Just watched the first episode of the new season and a very interesting topic on the Kia/Hyundai  testing ground in the Mojav desert,it mainly featured the Stinger being used to road test in extreme conditions but looking at the test facilities it shows how serious the testing of cars/components is being taken,especially the cooling/air con system on a Kia Soul,didn’t say if they also have extreme winter testing facility ,suppose that’s in Korea?or the South/north Pole ?

Quest is a bit further up the listings than last time! Started on Channel 5 then the channel number just kept increasing. I was expecting to see the new series on BabeStation to be honest!

The Hillman Imp that was built at Linwood was taken around the world non stop, all the heats and cold to prove it was up to it.

Problem was if you bought one maybe to drive in Glasgow and go to work in Linwood, that needed starting and stopping and no overheating issues or warping of the head.

 

Hyundai build in the Czech Republic like Skoda, at least Hyundai have not a Fuel Filler Flap freezing shut issue or steaming up windows or door / hatch seal issues.

Hillman Imp.......my very first try at driving in one of those. Loved it, but then I was only a naive 16 year old.

A car well ahead of its time, materials and parts, just a few cooling and battery issues, (Almost German problems)

look how long from it and rear engine Beetles & Skodas until you got the Renault Twingo we have now.

VW / SKODA / SEAT should have stuck with the Up!mIICitigo as a rear engine rear wheel driver.

VW could have had them with a rear Electric Motor by now and a battery pack in the front.

Aluminium alloy engine slant mounted. Quite revolutionary.

4 hours ago, Sad555 said:

Just watched the first episode of the new season and a very interesting topic on the Kia/Hyundai  testing ground in the Mojav desert,it mainly featured the Stinger being used to road test in extreme conditions but looking at the test facilities it shows how serious the testing of cars/components is being taken,especially the cooling/air con system on a Kia Soul,didn’t say if they also have extreme winter testing facility ,suppose that’s in Korea?or the South/north Pole ?

Most manufacturers do that sort of torture testing but it's not often highlighted. Many manufacturers use the deserts in central USA for this.

Suzuki introduced the new smallest model about 3 years ago.  Motoring Journalist go abroad and road test them, Suzuki have obviously designed and tested them, 

they are in the UK and with customers and a Motoring Mag takes out a Right Hand drive one, applies the brakes and the car accelerates or fails to stop.

All the testing in the world if done with Left Hand Drives can count for little when a right hand drive ones gets produced.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-31093206 

Edited 17 September, 20187 yr by Offski

Fords ecoboost 1.0 obviously skipped the desert tests

Just read an article by Karun Chandhok and he mentioned being interrupted last week during his recording of the next series of Fifth Gear. A car show with cars in it. Great  

On 24/06/2019 at 20:43, Lady Elanore said:

Just read an article by Karun Chandhok and he mentioned being interrupted last week during his recording of the next series of Fifth Gear. A car show with cars in it. Great  

Nice.  Hands down the best car show on TV (when it's on!).  It really is a shame that no channels took advantage of the GT/TG fluster cuck and bought the rights to 5th gear and made it a prime time show or even just gave it a steady run.  BUT...I suppose that would demand results/ratings and a bi-product of which may have been another 'scripted entertainment show'.  

 

 

With the way transmissions are going these days, wouldn't a name like "Ninth Gear" be more appropriate?

Apparently Tiff has been dropped from the next series!!! It's like Fish and Chips without the FIsh 😞 

 

here's a video of where Tiff has gone, what he is doing and why he was sacked/left 5th Gear

 

 

 

Fifth Gear back Quest from the 3rd October.

No Tiff No Fifth Gear. Some say, when Noel Edmonds left TG and Clarkson arrived, the reaction was similar...

 

 

13 hours ago, Paul007 said:

Some say, when Noel Edmonds left TG and Clarkson arrived, the reaction was similar

Others that he is terrified of ducks; all we know is he's called The Stig!

9pm tonight.

Was OK. Not much charisma in the team, very 'going through the motions' to me. Dropping Tiff was a mistake too. Actually their car shootout is pretty pointless too. I used to quite enjoy it, but it doesn't tell you anything. Something that Top Gear understood much better. I want to see a decent driver telling me what it's like to drive a 500+hp car as I'm unlikely to ever own one, not say "it's better/ worse than that one" and conduct meaningless test. how am I to take anything away from that? If I was having a meal with you and you asked how did my food taste, it wouldn't help for me to say "my sausage roll is more cylindrical than your Cornish Pasty but it isn't as firmly constructed if I squeeze it"

 

I just can't connect to the show, even though I still like Johnny and VBH.

On 03/10/2019 at 20:35, Roottootemoot said:

9pm tonight.

George, last weeks episode had the 'new' Jimny Vs LR Defender.  The Jimny came off quite well... 

It did do OK, but the Jimny Auto is not great really with the 1.5 engine, and the Elephant in the room is the emissions they have.

Good that Jonny Smith does have one and bought with his own money.