewhere similar. And by tour I mean at least one day on the road and a good 300 miles covered. What is the point of a GT? By its very name its must be able to tour. A BMW 5-series GT is not a GT because GT cars have to look stylish. The Maserati GranTurismo, Jaguar XKR, BMW 435i or Mercedes SLS AMG are coupes and GTs, and all rather magnificent cars too. After all if you're touring you need somewhere to put your bags. A Lotus Exige is also a coupe but not a GT.
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Why? A Cayman is for fun over short to medium distances but after a day in the saddle your butt would be numb and your ears would be ringing. Hang on in there - I'll explain.Ī Porsche Cayman is a coupe but not a GT.
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GT cars, or Grand Tourers, are my second favourite style of cars, after coupes.