The sheer excitement in the hosts/engineer's faces was just epic. Even though I'm not there, you can feel the joy and exhilaration. Even though it crashed, the launch was a immense success!
Watched this countless times over the years, and still hold out some small amount of hope once it lifts off that in fact the separation will occur. Of all the failed Top Gear silliness, this is the one I wish they’d come back to and have one more go 😅
This channel is a god-send for Americans just discovering the joys of old Top Gear. I've never seen this video before, and it was glorious. When you think about it, they were ahead of their time to the glide bombs and drone warfare of the modern day.
I remember watching this when it was new and I honestly thought they where just going to fake it....but then it took off, this is by far the most epic TG moment ever imo!!
Personally I would rate this above the cement truck explosion just because the truck blowing up is over in milliseconds while this gave you more to watch and something to root for, mainly having everything work as intended.
This segment here is how I discovered Top Gear and I instantly became a fan when I watched it. I've been a huge fan of Top Gear/The Grand Tour ever since. Life won't be the same without a new crazy adventure from Hammond, May and Clarkson to look forward to, but a big thank you to the guys for decades worth of entertainment!
6:59 "The tension now was almost unbearable. You can almost hear Jeremy preparing some intergalactic smugness" 🤣 BTW do someone remember the reliant robin top gear minigame on their website from ages ago? 👌
That was epic. As a Space Shuttle nerd this is by far my favourite episode. I really wanted this to succeed. Richard's and James' faces at the end were exactly how mine was. Truly epic and tragic. Such a shame that the robin wouldn't sperate from the aux tank.
Of all the memories of my very varied and unusual memories.... this will still be a memory when I'm saying goodbye. Kids....... this was when we had to wait until 7:30 on Monday evening to watch it on TV. Thanks Top Gear! I now haven't watched TV for years. Thanks technology!
This has got to be one of the most epic things the top gear lads have done. I doff my hat to those rocketry wizards who actually made it happen. That was one hell of an undertaking. 2nd best imo was the Bugatti Veyron drag race with the Eurofighter Typhoon. That was spectacular.
There is a young future astronaut who has watched this, and has sworn that somehow, someway, they will be the one to get a Reliant Robin into space in the names of our trio.
Some charisma and car challenges are doable by youtubers of various size. But doing this is another complexity. Top topgear moment. No idea who managed to let this through 😃
This is still the most amazing thing I've ever seen on television. Nothing SpaceX has done so far has matched this. Even though the 'Rocketeres' that made it said that it was never going to be able to land it was still epic. I still want someone to show this to Elon so they can make a v2 version
A great moment in Top Gear history. Magical!. If anyoone can pint in the right direction of the world war 1 plane flown at the cliffs od dover complete with lady in skin tight union jack outfit is another great moment. It might have been a 25th anniversary?
I always wonder how much of their performance is acting, and how much is genuine. I can see James and Richard's conversation in the bunk bed being a somewhat genuine expression of their feelings, but it sure looks suspicious that it was so well captured on camera. The one shot of James from his feet seems like the camera should have been visible in the wider shots. But then I kinda feel like I follow Richard's emotions through it all. The "Relax, it'll work!" seems like a kind of overoptimism, as if he deep down doesn't really believe it. But then I think his eager face at the launch shows him suddenly thinking that it really will work after all, followed by near ecstatic glee when the solid rocket boosters separated. I think those few seconds was the only time he really believed it would work. Which of course made the crash an even bigger downer.
After years coming back to this you just kind of know that it was meant not to separate and they boosted "blast" for extra emotions (maybe I'm wrong but it looked like that) =)) Still great stuff!
This one is one favorite for sure! At first I thought wait what the hell, how much money did they get to do this thing (because it's AWESOME)... and then again... wait Top Gear generates loads and loads of money... they could do this 10 times more, and I bet the second or third time this would actually work 100% and that would be crazy! If I where them (the one who made this), the contract would state something like yes we sell you the rights, but with every "viewing" we get a percentage of the profit (yes BBC is was state owned company I guess)... but I think there was a deal to be made... and by this time the would have gone to Mars and beyond with that deal..
Probably because due to the highly technical nature of the launch, the hosts weren't really involved (not that they're actually doing the majority of the mechanical work or whatever in other episodes. They have real mechanics for that). So they had to tack on things like digging the "bunker".
It's strange you say that despite this comment section being full of people calling this bit "iconic", "one of my favorite", "the best", etc. I am also pretty sure they used a clip from this episode in the Intro for the show for quite a while, so IDK how you can think this wasn't as memorable as other skits...
"All of what we've said is just... words." FINALLY, the original clip with that quote included. I use it daily but all the other pirated uploads miss that tidbit for some odd reason.
Rubbish 13 year old conspiracy theory. The explosion at the end is from the fuel and rockets onboard the Robin itself (mentioned in the film it has 3 rockets to extend the glide if needed) and unspent fuel in the main orange tank.
There's videos on RUclips that bystanders filmed with their own cameras, and you can clearly see it didn't explode anywhere near as big as in this video. Also the explosion here you can see it's like treetops/jungle but there aren't any trees where they are
@Azra386 watch it back at .25x speed, and you'll see that the grass is yellow just before the rocket hits, and then the grass with the explosion is a dark green. Which kinda sucks tbh, i wish they'd used the real one
an interesting side effect of the increase in pixels is that, if you look closely, you may notice that hammond is now barely visible. a quick fyi for those wondering where he had gone and why his disembodied voice was the only remaining semblance of his existence in the higher quality version of this clip
What other car do you think could be used as a rocket?
The P45
Tesla?
brabus 900 rocket
Toyota Prius
Toyota Hilux!
I have never seen this video with this many pixels. Thank you.
seems they forgot to ai upscale this one
it's in a UK Motor Museum now
Because they used A.I to upscale it
Wrong. Theres less pixels hence why theyre visible
@@beanmw96 alright kiddo playtime is over moma's gonna get you now for a nap, Okay
This for me will always be one of the most iconic Top Gear moments
The Pictures of that Reliant taking off are majestic.
The Hilux episode is up there.
The sheer excitement in the hosts/engineer's faces was just epic. Even though I'm not there, you can feel the joy and exhilaration. Even though it crashed, the launch was a immense success!
Watched this countless times over the years, and still hold out some small amount of hope once it lifts off that in fact the separation will occur. Of all the failed Top Gear silliness, this is the one I wish they’d come back to and have one more go 😅
Yeah. Was a cool piece
@@hywandlew one more go please.please
For a proper nostalgia hit, turn the resolution down to 144.
My resolution is always on 144 because I live in iran by slowest internet connection you can imagine
😢
@@IranTouristlol
Done by default to save some data while watching on my phone 😂
Ur so right. I know exactly what you mean😊
I do 360p because that's what most TG uploads were at
The fact it even took off to begin with was awesome, shame they couldn't separate it and test gliding though
Richard's excitement about this is so sweet 🥹
Of course, for once he's not gonna be in the crashing vehicle 😊
“One small step ladder” 😂😂
one giant hole for robin kind ! :D :D
never forget that the manmade object with the highest speed ever recorded is a manhole cover.
2nd highest
This channel is a god-send for Americans just discovering the joys of old Top Gear. I've never seen this video before, and it was glorious. When you think about it, they were ahead of their time to the glide bombs and drone warfare of the modern day.
Love seeing how old top gear uploads get more views than the new one.
That's because those three were the ultimate team - no-one can match their style or camaraderie!! 😂
Because they are the legendary trio. No one can be as good as them.
Because it became a carshow, old top gear 50% cars and 50% the lads having a giggle
I remember watching this when it was new and I honestly thought they where just going to fake it....but then it took off, this is by far the most epic TG moment ever imo!!
Next to the Myth Busters cement truck explosion, this has to be one of the best TV moments of all time.
Personally I would rate this above the cement truck explosion just because the truck blowing up is over in milliseconds while this gave you more to watch and something to root for, mainly having everything work as intended.
@@mikepatton8691 IIRC they tried to record of slow-mo footage of the cement truck explosion, but when they went to check, they didn't get it D:
Likely the maddest thing they’ve ever done
Certainly the one with an interesting budget
@@rsonic510 £100,000 apparently - not too bad in terms of some TV show budgets.
You are now obligated to us all for a successfully flight.
Right.
Again please.
This is the best episode ever.
Of all the mad stunts we've seen the chaps attempt over the years, this was the one we really hoped would work 😀
by far one of the best shenanigans the top gear team got up to
4:15 my favourite moment.
"James, stop laughing. They're getting really cross."
This segment here is how I discovered Top Gear and I instantly became a fan when I watched it. I've been a huge fan of Top Gear/The Grand Tour ever since. Life won't be the same without a new crazy adventure from Hammond, May and Clarkson to look forward to, but a big thank you to the guys for decades worth of entertainment!
"Today on Top Gear, we built a fucking missile"
6:59 "The tension now was almost unbearable. You can almost hear Jeremy preparing some intergalactic smugness" 🤣
BTW do someone remember the reliant robin top gear minigame on their website from ages ago? 👌
That was epic. As a Space Shuttle nerd this is by far my favourite episode. I really wanted this to succeed. Richard's and James' faces at the end were exactly how mine was. Truly epic and tragic. Such a shame that the robin wouldn't sperate from the aux tank.
The few moments when the rocket soared straight up and away! It's an unexplainable feeling.
One small step ladder for a kind man.
One of the greatest things I'd ever seen on TV
As an aerospace enthusiast, the failed separation is such a test-rocket thing to happen. That's why they do test launches before putting people in it
“James, a cow ran through it”
1 small step ladder for mankind
There will never be another show like this!
This is one of my favorite top gear segments ever
It's a shame that this only picks up after the shuttle has been built because I loved and LOL'd at the testing and preparation scenes.
Jeremy going to colonize mars caught in 4k
more like 144p
Of all the memories of my very varied and unusual memories.... this will still be a memory when I'm saying goodbye. Kids....... this was when we had to wait until 7:30 on Monday evening to watch it on TV. Thanks Top Gear! I now haven't watched TV for years. Thanks technology!
That James May foot shot was an amazing piece of cinematography.
This has got to be one of the most epic things the top gear lads have done. I doff my hat to those rocketry wizards who actually made it happen. That was one hell of an undertaking.
2nd best imo was the Bugatti Veyron drag race with the Eurofighter Typhoon. That was spectacular.
8:16 me when I see someone stuck in a toxic relationship 🤣
That "One Small Stepladder" joke has to be one of the best they ever did!
THIS is probably the most proud and exited ive ever seen james and richard get.
There is a young future astronaut who has watched this, and has sworn that somehow, someway, they will be the one to get a Reliant Robin into space in the names of our trio.
Some charisma and car challenges are doable by youtubers of various size. But doing this is another complexity. Top topgear moment. No idea who managed to let this through 😃
Thank god this is finally on RUclips proper
good old days
Yes, we've seen Richard and James are the scientists in different TV shows.
I remember watching this live on SD TV. And I still laughed at the cut away to an explosion! 😂😂
One of the best Top Gear programmes ever.
Still the greatest episode of Top Gear ever.. 👍😂😂😂😂
This is the kind of stuff you don’t see on top gear anymore. Thanks JC RH and JM!
Judging by the door hinges connecting the control surfaces, this all went to plan.
Quite simply the very best of Top Gear….. just so funny and kinda sad at the same time, never tire of seeing this
2002 - 2010, Top Gear's Golden Era.
We all know how this ends, but that doesn’t change how much of a classic this segment is.
Definitely one of the most iconic moments on Top Gear
Hadn't seen this before, that was awesome... I fully expected it to simply blow up on the launch pad.
A space shuttle AND a missile! Talk about versatility.
One of the best episodes ever....
This Shuttle Model looks awesome and it works great
Anyone else think this was actually kind of unbelievable how well this worked? I mean, someone did the aerodynamics even.
This is still the most amazing thing I've ever seen on television. Nothing SpaceX has done so far has matched this. Even though the 'Rocketeres' that made it said that it was never going to be able to land it was still epic. I still want someone to show this to Elon so they can make a v2 version
Godspeed, little Robin!
this was the greatest moment of my childhood.
We need more shows like this on TV
A great moment in Top Gear history. Magical!. If anyoone can pint in the right direction of the world war 1 plane flown at the cliffs od dover complete with lady in skin tight union jack outfit is another great moment. It might have been a 25th anniversary?
One of my favorite episode. thank you.
this is mental
does the bbc pay for this??
also, amazing great fun..
wicked thankyou.. x
Old top gear was unmatched
I always wonder how much of their performance is acting, and how much is genuine.
I can see James and Richard's conversation in the bunk bed being a somewhat genuine expression of their feelings, but it sure looks suspicious that it was so well captured on camera. The one shot of James from his feet seems like the camera should have been visible in the wider shots.
But then I kinda feel like I follow Richard's emotions through it all. The "Relax, it'll work!" seems like a kind of overoptimism, as if he deep down doesn't really believe it.
But then I think his eager face at the launch shows him suddenly thinking that it really will work after all, followed by near ecstatic glee when the solid rocket boosters separated. I think those few seconds was the only time he really believed it would work.
Which of course made the crash an even bigger downer.
"How are you gonna use it again!?"
Wow. You repeated the last thing said in the video. How witty 🙄
@@BeBetterTomorrow321 Welcome to the comments section of a RUclips video. You must be new.
Top Gear Classic: because the new one is devoid of personality!
You can't not smile while watching this thing launch
I really wanted this to not fail. I was gutted when the parachute didn’t open.
The RC guy always looked like such a muppet trying to steer it whilst still attached to the fuel tank
Omg i remember playing a flashgame called rocket robin way back. Way before i even knew what topgear was. That brings back memories
Seriously impressive.
They need to try this again.
Sadly the show has been cancelled.
@@AtheistOrphanIt may be canceled but I prefer to just think of it as an indefinite hiatus lol.
the start actually looks perfect
After years coming back to this you just kind of know that it was meant not to separate and they boosted "blast" for extra emotions (maybe I'm wrong but it looked like that) =))
Still great stuff!
After years of occasionally watching the shitty cut-up youtube versions of these clips, it's nice to see the full thing for once!
This one is one favorite for sure! At first I thought wait what the hell, how much money did they get to do this thing (because it's AWESOME)... and then again... wait Top Gear generates loads and loads of money... they could do this 10 times more, and I bet the second or third time this would actually work 100% and that would be crazy!
If I where them (the one who made this), the contract would state something like yes we sell you the rights, but with every "viewing" we get a percentage of the profit (yes BBC is was state owned company I guess)... but I think there was a deal to be made... and by this time the would have gone to Mars and beyond with that deal..
This was brilliant when I saw all that time ago great to see again 😂
When James is truly in his element.
8:43 Nice cut, there never was a explosion ofc :D
🤣
Sorry, but why not?
@@teameh.w It won't explode like that lmao and you can see the cut
@@BLVCKSCORP oh
@@BLVCKSCORP Also I reckon the grass would be charred- if not at least more disturbed at the crash site with such a massive blast.
Reliant Robin is also the name of a solid rocket fuel mixture (along with a three wheeled car).
Probably the coolest things ever done on TV
I just so wish they would do this again and to see it work!
'one small step ladder for ...................' xDDDDDD LOL
JESUS H CHRYSLER THE RESOLUTION IS MENTALL
This has to be one of the most expensive gags top gear has ever done, and yet it doesn't really seem to have the same memorability as other skits.
Probably because due to the highly technical nature of the launch, the hosts weren't really involved (not that they're actually doing the majority of the mechanical work or whatever in other episodes. They have real mechanics for that).
So they had to tack on things like digging the "bunker".
It's strange you say that despite this comment section being full of people calling this bit "iconic", "one of my favorite", "the best", etc. I am also pretty sure they used a clip from this episode in the Intro for the show for quite a while, so IDK how you can think this wasn't as memorable as other skits...
This was a quality episode
Why am I here after watching SpaceX catch a starship booster with mechagodzilla?
"All of what we've said is just... words." FINALLY, the original clip with that quote included. I use it daily but all the other pirated uploads miss that tidbit for some odd reason.
Funny how they fueled the thing with laughing gas! 😂
8:43 cheeky edit there for the "explosion". Would rather have just seen the real impact.
Rubbish 13 year old conspiracy theory.
The explosion at the end is from the fuel and rockets onboard the Robin itself (mentioned in the film it has 3 rockets to extend the glide if needed) and unspent fuel in the main orange tank.
@@The-Nox-86 If you step through frame by frame you can see the explosion is a completely different shot.
There's videos on RUclips that bystanders filmed with their own cameras, and you can clearly see it didn't explode anywhere near as big as in this video. Also the explosion here you can see it's like treetops/jungle but there aren't any trees where they are
@Azra386 watch it back at .25x speed, and you'll see that the grass is yellow just before the rocket hits, and then the grass with the explosion is a dark green. Which kinda sucks tbh, i wish they'd used the real one
we love you top gear
The curse of Mr. Bean dislikes that space robin taking off
I wish they'd gone and tried this again. So close in this attempt
new top gear classic dropped
I've never understood why everybody is so excited about a Robin that flies? There are Robins flying in and out of my garden all the time.
Crazy to see where SpaceX got the idea from
I can still hear Jeremy preparing some intergalactic smugness
I believed for a short time. And my beleif was misplaced. Epic launch. Can we try again?
an interesting side effect of the increase in pixels is that, if you look closely, you may notice that hammond is now barely visible. a quick fyi for those wondering where he had gone and why his disembodied voice was the only remaining semblance of his existence in the higher quality version of this clip