Tag: collins

Ben “The Stig” Collins names the five worst cars he’s ever driven

Filed under: Etc.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The five worst cars Ben Collins has ever driven – Click above for high-res image gallery

Over the course of his years donning the white suit and helmet for Top Gear, pro driver Ben Collins has had the chance to drive an enviably wide array of cars. Their track times all went up on the power lap board, but there are better ways of evaluating how a car handles under pressure – like asking the guy who drove them. That’s what Australian car site Drive did, and got the former Stig to jot down some notes. They weren’t in Morse Code, but while his list of the worst five cars he’d ever driven includes some obvious choices, a couple may surprise.

First up on Ben’s hit list: the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. When we drove it, we found its dynamics were lightyears behind its looks, and His (deposed) Stiginess apparently agrees. At the end of Collins’ list is another supercar – the TVR Sagaris – which he feels was horribly emblematic of the company that produced it, while pointing to the fact that Jeremy Clarkson loved it as evidence enough of its dubious distinction.

In between these two European supercars on Collins’ list comes the Fiat Multipla, whose horrid styling was surpassed only by its dismal performance, and the Cadillac Escalade, which the Englishman found to be all show and no go – particularly off road. Finally, the previous-generation Dodge Charger drew the Stig’s ire for its gross weight and lamentable slushbox. If for America’s sake alone, we can only hope that, heavier still though it is, Collins might take a crack at the new model.

Gallery: Ben Collin’s Five Worst Cars

Fiat MultiplaCadillac EscaladeDodge ChargerTVR Sagaris

Ben “The Stig” Collins names the five worst cars he’s ever driven originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speed Read: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins (The Stig)

Filed under: Celebrities

The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins

It’s been over four months since racer Ben Collins officially outed himself as the skill behind The Stig’s otherworldly driving talent. And, despite the bellyaching of fans and critics all around the globe, both Top Gear and life itself have continued to trundle on as if nothing ever happened. Sure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have been forced to visit a Stig farm to find a new tame racing driver, and yes, they’ve even taken to gunning down cardboard cutouts of their former compatriot, but by and large, Top Gear itself is no worse off for no longer having the white suit on board.

Readers are given the best explanation as to why Collins turned his back on Top Gear.

Despite controlling our news cycle for what felt like seven eternities, Collins has rather quietly picked up a gig with rival UK car show Fifth Gear, leaving plenty of us to wonder what could possibly cause someone to give up a life of driving the world’s quickest cars in some of the most amazing scenery our planet has to offer. Fortunately, the former Stig worked up The Man in the White Suit ($26.95 on Amazon)- a quick memoir that includes everything from his stint as an army reservist to his trials on the world’s various race circuits. There’s even a good bit on the man’s time on Top Gear as the silent wheelman we all know and love.

Now that the dust has settled around the whole Stiggate fiasco, we settled in to give The Man in the White Suit a full read. Tucked between stories of training Tom Cruise to beat the life out of a reasonably priced car and vaporizing a Koenigsegg while attempting to put the supercar around Dunsfold in the quickest time possible, readers are given the best explanation as to why Collins turned his back on Top Gear for good.

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Speed Read: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins (The Stig) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben “The Stig” Collins planning Top Gear rival?

Remember when any hint of the identity of the vaunted Stig was news? Even after Ben Collins outed himself as the mysterious super driver it took a few days before we truly believed that the biggest secret in British television had been spoiled. Judging by recent comments made by Jeremy Clarkson, we’re starting to think there’s little chance we’ll ever see the Stig again on Top Gear, but that doesn’t mean Collins is out of television for good.

The UK’s Telegraph reports that the former driver-in-white is fielding several offers to host his own show in the near future. Of course, Collins isn’t quite ready to spill details about his future plans, but he reportedly did mention that he wants to have a show with riskier stunts than what we’re used to seeing on Top Gear. In fact, Collins even managed to take a completely unveiled shot at Jezza by saying that the main man at TG “doesn’t have that kind of respect for people behind the scenes.

Until a show officially materializes, Collins plans to cash in on his book about the show, followed perhaps by a bit of fiction writing. Meanwhile, Top Gear will likely be hard at work finding the next Stig, though we’re guessing the show’s producers won’t bite on Collins’ idea to do a “Who wants to be The Stig” reality show, if only because the former Stig thought of it.

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben “The Stig” Collins planning Top Gear rival? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Potential Stigs vie for new gig via reality show?

Another day, another Stig story. But this one’s a bit different. The now ex-white-suited BBC driver Ben Collins has suggested that Top Gear run an X-Factor style contest to find the next Stig. From his interview with the Telegraph:

“If I were working on the show I’d suggest they do a shoot out – a sort of Who Wants to Be the Stig? X Factor. People could turn up in balaclavas and they could all have a go.”

Collins goes on to say that the producers would be acting “childish” if they choose to go forward without a new faceless driver, which we couldn’t agree with more. But…

While Collins’ idea could certainly make for entertaining telly, two issues come to mind: 1) People go on reality shows to become known, with the hopes gaining fame and fortune. Yet Collins resigned from his spot exactly because he hadn’t received what he felt was his fair share. That’s not likely to change with the next Stig. And 2) The reason the idea of the Stig is so successful is exactly because we don’t know who he is. The masked man’s skills have never been called into question because he is the ultimate impartial and unbiased driver. If we know his (or her) identity, his resume and what backhanded schemes he pulled off to land the top spot in a reality show, are we going to trust him? Probably not.

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben “The Stig” Collins accuses BBC of bullying

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Ben Collins, the artist driver formerly known as The Stig, is making sure he keeps everyone tabbed on his side of the story. Most recently, he has accused the BBC of bullying him when he informed them that he was writing a book about his years of anonymous lap times. Furthermore, he alleges that it was the BBC that actually gave away his identity in a piece for one of its own magazines, the Radio Times. After that, Collins says, he felt that his time in the white suit was tenuous and that he should “either jump or be pushed.”

Collins’ assertions appear a little shaky. The BBC article he highlights as “outing” him was a piece that took names from UK betting outlet William Hill to wonder about The Stig’s identity. At the top was Damon Hill, next was Ben Collins and at the bottom was A Giant Wasp, so Collins as a potential Stig was already a matter of speculation — at least with the bookmakers. As for the bullying claims, the BBC refutes the accusations. Collins says he was “hoping for the backing of his BBC bosses,” but is anyone really surprised that the BBC wanted to keep a secret… secret?

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben “The Stig” Collins accuses BBC of bullying originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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