http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/ Engadget Comments for Top Gear builds, launches Space Shuttle car http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
grrr, incredible show btw.]]>Feb 22nd 2007 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
"It was only one bolt that let us down". Tell that to NASA about the O-rings.]]>Feb 22nd 2007 7:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 4:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_regal]]>Feb 22nd 2007 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 4:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhoOkMccPZo
.. its landing was better.]]>Feb 22nd 2007 5:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 5:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 5:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
They ate roadkill, got attacked by locals and got threatened with lawsuits.]]>Feb 22nd 2007 6:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 5:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 5:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Makes me wonder though...how on earth do they get the funds to pull that off.]]>Feb 22nd 2007 6:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
You probably won't believe this, but it's funded out of the BBC budget. I know you have nothing like this in the US, so let me explain:
If you have a telly in the UK, you have to have a TV licence. It costs about $300/year. The money from this is given to the BBC, who use it to make BBC TV, BBC Radio, BBC events (concerts etc), BBC World Service, BBC Films etc.
This means the BBC is under virtually no pressure to be commercial, only pressure to be good. And you don't have to watch adverts. I ]]>Feb 28th 2007 1:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 7:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 8:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 23rd 2007 8:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 23rd 2007 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 10:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 22nd 2007 10:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
This stunt was amazing, and just shows you how awesome Top Gear is. If you like cars at all, this is your favorite show.]]>Feb 23rd 2007 12:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 23rd 2007 3:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
10/10 for effort, 12/10 for comedy!]]>Feb 23rd 2007 4:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
As for the shuttle launch, I personally think it was all genuine until the landing - there simply wouldnt be enough fuel in the tank for a fireball. I suspect it hit the marshes with a thud and they decided to spice it up with some petrol later on. It doesn't matter at all, it's all meant to be entertainment.

My favourite episodes have to be the cavanning, the rocket-powered mini of the ski jump and the home-built amphibious car. Not to mention the Ann Hathaway's Cottage Mercedes, trip to America...

Great, great entertainment, it really doesn't matter how genuine any of it is.]]>Feb 23rd 2007 6:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
The car had booster rockets that the guy flying it remotely could use to give it an extra boost if needed. They were'nt used, hence the explosion when it 'landed'. What you saw was genuine.]]>Feb 23rd 2007 10:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 23rd 2007 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 25th 2007 4:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 23rd 2007 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/Feb 26th 2007 2:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/22/top-gear-builds-launches-space-shuttle-car/
The explosion was a British Army 1000lb bomb being tested later on the same military firing range (Otturburn) and very cleverly cut in to time with the impact.

The motors used (a mix of AP/AL/HTPB solids and AL/HTPB/Nox hybrids) can't explode on impact.... they could 'burst' but you'd barely notice.

The actual 'squish' as it just crumpled when it hit a soft field was obviously not enough for them... they obviously wanted more bang.

As for Top Gear's budget.... a friend in the TV industry and I had a chat about it the other day and we recon somewhere around £0.6m to £0.8m per episode for this series. Possibly a little more.

I hasten to add, I didn't have anything to do with the project, just have a little inside info on it from friends who were.

Ben

http://www.rocket-fx.com]]>Mar 12th 2007 1:35PM