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J.Clarkson drives the LFA... finally

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Old 09-30-12, 05:26 PM
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GFerg
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Default J.Clarkson drives the LFA... finally

About damn time he drove it. I didnt read it yet, but quickly looking it over, it seems very positive.



http://imgur.com/a/XzswL





http://lexusenthusiast.com/2012/09/3...the-lexus-lfa/
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Old 09-30-12, 05:34 PM
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RXSF
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as with most of JC's reviews, the first half of the article is only to set up the scene of his review. lol
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Old 09-30-12, 05:50 PM
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Great read and review!
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Old 09-30-12, 06:10 PM
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GFerg
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Originally Posted by RXSF
as with most of JC's reviews, the first half of the article is only to set up the scene of his review. lol
lol. I totally forgot about this since I havent read a review of his in years. I thought the wrong story was uploaded when I started to read it. Honestly miss his unorthodox writing style.

Pretty good review though. 4 out of 5 stars is excellent. Would love to see a new segment on Top Gear with him behind the wheel of one.
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Old 09-30-12, 06:42 PM
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So intense was my lack of interest in a Lexus sports car that when the time came to test it on Top Gear, I hid under the sofa and let Richard Hammond do it instead.

It develops 552 brake horsepower, which is about 200bhp less than the current going rate…On paper, then, the LFA looks to be the dinner of a dog. In the flesh, however…

It looks very, very special. And inside it’s even better. It’s the nicest car interior I’ve ever encountered.

I have to say I loved it. It’s an intelligent car, built by intelligent people. In some ways it’s raw and visceral; in others it’s a lesson in common sense.
I generally dont care about him much, but i guess it is cool that he likes it
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Old 09-30-12, 07:25 PM
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It's an ok review, and the ending was just... ignorant.
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Old 09-30-12, 08:09 PM
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He probably secretly likes this more than he let's on
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Old 09-30-12, 11:21 PM
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I cant imagine anyone driving the LFA and giving it a poor review
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Old 10-01-12, 02:45 AM
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The fact that he passed on a chance to test-drive it initially shows how close minded he is/was

Still love Top Gear but some of what Hammond and Clarkson say smacks of BMW fanboyism.
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Old 10-01-12, 03:42 AM
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2006+ SC430 puts to a shame any Jaguar conceived in last two decades in terms of balance between ride plush and confidence when taking corners. It's so soft you can't feel anything underneath you with no body roll it goes around those corners like a roller coaster. Jags of early 2000s are super soft but bad at high speed cornering while newer Jags improve on that but the ride suffered a lot.

I also love how Top Gear explicitly hated SC430 folding pieces inside of the cabin but praised folding vents in XF :P
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Old 10-01-12, 04:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Vladi
2006+ SC430 puts to a shame any Jaguar conceived in last two decades in terms of balance between ride plush and confidence when taking corners. It's so soft you can't feel anything underneath you with no body roll it goes around those corners like a roller coaster. Jags of early 2000s are super soft but bad at high speed cornering while newer Jags improve on that but the ride suffered a lot.

I also love how Top Gear explicitly hated SC430 folding pieces inside of the cabin but praised folding vents in XF :P
The biggest problem with the SC430 is it's awful styling.

Clarkson's review of the Toyota GT86 was interesting. Despite it's lack of torque and power, low rent interior and noisy cabin he awarded it 5 stars out of 5 and said he would have awarded it more if he could. He loved the old fashioned RWD handling on skinny tyres.
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Old 10-01-12, 05:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Big Andy
The biggest problem with the SC430 is it's awful styling.

Clarkson's review of the Toyota GT86 was interesting. Despite it's lack of torque and power, low rent interior and noisy cabin he awarded it 5 stars out of 5 and said he would have awarded it more if he could. He loved the old fashioned RWD handling on skinny tyres.
I think it looks awesome... If it had V6, I would buy one used... like this, it is too much fuel consumption for my poor European heart to handle :-).


As to GT86, its even better - they selected it as best car in their 2012 Speed Week at TopGear mag, over cars like F1, 911 and others...
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Old 10-01-12, 05:36 AM
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The SC430 is gorgeous inside and out, but its biggest problem is size. My wife and I were considering it, until we test drove it, and I simply didn't fit. There is no leg room, and no headroom - even with the roof open, the top of the windshield was directly at my eye level, and I almost hit my head against it while taking a corner. And Clarkson is even taller than I am - it must've been even more miserable for him.
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Old 10-01-12, 07:01 AM
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Originally Posted by natnut
The fact that he passed on a chance to test-drive it initially shows how close minded he is/was

Still love Top Gear but some of what Hammond and Clarkson say smacks of BMW fanboyism.
Agreed. And the OG's are finally coming out. Nice to see you guys around the boards...been a long while!

Originally Posted by Vladi
2006+ SC430 puts to a shame any Jaguar conceived in last two decades in terms of balance between ride plush and confidence when taking corners. It's so soft you can't feel anything underneath you with no body roll it goes around those corners like a roller coaster. Jags of early 2000s are super soft but bad at high speed cornering while newer Jags improve on that but the ride suffered a lot.

I also love how Top Gear explicitly hated SC430 folding pieces inside of the cabin but praised folding vents in XF :P
I agree, quite a bit of contradiction with Clarkson. I disagree with his statements about the SC430. IMO one of the most beautifully crafted cars ever made.

And again with the OG thing. Bring 'em out!
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Old 10-01-12, 09:09 AM
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Nice review from Clarkson.

I think G! summed it up as I would

Originally Posted by GFerg
Pretty good review though. 4 out of 5 stars is excellent. Would love to see a new segment on Top Gear with him behind the wheel of one.
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