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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Video: Top Gear USA runs with the bulls

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lamborghini


Top Gear USA runs with the bulls – Click above to see the video after the jump

While everyone and their mother seems to have made Top Gear USA bashing the new national pastime, you might want to take a look at the newest video tease it’s just released. While the appeal of the BBC show undoubtedly revolves around the chemistry between its three mismatched hosts, at its core, it’s a show about cars. So even if we’re not certain the three American hosts can live up to the legacy established by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, perhaps they really don’t need to.

Top Gear USA isn’t a replacement for the BBC show after all – it’s more of a spin-off. And as long as the production values stay high – and from the looks of it, they have – it’s just more car pr0n for all of us. Case in point: the video you’ll see after the jump. The storyline is fairly straightforward: Round up the baddest Lamborghinis from the corral – Superleggera, Balboni and SuperVeloce – and open them up so we can see what they’ll do. Can there possibly be a loser? Maybe the matador. Follow the jump to see the Top Gear USA guys on their run with the bulls. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: The History Channel via YouTube]

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Video: Top Gear USA runs with the bulls originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Top Gear game headed to iPad, mobile phones

Filed under: Toys/Games

Top Gear

For a show from another country that only produces 14 episodes a year, Top Gear is everywhere. And it’s going to be even more everywhere soon, thanks to a licensed video game reportedly being developed for PC, console, mobile and tablet platforms. There’s no word on exactly how the developers plan to game-ify the Top Gear television experience, but we guess we’ll find out soon enough – it’s due by the end of the year.

[Source: Know Your Mobile]

Report: Top Gear game headed to iPad, mobile phones originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear producer on Stig book: “He’s ours”

Filed under: Government/Legal, UK, Celebrities

Who is the Stig? That question is consistently one of Google’s top queries, proving the world wants to know the identity of Top Gear’s masked racing driver. But… ask yourself again, Do you really want to know who the Stig is?

As pointed out by Top Gear producer Andy Wilman, part of the reason we all care so much about the Stig is because of the mystery surrounding his identity. What’s more, his character is owned and was created and nurtured by the BBC – just the same as a camera or the film used to record a scene belongs to the British broadcaster, so does intellectual property like this suspiciously fast driving character.

We can’t argue with that, especially after reading Wilman’s take on the subject. Perhaps once the man behind the mask is no longer under the employ of the BBC and bound by his signed contract, we’ll be free to know his true identity and read his memoirs. Until then, though, Top Gear seems ready to do all it can to keep the Stig’s alter ego a closely guarded secret. Including fighting a battle with HarperCollins in court to keep an autobiography from being published.

‘Course, if you don’t care about any of that, click here for a possible spoiler…

[Source: Top Gear]

Top Gear producer on Stig book: “He’s ours” originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Top Gear and the Ferrari 458 Italia. What are you waiting for?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ferrari

Top Gear reviews the Ferrari 458 Italia – Click above to watch video after the jump

Jeremy Clarkson has got his hands on a Ferrari 458 Italia, and his particular take on the coupe involves a comparison to the venerable 308, a drag race with James May’s personal F430, Clarkson opening his heart to flappy paddles, a “humiliation” and of course, a lap with The Stig. All that and more is a click away, so follow the jump to get watching. Hat tip to Tyler!

[Source: BBC via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Top Gear and the Ferrari 458 Italia. What are you waiting for?

Video: Top Gear and the Ferrari 458 Italia. What are you waiting for? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Bugatti Veyron SS takes on Top Gear test track at hands of the Stig

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Bugatti

The Stig takes on the Bugatti Veyron SS – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Recently, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport made headlines by setting a new land speed record, hitting 267.81 miles per hour out on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track. It may be the fastest production car ever built, but straight-line speed isn’t everything, you know. Just ask the Top Gear boys – the standard-spec Bugatti Veyron may be an insanely fast machine, but out on the test track, it failed to earn first (or even second or third) place honors.

Naturally, it didn’t take long for Top Gear to get the new Veyron SS in the hands of its tame racing driver, The Stig. Captain Slow may have managed the top-rung Bugatti up to 259.11 mph, but how does it fare on the track? Does it take the first place spot, or merely fall somewhere near the top? Hit the jump to watch the video of Stiggy’s power lap and find out for yourself.

Gallery: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sports land speed record

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Bugatti Veyron SS takes on Top Gear test track at hands of the Stig

Video: Bugatti Veyron SS takes on Top Gear test track at hands of the Stig originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Kia, UK, Celebrities

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on Top Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have been all over the world pushing their not-so-blockbuster movie Knight and Day, and while moviegoers haven’t exactly filled local theaters, enthusiasts should most definitely witness the Hollywood A-listers on the latest episode of Top Gear. The two stars appeared on our favorite BBC show to compete against other celebrities in “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car,” and their performance far outshines their recent box office receipts.

Hit the jump to watch as the two push hard around the Top Gear track in a KIA Cee’d. We won’t ruin the results for you, but we will reveal that Diaz shows that she can swear like a trucker while looking good with a helmet on, and Cruise proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a very competitive guy. Seriously, the man literally finishes the race on two wheels, nearly giving Clarkson a heart attack in the process. Who got the better part of their co-star? You’ll have to watch to find out.

[Source: Top Gear via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear

Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz to be the stars in Top Gear‘s Reasonably Price Car

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Etc., Kia, UK, Celebrities

According to The Sun, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will take to the infamous Top Gear track in an attempt to topple the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car leader board. Evidently, Cruise contacted the show about a stint behind the wheel of the infamous Kia c’eed while in the UK. Both he and Diaz were in country for the debut of their new film “Knight and Day.”

So far, we don’t know how either of the two stars did on track, but we’re betting Cruise managed to hold his own. It’s no secret that the guy has a penchant for sports cars of just about every flavor. Besides, he starred in Days of Thunder.

The crew at Top Gear hasn’t said exactly when we can expect to see the two go around the track, but we’re betting it won’t be too long before the segments air, possibly this Sunday.

[Source: The Sun]

Report: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz to be the stars in Top Gear‘s Reasonably Price Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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