Comments on: Clarkson on Lamborghini: “Mad, bad and utterly wonderful to know”

By: CTS DRIVER

CTS DRIVER — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:26:59 +0000

wasnt it clarkson that said the z06 was more fun than the 599gtb?

By: kayne001

kayne001 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:35:45 +0000

BTW Clarkson doesn’t have the GT anymore

By: kayne001

kayne001 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:34:43 +0000

Clarkson is very entertaining.
Unfortunately, to me, that’s it.

By: europerspective

europerspective — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:15:05 +0000

The Corvette might not be judged so harshly for its build quality if it were in the rarified stratosphere of the Lamborghini / Ferrari / Aston Martin marketplace, but its not. The Corvette is in Porsche’s territory, and that’s a tough place to be.
.
Clarkson is entertaining, but he’s no authority. Its not long since he used to write articles on how little he knew about driving and mechanics, that’s why they have the Stig to do the testing for them. Seems like a good idea, keep the dull racing driver behind a helmet and let the arrogant / pompous / irritating / opinionated but above all enthusiastic and entertaining one do the talking. How many car shows are there that your girlfriend / wife will watch with you?

By: hanlond

hanlond — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:25:43 +0000

If I’m paying $70k for a car with performance similar to cars costing over $150k, then the interior is not really that important. If that interior was in a luxury car in the same price range, or it cost the same as exotics, then I would complain about it, but its not. I like the design, but I guess I’m one of the only people who does. The Corvette can run with the best of the best. True, its price is normal compared to Ferrari, Lamborghini and other exotics, but its purpose is still the same as those.

Goatfeet, the current Viper has 510, the new Viper will have 600 hp.

If you don’t believe me that some people are biased against American cars, consider this:
“thank you CTS DRIVER… here’s an update on reliability. saw this report last week. 11 out of every 100 asian cars have problems, 16 out of 100 american cars have problems, and 19 out of 100 european cars have problems.”
Comment by mlm1703, posted on March12 at 3:20 pm (in the article about Cadillac under this one)
How often do you hear about European cars having reliability problems compared to American cars? I hear about American cars having problems a lot more than European cars, yet European cars break down more.

By: Saud

Saud — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:58:20 +0000

Not at all suprised.

By: peter g

peter g — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:20:35 +0000

The thing about Clarkson isn’t that you always should agree with him, he want’s you to disagree with him. He knows his carstuff, but he want’s to provoke, enrage, infuriate to stirr up some passion. He really is a pompous ass, but for crying out loud; he’s english…And stop floundering that anglo-american inferiority complex-thing.

I think he doesn’t like the ( retroooo ) Ford GT because it broke down all the time. It let him down…Now the lucky man has gotten himself an LP640 and apparently it works and now it’s all about driving a great car and feeling the passion. No wonder he loves it…

By: meekin111

meekin111 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 05:00:59 +0000

I say GM should make hte corvette a slightly cheaper car aimed for volume and make a cadillac based on it with a better interior

By: meekin111

meekin111 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:58:33 +0000

he can write all he wants as far as im concerned as long as i dont have to hear his infuriatingly english voice

By: Goatfeet

Goatfeet — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:50:12 +0000

I agree with LamborghiniZ. GM wanted a high end sports car, so they just took a new corvette and slapped a 7.0L 505HP V8 in it. The rest of the car was “good enough” The only reason it has 505Hp is to trump the Viper by 5 horse. And now the new Viper has 510HP, Chevy is getting ancy again and has to add more HP. The car wasnt designed to be a flagship. It was designed to fill a market and compete with Chrysler. As far as peoples opinions on Clarkson, i agree that hes an opinionated and arrogant guy. But he deserves respect. I trust his opinion, there are very few people in the world that have driven the cars he’s driven. Not to mention trashed around a racetrack. He may be a pompous ass, but he knows his cars.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:54:58 +0000

handlond: The Corvette is the norm compared to Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, etc. Compared to those marques, the Vette is an average sports car. That’s how. And I’m not sure if your eyes were open while sitting in the Corvette, but the plastics are very low quality and the design is pretty cheap, this is a fact that has been pointed out by almost every review I have read, it’s not a rumor and I’m not the only person who recognizes this to be so. I wish some people could just accept when an interior is cheap, the Corvette interior is an improvement over last gen, but it’s super super cheap, there is NO debating that.

By: hanlond

hanlond — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:52:26 +0000

Its a fact: many people, including the media are biased against American cars. I’ve sat in the Corvette, and honestly, the interior is not really that bad. It could be better, but so could the interiors in the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari Superamerica, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and other exotics.

How exactly is the Corvette the norm? The Corvette has great styling, I don’t know about other people but the Corvette makes the Gallardo, and Superamerica look really ugly. And last time I checked, 44-70k is not exactly the norm.

The same engine that was in the GT is also in the Mustang GT500, F-150, Super Duty, Expedition, and E-series. The GT and Mustang GT500 are the only ones that have it supercharged. So, it is mostly a truck engine, but Ford throws on a supercharger for performance applications. And for the record: a GT is faster than a 360.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:14:51 +0000

Supercars are what they are because they’re not the norm. The Corvette however IS the norm, and being so, it needs higher quality, such as higher reliability, higher interior quality, etc. The end. There’s not much more to say, a supercar can get away with some niggles because of the performance, the style, the cache, etc, the Corvette however can’t get away on performance alone, and since its a car for the masses so to speak, it needs to be bolted together better (though this is the best Corvette..ever, as in the highest quality one ever, but it still lags bigggg time).

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:13:29 +0000

lotusfire: You’re right, that’s exactly what I meant in my post above.

bb_454: Your little hypothetical situation of slapping a cheesy plastic bow-tie on the Lambo’s front end is irrelevant, that’s not a realistic test, and is something of a false parallel. Try and not get into things that have zero stats as backup. Ferrari’s are often as impractical as the LP640, what about the Enzo? I bet if they stuck a blue oval on it people would hate it blahblah —who gives a **** man, noone will ever know and what you’re trying to say is pointless.

By: lotusfire

lotusfire — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:54:31 +0000

“but I wont hold it against them being that I cant think of another car that offers the performance, appearance, etc. that it does for the price.” – bb_454

Tottaly, I agree. The so called “ancient” technology they’re using is working and it’s working for cheaper. I like the Corvetter interior for what it is, it just seems that they’re in the perfect position to REALLY show the world that they aren’t useless if they just go taht extra inch.

By: 94Mark8

94Mark8 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:40:05 +0000

Clarkson has some strange ideas about cars and life, he might have a couple good points every once in awhile but for the most part he is an idiot when it comes to the mechanics of cars. He quotes things he has no idea about and then takes it as his word of god. Great example: back in 1994 or 1995 I saw a clip of him driving the Lincoln Mark 8, claimed it had a 7 liter motor in it, mean while Ford could barely squeeze in the 4.6 that is there because the engine compartment is so cramped.

I love how he thinks that everything made or designed in England is far superior than anywhere else in the world.

By: bb_454

bb_454 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:39:50 +0000

I agree with you lotusfire, I wish gm would upgrade the interior on their flagship model, but I wont hold it against them being that I cant think of another car that offers the performance, appearance, etc. that it does for the price. And while the interior may not be up to par with a 911 or something, it isn’t like it’s terrible either.

By: lotusfire

lotusfire — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:38:29 +0000

Who f**king cares if it has the engine of a truck?? It goes fast and sounds good, what are you complaining about? If it’s as fast as a Ferrari 360 and has good handling with a truck engine then delaying it for years to develope an engine exclusive to the GT would be idiotic. It’s not like Ford is has much experience building supercar engines, I think the GT was a good try.

By: lotusfire

lotusfire — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:34:08 +0000

^ You’re probably right. But what bothers me most is that if American car companies don’t go all out we might never know. I want GM to make the Cien…or make a Corvette with a better interior. There’s no way that’d drive the cost up more than 5k a car. I like the Corvette as it is, but still. The Ford GT was a good start.

By: warmasice

warmasice — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:33:23 +0000

the ford gt has an engine from a truck anyway. says alot about their research and developments depts.

By: meanpants555

meanpants555 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:30:31 +0000

Can you tell me that you wouldn’t want a modern Lambrghini Muira?

By: meanpants555

meanpants555 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:30:04 +0000

Retro design is way cool. There are a lot design elements that do not exist these days. Like thin A, B and C pillars.

By: bb_454

bb_454 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:24:59 +0000

I’m willing to bet if the only change to the Murciélago was it wore a Chevy bowtie that reviews would instantly plummet at least one point out of ten just because it was a Chevy. Suddenly character flaws would be because of poor engineering and ****ty build quality.

By: lotusfire

lotusfire — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:24:33 +0000

Hanlord: I think Lambo was more refering to how most super cars are extreme and have lots of flare and style. Where as the Corvette–even though I like it–doesn’t have the same feel as an Aston Martin. In terms of specs and reliablilty it’s right up there with the rest of them, but in other areas (albeit more superficial) such as the interior, it lacks that supercar feel.

By: bb_454

bb_454 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:22:10 +0000

So a flaw on a Lambo is character, a flaw on a Vette is ****ty quality? Sounds like a bunch of fan boy B.S. to me. I wont get into the quality thing because its pointless to argue with people who’s opinions are already made. Could you actually judge quality on Lambo’s? Do people drive them enough to know weather or not their steaming piles of over priced ****? Sorry I’m more of a Ferrari fan myself.

By: lotusfire

lotusfire — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:19:42 +0000

W1ck3D: The GT40 IS the old one, I think you’re getting them mixed up. The new one is the Ford GT.

Jeremy does like the LP640, he says it’s a hypercar bargain. Yeah, it has flaws (like how he can’t put on the left turning signal because he’s too tall) but that doesn’t mean he hates it. He’s the Simon of car reviews, he’s going to bash on everything.

By: hanlond

hanlond — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:18:50 +0000

bb_454 is right. Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin or any other exotic brand could sell the Corvette exactly as it is now, and most people wouldn’t complain. LamborghiniZ, your intentions may be to prove him wrong, but you’re just proving his statement is correct.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:08:29 +0000

bb_545: It’s called character on a Lamborghini, just like there are “flaws” of character on all supercars, they’re not perfect but they sure do have a personality, and they sure are incredible. However flaws on a Corvette are due to a little something we call “low quality construction”, a la GM. I mean after all, building shoddily put together autos is GM’s job.

By: bb_454

bb_454 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:04:52 +0000

“They have some flaws which other supercars might not have”

Nice to know that flaws are excusable on a $290k car but not a $45k Corvette.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:02:49 +0000

I know hes such a popular reporter these days, but since when does that make him the final authority on cars? I personally think he’s trying a tad too hard to be controversial and risque, and though I have to respect him getting a Gallardo, how could he not love the LP640? I’ve never read anything but incredible reviews of it, but of course he has to complain

By: W1ck3D

W1ck3D — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:41:07 +0000

@ meanpants555: then call me a fool.

The GT40 looks great,don’t get me wrong. Sounds great as well. But a Ferrari or Lamborghini is way better.
The inside of the GT40 is to plastic, I don’t like it.

The main issue with the GT40 in my opinion is that it’s too commercial. It’s designed because ‘retro’ was at everyone’s lips.

The Lamborghini however was designed with passion.
They have some flaws which other supercars might not have, but all in all, as Clarkson says: it put’s a smile on your face.

By: Aston Martin

Aston Martin — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:25:20 +0000

Sorry, but Clarkson loves the GT40 and many other American musclecars. He bought the GT a few years ago, but is replacing it with a Lambo because it broke down too much.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:42:15 +0000

slow news day apparently

By: deutschetouring1337

deutschetouring1337 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:33:57 +0000

If want want topgear reviews we’ll watch the show or buy the magazine no need for this on Leftlane.

By: deutschetouring1337

deutschetouring1337 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:33:22 +0000

Why is this on leftlane?