Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Supercars, Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Celebrities
GM UK takes two Top Gear awards
As much as Jeremy Clarkson complains about fat, uncool Americans and their crudely-made, overweight cars, General Motors managed to come out on top in two categories in Top Gear's annual awards.
If you said the Corvette ZR1 was a winner, you'd be totally correct. The 638-hp supercar was a shoo-in to win over the Top Gear team, just as we guessed when they were caught driving at at the Bonneville Salt Flats earlier this year. Chevrolet's baddest Vette ever sped off with top honors in Top Gear's Performance Car of the Year category.
The second award winner won't be quite as easy to guess, mostly because it's not sold in the U.S. Top Gear's Executive Car of the Year is the Vauxhall Insignia which is based on GM's Epsilon II platform. The magazine likes the car's looks and technology. We won't bother predicting whether we'll see it here eventually. For that to happen, Saturn will need to be around, and right now, we'll have to wait and see what happens on that front. [Source: The Auto Channel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
zamafir 12:46PM (11/30/2008)
I guess i don't get it, topgear seems to berate all the crappy cars, american or not. most of the american cars they get aren't up to snuff, it shouldn't be a shock, we've been dealing with ford products two generations behind their counterparts for years - gasp european consumers are more demanding, the average american just wants a box to go from point a to point b, oh noes.
Yet when they receive awesome cars like the ZR1, they love them. They also love the Mondeo and speak highly of any american car they receive which is on par with other cars available in europe. Wait no. no. it's fun to pretend ALL american cars are on par with what's offered in europe (including by american companies there) and topgear just hates us for no reason... yes... shift focus away from a dearth of lackluster products.
ZR1? good car, get an accolade, CTS-V? Good car, gets great press from them. Modeo? Great car, one of the few cars all three appreciate. New Fiesta? Great car, 5 stars from Clarkson. Let's cut the BS already.
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Beastage 1:01PM (11/30/2008)
Mostly very true, but I am still waiting to see the Saleen S7 on Top Gear track.
Everything is said is true except about what Americans are looking in for cars.. I think that was how GM, Ford and Chrysler were perceiving the american market until they realized (too late) they were wrong.
I can't understand why americans dont get to drive the new Insignia, Mondeo or European Spec Focus.
zamafir 1:06PM (11/30/2008)
We should get the Fiesta soon, which will be the size of our last focus.
I'm not wrong about what the average american is looking for, what's been the best selling car (until the recent credit crunch necessitated a cheaper car upset the spot)? The Camry. Ever driven one? The average american is NOT a car enthusiast, just pay attention to people on the highway around you, most won't be focused on driving, most don't enjoy it.
happy_penguin 1:21PM (11/30/2008)
Mainstream American drivers, those who buy the most cars, are not interested in the Euro driving experience. American companies know this so they don't waste time and money bringing cars which for the most part won't sell to our shores because they would probably be too expensive in their respective class. Sure, it looks like a great idea but should it happen watch as the sales tank. Opel used to be sold in the US and is no longer, because "nobody" bought them. Look at the market share for Volkswagen, not even three percent. Americans for the most part want big cars. Only very high gas prices force Americans to buy small cars and when we do buy small cars we want them cheap. The Japanese know this. That's why their cars got bigger and bigger until they made cars big enough for Americans to buy, and their smallest models in the US are dirt cheap.
Dan 2:04PM (11/30/2008)
The Camry isn't the best selling car in America every year because it's just a box and dumb consumers settle for it, if it were they'd settle for a different box next year. It's as outstanding as what it does as the Z06 or 3 series or any other segment benchmark.
The best selling car in Europe for 2007 was the Peugeot 207, a tiny harsh riding, 70 hp clown car that you couldn't give away in the US. Not least because the only woman you'd be able to pick up in one is a relative at the airport.
Who is it that isn't demanding?
Zamafir 2:20PM (11/30/2008)
It isn't that hard, really, why does ford sell a focus that is so much better in Europe? Or a fusion (mondeo)? Or GM the insignia? Ur comment us narrow and moot. Ever driven a lot in Europe? Ever notice how differently their road system is? It doesn't take rocket science to see why a nimble, fun, frugal hatch sells well in a country with gas 4x more expensive and b roads everywhere which would tear a fat sedan to shreds on which a cheap frugal gatcch would provide alot more fun. Europe is not America. Let's stop presenting baseless ignorant comments that fantasize parity between the two.
jv2k 2:29PM (11/30/2008)
*Note the average european experience isn't a luxury super car, it is a little cheese box looking hatchback that gets 45-50 miles to the imperial gallon.
The top selling cars in europe aren't much better than the corolla.
Actually I've noticed that in a lot of top gear comparisons the american car tends to come up on top simply because it is usually so much cheaper than the competition. Remember that comparison where clarkson chose the Chrysler CROSSFIRE over the other roadsters(I believe one was the 350z and I forget what the other car was)? Top gear bashes american cars like crazy, but it is mostly a running gag and it they really have given quite a few american cars decent ratings.
why not the LS2LS7? 2:49PM (11/30/2008)
It was not my imagination when Clarkson said "British cars are the best in the world". Or when they gave TVRs free passes despite being very low quality and twitchy to drive.
It wasn't my imagination when in back to back episodes they showed a Zonda can't even get in and out of a parking garage, despite gushing all over it, and then said don't buy a Z06, it's just not suited for day to day driving.
As to the idea that Ford ships different cars here because they can get away with it, because American customers are undemanding, that's not the case at all.
What it is that equivalent cars cost more in Europe, so they can put more good stuff in them. So Americans look at something like this Vauxhall Insignia and see it's about the size of a Camry and figure it's equivalent to our Camry-type vehicles and that's what Europeans buy. And look at how much better it is!
But that's not what Europeans buy. As mentioned above, Europeans by tiny little crapboxes. Now you're thinking of the Focus. But you're still wrong. A used (>5 year old) VW Polo seems to be more like the common car most people buy. And have you seen the inside of one? Trust me, you'd lose you envy of European cars quickly if you drove one.
Mondeo? A great car. But like this Insignia, it's an executive car. That means it's positioned equivalent to something like a G35 is here. People aspire to get one, but don't necessarily reach that level.
rypt 3:00PM (11/30/2008)
The amount of crap being sprputed by some people here is amazing.
While I cannot say about the best selling cars in Europe, I know that here in UK in the past 5 odd years both the Corolla, the Civic and the Focus have been some of the best selling cars (I believe Corolla is the worlds best selling car by brand until it was axed in EU a year ago).
Now given the fact that the above three are all in the same market more or less (And are all Japanese designed ... remember the Focus is a Mazda 2 chassis), I fail to see how if Toyota can sell a Corolla in USA (and they can I'm pretty sure), Ford can't sell the same Focus.
Pdexter 3:24PM (11/30/2008)
Mondeo executive car.... LOL. Please just stop there.
HeyHuub 4:06PM (11/30/2008)
@LS2LS7
Then i'm wondering if you've ever seen the inside of a Polo. Because for the last 7 years the Interior of the Polo the same quality as that of the Golf and imo a better design.
why not the LS2LS7? 9:56PM (11/30/2008)
Yes, I've seen a Polo, thanks.
I was in Europe two months ago. And I saw plenty of them.
I dunno if there's some optional awesome interior out there, but if there is, people don't seem to be selecting it.
Pdexter:
In Europe, the Mondeo is considered a competitor to the BMW 3-series. Are you saying the 3-series isn't an executive car?
naggs 10:13PM (11/30/2008)
dont kid yourself, there are some terrible cars for sale in europe, french crap
DJS4000 6:27AM (12/01/2008)
"In Europe, the Mondeo is considered a competitor to the BMW 3-series. Are you saying the 3-series isn't an executive car?"
in europe it definitely isn't. neither are the mondeo, audi a4 or the passat. they are standard, garden-variety, middle-class sedans. no more, no less. "executive" cars start at the 5 series and above.
rypt 6:50AM (12/01/2008)
Correct DJS4000
They are at the top end of the Middle Class, but are WAY below the executive car.
Dan 2:57AM (12/02/2008)
Checking BMW UK, a stripper 3 series starts at what converts to $32,000 US. Most trims start closer to $45,000. Start. Any options and youre passing $50k.
If that's not white collar executive territory then maybe you're paying your executives too much.
Matt 12:59PM (11/30/2008)
In before GT-R fanbois.
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Jeeper43 1:19PM (11/30/2008)
yeah...and???? Got anything to contribute or just wanna add flames????
anyway I could care less what some people in england thin of our cars, in general GM more than the others DOES make a car that is better in MOST categories, except for maybe the interior, but id rather have a car that looks a hell of alot better on the outside and is almost as nice on the inside, and way more fun to drive over some of these imports anyway
Adam 2:43PM (11/30/2008)
Flamebait belongs over on Engadget. You clicked on the wrong blog.
Jeff 2:39PM (11/30/2008)
Really, Jeeper? Looks are a matter of opinion, but most GM vehicles are absolutely the most numb and boring appliances you could ever drive. I have driven plenty of them, and most have the same numb steering, lazy transmission, and loose feel on the road.
I'm sure the Vette and select others are different, but the OP's thoughts on the subject are completely valid, IMO.
Last, you drive from inside the car. Why would you care more about the sheet metal on the outside than what's on the inside? I guess that says a lot about Americans, though.