Tag: gear/i

Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat, UK

Fiat 500 TwinAir on Fifth Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The more cylinders, the better. Right? That’s exactly the kind of conventional wisdom that’s being turned on its head with the green revolution. Everything from hatchbacks to muscle sedans are dropping pistons like clumsy engine-plant workers these days. But what about the TwinAir engine on the Fiat 500? Have the Italians taken things too far?

That’s what the crew over at Fifth Gear have set about figuring out. The other British car show took the latest Cinquecento – all two cylinders of it – out for video review. So how did it fare? Follow the jump to watch the segment for yourself and find out.

Continue reading Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Top Gear teases Iraq Christmas special

Filed under: Videos

Top Gear Christmas Special

Top Gear Christmas Special – Click above for high-res image gallery

We know the Top Gear crew made a stop off in Israel while filming their Christmas Special, but we had a sneaking suspicion that Clarkson, Hammond and May wouldn’t be sticking to just one part of the Middle East during their journey. That suspicion was confirmed with the release of a brief teaser showing the motoring trio in the back of a cargo plane. Where did they land? Somewhere in Iraq. The Challenge: Get from there to Bethlehem and “don’t forget there are a few wars” along the way. Oh, and pick up some gold, frankincense and myrrh in your claptrap drop-tops. Hit the jump for trailer.

Gallery: Top Gear in Israel

Continue reading Video: Top Gear teases Iraq Christmas special

Video: Top Gear teases Iraq Christmas special originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Top Gear Award winners announced

Filed under: Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, UK, Koenigsegg

Citroen DS3

Citroën DS3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

As we said before, it’s that time when everyone starts rolling out their year-end “Best of” lists and revisits their favorite rides of 2010. Top Gear is in on the action, naming its annual award winners. Its list, as you can see, is diverse and loaded with forbidden fruit (at least for those of us in the U.S.)

  • Hypercar of the Year: Koenigsegg Agera
  • Cabrio of the Year: Maserati GranCabrio
  • Grand Tourer of the Year: Bentley Continental GT
  • Hot Hatch of the Year: Volkswagen Golf R
  • Family Car of the Year: BMW 520d Touring
  • Engine of the Year: Fiat TwinAir
  • Coupe of the Year: Peugot RCZ
  • Luxury Car of the Year: Jaguar XJ
  • Small Car of the Year and Car of the Year: Citroen DS3

Besides the standard categories, the three hosts also picked their favorites of 2010. Jeremy Clarkson is in love with the Pagani Zonda R, James May goes with the Bugatti Veyron Supersport and Richard Hammond is quite fond of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Though we’ve given you the list, it’s still worth a trip over to the Top Gear website to read the reasons behind each choice.

Gallery: Citroen DS3

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[Source: Top Gear]

2010 Top Gear Award winners announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear‘s Middle East tour reportedly shot for Christmas Special

Filed under: Etc., Middle East

Top Gear in Israel – Click above for high-res image gallery

Were you wondering what the Top Gear crew were doing in Israel when they were spotted there last month? Well wonder no more.

Reports from the British Isles are now stating that the tour across the Middle East was actually shot for a Christmas Special in which Clarkson, Hammond and May retrace the steps of the Three Wise Men who, according to Christian lore, visited the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem. Only while the trio of yore did it on camel-back, two millennia later, the team of British auto journos – who may have picked up as many followers today as the Nazarene messiah did in his – rode in across Turkey and Syria in three old roadsters.

Looks like it’s going to be a Merry Christmas after all, Charlie Brown.

Gallery: Top Gear in Israel

[Source: Telegraph]

Top Gear‘s Middle East tour reportedly shot for Christmas Special originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Top Gear USA premiers to middling viewership

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

Top Gear USA Set

At long last, American car nuts have a version of Top Gear to call our own. The project has been in the works for a long time now, and finally debuted on the History Channel this past Sunday. As we go to press server, some 17,500 readers responded to our poll: over 42 percent had already watched it, a few more said they intended to, and less than 14 percent of respondents said they weren’t even interested. That’s all well and good, but how did the show itself actually fair on the all-important ratings chart?

Well, according to Inside Line, it did kinda-sorta alright. Some 1.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the show’s debut. And that might seem like a lot – especially considering the NFL games it was airing against, but it’s really just fair-to-middling. Compare it to the premiere for Conan O’Brien’s new show on TBS (4.2 million) or History’s top program Pawn Stars (3-5 million) and suddenly it looks quite modest. Still, it’s in the very early going, and it’s still around average for a basic cable show, so it’s way too early to draw any conclusions about Top Gear USA and its fortunes.

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Top Gear USA premiers to middling viewership originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Anchors away as 60 Minutes covers Top Gear

Filed under: Videos, Celebrities

60 Minutes Top Gear

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Few television programs are as intimately familiar with the stop watch as the blokes over at Top Gear. But they’re not alone. On this side of the Atlantic, the icon is the rightful property of the CBS News magazine show 60 Minutes. And as many celebrities and documentary segments as the Top Gear crew may have interviewed and screened, 60 Minutes has been doing it longer.

Still, the two programs are about as different as can be. You wouldn’t expect to see 60 Minutes host Steve Kroft firing a camper van at a giant target any more than Jeremy Clarkson asking the next presidential candidate the hard-hitting questions. But as we previewed last week, Kroft headed to Top Gear‘s studios outside London to interview Clarkson, Hammond, May and producer Andy Wilman… and even tried to get a word or two out of the since-departed Stig.

Follow the jump to watch the results that aired this past weekend, plus some deleted scenes courtesy of 60 Minutes Overtime. (Thanks to everyone who sent in the tips!)

[Source: CBS News]

Continue reading Video: Anchors away as 60 Minutes covers Top Gear

Video: Anchors away as 60 Minutes covers Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear trio spotted filming special in Israel

Filed under: Spy Photos, Middle East

Top Gear arrives in Israel – Click above for high-res image gallery

The fellas over at Top Gear have been to just about every nook and cranny in Great Britain and criss-crossed continental Europe in all manner of train, plane and automobile. They’ve driven to the North Pole, scaled an active volcano, crossed the Sahara and traversed South America. They’ve driven through Vietnam, Dubai, Japan, the southern United States… nearly everywhere we can think of, really. Except Israel. But now they can cross the Holy Land off their collective bucket list as reports and photos come in from the tiny Eastern Mediterranean country showing Clarkson, Hammond and May taking in the desert sun.

Apparently filming a new episode in their epic series of cross-country adventures, the Top Gear crew was spotted crossing westward over the border between Jordan and Israel in a dingy trio of roadsters: Richard in a Fiat Barchetta, James in a BMW Z3 and Jeremy in a Mazda MX-5, complete with retrofitted hookah. (Just for tobacco, of course.) The cars appear to be accompanied by a convoy of support vehicles for the production and camera crews, and undoubtedly had to jump through a lot of hoops to get there as the border is typically open only for foot traffic.

We’ll be ordering up some fallafels and tuning in to Arutz Shtayim just as soon as we know when the episode will air to see how James, Richard and Yirmiyahu manage to get themselves out from in between the Dome of the Rock and a hard place. In the meantime, check out the spy shots (courtesy of forum member Dark-Shadow) in the gallery below and the (translated) report from our friends over at Walla! Cars for a closer look at how the blokes are single-handedly re-instituting the British Mandate. Ashrecha for the tip, Nat!

Gallery: Top Gear in Israel

[Sources: Walla! Cars, Rotter.net]

Top Gear trio spotted filming special in Israel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet

Filed under: Auctions, Etc., UK, Celebrities

The StigThe Stig drama continues from the land of Top Gear. Former employee Sophia Vaizey was a production coordinator on the popular television show for 18 months. When she left, she was presented with a helmet worn by the Stig from 2002 to 2005, signed by Richard Hammond, members of the production crew and The Stig, himself.

Now that the frenzy surrounding Top Gear‘s former wheelman has reached a fever pitch, Mrs. Vaizey is looking to cash in on her parting gift. Her family points out to her, perhaps quite wisely, that the helmet will likely be worth far less in 10 years than it is right now. Thus, she is bringing the iconic white brain bucket to market – Stig’s helmet is heading to Gorringes Auctioneers on October 20th.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Jeremy Clarkson had some choice words for Sophia Vaizey. He recently laid into the Stig for following the money and Mrs. Vaizey appears to be going the same route. The helmet may have been a gift, but it’s her gift and she has every right to make some money off of it. However, if that helmet were placed on our shelf, it would stay there…

…Unless the offer was really high.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SSC Ultimate Aero II flashes backside for Top Gear

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Design/Style

SSC Ultimate Aero rear end

SSC recently teased us with shots of their new would-be Bugatti assassin, the Ultimate Aero II and Shelby Supercars has allowed Top Gear to provide the world a new angle with which to view their exotic road warrior.

The SSC Ultimate Aero II is designed by skilled artisan Jason Castriota, who his now putting his pen to paper for Saab. The design of the front is a beautiful mix of flowing lines with subtle, hard creases. The rear end seems much more alien, but equally stunning. The previous SSC vehicle, the Ultimate Aero TT, bested the Bugatti Veyron in the all-out speed competition at 256 miles per hour. This all-new Ultimate Aero II looks like it already beat that mark while simply posing for pictures. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if someone handed us the keys then told us “where we’re going… we don’t need roads.”

Our one nitpick? The eventual damage to the exhaust area. It already looks like that rear pod is sitting on the deck so it’s unlikely the SSC will make it through the local Wal-Mart parking lot. Oh well, time to put the checkbook back in the drawer. We’ll just wait for the Saab equivalent.

Gallery: 2009 SSC Ultimate Aero

SSC Ultimate Aero II flashes backside for Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

The Stig

When murmurings began hitting the web that the man who plays The Stig was itching to publish his memoirs, we knew it was only a matter of time before the character met his end on the BBC’s Top Gear. According to The Sun, James May has hinted that White Stig will be dealt with in the same manner as his predecessor, Black Stig. As you may recall, Black Stig infamously tried to outperform a Harrier jet from behind the wheel of the Top Gear Jaguar, only to overshoot his mark and wind up at the bottom of the sea.

According to May, White Stig may not be so fortunate. In his interview with The Sun, May said that he and his co-hosts may actually drive to The Stig’s house, beat him silly and reclaim his suit of racing armor. We’re thinking that the show’s writers will likely come up with something a little more grandiose when it comes to sending the disgraced character out to pasture, but you never know. Will the show pit White Stig against the Royal Navy like his predecessor… or will he face some crueler fate? We’ll find out soon enough. Thanks for the tip, Gooner!

[Source: The Sun]

Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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