What has happened to The Grand Tour test track since they left?
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- Опубліковано 22 січ 2022
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In our 2022 announcement, Richard Hammond stipulated that the DriveTribe team was on the hunt for a new test track. Mike Fernie was sent out on the case, starting at R.A.F. Wroughton, the old Grand Tour test track. Should this become the new home of DriveTribe content?
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atleast it's not Raid shadow legends
@@Grulaz Shhh, be quiet! :D It is bad enough it is a motor channel they promote all sort of nonsense, unlike Johny Smith, who is a small channel, but manages to attract proper motor sponsors.
Of course if you did that it'd help if your voice-over featured some adenoids
Please tell them to include shipping to other countries. For example, I'm from Turkey and unfortunately I can't place any order.
Bedford Autodrome! Everything's there already, it's near to Millbrook if needed, you could do some car boating in Grafton Water and you could buy some cheap cars from BCA (onsite) for crash tests etc!
Never felt too connected to the eboladrome since the guys rarely spent a ton of time there. Was mainly just for power laps if I recall. Whereas with the TGTT you could routinely see Jeremy, James, and Richard mucking about together during episodes and challenges.
This.. 👌
Yep, 100% - never felt like home
Is funny how TGTT could go both ways
No one has ever felt connected to you!
I'd go for a bigger, more wide-open track. I know it couldn't be the old Top Gear track, but the Eboladrome always felt very confined and closed off. It never really looked like a true race track.
Agree. And it's quite narrow in some sections
Its just part of the fun.
Didn't need to be.
As long as they use the same 'track' to compare cars.
Who owns the Top Gear Test Track? Surely the trio would be past any non-compete clause by now so if the owner wanted to rent it to DriveTribe there would surely be no problem with that. Assuming of course the TGTT isn't owned by the BBC.
@@voteDC The test track is no longer available, awaiting redevelopment
Castle Combe seems to be the best option when taking into consideration the pros and cons. Compared to the others mentioned it also looks like one of the better tracks to drive when seeing onboard footage of the place. I'd go with that one for Drive Tribe.
Yeah, i feel the exact same way.
We have the same name, so I guess I've got to agree with you.
Castle Combe or Thruxton hands down. Side note, would love to see a cheap car challenge or 2. Nothing wrong with running with an awesome format. Ben vs Tiff vs Abbie would be a riot
get the one where you can explode stuff
feel like thruxton and castle combe would be the best for ragging a car and properly testing its handling, however the airfield style tracks just allow more creativity
No way to rent those for exclusive use. You have to sync with other events.
@Komitet then provide an example
@@JoseRodriguez-ey7ju I don't think he's about to rent out the track just to prove a point ;)
@@richardharrold9736 driven castle Combe a few times never done Thruxton thou. My photo on here was from castle Combe
Tru
Another downside to Wroughton-the museum wants to use it for public exhibits, which would probably mean limiting its use. Of all the options, Castle Combe would be the closest to what you need
Castle Combe seems like the best option
@@SRT302 Castle Combe has some of the lowest noise level rules. Especially during the week.
@@SRT302 agreed
Castle Combe would be my choice. Quarry Corner can be filmed relatively easily from the exit area and you get some great shots of cars going tripod on you if you push it there, been around there with the back out in a Peugeot 306gti and it is a very fun corner indeed. The Esses can be filmed from near the same place for a rear view of the car and Dean Straight has a possible camera angle for a fast pass. Also the Castle Inn is just around the corner for a swift half on the way home.
I’d opt for castle Combe. Been there myself and the track has a lot to offer and is a pretty fast track being almost 3km in length. Not to mention it’s got an off-road track, although basic, which is used for rally experiences.
I'd like to see videos from all of them but I think Castle Combe or Llandow are probably the best options from a business point of view. From a fans point of view I'd love it to be RAF Wroughton
Only thing about Llandow is from the map, it looks like an oval with a couple of fiddly bits
indeed Castle Combe, but if not for the cost thruxton
My house pretty much back on to Llandow circuit
@Aston S
Argreed RAF Wroughton as a fan, but I think Castle Combe is the best fit.
agreed
Castle Combe. I understand the filming situation is not optimal, but I wonder if filming with drones may alleviate some of that issue? Also I remember top gear, there was never really 100% coverage of the car just from certain angles. I'm certain Castle Combe could work the same to a degree
Yeah, chase filming with drones could be amazing
Pretty sure you aren’t allowed drones at Combe possibly because of the electricity pylons that basically go over quarry corner
@@TheMightyD28 Was just about to say there are some big power lines over corners like quarry which is probably one of the key places you’d want to do it. Keeping low altitude may alleviate the issue but imagine risk assessments could get in the way.
either the GT track or Castle Combe. The Castle Combe track being difficult to film might end up causing creative camera angles and solutions,so I'm routing for that one
Just do what everyone else does... race through central London on a Saturday night! Plenty of Lambos, Ferraris and other marques on show as well :-)
They don't have diplomatic immunity :(
@@tavirosu25 Was just about to say the local pd would likely not approve.
haha, never expected to see you here, Bruce
@@swisscheeseaviation590 I am *EVERYWHERE* mate :-)
“they vacated this test track, which for legal reasons we can’t give it the name Jeremy gave it” you can’t legally say most things that Jeremy does
Theu dont have freedom of speech in the uk.
@@lordtartarsauceb8348 your right about that, it’s horrible over here
Clearly Amazon owns the "Ebola drome" name copyright...nothing to do with freedom of speech 😂😂😂
I genuinely hope those 2 idiots are joking.
@@Yesterzine Americans thinking they somehow have more free speech than the Britts is hilarious either way
I say Castle Combe. While it might be difficult to film it definitely appears to be more visually aesthetic than Llandow. As long as the expense isn't too high either.
Combe ain’t bad tbf
I'll come and break down in the Lambo somewhere with gigantic runoff and easy access to a fire engine 👍
As I live in Swindon, I'd love for you guys to make Wroughton your home, however, I think Castle Combe is probably the best option
As someone who has been to the circuits mentioned to watch races, I would say:
1. Llandlow
2. Castle Combe
3. Eboladrome
4. Thruxton
5. Airfields
Llandlow is the best for making videos but is a bit plain, Castle combe would be the best test for a car but is busy and is flanked by a tire wall and a cornfield, Eboladrome would probably cost the most and be the 'worst' but has the gt connection, Thruxton is just too busy and expensive and the airfields, well they vary but most would not be suitable.
I’d go for Llandow, even if it isn’t the most visual and might need some coordination with others, there’s a reason they use it… Marshalls being included won me over since the location is handy
Yep, this is such a big point, if every big car journalism org is using one particular track then there is a reason for it. It's almost certainly because all the other tracks cons are "difficult to film there" and that's a massive problem when making films...
For me, it's Castle Combe, I've been there pleanty of times and while filming on a few corners would be tricky, there's quite a few corners where I think it would be ideal. I'd like to rule out 'test tracks' to allow actual racing to take place as well. Keeps video options open. You wouldn't be able to go side by side down the isn'tstraight at full speed
I have ridden Castle Coombe on a motorbike and it is actually very challenging with a few fast corners - but also a couple that would bite. Also easy to get to - so it gets my vote.
I never liked the eboladrome, it always seemed a bit too small/tight for the cars going round it. Thruxton would be by far the most exciting in my opinion but I do understand that there's a business to run as well, so the cost and availability of track time probably is an issue.
Tbf, if it’s drivetribe taking over, it’s gonna be MG’s and Mazdas on the track, instead of McLaren Sennas and the other crazy stuff GT got their hands on.
And for all except the cost of doing high-speed shoots, it’s kinda the best answer, even if I prefer Combe myself. And for high-speed shoots with marshals and rescue crews, medic, etc, they just get a sponsor to fork over a few thousand quid, like they’ve been doing, to offset the cost.
@@davidwilliams5497 Doesn't matter. Eboladrome looks like a go kart track.
I like the GT track, but if i had to choose otherwise, it would br castle combe or thruxton
The look of this track is iconic, the backgrounds, the straightaways. It’s incredible
Definitely LLandow, as I wouldn't mind seeing Top Gear filming in the background, and there are basically no other cons. I can't find the mod for assetto corsa and the only link to a beta version no longer exists. I will test both Thruxton and Castle Combe to see if they are worth more than their cons. (Would be cool to have the GT track if you could manage it).
I'm for airfields. The creative potential is endless, plus it's cheap and you can get many speeds.
Also they aren't perfectly smooth like race tracks so they represent what real roads are like for road cars.
Definitely gives me more appreciation for Abby’s hard racing with those speedy cars. If you see this, Abby, we hope you are doing well!
she's still recovering from broken backbone
I don't know enough about the other tracks to pick one, but I would like to vote against the Eboladrone. As a viewer, it never really caught my fancy. It always seemed too constricted or something. Maybe an airport would give you some flexibility if you are allowed to place tire walls and such on the premises.
I think circular tracks should not be a major issue to film at, quite the opposite, something that has always annoyed me from both Top Gear & Grand Tour track films is that it's very difficult to visualise the track from the angles they used, i'm a bigger fan of longer, broader shots flowing from one corner to the other, or down the straight. The FPV drone footage used on DT or GT ( was it carnage au trois? ) was amazing and made it so easy to get into where the car was & seeing the corner coming up, long before it hit it, leading to some more investment into it's performance around it
Better than nothing
I vote for an airfield... but only if you do a bit of dressing up with things like tirewalls, rumble strips\curbs, pretty much anything to defines the bends more than a bit of paint. Would be nice to get a full on lap of a track but also be able to do a full on speed run\drag race down the runway.
Definitely with an airfield they can make the track
An airfield would make a pretty dull track l think. Just tires and cones are not particularly exciting. And drag races are for Americans.
This is going to sound weird but I think you should go for the cheapest option. Less money = more videos on track!
I agree, from this side of the screen track is not that important
I think you're on to something, I agree. Creative filming, tire walls are all cheap and it never hurt Top Gear to basically have a flattened oval laid out on a airfield. But if that means you have to bring your own Marshall's etc., then the cheapest professional race track.
I agree, can’t make cool videos with cool cars if you can barely make rent
So agree 👍
I agree, except that cheap doesn’t consider the watch factor. Just because some of us watch every video the channel produces, there are some tracks that will just draw more eyes. More eyes = more money.
I mean, if they could film at Silverstone for the same price as the one of the middle-cost tracks from that list, they’d probably make up the difference in revenue from the extra views and engagement alone (and remember, it’s not just the extra cash from clicks; advertisers will pay more to reach a consistently larger audience).
That’s what makes this decision for them so hard. They need to balance the cost of doing their projects and the revenue they will make, to be able to keep making videos.
What a great video, well done guys. Leagues above other content creators on this platform
I think Llandow has to be the way to go. Castle Combe is my local, and they have noise restrictions as well, and I know all the large corners have got very high fencing all the way around. Llandow has everything you need, and I'm sure running into the likes of Top Gear might get you more publicity. All the others seem to have major issues with them.
Llandow is Harris's stomping grounds though and auto car
It never felt like a test track. It felt like they needed something quickly and this was what they could get hold of. Now that it's just specials, they could have a custom built track.
Plus if DriveTribe is going to become a more prominent staple for car testing. Then maybe it'll become the "Top Gear" of Grand Tour.
Castle Combe or Llandow. Handy location is in my opinion over erverything (quality of life for you producers) when it is affordable.
Really happy to see you asking the fans and also explaining the video-title side of things, as it is something not many youtubers/tv-companies talk about.
appreciate the video
I never quite liked R.A.F. Wroughton (Eboladrome) as an actual race track because the layout never lent itself well to actually being one. I think it would be something nice to keep in the back pocket for B-Roll and thumbnail/cover pics for cars, though.
For a new track, I think Llandow and Castle Combe would be the best options.
Thruxton would be too expensive without substantial financial backing. For the airfields, while the open space can let you be very creative with layouts, the dodgy tarmac and the air traffic raises lots of red flags for me.
The old grand tour track should stay as memories of the grand tour and this show is very much different and should create different memories any other track other then the top gear one for obvious reasons would be perfect.
Well said.
Just said a similar thing myself. Find a track or airfield to put their own stamp on, rather than taking leftovers from another show.
I live literally 5 minutes up the road from Wroughton in Swindon... having the trio use the airfield as their track was crazy enough, but I reckon you guys could make it even more special! I really hope you guys can seal the deal on it 👍
I moved out of Swindon last month! Now down the road in Calne
Fun fact, it wasn’t the first time Richard Hammond drove here, actually Richard raced a G-Wiz against a Mustang in Top Gear and it is in Swindon, Wiltshire branch of the science museum.
Something about seeing the lady from "old ladies house" and also knowing she's still kicking makes me happy haha
That's my mum! I too am glad she's still kicking 😄
Castle Combe or Llandow. Having them close would be nice and less of a commute and more time for fun.
Castle Coombe!! Love that circuit. Thruxton is brilliant but like you said it has more big race meets. Castle Coombe I'm fairly sure would benefit from you being there as much as you would and it's far better than Wroughton to look at. Plus it has spectator areas so if you ever wanted to put on a public event, you'd have the option of inviting people to watch.
old lady in old ladies house must be a HUGE car fan to be living in such close proximity to the buffoons over at grand tour blasting down the road in front of her house; you know 99% of those engines were NOT quiet in the slightest ... what a legend!
My dad used to do autotesting on the airfield with old austin healeys in a club. So the airfield has already actually had its fair share of motor racing around it.
I'd go for a home base at Castle Combe with special stuff occasionally done on the Eboladrome, Enstone, and other tracks Clarkson, Hammond, and May have used or thrown celebrities at over the years. Would allow for special things every once in a while while being on a professional track for regular stuff and keeping costs lower than using the Eboladrome full time completely funding everything.
Definitely the riskiest but if you guys had the funds and the risks were deemed acceptable I'd say you could pick one of the old airfields to build new tracks on, maybe looking to the local government for support. Surely there are some completely unused places just waiting for some TLC and burning rubber. Having a test track designed by Drivetribe, Clarkson, Hammond, and May open to drive on for a small fee when not filming would potentially bring some tourism. Again that is significantly more risky.
Landow of Castle Combe for me. I love the Eboladrome but as others have said before, it can seem a bit tight. There's also nothing wrong with a large open spaced airfield! You can set up your own track at that point.
Getting an airfield and designing a layout could be a whole series of videos.
i suspect an airfield would have to be shared with planes and other associated uses - so putting a few cones out is all they will be able to do
Castle Coombe seems best bet.
Every show I watch Manscaped is sponsoring... Im start to think it finally worked and I might get one! you did it!
Wonderful Old Lady's House is actually what it says. Just thought it was some TG/GT silliness.
And my vote is this one! 👍
I’d go for Thruxton, with Castle Combe a close second. A lot of heritage with those airfield circuits.
Never thought I’d say this, the ad was my favourite bit 😂
Was still a great video, the ad just made me laugh a lot!
What about Abingdon? Not sure what the ownership arrangement is but it could be a possibility.
I ride past this place a few times a year - you’d never know if you didn’t Google maps it 😅
Don’t blame the car for the slowless.. it has two engines ..lol
Liquimolly: How do we get our name into a manscaped sponsored video. xD
Castle Coombe would seem nearest to meeting your requirements, its also quite well connected via the M4 and other major routes to the rest of the country, even Richard would not have to far to come from Ross and Jeremy is nearly on its doorstep.
Don’t forget James. His pub is in Swallowcliffe in Wiltshire, which is roughly an hour away from Chippenham where Castle Combe is. Jeremy’s place in Chipping Norton/Chadlington is also an hour away, and so is Hammond’s place in Ross-on-Wye. Castle Combe is equidistant from the trio, which makes it very ideal
Castle Combe from business perspective, but Thruxton as a test track is frankly elite tier tbh
Go for the airfield and build concept tracks and the fans vote for which one they want to see. Change the track design up after some videos. Keeping it fresh and giving the driver and car new challenges.
But that doesn't bode well for car testing and lap times. Also you would need something like the Paul Ricard track that's used for the French GP, has multiple different layouts.
Surely an interview with Old Lady of Old Lady House would be 10/10 content!
Due to Bellway Homes closing the roads, the village of Wroughton is cut off. London based Science Museum stopped flying airshows , racing bike and car , classic car shows for the public . Also demolishing the WW2 site by stealth. Air Traffic control tower etc.
Will miss DRIVETRIBE!
They aren't finished
@@hemangraj4630 ikr
@@hemangraj4630 I thought they were.
Only the website, the channel and social media is staying! Watch the videos!!
@@300zxdriver mate they were going to Russia for episode 5 but due to corona got cancelled. I have the season if you want
I say we keep the "Ebola drome". It means a lot to the fans of Grand Tour, but while expensive, I feel like memories outweigh the cost of returning the the track
Agreed
I bet they could even offset marshal costs. Im sure people would love to volunteer to help drive tribe and be a part of the drome's history.
As Mike said, there are legal issues in calling it that
something with more memorable sections with wideshots like the original top gear track. That tack was great because you could easily see how much faster one car or driver was going through the parts. That was very difficult in the ebola because of the trees. On the speed parts it'd be great to be filming from a few hundred yards away so you can really get a feel for the speed of specific cars and drivers.
I love that MG. I apreciate someone that takes care of an old car that isn't really a classic and probably never will be. Has something special though..
I think filming around Castle Combe would be great, Hammond can build a dedicated filming car in his workshop, one of those with a big crane on top, and it can drive about filming the cars around the circuit.
Oh hey, the eboladrome i haven't seen the iconic grand tour track in a while. Though not like the old track when jezza captain slow and hamster were working in bbc but hey, i'm glad the drivetribe used it to test out all cars in upcoming videoes
Dayum, seeing that mg/rover cruising on that road gave me shivers
After looking at them on gmaps, I think hullavington has the most potential, with many options for layout using the perimeter roads .
Hullavington is owned by Dyson now though who have turned some of the buildings into active R&D. I'd be surprised if they'd be happy with the noise and disruption
I feel like castle Combe is the best decision as it is already laid out and it’s very easy to learn. There’s also barriers and so on
I would turn one of the airfields into something again, it is sort of the tradition and turning the next one into a racetrack would be continuing that tradition.
I looked and i liked RAF Little Rissington
totally agree
Could always use a different one of them depending on what you are going to film. Say you're doing a high speed race, use Thruxton, if you're going to just simply test how something goes along the straight, use the second one. You don't have to be confined to just one track and that can keep the visuals for vids interesting
its gotta be either thruxton or castle combe surely, but nothing would please me more than a track laid out on an old airfield, classic TG style. a true return to form.
Fun Fact: Former Stig Ben Collins said he thought the Eboladrome was a terrible track.
I'd put my money on Castle Combe. It's fast and I've been there enough times for Rally Day and done some experience days there. It's got the carting and the off road area for when you're doing other types of vehicles.
The track is fast and there are the points for getting the shots. If you have access the drones, then the sky is literally the limit when filming.
Castle Combe has got to be up there… one of the best equipped circuits for the inevitable Drivetime events that will be hosted in the future!
thruxtons a great track, i grew up in the neighbouring village and spent alot of time there, my first job at 14 was in the pilots club and the owners would regularly let me take bikes around the track and over the grounds surrounding it. great memory's there so would love to see you guys on it
I think Llandow makes the most sense! Cheapest, so you can put more money into more videos, marshals are there for you already, it's a simple track, it seems like a pretty fast track whilst having the necessary corners to test agility and whatever else, and it's not really an issue that it'll look same-y. I think most of the tracks will have that issue. It just seems most logical to me.
Although its a little small Llandow gets my vote as its a tight tricky sprint track so plenty of action if you give it large plus its close and being the smallist should be easier to film
R.A.F. Wroughton hands down mainly because of the GT connection and it just lines up with how drive tribe started anyways and would always be cool for it to keep giving us the automotive content we enjoy so much
"Very dense trees" Hahahaha. That's hilarious. That's barely a thicket man.
I love castle coombe so I'm definitely biased when picking it. Also I like going to thruxton every so often however I feel like it's too big to be viable. Would love to see castle Combe getting more love.
It's got to be Castle Combe or R.A.F Wroughton, both 2 very exciting tracks
The Eboladrome is the only one that has all of the types of cornering that we would want to see. There are straights, hard pushed g-force corners and long turns. I would get rid of the gravel. That would be my only ask, but its not a deal-breaker. Love you guys! Keep it up :)
I like the test track it has a lot more features than normal race tracks which means it works much better for YT videos than normal race tracks where the racing takes over rather than the location. Old Lady's House and the Hangers add character. I'm biased as I'm a local but still think combined with the GT link, it's the best option as it stands out as a selling point rather than just being a completely blank canvas.
So either sticking with RAF wroughton or thruxton. The memories of the GT are cool to keep but I think thruxton would be a more viable option
100% what i was think are these two tracks
A compromise : regulars on the other tracks but big shoot outs on Wroughton as a special or something. Only way to keep costs on the low and visually appealing for us as well.
A challenging airfield sounds entertaining. And if there are numbers painted on the tarmac, that looks nice too.
Castle Combe. Has a history, and if you watch old BTCC episodes, they actually had some cracking angles of Soper vs Radisich vs Winkelhock back in the day. 👍
I think i've gotta lean towards Castle Combe, It's a great circuit that isn't quite as ruinously expensive as the others. An airfield is also always great, but of course there is the time constraints, and staffing issues. Just seems like a smaller but established racetrack is the best value proposition.
Agreed
You know Jimmy has made it when he get put in a list of 4 drivers that include Tiff.
I appreciate your predicament. I know what I used to charge for full emergency ambulance with a paramedic crew per day. It seems a lot but try sitting in a freezing ambulance for 12 hours or so, plus travel to and from the venue. Then add on training, fuel, consumables and equipment. Go for somewhere the marshalls are included.
This is great. So pumped to see the direction of drive tribe.
Rip Ebola drome. Long Live Corona drome.
The E-drome would definitely be the optimal choice seeing as The Grand Tour spawned DriveTribe, so it's got that whole heritage aspect to it. But seeing as it's so expensive, maybe you could start off at another track and once DriveTribe grows a lot more (which I'm certain it will) and have built up a larger cash flow and all that, you can then switch to the E-drome.
Castle Combe, there’s lots of spectator mounds that will give great viewing angles for filming, and has a nice mixture of straights and fast corners
Bedford aerodrome? Just a few miles from Santa Pod as well. They also just cleared a load of old RAF buildings right next to it so loads of space to build new things.
Combe would make the most sense, but Wroughton would be unique and if the Science museum want to help develop it for testing as well that should be able to help offset things
Come on man. You just shut down the website because it was bleeding cash. Whose idea is it to bleed MORE money by getting a new track !!
It's just Man Maths. Hemorrhaging cash? Buy a race track!
I've never heard the expression "have some serious bottle" before and I assume the meaning from the context of that sentence. I can't wait to drop that in casual conversation soon.
There are quite a number of disused airfields around the area. It would offer flexibility for a custom circuit and be something unique to the channel. It would also be fun to name the straights and corners too!