[yamraj]

Some of the car shows just try and hook you up with catchy stories but end up being humdrum. A case in point was the overdrive show a couple of weeks ago where 9 cars were taken to Ladakh! Ladakh? Guys, the folks went only up to Keylong which isn't even the beginning of the huge challenge that those roads are meant to be! They narrowed down on 3 cars for the final section of the show without letting the viewers know the reasons for eliminating the other cars. Now, some information on that would definitely help me take a call on the next car that I would like to purchase.

[JRD]

11. to add to the misery. Bring in Tutu Dhawan to answer the emails.

Originally Posted by GTO

Recipe for another yet another mundane Indian car show :

1. Indian girl in short skirts - Knowledge of cars entirely unnecessary.
2. Good animation and intro music. Lift from any 1990 techno song
3. Additional Indian girl in short skirt. 1st girl covers cars. This one will do bikes.
4. Information clipped from news channels.
5. Good camera work on different angles of the car.
6. 10 p.m. slot on popular tv channel.
7. Yet another girl in tight attire or a short skirt
8. Bharat Petroleum "Speed" ads every 5 minutes.
9. Mention the top speed and fuel efficiency of every new car.
10. Finale on "what we will cover next week" by another chick in short skirts.

Its as simple as that.

But where is the real stuff i.e. FIRST HAND CAR INFORMATION!!

GTO

[appuchan]

Most of the time I've chanced to see these shows, these "experts" end up in some exotics locations, rent some exotic cars and give a "spirited" review on how that car performs and then finally make a statement that it "may be coming" to India by 2020

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by JRD

11. to add to the misery. Bring in Tutu Dhawan to answer the emails.

Typical Tutu Dhawan Reply

Question: I am confused/undecided between Wagon R and Santro. Which should I buy.

Answer: Wagon R: bhp is this, torque is that, engine is so many cc/litres, price is blah, blah
On the other hand, Santro is (wagon r figs replaced by santro).
Both are good cars. If you want higher bhp, go for this. Discounts are also good. End.

Also see too many times the top shot test driving a BMW/Merc/other such expensive car, while the minions get a Wagon R. Exceptions being driving a Nano with Ratan Tata, for example. The top shot also many a times has such luxury cars as a long termer with juniors making do with smaller cars.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by Ardy

According to my ratings of the various auto shows that I have watched on the Indian TV are as follows:
1. Autocar (UTVi)
2. Car & Bike (NDTV)
3. Times Drive (Times Now)
4. Overdrive (CNBC)
5. Raftaar (NDTV Hindi)

Can't really understand how all you guys watch all these shows - despite being bhpians!!

Sorry - didn't mean to hurt anyone!

But, yes the standard of most of the shows suck most of the time.

I just mute the TV when watching the shows - I am only interested on how the vehicle looks (many of the time even this is not presented well) - and for the rest rely on team-bhp and a quick stop at the dealer!

By the way, how does one qualify as an "expert"??

Forget the chicks, I am just wondering how much these guys get paid to be on the show - and for imparting some half-baked knowledge to the gullible public.

I take it as a insult to my intelligence - if I have to email my "what car query" to these guys and listen to their reply

[akj53]

I have stopped seeing all the car shows as they are sheer waste of time. Just some young girls or boys with khichdi Hindi / English with their (some times) hilarious knowledge and comments. Camera will focus on ugly mug of presenter for 80% time and only 20% on the subject. 30% time is devoted to animation and repeating the (so called) expert's comments. End of misery sorry show.

[Maverick1977]

Most of the so called 'testers' come with a mental block. Almost all of them have a belief that ALL cars from the Tata stable are bad. One of the presenter's criticized a Roll Royce for not being a very enthusiastic car to drive. RR and not enthusiastic? Gimme a break. Also on the same show there was no mention of the back seat in the RR, which by the way will be most occupied by the owner (in India at least).
The presentation skills are also something which almost all of them need to work on... Uuuhhhh.... hmmmmm.... are so common & that really shows lack of knowledge/confidence in the presenter. Has any 1 seen JK or Hammond go uuuuhhhh?

[grules]

I especially hate the Times Drive show.
The entire show runs only for 30 mins out of which commercials take away 10 mins.They go and meet some stupid celebrity which i'm least interested in for 10 mins. The show has another 5 mins of graphic intros and music effects. Only 5 mins of effective time for any reviews or auto news.

[jasher26]

maybe all of them need to be sent to jeremy clarkson for training, including the camera men.

I have observed they describe all the cars in the same way!

the other day on overdrive the presenter was criticizing the looks of the new laura!!

He sounded like he has designed the ferrari!

[harry10]

The only car show i watch and car magazine i read since july 2008 is -- T-bhp. The best unbiased reviews and abundance of info available always on anything you wish for.
Why bother with idiotic shows and magazines then?
Cheers

[amit_mechengg]

nowdays on all shows girls have been given the duty to review. i really wonder they know even a bit of the car. basically they mug up by-heart everything. but tend to skip over

Eg. this sunday the lady said " this car comes with antibraking technology"

lol she forgot the anti- lock- braking.

[SilentEngine]

It would be wrong to generalize by saying all Indian car shows are bad. I don't think so.
The two shows that I watch regularly are pretty decent: NDTV C&B Show and UTVi Autocar show.

[evo]

All Indian Car shows are quite sad, the autocar one is the best of all the rubbish but sad nonetheless.

A print journo doesnt necessarily have the pizzaz to something right on the telly.

If we could have just one Jeremy Clarkson kinda chap! Methinks Irfan Khan would make a decent presenter, car knowledge or not I dont know!

[arunpn]

I think the worst amongst the lot which comes on TV is the one which comes on CNCB-TV18

[TheDoors]

I used to regularly watch the CNBC Autoshow in 2003-04. I even posted a question and got a call from the Mumbai studio to ask Hormad Sorabjee directly. After a while it kind of lost its appeal. These days it is hopeless. I hardly watch it.

The NDTV C&B show just about average. I hate the camera man, the camera is always moving up, down or sideways or it is held steady at an 45 degree angle. Its kind of an eye sore.

I envy the presenter Siddharth Vinayak Patankar for the places he goes to review the cars.