Top Gear America’s Reasonably Price Car outed as Suzuki SX4

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Suzuki, Celebrities

U.S. Top Gear Big Star in a Small CarHere in the good ‘ole United States of America, we like things big… and small. Over in UK, they can have their reasonably priced cars, we don’t need ’em. We’re putting a Big Star in a Small Car instead.

Naturally, the premise is the same. Take one name-brand celebrity and place them behind the wheel of a run-of-the-mill car available to the masses here in America and send them around a makeshift race track. While the British version of Top Gear currently uses a Kia Cee’d for star-shuttling duty, America’s TG spin-off will feature a Suzuki SX4.

For what it’s worth, we had a couple of guys in the audience during the taping of the U.S. show’s first episode and we had signed statements restricting us from publishing this information. Apparently, though, it’s been leaked by either someone at Top Gear or by Suzuki.

In any case, we genuinely like Suzuki’s little runabout. It’s not particularly fast, but it’s an able handler and it has the beans to pull itself around a track quickly enough. Plus, it’s pretty reasonably priced… not that we care, of course. And, as you’d expect from any show that carries the name Top Gear, there will indeed be an American Stig. Current internet rumormongering suggests that F1-ace Rubens Barrichello is the American Stig, but that hasn’t been, nor is it likely to be, officially confirmed.

In related news, some of the American stars that will be piloting the SX4 include Tim Allen, Buzz Aldrin, Ty Burrell, Tony Hawk, Bret Michaels, Dominic Monaghan, Kid Rock and Michelle Rodriguez. Suitably big stars?

[Source: Variety]

Top Gear America’s Reasonably Price Car outed as Suzuki SX4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Top Gear America’s Reasonably Price Car outed as Suzuki SX4”

Why the Stig outed himself

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK, Celebrities, Rumormill

The Stig wants money

The Stig, as we’re all now aware, is portrayed by talented wheelman Ben Collins. Stiggie, like the three Top Gear presenters, is beloved by fans around the globe. It’s hard to attend a motorsports event without someone claiming to be a fat relative of the white-suited power lap maestro. What would persuade Mr. Collins to give up his clandestine position behind the visor? According to The Daily Mail, it all comes down to money.

Ben Collins’ company, Collins AutoSport, has reportedly racked up over $1.5 million dollars in losses over the last five years. He has a wife, three young kids and three other business ventures to support. The other members of Top Gear command handsome sums (rightfully so) and perhaps Collins felt he deserved a larger slice of the BBC cash cake. Removing the helmet allows him to cash in on what’s sure to be a substantial number of opportunities. He recently received an advance of close to $400,000 to begin work on his autobiography and there’s already talk of a Ben Collins TV Show.

Is breaking the trust of his Top Gear brethren worth the potential financial windfall? In the eyes of many fans, it might not be, yet we imagine Collins’ autobiography will be a page-turner. To Collins and his family, however, this bold move might be the fast lap to fiscal freedom. Thanks for the tip, stecki!

[Source: The Daily Mail]

Why the Stig outed himself originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Why the Stig outed himself”