Automobiles Review

Tag: Top Gear

  • Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series crowned ‘Track Weapon of the Year’ by BBC TopGear Magazine

    Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, 2020

    BBC TopGear magazine has named the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series its ‘Track Weapon of the Year’. The award was announced via a digital awards ceremony on Tuesday 1 December.

    Jack Rix, editor, BBC TopGear magazine commented: “Previous Black Series AMGs have been caricature cars, with significantly more grunt than grip. This is something different; the ultimate version of the AMG GT optimised in every department to dismantle a circuit with military precision and shave milliseconds off your personal best. It’s about as close as you get to a race car with number plates, so not one for the faint-hearted but massively exciting if that’s your thing.”

    The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, which takes its design cues from the current AMG GT3 race car, features a hand-built 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine generating 730 hp and 800 Nm Torque – making it the most powerful series V8 engine ever produced by AMG. It can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, and a top speed of 201 mph.

    The GT Black Series is the sixth Black Series from Mercedes-AMG; the first was the SLK 55 Black Series revealed in 2006, and most-recently the SLS Black Series in 2013. These models are designed especially for high-speed use on a racetrack, ultimately borrowing technology from motorsport relatives – while still being approved for the road.

  • Ferrari 812 GTS and SF90 Stradale win Awards from BBC TopGear Magazine

    Ferrari SF90 Stradale1

    Ferrari’s long-standing success in the BBC TopGear Magazine awards continues with two awards in 2020 for the Ferrari 812 GTS (Noise of the Year) and Ferrari SF90 Stradale (Eco-Warrior of the Year). This brings Ferrari’s impressive tally of BBC TopGear Magazine Awards to 18 Awards in 17 years. When deciding on the awards, the judges passed the following comments on two of Ferrari’s latest models:

    Noise of the Year: Ferrari 812 GTS
    This open-air 812 GTS is a certifiable psychopath. Any car with this engine – a baleful, wailing, soaring 9,000rpm V12 that fellates your ego while it pulverises your senses – would be remarkable. But when it’s matched to steering this reactive, a turn-in appetite that’s outrageous for such a girthy beast and a gearbox that somehow sends lightning bolts of dopamine down your spine just from a quick tug of the paddles, it’s a driving experience that beggars belief.

    Eco-warrior of the Year: Ferrari SF90 Stradale
    The hybrid LaFerrari was a toe in the water, but the SF90 Stradale makes a bigger splash. As years go, 2020 has been many things, but a new Ferrari halo car in which you can commute to work on electric power, with something explosive in reserve for the weekend, tips the scales right back to annus marvellous.

    Both the 812 GTS and SF90 Stradale are not limited-series cars but are completely new additions to the Ferrari range: the 812 GTS is the first series production convertible V12 since the 365 GTS4, while the SF90 Stradale has created a completely new segment for the brand, with a 1000hp hybrid supercar now available within the standard Ferrari product range. Both cars are also covered by the Ferrari Genuine Maintenance package which covers all servicing costs for 7-years.

  • Top Gear continues without Chris Evans as he steps down after six shows

    Top Gear team

    Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc replaced icons Clarkson, Hammond and May

    After the resurrection of Top Gear without the famous trio, things don’t look exactly good. Now, Evans, the TV presenter chosen to replace Clarkson, is leaving. The news took by storm the social media, but still there are many wondering about the reasons behind his resignation. Here is what we know so far.

    Although Evans has a three-year contract with BBC, he steps down after only six shows. The ratings are stating that the new face of Top Gear is not likely to appeal fans. Since it has aired its first new episode this season, it faces some highly critical reviews. The figures of viewers were exponentially falling, hitting just 1.9 million people in front of the TV screen on Sunday night. And this resulted in the following tweet by Evans:

    Evans tweets

    But besides this, under the cover of everything, Evans seems to have been pressed to make this choice. A newspaper claimed that the presenter is currently facing sex assault allegations. Of course, Evans has denied the rumors, but everything escalated quickly and he is now obviously leaving Top Gear.

    SEE ALSO: Meet the New Co-Host of Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc [w/videos] 

    On the contrary, BBC says that Evans’s decision to leave was his alone. Actually rumors circulate around the Internet for a week now, since he told the BBC he was stepping down with the words he “was not a good fit for the programme”. “I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause”, Evans continued.

    BBC also confirmed that the remaining five presenters – Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, Sabine Schmitz, Rory Reid, and Eddie Jordan, will return for the next series. Being the most important show for BBC, Top Gear is trying to recover after the so called “fracas” with Jeremy Clarkson and the departure of the trio. Clarkson was dropped from the series after he punched the producer Oisin Tymon, after a scandal about provision of food.

    Evans and Stig

    News Source: Top Gear & BBC

  • Meet the New Co-Host of Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc [w/videos]

    Matt LeBlanc Joins Top Gear The star from the popular sitcom “Friends” Matt LeBlanc is officially announced the new co-host of the 23rd season of the British “Top Gear” show, which is scheduled for airing in May this year. LeBlanc is the first non-Briton, who is to lead the car show in its 39-year old history.

    The actor, who became popular with his role as Joey Tribbiani, has participated in two episodes in the BBC show. He appeared twice in the “Star in a reasonably priced car” rubric, and is also a proud achiever of the fastest lap in race with a Kia c’eed.

    SEE ALSO: Top Gear Continues without Jeremy Clarkson, BBC Confirms [VIDEO]

    The other official new host of “Top Gear”, Chris Evans said that he is thrilled that LeBlanc is joining him in this experience. Since both are “petrolheads”, acting out their “craziest car notions on screen” was a dream job. Evans also disclosed that he can’t wait to share what he and Matt LeBlanc have been up to.

    Matt LeBlanc Joins Chris Evans as a Co-Host of Top Gear

    LeBlanc expressed his excitement on social media with the following words: “Hey everyone, I’m really honored and looking forward to working on Top Gear with Chris Evans, damn he’s tall.” He later added: “I love the show. Should be fun.”

    This will definitely take the show in new and unexpected direction after Jeremy Clarkson was dropped from it. The reason was a huge scandal that the star created, involving a “fracas” with Oisin Tymon, the producer of the show. James May and Richard Hammond also left “Top Gear” in support of their co-host. The famous trio however, will be returning with their own show on Amazon Prime.

    Will “Top Gear” stay the most watched TV program in the world? What’s your opinion?

    Here is couple of Matt’s appearances in “Top Gear”. Enjoy!

    httpv://youtu.be/3buyynp6hU4

    httpv://youtu.be/0LknDgL2Nmg

    Second Picture Source: Matt LeBlanc Official Twitter

    Video Source: YouTube

    News Source: TopGear

  • Clarkson, Hammond and May Are Back! And It’s Now Official!

    Clarkson, Hammond and MayTop Gear fans will be extremely happy when they hear that the famous trio, comprising of Clarkson, Hammond and May, is officially coming back! The fantastic news was supported with tweets from the presenters, which have said the following:

    Jeremy Clarkson just tweeted: “I’m very excited to announce that Hammond, May and I have signed a deal with @AmazonVideo”, and later he added: “@AmazonVideoUK now saying I can’t be their chief drone pilot. Apparently they want us to make a car show”.

    SEE ALSO: Top Gear Continues without Jeremy Clarkson, BBC Confirms [VIDEO]

    James May also assured fans via Twitter, posting: “Good news! I’ve got a job with @AmazonVideoUK. Bad news! So have the other two. #AmazonPrime #ItSaysHere”, and Richard Hammond didn’t miss to tweet about it, too: “I’ve got a job I’ve got a job I’ve got a job. Haircut, clean jeans and practice driving again. Forrrrwaaaaaaaard!!”

    Obviously new motoring show is about to start on Amazon Prime and we are already eager to find out more about it. What has been confirmed already is that there are three series of a car-show, which are scheduled to air next year. More to be announced soon. Stay tuned!

    Photo Credit: www.clarksonhammondandmaylive.com

  • Toyota Says Goodbye to Jeremy Showing his Best Bits [VIDEO]

    Jeremy Clarkson and the un-killable HiluxTwo days ago we witnessed BBC’s official confirmation that Jeremy Clarkson won’t continue his TV presence. The world since then changed. Literally. The next news was the announcement of James May on his personal Twitter that he too has quit Top Gear. May fans showed their support online, many colleagues have said that the show should continue with the same presenters, but it is more than obvious that this is the End of an era.

    The reason for Clarkson’s release from Top Gear was the so called “fracas” with the producer Oisin Tymon, caused by a cold plate and ending with a punch in Tymon’s face. The result: the star has been suspended on 10th of March and the show was stopped in the middle of the season. Tony Hall, BBC’s general director, said in official statement that Clarkson has crossed many lines and that there should be consequences.

    To show their support to the star, many top car manufacturers released posts on their official social media accounts. One of them is Toyota, which was praised by Jeremy during the years. This gave fans the suspicion that the automaker has actually paid him to do so.

    There is a video (which you can watch below) that highlights some of Jeremy’s best moments involving various Toyota cars. This is company’s farewell and tribute to star’s great work expressed with the words: “Thanks for everything Jeremy. It has been smashing.” 

    And you should definitely check out the un-killable Hilux featured extensively in the video:

    httpv://youtu.be/l1WMdI3E9jQ

    Source: Toyota via YouTube

  • Top Gear Continues without Jeremy Clarkson, BBC Confirms [VIDEO]

    Jeremy Clarkson officially dropped from Top GearBBC has just confirmed that the contract of Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson won’t be renewed. The reason for this is a huge scandal that the star created, involving a physical altercation with the producer of the show. BBC‘s general director, Tony Hall, said that Clarkson has crossed many lines and that he should bear the consequences.

    After the so called “fracas” with Oisin Tymon, Clarkson was suspended on 10th of March. What has been announced as the reason for this quarrel was a cold plate of food served to the star. In addition, the show was stopped in the middle of the season and this caused an outrageous respond from Top Gear fans. There is even a petition going on around the internet that supports Clarkson’s reinstatement in the show.

    Top Gear is the most watched TV program in the world and the main contributor for this is Jeremy Clarkson and his witty individuality. The official BBC statement unfortunately signifies that the show will continue without Clarkson presence.

    It is also under question, whether James May and Richard Hammond, will be kept, since their contracts are also ending this year. What’s more, they seem unwilling to continue to do their job without their co-presenter.

    This is sad news really, because it signifies an end of an era. Now, over the internet there is a burst of speculations, involving the question who exactly is going to join the show. Any suggestions?

    Edit: Hear exclusively James May’s reaction to Jeremy Clarkson being sacked by BBC:

    httpv://youtu.be/N6cfFnBNELs

    Image Credit: Beretta/Sims/Rex Features

    Video Source: YouTube

    Source: BBC.com

  • BAC MONO isn’t Faster Than Pagani Huayra at Top Gear’s Race Track

    Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) almost break the record for lapping BBC Top Gear’s test track at Dunsfold, Surrey with their MONO.

    BAC MONO managed to lap the circuit in just 1 minute and 14.3 seconds, which is faster than everything except the mighty Pagani Huayra, which did the lap in 1 minute and 13.8 seconds. The MONO is powered by a 2.3 liter naturally aspirated Cosworth engine with 285HP (209 kW) mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox from Hewland. The power is transmitted to the road through an LSD (limited-slip differential) on the rear wheels. 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-160 km/h in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 273 km/h (170 mph). All this numbers are thanks to the staggering power to weight ratio – 520BHP per ton.

    The tires of the performance machine are coming from KUMHO. The version is a street-legal V70A competition tyre especially developed for the BAC, which rides on 205/40 R17 at the front and 245/40 R17 on the rear.

    The price is €91 998.

    BAC MONO
    BAC MONO
    BAC MONO
    BAC MONO
    BAC MONO

    Bonus: Sabine Schmitz vs Ron Simons

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMSoQJlSSw#at=594

    Source: BAC

  • Hot Wheels and the X Games

    Team-Hot-Wheels-Double-Loop-thumbAround a week ago, Top Gear managed to set a world record by pulling off a stunt that involves two loops in a row. The setup was creatively dubbed the “deadly 720”. Now Team Hot Wheels, which basically do stunts for a living, would like to respond by attempting again a loop stunt but with more of a tag team kind of spirit.

    Two reasonably brave drivers will set off from a single line on separate tracks. Then they’ll begin their individual climb on a six story loop that fuses the two tracks at the top. Then rather gingerly, they have to swoop in side by side. The drivers need to be ready to endure up to 7 Gs of force. Sound’s like a nerve wrecking procedure. The preview clip we have here is made to be just as thrilling.

    The stunt will take place on the 2012 X Games in Los Angeles. Tune in to watch at exactly 11:00 AM PT on ABC / ESPN.

    httpv://youtu.be/b1eRcOskBxw

    Video Sources: TopGear and HOTWHEELS via YouTube

  • Top Gear Test Track Summed Up

    Diehard Top Gear fans remember the times when the power lap board was pretty clean and simple – the Pegani Zonda C12 S took the lead right from the start and dominated the Top Gear Test track for 3 whole seasons. As the episodes rolled however, things sort of got out of hand and it became very hard to follow which is what and when.

    Recently we stumbled upon a chart which manages to round up all the times achieved and all the information available in a nutshell. Well… quite a big nutshell but still. At the very beginning we see a wheel-type graphic  which sorts all the cars that were tested by year of airing and track time and even indicates the weather conditions for every run.

    Scroll down bellow and we get a more comprehensive time table of those same cars and the respective leaders marked in yellow. We personally, found out how cars which have held the lead the power board for a limited amount of time, tend to get lost in our consciousness (i.e. the McLaren Mercedes SLR).

    Then there are the memorable runs such as the one of the Koenigsegg CCX which gained massive benefits from the Top Gear-suggested rear wing. Or the Bugatti Veyron‘s lap which at the time was eagerly expected but eventually flopped on the finish line ending up in the forth position leaving the Gumpert Apollo an undisputed king of times for 3 more seasons.

    From then, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport makes a brief appearance but 2 episodes later, the Ariel Atom 500 V8 pretty much embarrasses everyone and climbs the ladder so high that even as we speak, it still is the fastest road legal thing ever tested on the track.

    Ariel Atom 500 V8 Front Angle

    Further down, there’s some info on the top 10 most affordable cars that were “power lapped” on the track, some info about the track itself and… some say there’s a word or two about the Stig as well.

    Finally, a number of awards which can only underline the show’s touch of comedic genius.The info graphic was styled and compiled by Boost Labs which deal with technology and design and share a fair amount of passion about cars believe it or not.

  • The Stig in Hennessey ZR1 HPE750 [VIDEO]

    Corvette-HPE750-thumbHere is a video of The Stig thrashing a Corvette ZR750 (from Hennessey Performance) and setting a new record Power Lap time without breaking sweat. If you are not familiar, The Stig is the mysterious Top Gear driver who handles the scariest performance cars out there and sets time laps in whatever is given to him. Top Gear is a motoring series franchise with separate shows for Britain, Australia and the US. This one here is the American Stig going through the American Top Gear test track.

    The second time round, the ZR750 sets a time of 1.21.4 which “unofficially” surpasses the current Power Lap score-board leader – the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR (1.22.0). That is close. So close in fact, that if it were a real time race, to the common spectator that would have been a neck-a-neck finish. Nevertheless the Corvette has the moral supremacy here. Will they do an official Power Lap, we’ll just have to wait and see.

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqq_ZTdHL94&feature=relmfu

    In the mean time here are some specifications of the HPE 750 Vette:

    Power:
    755 bhp @ 6,600 rpm
    728 lb-ft torque @ 4,700 rpm

    Performance:
    0-60 mph: 2.8 sec.*
    1/4 mile: 10.3 @ 139 mph*
    Top Speed: 224 mph

    *With optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires

    The Hennessey upgrade for the ZR1 includes:

    • A new pulley for the supercharger (up from 9 psi to 13 psi)
    • High Flow Supercharger Snout Upgrade
    • HPE High Flow Air Induction System
    • High Flow Cylinder Heads
    • Extreme Duty Valve Springs
    • ZR750 Camshaft Upgrade
    • Stainless Steel Long Tube Headers
    • High Flow Catalytic Converters
    • Professional Installation
    • HPE Engine Management Calibration
    • 6,700 rpm Rev Limiter (200 rpm over stock)
    • Chassis Dyno Tuning & Road Testing
    • Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques
    • Hennessey Exterior Badging
    • Hennessey Premium Floormats
    • Hennessey Carbon Fiber Door Sills
    Hennessey Corvette ZR750
    Hennessey Corvette ZR750
    Hennessey Corvette ZR750
    Hennessey Corvette ZR750

    Source: Hennessey

  • Citroen DS5 at Top Gear Live

    Citroen will exhibit the new DS5 at at Top Gear Live this November. This will be the official UK premiere of Citroen’s flagship. The car has unique style with beautiful lines. It is the first production Citroen to feature full-hybrid diesel technology, combining nice performance with extremely low CO2 emissions – just 99g/km.

    Citroen DS5 has a large chrome-finished grille and a new LED light. There are also an enormous air intake, two tail pipes built into the rear bumper and highlighted by a rear signature featuring six light guides. The vehicle is available with huge 19” alloy wheels fitted with low profile tires.

    Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and of course The Stig will take part in Top Gear Live, which runs from 11th to 13th November at NEC Birmingham and 24-27 November at ExCeL London.

    Many interesting celebrities and guests will be also at the show.

    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    Citroen DS5
    Citroen DS5
    Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5
    2012 Citroen DS5

    Source: Citroen