Jalopnik: The Stig

Ryan Reynolds Is Officially Better Than Tom Cruise

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

British motoring show Top Gear is a popular stop on the U.K. interview circuit for two reasons: 1.) It's the most watched show... in the world; 2.) Entertainers get to measure up against their peers on a race track. In last night's episode, Ryan Reynolds takes on Tom Cruise's time. It's charming. More »

Wake up to a Stig alarm clock

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EDT

Some say The Allman Brothers live under his helmet, where they'll rouse you from slumber by playing "Jessica," and that he projects the time on the wall using spheres of hot gas from Alpha Centauri. All we know is it's The goddamn Stig Projector Alarm Clock. More »

Proof The Stig is not Bill Caswell

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EDT

Some say The Stig is actually ginger rally racer, self-promoter and sometimes Jalopnik contributor and $500 Craigslist rally car driver, Bill Caswell. All we know is that Caswell never stops talking and therefore couldn't possibly be the Marcel Marceau of drivers. (Hat tip to Swine!) More »

How the Stig tried to kill me

Ray Wert — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EDT

It turns out The Stig doesn't like it when you tell him halfway through a hot lap of Top Gear's UK test track, "I think Schumi was faster through here." How do I know? Because I told him just that. The result? He tried to scare me to death. Watch and see for yourself. More »

The Stig does extreme donuts in a London Taxi

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EDT

In many ways, The Stig is like Santa Claus. So is this driver doing insane donuts in a modified London Taxi Cab as part of the Top Gear Festival 2011 really THE Stig or a similarly skilled driver in Stig clothing? Do we care? The spirit is in him. More »

Watch The New Stig Talk

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Video of the new Stig talking to tennis player Boris Becker confirms Top Gear's tame race driver is a man, and not Sabine Schmitz. But who is The Stig? Anyone recognize that voice? More »

Is The New Stig Sabine Schmitz?

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST

A New Stig showed up piloting a Ferrari 308 against a Skoda Yeti on last night's Top Gear, with Clarkson joking about his/her tiny height. This led some to guess The Stig's actually Speedbee Sabine Schmitz. If only... [Daily Mail] More »

The Stig Is... Tiff Needell?

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

After a nine-year absence hosting pale competitor Fifth Gear, old Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell temporarily steps in for The Stig to teach Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle how to drive the Top Gear test track. [Mirror] More »

The Secret Life Of A Safety Car Driver

Peter Orosz — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Bernd Mayländer's office is a Mercedes–Benz SLS AMG. He’s led more laps in the 2010 Formula One season than all but the top five drivers. And he’s been at it for ten years. More »

Tour Gran Turismo 5's Top Gear Test Track

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST

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We've known you'll be able to drive the Top Gear Test Track in Gran Turismo 5, but this GT5 video indicates it'll be more like a destruction derby because they're keeping the cross-over part of the track intact. Awesome. More »

Say Hello To The New Stig

Ray Wert — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EDT

As we told you last week, Top Gear was working tirelessly to finish raising a new Stig to replace the biography-writing Ben Collins. Now they're done. This is it...err...him...err...whatever...it's the new Stig. And yes, he's still wearing white. More »

Top Gear's New Stig Bred On Crazy Farm

Ray Wert — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EDT

Top Gear will field its new Stig for the first time next week — after picking one at a special "farm for Stigs." But the big question for fans is — what color will this new Stig be? More »

Some Say He's So Blocky He Drives A 1988 Jetta...

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EDT

This is what the awesome blocky Minecraft world looks like when a Top Gear fan starts building. We hear this Stig statue will repel zombies and Toyotas. More »

Top Gear On 60 Minutes: What You Didn't See

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT

If you missed last night's Top Gear segment on 60 Minutes — or jumped off something because of the unemployment segment — here's an American news magazine finally covering the most popular television show... in the world. Plus bonus footage! More »

60 Minutes Tries To Get The Stig To Talk

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EDT

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Top Gear super producer Andy Wilman tells 60 Minutes the source of The Stig's silence is the inability of finding a racing driver "capable of an intelligent comment." They then try to get him to talk. It doesn't work. More »

Ben Collins Hoons A Hennessey Camaro In Colombia

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Ex-Stig Ben Collins doing massive donuts in a Hennessey HPE650 around the Autódromo de Tocancipá in Colombia. What's going on here? More »

Top Gear Confirms American Stig, Suzuki SX4 As Small Car For Big Stars

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:15:00 EDT

Confirming our reports, there is an American Stig on the U.S. version of Top Gear. The producers also revealed the Suzuki SX4 Sportback is the small car for big stars and the "big stars" include Tim Allen and Kid Rock. More »

First Photo Of New American Stig

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:50:00 EDT

Here's the first photo of The Stig from the American version of Top Gear debuting on History this year. He looks...well...a lot like the UK version. Except he's sitting next to Tony Hawk. Told ya there'd be an American Stig. More »

Buzz Aldrin The Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car, U.S. Stig Is Rubens Barrichello?

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:45:00 EDT

The U.S. version of Top Gear on History starts filming in studio today, but key details are already leaking out about the Stig and the first three stars in a reasonably-priced car. Juicy rumors inside. More »

Here's The Best Line From The Ben Collins Tell-All

Ray Wert — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Although I'm halfway through "The Man In The White Suit," Ben Collins' Top Gear tell-all of his time as The Stig, I assert the moral right to claim the best line so far is on the copyright page. More »

The Stig Shifts Over To Fifth Gear

Wes Siler — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT

It's official, The Stig is rebelling, joining the poor man's Top Gear . [The Guardian] More »

Former Stig Ben Collins Planning Top Gear Rival

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EDT

Former Stig Ben Collins is planing a Top Gear rival, despite his inability to speak. [Telegraph] More »

Top Gear USA To Include "The Stig"

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT

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Jalopnik sources tell us the U.S. version of Top Gear debuting on History later this fall will include "The Stig." Hopefully this one can keep their mouth shut. More »

Former Stig Ben Collins Accuses BBC Of "Bullying"

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:15:00 EDT

Former Stig Ben Collins says he was bullied and mistreated. They wouldn't even let him speak! More »

Jeremy Clarkson Calls Ben Collins A "Greedy Twat"

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EDT

In a taped interview, Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson talks frankly about the Ben Collins/Stig controversy and shares how hurt he was by Collins. At the same event he also called him "The Greedy Twat" instead of The Stig. More »

Top Gear's James May Claims He's The Stig

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EDT

Ben Collins? Who's he? James May is really The Stig. [Telegraph] More »

BBC Fails In Court To Keep Stig's Identity As Ben Collins A Secret

Ray Wert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EDT

The BBC lost a motion today to block HarperCollins from revealing Ben Collins is Top Gear's "Stig." Some say the BBC is protecting "Stig's" mystique. All we know is they're trying to put a white-helmeted cat back in a box. More »

Top Gear Stigs A Fork In Ben Collins

Justin Hyde — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:30:00 EDT

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A British tabloid caught pictures of the Stig on the Top Gear clock at the Nürburgring Friday — while attempted Stig autobiographer Ben Collins was at home, driving the new models from Little Tikes. (H/T to everyone!) [Mirror] More »

Top Gear Defends Its Right To The Stig's Privacy

Justin Hyde — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EDT

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Andy Wilman, Top Gear's top producer, took to the interwebs to defend the BBC's fight to keep The Stig from publishing an autobiography. His take: Corporate greed wants to kill the Santa Claus of speed. More »

Who Is The Stig?

Ray Wert — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EDT

Some say Top Gear's elusive masked driver is former Formula Three driver Ben Collins. Some say the Sunday Times unmasked Collins today based on the financial reports of his company. All we know is... they're apparently right. Told ya so. More »

BBC Won't Let The Stig Write An Autobiography

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:15:00 EDT

Some say he's a washed-up Formula 1 driver, others say he's Ben Collins, all we know is the BBC will sue him if he publishes an autobiography outing himself as Top Gear's Stig. (H/T to Bob1967!) [The Guardian] More »

Tom Cruise And Cameron Diaz Visit Top Gear, Molest The Stig

Sam Smith — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EDT

While in England promoting their film Knight and Day, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz stopped by the Top Gear test track/set for a few laps in the show's Reasonably Priced Car. They also found time to grope the Stig. More »

All We Know Is, This Is Not The Stig

Ray Wert — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:20:00 EDT

The BBC has launched an investigation after an imposter posing as the Stig was spotted driving a Porsche with a convoy of Top Gear logo-bedecked Land Rovers on the M6 in Lancaster. [North-West Evening Mail] More »

The Stig Caught By Google Street View... At LEGOLAND?

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EDT

Google Street View's cameras indicate Top Gear's tame racer The Stig has left the chilly shore of Loch Ness for the more exciting confines of LEGOLAND UK. Why did they blur the camel's hump? More »

All We Know Is... He's Called The Stygnet

Ray Wert — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Some say he breathes carbon monoxide and, like a tree, he exhales oxygen. Some say he's greenwashing for a brand with more horsepower than an Arabian steed association. All we know is... he's called the Stygnet. [Aston Martin via AutoBlogGreen] More »

The Stig Makes Appearance In Google Super Bowl Ad

Matt Hardigree — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:05:00 EST

Some say he appears in the strangest places, including Google's Parisian-love themed commercial. All we know is we like The Stig better than John Galt and Lady Gaga combined. More »

Google Double-Censors Loch Ness Stig

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

When Google's Street View camera's found The Stig at Loch Ness we learned nothing of the identity of Top Gear's tame racing driver. Nevertheless, Google decided to blur the image of a fully covered man. (H/T to Matt!) [Google] More »

The Stig Caught By Google Street View... At Loch Ness

Ray Wert — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

Top Gear's tame race driver The Stig has been caught on camera by Google's Street View — a mystery, wrapped in an enigma — and on the banks of Loch Ness no less! More »

The Stig Drives A 1984 Toyota Hilux?

Ray Wert — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Hmm, this explains so much. Top Gear's love of the Toyota Hilux makes complete sense now. [via Carchat] More »

And The Top Gear Lexus LFA Track Time Is...?

Wes Siler — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST

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The Stig's just taken the Lexus LFA for a spin 'round the Top Gear track. No word yet on official times, but anyone in the studio audience want to let us know whether it's faster than the Gumpert Apollo? UPDATE! More »