Analysis of Top Gear

Analysis of Top Gear

Emily Shaw

Salt Lake Community College

Professor Stokes

English 2010

 Analysis of Top Gear

Top Gear is a British game show that evaluates cars. The host, Jeremy, discusses different cars and ranks them according to different criteria, with the assistance of Richard and James. The host seems knowledgeable and trustworthy because he not only obtains a lot of research and statistics on the vehicles he evaluates but he tests the cars out himself. He is very knowledgeable about the cars he drives. He evaluates not only the engine size and horse power but all of the components that make up a car.

At the beginning of the episode Jeremy reviews a Fiat 500. He describes it as a “small, fast, genuinely good car” (Top Gear, Season 12, Episode 2 ). The Fiat 500 engine is a 1.4 Liter, with 135 horse power. It drives up to 130 miles per hour. It has leather seats and a fancy red/white leather steering wheel, and looks like a car from the 60’s (referring to a VW bug). It is fast, has turbo boost, takes corners well, is front wheel drive, is economical, and makes him feel happy. After evaluating all of the criteria he gave it a great review.

After watching Jeremy review the Fiat 500 it became clear what his main criteria in evaluating cars is. He reviews their speed, how well they handle turns, the engine size and sound, the inside and outside appearance, the quality of materials used, the economical factors such as price, the mechanical components such as transmission and shifting, the smoothness of the ride, and the amenities and comfort inside the vehicle. The criteria he uses is very clear and appropriate because as he evaluates each car he considers the many variables that should be considered in order to rank the overall quality of the vehicles.

The show continues on to evaluate three American muscle cars. Jeremy, James and Richard travel to the United States to evaluate these cars as they drive them from San Francisco to the Bonneville Flats in Utah. They have come to test out a Corvette ZR1, a Cadillac CTSV and a Dodge Challenger. The way the men first encounter these cars with skepticism and unfamiliarity it is clear that these British guys are in for a new experience. The men make this trip “factual” but it is clearly entertaining to see how much fun these men have as they evaluate these cars and their efficiency through different terrain.

Jeremy drives the Corvette ZR1. He is skeptic at first due to the plastic and feels it’s too “gaspy” (Top Gear, Season 12, Episode 2 ). However, he begins to like it due to the surprise of power and speed it has. He speeds around turns and becomes like a fearless, excited child, extremely happy. As he continues to drive it he realizes it is extremely comfortable; spacious with a great stereo and air conditioning. He finds it has incredible handling and is great around corners, more like a sports car than a muscle car.

James drives the Cadillac. He is not impressed in the beginning, complaining for a long time about the fact that a luxury car is not supposed to be a muscle car. He feels the 6.2 Liter, V8 engine is unnecessary. He doesn’t seem to change his mind until the terrain becomes mountainous. At this point he is surprised at the car’s limited slip differentials. He becomes excited about how well it remained planted on the road and rounded corners. He was so impressed he sped up and passed Jeremy. This is the point it appeared he started loving it.   

Richard drives the Dodge Challenger. He bought the vehicle himself rather than borrowing it like the other two. I thought this may have contributed to his immediate satisfaction with the car. While the other guys were describing the outside of the vehicles and seemed skeptic of the flashiness, Richard said he liked the look of them, especially his. He said he fit right in with Americans. He was even chewing gum which he said he never did. He said he felt “cooler” (Top Gear, Season 12, Episode 2 ) in the car. He loved the loud sound of the engine, describing it as able to start earthquakes. He also loved the speed of the V8.   

Top Gear demonstrated that the rankings were not based on personal preference by thoroughly evaluating the quality of the many components of each car. They used facts about each car to make an assessment rather than merely opinions. For instance, when reviewing the Fiat 500, Jeremy noted how it had been upgraded from previous versions of the car which had seat and engine cooling problems. These facts helped to support their rankings.

The main criticisms of the cars evaluated were that they were not as well made as the men would have thought. They were built with a lot of plastic instead of real carbon fiber. Other criticisms were present at first such as unnecessary engine size and speed. However, by the end of the evaluation all three men were in love with their cars. As the men test drove these vehicles the editing and visual elements of the camera crew added to the energy and supported their evaluations. Examples of this were using side shots as the cars sped by, inside car shots showing excitement of drivers, pausing revealing anticipation, and tires spinning with salt flying adding to the intensity of the speed. I thought these visual effects definitely sold the audience on the power, enjoyment and thrill these cars provide. By the time the show was over I was wishing I had a Dodge Challenger.

References

Top Gear (Season 12, Episode 2 ). [Motion Picture].