Urgent Top Gear request - 996 C2 needed!

[Mark_Bennett]

I received this last night from Richard Heely, who is directing Top Gear (Richard is a club member)
I don't know if it is too late - but I only managed to get into my email and confirm he wanted me to post this just now!

If you can help - call Richard on his Mobile - he is filming today but waiting for your call!
(If you call and he has found a car, can you post here and let everyone know so that Richard is not inundated with calls? Thanks!)


I know this is a long-shot, but is there anyone out there who might be prepared to come and drive their own 996 C2 at the Top Gear Test Track. Just a straight line race against a Corvette, a TVR and a Honda NSX? Normally we'd get a car from Porsche GB, but we've left it a bit late!

The trouble is we need the car THIS Thursday, that's Thursday 15th July. The track is at Dunsfold Aerodrome just south of Guildford in Surrey and anyone who volunteers would be welcome to stay and watch the studio recording of the show.


Thanks very much,
Richard.

Richard Heeley
Director, Top Gear

BBC Documentaries & Contemporary

 

[Guest]

it is sorted...

 

[Grant]

I hope it was a car with sports suspension (030) so that it gives a good account of itself around their track !

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Straight line only - so not needed...

 

[Rotorhead]

....and do they know how to do a standing start?

 

[TISPKJ]

And will the clutch be covered under warranty afterwards !!!

 

[Sundeep]

so what happened ?

 

[Mark_Bennett]

It happens tomorrow (Thursday).

What we want to know is WHO happened?[]

 

[Melv]

They gonna trash yer turbo then Jeff???

Mel

 

[Guest]

no - despite my generous offer of some real performance, they still wanted a C2 (he actually said the turbo would shame the other cars...)

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Well I guess we will all know on Sunday.[]

 

[Guest]

Why Sunday? Is that when this filming will be broadcasted?

 

[Mark_Bennett]

They film the show on Thursday PM (Live studio audience).
Outside bits are obviously filmed beforehand.

The completed show is broadcast that Sunday.

This means the bit last week where they were talking about the British GP, and the Bournmouth Car Show was actually recorded on Thursday, before the events actually happened!
Richard "I had a great time at the car show"... Hmmm[]

Of course the sequence here with the C2 COULD be for a future show, but is likely to be this weeks (they will probably do the run in the morning, and have the cars in the studio with the studio audience for the link to the item).

 

[Grant]

I still want to see a "proper" time set for the 996TT, the last one was in streaming wet conditions & the car belonged to "Chopper Ellis" who (understandably) asked them not to do any off roading, so The STIG didn't give it 100% MAX attack.

BLIMEY MARK just noticed your 2,514 posts....phew.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Update:

Kevin Cooke was at this weeks filming and this item was NOT shown as part of the episode.
So it is for a future one after all!

 

[Guest]

I went along, lost nearly every time although not by miles.

Car was 2002 c2.

Could get off the line quicker than some but soon caught.

If had better driver not concerned about clutch may have equalled NSX and TVR or been closer.

In past have drag raced at Bruntingthorpe and was similar in performance to M3 and RS6.

Show goes out August 1st

 

[Rotorhead]

I would have thought the hardest part would have been the clean getaway. If the C2 driver was making clean starts, ahead of the other cars, then he did well.

Thereafter, it is down to the performance of the cars on the day. A C4 wouldn't have done any better. It may have a bit more initial traction, but that can sometimes impede fast take offs. Then it's the same car with a bit more weight.

I would expect a TVR to do well in a straight line drag, but of course it would lack the handling finesse of a C2 if the going got twisty.