Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV 

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I thought that Ben Collins use to be The Stig and had been replaced by another, uuh, Stig.

Now I'm :confused:.
 
Ardius
Haven't read Perry McCarthy's book then? Shame, its one of the best motorsport biographies I've ever read and has some great humour. 👍
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I think part of what Perry McCarthy's autobiography so good is that it's written by Perry McCarthy*, not because he was the Stig for a while. I agree on the 'one of the best motorsport biographies I've ever read' bit; it's a brilliant read. That said, I don't know anything about Ben Collins so for all I know he could be just as amusing. I'd probably end up reading his anyway.

*Never fear, Captian Obvious is here...
 
Well yes, but my point was merely that its a bit much to assume the book is boring and only about Ben Collins' life as the Stig. He is/was also a racing driver too.
I'm sure he has fair few interesting stories to tell from behind the scenes of TopGear!

As for humour, for all we know, he could be as funny as Perry. But we shall see. "Don't judge a book by its cover" :P
 
I've got a signed copy of Perry's book :P It is up there as one of the best motor racing biographies along with Tommy Byrne's, and Gerald Donaldson's Gilles Villeneuve.

I'm sure Ben would have some interesting stories from his own racing career as well as anecdotes from his Top Gear days (which will end soon if the book comes out).
 
So we need a brand new phrase. :lol:
How about, "don't judge a book by its author"? Hmm, no, that would mean people would actually buy more than one Tom Clancy book :lol:.

Maybe, "Don't assume its a rubbish book when you know bugger all about Ben Collins." :D :P
 
daan
I'm sure Ben would have some interesting stories from his own racing career as well as anecdotes from his Top Gear days (which will end soon if the book comes out).
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So Ben Collins is the current Stig?
 
I believe the speculation on Ben being the Stig started after the report into Richard Hammond's 300mph jet dragster crash.

Visit by Ben Collins (BC) to PTLE
37. The preliminary arrangements for the event had been made at arm’s length, with the result that, as the date of the Elvington shoot approached, no-one from Top Gear had actually met PTLE’s principals or seen their jet cars. The jet car feature was considered to be sufficiently unusual and hazardous for GW to ask BC, who worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant, to go and see PTLE and Vampire, and to prepare a briefing for RH. It was felt that, with his extensive motor sport experience, he would be able to confirm PTLE’s competence and the quality of their equipment, and be able to see through them if they were not genuine. (This was a significant step because Top Gear had not used BC in this way before.)
38. BC visited PTLE’s premises near Northampton on Monday 18th June. He seems to have been convinced of their bona fides. He telephoned PD to confirm his conclusions and prepared a briefing paper that he e-mailed to GW. This described Vampire’s controls and tried to prepare RH for the experience of driving the jet car.
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http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/releases/richardhammond.pdf
 
My trouble reading Perry McCarthy's autobiog would be that I have a magazine somewhere (an old Autocar or Autosport, I think) with a four page article he wrote on his brief F1 baptism of fire with Andrea Moda, which I suspect would rather take away the fun of reading probably the most significant chapter in the book...

He does have an entertaining writing style though, so I could imagine it makes for a good book.
 
So why writing a book and revealing his identity if it's commonly known that he already is The Stig?
 
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homeforsummer
He does have an entertaining writing style though, so I could imagine it makes for a good book.
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It does. You should look it out, or I could give you a loan of mine.

kikie
So why writing a book and revealing his identity if it's commonly know that he already is The Stig?
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It's not commonly known. Known amongst car geeks and commonly known are 2 entirely different things.

And it's not really even known.... We are only making an educated guess that it is him.
 
daan
And it's not really even known.... We are only making an educated guess that it is him.
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So, ... oh, ... ok. That's what I thought.


Question:

What is the first sentence Jeremy always says when he is introducing The Stig.

We have to hand it (the car) over to our ........ of racing driver(s)
I'm looking for the word after 'our'.
 
He says " we have to hand the car over to our tame racing driver"

I was under the impression there was more than one stig.
 
Beliall
He says " we have to hand the car over to our tame racing driver"

I was under the impression there was more than one stig.
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There is more than one Stig.

There is one "primary" Stig, but for many different reasons they have no choice but to use someone else (like the Ferrari FXX, which had to be driven by it's owner, i.e Schumi). That's just one example of the many times they were forced to use a different driver.

However, Ben Collins does seem to be the "primary" Stig.




;)
 
daan
I believe the speculation on Ben being the Stig started after the report into Richard Hammond's 300mph jet dragster crash.
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No, I'm pretty sure the Ben Collins rumour has been around for a few years, maybe even just after Perry was fired. I'm 100% certain I already heard his name linked with the Stig before Hammond's crash.

homeforsummer
My trouble reading Perry McCarthy's autobiog would be that I have a magazine somewhere (an old Autocar or Autosport, I think) with a four page article he wrote on his brief F1 baptism of fire with Andrea Moda, which I suspect would rather take away the fun of reading probably the most significant chapter in the book...

He does have an entertaining writing style though, so I could imagine it makes for a good book.
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The Andrea Moda part of the book is actually the least interesting bit in my opinion (though obviously its still good). The interest and humour doesn't come from Andrea Moda, but from himself and his career.

Just like Ben Collins' book, everyone seems to assume Perry's book relies on the well-known part. But you don't know till you've read it ;).
I can assure you though that Perry's book is most certainly a great read regardless what you already know about Andrea Moda.
 
Daily Mail seems to be liking to reporting about news about Top Gear.

First article just the same about more on the Stig's identity:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1306913/The-Stiglets-Pictured-taking-girls-spin-driver-centre-Top-Gear-identity-row.html

The second article is the editors criticising Jeremy Clarkson about his silly actions with the Reliant Robin in Series 15 of Top Gear.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1306857/Stop-knocking-Reliant-Robins-Jeremy-Clarkson.html
 
I can pinpoint the exact point in the above post that I stopped taking things seriously.

mynameissport
Daily Mail
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The Daily Mail hate everything that's not (paradoxically) white, british and pseudo-PC. Their thin veneer of understanding does not fool me.
 
Now all we need is for the TG boys to film a segment where the black stig walks out of the water and up the beach. Cut to the TG track and the white stig gets out of a car, only to be stabbed in the heart by a swordfish carried by the black stig. The black stig then resumes his driving duties.

Sorted. The BBC can paypal me the royalties.
 
It has been, by some way, the worst kept secret in the universe for many years now.


Also, it needs to be a stingray and black Stig has to be careful - some say Ben Collins' heart is on upside-down.
 

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