Just watched Top Gear and saw a Beetle race a 911 of course they had to drop it from a helicopter from a mile above a desert. Beetle beat the 911, even an air powered (Gravity powered that is) Beetle beats a 911.
These pommy boys are not real keen on the humble Beetle at least they did refer to the 911s origins coming from the Beetle.
Also showed a good line up from Beetle through all the 911s to the latest model. There was also a brief glimpse of nice cal look beetle too.
I've also seen them make fun of T3 Transporters in previous episodes (especially the diesel version not sold here). Hammond's dislike of the Beetle is well documented; in one of his books he lists it as one of the worst cars ever made.
On the other hand, they all love the Golf GTI. May loves the T5 California camper. And Clarkson even admires the VW Phaeton.
It just goes to show that he does not understand the beetle's place in history,he's to obsessed with only the exotic cars that people let him play with for nothing.
Top Gear all hate the beetle.
I think they've described it as the worst car in history.
Still, I'd love to take them for a drive in mine when it's all done- show them what a beetle can really be like 😉
Nah, they would still complain about (by today's standards) the primitive suspension, bad brakes, crude and noisy engine, only four speeds and no tiptronic, the lack of visibility and uncomfortable seating position, no crash protection, no airbags, etc etc etc. It doesn't matter how much you modify a Beetle, it's still an old car. Clarkson would just get into the latest VW Golf R (199 kW in Europe, all-wheel drive) and blow you off.
Yes it's a show for boy racers driving (and interested in) only the latest and greatest. Otherwise take the piss out of it.
There really isn't a TV show for classic car lovers - but Jay Leno would make the ideal host of one.
The people who bag out Beetle's or any old cars generally appear to have very little mechanical knowledge and do it to be 'cool'.
This was just another stunt by top gear to make themselve's look 'cooler' in the publics eye.
Best not to complain too much, Morris Mariner enthusiasts did and look what happened!
2.0slow 92 MK2
Made in Germany, Assembled in Africa, 'Migrated' to Australia
True. Rather than looking at old, classic cars in their own context, and how they were at the time they were built, they judge them by 2011 standards. Naturally, there's no way you can compare a Beetle to a 2011 Golf, say, and have them anywhere near equal footing. The Golf is infinitely superior dynamically, safety-wise, engineering wise, ergonomically, etc etc etc, as are all current cars compared with cars from the '50s, '60s and '70s.
But that's completely missing the point of classic cars. Instead of saying, "Well, compared to a brand new Golf, the Beetle is crap', they should be comparing it with its contemporaries. How does a Beetle compare with a Ford Prefect, or a Morris Minor, or Standard 8, or an Austin A30? Beetle wins, hands down.
FAHRVERGNUGEN;
Description of a pleasurable sensation,
Experienced when a car and it's driver are in mutual harmony, A unique driving experience, Pleasure, Satisfaction,
A feeling experienced by Volkswagen Drivers.
Talk about reliable if my memory serves me correct the first time a beetle went in the Redex trial there were 2 entered and they finished 1,2. I am sure I am right about that, so thats comparing apples with apples
hey guys, I rekon they can bag the beetle or any old skool vw all they want! It is really good publicity! That way when people pull up along side me at the traffic lights, and I pull away faster + harder than they expect, they'll be that much more impressed!
And besides, perhaps there'll be more beetles given up for sale for me to buy!
ArtyP wrote:Talk about reliable if my memory serves me correct the first time a beetle went in the Redex trial there were 2 entered and they finished 1,2. I am sure I am right about that, so thats comparing apples with apples
Not quite. No VWs went in the 1953 Redex as they hadn't been sold here yet! In 1954 there were four VWs entered, for the first time. The best VW (Laurie Whitehead) finished 13th overall with 29 points lost; the other (Ralph Wilson) finished 95th, 236 points lost. The other two VWs (Keith Carmody and Jack Jeffrey) dropped out during the event. 'Gelignite' Jack Murray won that year in his 1948 Ford V8.
In 1955 there were no less than 16 Volkswagens entered, the third-most popular car behind the Holden and the Vanguard. Yes, the VWs finished 1-2 (Laurie Whitehead and Eddie Perkins); but only after six weeks of appeals, re-appeals and controversy. 6 of the 16 VWs finished the trial; the other 10 retired. VWs finished 1-2-15-30-31-32 in 1955. It was the last Redex Trial.
You can read the detailed story of the 1953, 1954 and 1955 Redex Trials by dowloading the VW club magazine. Go to
and download all the issues from July 2008 to January 2009 inclusive. Each one is around 7MB - enjoy!
The other thing is that while VWs won all the later Mobilgas trials in 1956-57-58, VW only won one of the three Ampol trials (1957). A Peugeot won in '56 and a Holden won in '58. By the time the next round-Australia came along in 1964, the Beetle was outclassed and the event was won by a Ford Cortina GT. The best VW was Barry Ferguson in a Type 3 1500S. And for the Repco round-australia trials in 1970, and 1979, VWs had no chance.
Top of the line new porsche vs classic bug - should they turn the tables for the next race and have early porsche vs top of the line new bug? (Maybe that racer version released a few years back)
Or given the fact that the porsche is the end product of 60 odd years of development, should they get a bug with the most current upgrades to air cooled engines and architecture. Probably still wouldn't be a contest though.
No, the Top Gear guys hate the New Beetle as well. The 'retro' thing never caught on in Europe and they have already said that it's a "waste of a Golf platform." Even the 'racer' version you mentioned - the New Beetle RSI - was not as powerful as the equivalent Mk4 Golf R32, let alone the current Golf R.
There are no 'current upgrades' to air-cooled engines and architecture. The Beetle ended production in 2003 and the last one was little different to the last German ones in 1978. Technology has moved on. The Beetle is a classic car, not a current one. And that makes it a piss-take target for Top Gear.
I'm not surprised Clarkson doesn't like the Beetle - he hates the Porsche 911 as well, in any variant. Top Gear used to be a really good programme but, sadly, it's now more about the presenters than it is about the cars.
ArtyP wrote:Talk about reliable if my memory serves me correct the first time a beetle went in the Redex trial there were 2 entered and they finished 1,2. I am sure I am right about that, so thats comparing apples with apples
there was a lot more than 2 entered in 1955 when they got the 1st and 2nd and a few didnt finish so be careful when quoting off the top of your head some times your memory doesnt serve you
