I had heard that the BBC car show Top Gear (of which I am a huge fan) was going to be on Gran Turismo TV, but now they are going to re-create the Top Gear Test Track in Gran Turismo 5! Very Cool!

Here is the link to the article at IGN. (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/829/829788p1.html)

For those that can't link to the article:

PS3 Shifts Into Top Gear
BBC motorsport show Top Gear to be shown on Gran Turismo TV.
by Rob Burman, IGN UK

UK, October 24, 2007 - Jeremy Clarkson will be making an appearance on your PlayStation 3, following Gran Turismo 5 developer Polyphony Digital's deal with the BBC to include up to 40 downloadable episodes of the popular motorsport show Top Gear as part of GT TV.

What's more, the BBC is also allowing the developer to replicate the famous test track from the show, complete with Gambon's corner and skid marks created by the mysterious Stig. Here's hoping you can beat the lap times set by the 'stars in a reasonably priced car'.

"We at Polyphony are great fans of the world's best motoring programme, Top Gear, so we're delighted to be collaborating with BBC Worldwide to deliver Top Gear content via Gran Turismo," said Kazunori Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital. "We're sure that players will be as thrilled as we are when they get the chance to put their own driving skills to the test on the Top Gear Test Track in GT5, as well as enjoying classic episodes of Top Gear via GT TV."

Simon Danker, director of Digital Media at BBC Worldwide added: "BBC Top Gear is the world's number one motoring media brand and we're thrilled to make it accessible to Gran Turismo gamers. We continue to explore different avenues to share our content with an expanding audience, and are delighted to participate with Polyphony Digital in the launch of this exciting new opportunity."

Gran Turismo 5 is set to race onto PS3 in 2008.


Can't wait to take the Power Wall cars around the track and see how poorly I will do against the Stig. I will definately try out the reasonably priced car (the Chevrolet Lacetti, if it's in the game) to see how I would do against the stars they have on the show. I would like to see how hard it would be to beat Gordon Ramsay's time of 1.46.38.

JD

Yes! This is awesome! I can't wait to try and beat the Stig's time! They just made a great game even better!

Fantastic! Love that show R2-JD. Glad you introduced me to it. This game just gets better and better.

I wonder how much the episodes will cost?

I also wonder how they will set up the top gear test track. I mean, it is a flat airfield with very little indication as to which way you should go. Like an autocross without the pointer cones. :)

I like the show, just wish he didn't make fun of Americans so much :o

I like the show, just wish he didn't make fun of Americans so much :o

Yeah, they are showing the one where they made the trip to America on BBC America this week. Frankly, I can't believe they have the audacity to do so.

I love the show, but that one episode really soured me on it. They were the jackasses that they accuse Americans of being on every other show.

I'm sorry, if you are visiting another country, you simply don't act like that. I haven't watched an episode of Top Gear since then, which sucks because I really liked the show before that episode.

I love that show!



BTW.. he needs to make a trip to the Bronx.. so we Americans can show him how much we love him.. :0)

Yeah, they are showing the one where they made the trip to America on BBC America this week. Frankly, I can't believe they have the audacity to do so.

I love the show, but that one episode really soured me on it. They were the jackasses that they accuse Americans of being on every other show.

I'm sorry, if you are visiting another country, you simply don't act like that. I haven't watched an episode of Top Gear since then, which sucks because I really liked the show before that episode.

Don't worry too much about it. They're unabashed nationalists and a lot of it's all in good fun. JC is more "American" than most Americans I know. Frankly, they seem to make fun of everyone, including their very own British automakers.

What I love about the show is they get to speak their minds, biases be damned, so I'm all for it.

Don't worry too much about it. They're unabashed nationalists and a lot of it's all in good fun. JC is more "American" than most Americans I know. Frankly, they seem to make fun of everyone, including their very own British automakers.

What I love about the show is they get to speak their minds, biases be damned, so I'm all for it.

I agree with what 12thgear said. They make fun of France, German car makers, the British, each other, and pretty much every thing else under the sun.

Please don't de-rail this thread into a "Boo-Hoo, they made fun of Americans" discussion.

JD

Lets face it, we deserve to be made fun of...compared to the rest of the world our cars are crap, and Clarkson uniformly hates everyone, its part of his schtick.

Racing on the Top Gear test track will be awesome...."Coming down into HammerHead..."

Of course everyone will break Stigs records because they'll cheat and cut across the grass, UNLESS they put up barricades to prevent that (that dont exist on the real track).

What would be great would be if they included ghosts of the "Stars in reasonably priced cars" to compete against :D

(ps: BBC America, are they still showing the broadcasts as edited? www.finalgear.com for all your TopGear/Fifth Gear needs)

Believe me, I have no trouble with laughing at our country. I think that most of the humor on Top Gear is excellent, and their stereotypes probably aren't far from the mark. But the Miami to New Orleans episode just struck a bad chord with me.

They make fun of France, German car makers, the British, each other, and pretty much every thing else under the sun.

Making fun of car makers, I have no problem with. Pushing in on a C6's bumper and chuckling is just fine. Going to another country strictly to make the people there look like idiots while filming is just in poor taste. It would be like me going to a soccer game in the UK and trying to incite a riot on camera. It just isn't something you do in another country.

When they go to other countries in Europe, they don't focus on making fun of the people there. They go there to have a race across the country or to drive gorgeous cars in a scenic setting.

And when they came to the US, what did they do? They acted like idiots and tried to pick fights with the locals. Where's the episode where they do that in Italy, Germany, or France?

Though, given that it has been admitted that the caravan fire was completely staged, I wonder if the gas station incident was also staged.

And I agree, Final Gear is the place to go. Great video quality for downloadable stuff, too.

Believe me, I have no trouble with laughing at our country. I think that most of the humor on Top Gear is excellent, and their stereotypes probably aren't far from the mark. But the Miami to New Orleans episode just struck a bad chord with me.


Yeah, ok that episode was a little tough to watch because they really pushed it that time.....its like they did a show where they said "We're going to find all your most embarassing US stereotypes and exploit them the best we can, and now that the show is over we're going to tell you how embarassing your country is and how you all suck before we fade to black and the credits roll". That one kind of went a little too far.

But, at the same time...that is the USA...at least a part of it.

Of course, if you've watched any british TV, that is par for the course there....they routinely drop jokes making fun of poverty, homosexuality, and the like..the PC meter isn't as high there.


Making fun of car makers, I have no problem with. Pushing in on a C6's bumper and chuckling is just fine. Going to another country strictly to make the people there look like idiots while filming is just in poor taste. It would be like me going to a soccer game in the UK and trying to incite a riot on camera. It just isn't something you do in another country.


True nuff, that one episode is definately however..an anomaly since they usually aren't that..well..'viscious'.

Racing on the Top Gear test track will be awesome...."Coming down into HammerHead..."

"Through Chicago" "Coming around Gambon and across the line..." Yeah, the Top Gear Test track will be a nice little diversion.

What would be great would be if they included ghosts of the "Stars in reasonably priced cars" to compete against :D

That's a cool idea!

I have always thought a Top Gear game on its own would be cool. Probably something made by Codemasters (using the TOCA engine). You would have to make your own show with races across countries, test runs in the cars, competitions like build a boat car, and at the end of it all you could edit it and watch it as a show. :D It definately would not be a AAA title, but would be better than a lot of the games that have come out.

Shape- I agree a lot of it was over the top on the US road trip and some things were definately un-called for. I just want to keep this thread on topic.

JD

Shape- I agree a lot of it was over the top on the US road trip and some things were definately un-called for. I just want to keep this thread on topic.


Yeah, I'm done. :)

This is great news! Anyone know how to download or buy past seasons of Top Gear that'll play on U.S. DVD players? I've been trying to do that forever.

This is great news! Anyone know how to download or buy past seasons of Top Gear that'll play on U.S. DVD players? I've been trying to do that forever.

only option is to download them and convert them. BBC america is playing last season but with 10 minutes cut out of each episode.

It's about time that their test track finds its way into a game! I've been asking for years why no developer has had the sense to include it. How cool will it be trying to match the Stig?