# Has Top Gear gone retarded?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-top-gear-gone-retarded/437469>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 13, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-top-gear-gone-retarded/437469 "2008-02-13T18:48:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-top-gear-gone-retarded/437469/61 "2008-02-25T09:22:35Z")

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[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright]  
I’m watching the one where they “grow petrol” right now, and Hammond refers to his tractor as having “1600 torques”!  
[/QUOTE]

They took a Beemer 530d around the track in a race against a (IIRC) 540 to compare horsepower vs “torques” 😛

In lieu of a proper explanation of what torque actually is, Clarkson did a fairly good job of getting across the feeling of a large turbo charged diesel engine.

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**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-top-gear-gone-retarded/437469/62 "2008-04-24T23:41:21Z")

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[QUOTE=Pushkin]

In the follow up to all this, they made some biodiesel (allegedly from the crops they planted 😉 ) and used it to power a BMW 3 series diesel with little in the way of modifications in an endurance race. During which Hammond used the car to wipe out [one of these](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosler_MT900) :o  
[/QUOTE]

That episode just aired over here. My favorite part was one of the other cars in the race put a sign on it’s trunk saying “Team Top Gear Please Don’t Hit Us.” 😃

Oh, and the sponsors on the doors of the car.  
I less than three Top Gear!

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**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-top-gear-gone-retarded/437469/63 "2008-04-24T23:46:56Z")

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[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever]  
_slowly raises hand_

So…um…“taking the piss” is equivalent to “mocking”?  
[/QUOTE]

Full of piss and vinegar - Vinegar - Piss =Taking the piss out of / Taking the piss = knocking something down to size in American.

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