Category: Top Gear

SPOILER: Following the news that Top Gear have been filming in Romania recently comes a selection of videos from YouTube. If you’d prefer to wait until Series 14 goes to air later this year, then read no further.

If you would like a sneak peak at James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson going topless in supercar nirvana, along one of the world’s great roads, then follow the jump. There are three clips on offer, and while they may not offer any competition against the usual brilliant standards of Top Gear‘s cinematography, it’s still worth taking a behind the scenes look at what amounts to a tough day’s work in the life of a Top Gear presenter.

[Thanks to Andrew for the tip]

The Top Gear lads have recently been in Romania filming a segment for the upcoming Series 14, due on UK screens later this year. Why Romania? Well, the above picture of the Transfagarasan road probably gives you some idea. It is the highest road in Romania and runs north- south along the Carpathian Mountains.

Reportedly, James, Jeremy and Richard were exploiting the roads and nearby tunnels in a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, an Aston Martin DBS Volante and a Ferrari California. Hmm, this should be well worth watching!

A reminder, too, that the Series 14 of Top Gear will be broadcast by the BBC in high definition.

UPDATE 30 September: Video footage of the crew in action is now available.

[Source: Romanian Times via autoblog]

The Top Gear lads are at it again trekking across the globe with their live show. Looks like this year you’ll be getting 33% more than last time around with all three presenters (plus The Stig) joining the crew. (Note: Sydney shows are listed as having Jeremy, James and a third presenter yet to be announced—one of the Aussie crew, I suppose.)

The Australian shows take place in Sydney once again, from 11-14 February 2010.

The 2009 show was good in parts, and not so good in others. With any luck they’ll have ironed out the rough edges and be back with an improved format. Oh, let’s hope they have real Ferraris this time, as well.

If you reckon you could do a better job, then make sure you watch the YouTube clip after the jump. You just never know your luck!

Now that the Top Gear is over rumour has been put to bed, there is further good news for fans of the world’s best car show. Series 14 of Top Gear will be broadcast in full HD. That’s 1080 pixel high definition goodness to look forward to.

The AUSmotive tip is for a return to UK screens on Sunday 15 November, and as soon as a new return date is confirmed it will be posted here.

UPDATE 30 September: Good news, looks like the speculation above concerning the start date for Series 14 is correct—as this post on the BBC Internet Blog confirms.

[Source: TopGear.com | Thanks to Tim for the tip]

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond spoke with The Times recently and shared his thoughts on the show, discussing, among other things, how the series might end.

“We’ve talked about it and said there are a couple of ways to end this,” says Hammond. “One way would be by saying, ‘That’s the end of the show, the series and that’s the end of Top Gear. Goodnight.’ I love to think that one day we would have the courage to do that.”

The good news is that, despite some nerves created at the end of Series 13, the show will be back in the (UK) winter. Jeremy Clarkson had this to say in response to the rumours that Series 13 was the show’s last, “I can assure everyone I’ll be back in November doing Top Gear. We’re filming the next series and already have several things in the can. I couldn’t think of anything I’d want to do more.”

So when will Top Gear end? One thing the speculation from the last series has done is given the show an insight in the mind of the audience that it probably wasn’t expecting. And, in some ways, the final Aston Martin segment from S13 has proven to be some sort of test case for the show’s eventual closure.

Hammond didn’t give much away on the topic, other than to highlight the quandary ending the show a high presents, “The problem is that the correct time to do that is while it is still working, but while it is still working we are still enjoying it and don’t want to stop. The moment you feel you are ready to give it up it’s too late already—by definition. The only moment [to stop] is when you are thinking, ‘I am having a great time’—then that’s a great time.”

So, for now, it’s business as usual. Keep an eye out for Series 14 of Top Gear later in the year. As speculated I have made an educated guess for a return on Sunday 15 November.

[Source: The Times]

NOTE: This article was originally posted before the last episode of Season 13. We now know that Season 14 is coming, and coming soon. Sunday 15 November to be exact—CLICK HERE for more.

UPDATE 16 November: Click here for a full rundown of what to expect in Series 14 (contains spoilers).

UPDATE 4 August: Okay, so I went off half-cocked on the Stig is dead theory (see below). However, perhaps the death in the family is much larger than that—is Top Gear dead, never to return to our screens again?

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage review, which closed Series 13, contains hidden messages about the show’s future. Well, if you are prepared to go looking for them. Even the soundtrack used in the V12 Vantage film was titled “An ending” (by Brian Eno). Clarkson’s commentary on the Aston centred around the death of the supercar due to, among other things, the financial crisis. Were his comments simply about the car in question, or did they form part of a bigger picture for the show itself?

The Top Gear-is-over-theory does have momentum, as this piece in The Guardian shows. And, as noted earlier, the banter at FinalGear contains plenty of discussion on the topic.

One thing is certain and that is Top Gear, as we know it, will end one day. Is that day sooner than we may have first thought? At this stage I am still prepared to accept the words of “The Mole” on the Top Gear Transmission blog, which states there will be “a little bit of time off for the crew and then we’re straight back into filming for series 14 later in the year.”

I formed an educated guess that Season 14 would be back on UK screens around Sunday 15 November [Ed: Zing!] I guess we will have to wait and see what transpires. Let the speculation continue…

(Oh, a reminder to Australian readers that SBS TV will start the seven episode run of Top Gear, Series 13 on Monday 31 August.)

UPDATE 30 September: Top Gear have recently been filming a segment for Series 14 on the Transfagarasan road in Romania.

American talk show host and genuine car nut Jay Leno will be making his Top Gear debut in tomorrow night’s episode of Top Gear (Series 13, Episode 7). This clip features some behind the scenes footage of Leno filming his Star in a reasonably priced car segment.

A full preview of the final episode for the current series can be seen on the Top Gear website. There will be a bit of an Aussie flavour included as well.

[Source: FinalGear]

Episode 3 of Top Gear’s 13th season aired in the UK last night. If you haven’t seen it yet, here is part of what you have missed. Internet phenomenon and general driving god, Ken Block, took James for a spin in his 380bhp Subaru Impreza rally car.

You will be impressed with this clip.

Series 13 of Top Gear is currently airing in the UK (the first episode was a cracker!). Earlier this week AUSmotive learned that Series 13 will premiere for Australian viewers on SBS TV at 7:30pm on Monday 31 August. In the meantime enjoy these two teasers. Check your local guides closer to the date.

Discussions are underway for Series 3 of Top Gear Australia, but nothing has been signed off at this stage.

They’re back! And with a cracking first episode, as well. No sign at all of budget cuts here, or in the series teaser at the start of the show.

The highlight, of course, was the supposed genuine revealing of The Stig. I think it is safe to assume that the person revealed may well have taken Stig duties for this episode. But that is all. Presumably he, or rather, Michael Schumacher, owns the Ferrari FXX that was featured on the show. Judging by the power lap time set (I won’t spoil it, but it is remarkable) it certainly appeared to be a Schumacher-esque performance.

Actually, something that wasn’t a Schumacher-esque performance was his interview with Jeremy. Sure, Schumi’s driving ability sets him apart from his modern day peers, but we saw more personality in a few minutes with Jez than we did in his entire F1 career. Maybe he’s not such a bad bloke after all.

The main feature was the London-Edinburgh race. Theoretically set in 1949 the boys took the roads, and tracks, with icons of their era—Richard riding a Vincent Black Shadow, James was in a Jaguar XK 120 and Jeremy in a majestic Peppercorn A1 steam engine. The winner was both unexpected and obvious at the same time. If you follow me.

In the middle of all that Jeremy tested a new Lotus Evora and gave it a very big thumbs up.

The News section looks to be as entertaining as always, too. Great to have them back!

If we are to believe this clip The Stig is Michael Schumacher. The footage above was taken from last night’s first episode of Top Gear Series 13. And, if you believe this to be true and not a massive publicity stunt, then take a look out your window there’s some pigs flying past. (AUSmotive tip – keep an eye on the show’s closing credits.)

It’s nothing more than a gag poking fun at the internet gossip and innuendo methinks, and hats off to Schumi for being a good sport.

[Thanks to Mal for the tip.]