5 Gear

Afraid it was only LandRover's first ever show car, it's not reality, just a styling exercise. The truth has 5 doors and is a new Disco 3 restyled to look butch/sporting (and cost more).

Word is LR are considering what to do as they got such good vibes about the stylish low roofed Stormer but by showing it they raised peoples expectations of what the RR Sport will be, when it won't. I suspect some last minute minor changes may be taking place.

I don't

If I really wanted anything it would be a Scammel Explorer and a life times fuel to run it on, now that would be fun, those 101 owners could kiss my arse.

Explorer!? Pah!

Tatra 813 Kolos, that's the truck for me.

Failing that, what's that supercharged 2-stroke diesel truck? I heard one being driven around Astle Park a few years ago, even better than a fat American V8 on song.

No it isn't. It's a separate design in its own right, not a 'restyle'. It comes down the same production line, but by that logic a Nissan Primera is a restyled Micra.

I won't be surprised if they have Tiff trying to make it go sideways around some disused airfield next.

Why do they always start a 4x4 review with the words "most of these will never go off road" Then conduct the review on a normal road. If it some BMW car. They always want to race them round a race track. Yet most BMWs are never driven on race tracks. I guess motoring TV presenters are either failed, past it or wannabe race or rally drivers.

C C

IIRC Needel is a relatively successful boat racer who transitioned to be a failed f1 driver ;-)

Si

Seem to recall he also introduced Nigel Mansell to the dangers of pussy footing around in Touring cars. Excuse me, coming through, comes to mind!

-- If Your specification is vague or imprecise, you'll likely get what you asked for not what you want

Er, no. Mansell was in a fish-tail heading up the hill from the Craner Curves. Needell could have backed off and then passed him, or driven him off the road and nearly killed him.

I don't remember this. Which one did he choose then?

IIRC mansell didnt get much further ;-) and the great Mansell Needell fued has raged ever since

Si

It was a publicity-type celebrity race at Donington, with the real pro's (Steve Soper etc) plus Chris Rea and a few other celebrity types with a penchant for racing. Mansell was the big crowd puller in a Mondeo (I think).

On the day Mansell couldn't get his car to run right and slipped backwards. A bit of telemetry sorted it and he carved through the field very quickly (coming from I think 20th to about 5th).

Memory fails me, but somehow he was a bit ahead of Needell. He tried too hard coming out of the corner at the bottom of the Craners and had a big wobble on up the hill and was therefore going much slower than Needell. If Needell had backed off a tad he'd have passed him. Instead he kept going and punted Mansell straight into the bridge. The race was stopped and it took about half an hour to get him out of the wreck and off to hospital. As a racing incident it was one of those things, but this was a non-competitive pro-am remember, so it wasn't worth killing someone over.

Class showed on the day, TBH. Soper stood out a mile, having started at the back and making it virtually to the front. Mansell also showed as a superb aggressive overtaker - really mixing it in a way that so many of today's F1 drivers wouldn't have a clue about.

I remember a great fight between a Ford Galaxy and a Mini Cooper in one of the support races - a real David and Goliath job! And the TVR Tuscans were awesome.

Yep , someone really should tell him that cars are supposed to corner slightly different than Boats... seems every review he does he further demonstrates that any tool can press the load pedal and flap around with the Steering wheel trying to get some sort of coordinated direction. The bloke would have alot more respect if he grew up from Kwik save carpark wannabe racer and actually demonstrated some skill and self control.

Lee D

And they didn't let him loose on the amphibious car...

And I've never heard Stirling Moss corner with squealing tyres.

always makes me laugh when he tests a car on a track and complains "this car is no fun, its hard to get the back end out ...blahblahblah"

well thats ok Tiff, the car manufacturers spent millions of pounds on designing the suspension and handling for safety and grip so that the back end doesn`t flip out on corners - bloody numpty! But i`m sure if they knew you were driving one of their demonstration cars they could "fiddle" with it to make it a total tail happy nightmare so you slam into a wall. But of course you`d then slate it as having poor road manners. prat.

Nick C