Building cars live (BBC2)
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Just caught the last half of this on TV accidentaly.

7:30 - 9:00pm today and second part same time tommorow.

Catch todays on iPlayer and definately watch tommorow.

Mostly live from the Bini factory in Oxfordshire but a fascinating view of modern mass production.

James May and Kate Humble presenting and doing a really good job.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Yeah just watched that! ( dont forget ant anstead!) After the classic minis had gone i thought i aint gonna be interested in the rest but i could not believe how non stop the production is and how the parts coming in are used straight away! And that parts only last 1.5 hours til it stops the line so even a road closure could stop the production line! Good watch!!!

I work in a lower volume hand built car factory but i still find myself watching

Same processes less time

Shame its a bini tho

Outside the box

Anyone else find James May was a massive cockwomble in it? He ruined it for me, rest was pretty cool though.

He did crack a few 'dad' style jokes

James May has always been a crap presenter.

Contrary to what is said above, although I watched it all, it was boring.

"Just in time " and modern production lines are not new.

Yes dave it is them.

James may live with boot lids and dc tooling showed himself up to be a bit of a tool

Outside the box

I also found it a bit boring in the most part. But a few interesting nuggets, especially the quality control.

My kids will enjoy it though.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

www.twin-turbo.co.uk

James May looks very pink! I'm just catching up on yesterdays episode :)

They don't die, they just get faster!

Agree with the comments about James, he's a pre-recorded man by the looks of it. Thought Ant was superb though and kept composure like a real pro. I have an afternoon with him at his workshop when he stays still long enough. His twitter feed (I know not everones cup of tea) is good. Amazing how much planning went into producing 3 hours of 'live' tv for this. Great advert for the MINI as well.

I agree James May was a bit wooden, but otherwise it was a refreshingly different bit of TV to watch. Considering all that seems to be on otherwise is shit dancing/ice/x factor formats repeated for the 15th series, it was nice to see something else. Also in light of the state of the UK economy and in particular a subject close to home for me, steel, it was nice to see a positive example of manufacturing in the UK.

Been at work all day... come home to watch what happens at work all evening..

Too true, I work at Jag Landrover in Gaydon and we use the virtual reality cave all the time to discuss package issues, beats 10 engineers crowded round a 21" CAD screen. Coming home to watch it all over again, just on more comfy seating...

On 22nd Oct, 2015 slater said:
Been at work all day... come home to watch what happens at work all evening..

Used to work in the logistics dept of a tier 1 pressings supplier to JLR. It's still awesome seeing Just-In-Time work.

That mini line is a far cry from the Defender line though!

I Worked at Halewood operations for nearly 2 years and witnessed the last Escort roll off the line. One main difference between Halewood and Oxford, is that halewood have a press shop onsite. You can actually watch bales of steel go in one door and a car leave production through another door.

If you ever get the chance to go on a factory tour in any of these plants, do it, the tv show barely gave you the picture! Both halewood and oxford do them. Halewood is quite expensive though at £45 (it is landrover jaguar after all) but still think thats value fir money, if like me you get a buzz from everything engineering like, its the reason i do what i do at work.

At the end of it all though, they are still a shaped tin can.

i was in it the little mclaren bit :)

I did my apprenticeship at Longbridge in the 80's and even then keeping up with the line was a challenge, it was nice to have seen Mini's being built though.

I am regularly in the Cave at Gaydon but in the vehicle dynamics simulator trying changes out

Edited by Aubrey_Boy on 24th Oct, 2015.

Will sort one lol

I can highly recommend the tour in Oxford, i work in engineering at the Oxford plant and it still amazes me how they can produce so many cars so quickly and consistently

1972 998 TURBO SLEEPER

Bit of a bus man's holiday really, but I imagine it was good for those not familiar with cars or machinery. Good to see how other companies do some things, and the material flow and logistics side of it.

It's a shame they didn't show the body in white section more. That's the interesting bit. But difficult for that sort of program, if you can't get near it.