Top Gear USA host Eric Stromer flips his Camry Hybrid
Writing about cars for a living is a great gig, but as we're sporadically reminded, not without its occasional dangers. Few know that as well as the guys on BBC's Top Gear, where Richard Hammond miraculously recovered from a spectacular 280+ mph jet-powered dragster crash and Clarkson was recently involved in a head-on collision on location. But with franchises being set up in Australia, Russia and the United States, we knew it was only a matter of time before one of the local hosts followed suite, but we didn't think it would be the pretty boy in the hybrid.
According to Stromer's account, he was rollin' down the street in Hollywood, sipping on gin and juice a "triple grande nonfat latte" in his Camry Hybrid when someone rear-ended him, flipping the Toyota up on its side, sliding 50 feet down the street and roof-first into a curbside palm tree. None of the airbags deployed (suprisingly) and People Magazine's "sexiest man alive" emerged unharmed, so our base audience of middle-aged women can rest easy. Meanwhile, given the incident, we're not sure if we feel better or worse about Stromer's role in the show, but at very least he's proven he can demolish puppy-tear-powered family sedans as well as he can drywall.
To listen to how Stromer was "raped in a Camry" on TG co-host Adam Corolla's radio program, click here.
[Source: The Adam Corolla Show via Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Sid 11:04AM (11/16/2008)
Puppy-tear powered....LOL
Man this show is gonna suck
Reply
Mark 12:03PM (11/16/2008)
Waaaaaaah, this show's going to be different, waaaahhhh.
Sid 12:57PM (11/16/2008)
Wtf
You wanna watch a 'Car & Driver' version of Top Gear...be my guest!
Top Gear UK - "The Gallardo is cornering hard as we race against the bullet-train!!!"
Top Gear US - "The Malibu LT will be available with a 6-speed automatic and an optional luxury package is available as well"
Mark 1:41PM (11/16/2008)
Did you get a tarot card reading about the show or something? On the surface of the British show it doesn't seem like it'll work, either. A snarky Automotive Journalist, a Pretty Boy Media Whore of sorts, and a Long-Haired slow driving scholar. You know absolutely nothing about how the American show is going to be until you see it, so don't even begin to pass judgment.
Seminole 4:38PM (11/16/2008)
He wasn't testing the car, it was his own personal car Sid.
Chad 8:41PM (11/16/2008)
The host of US Top Gear and he drives a Camry?? Just cancel the show and step away in shame.
Richard 10:27PM (11/16/2008)
Yeah!
TG-USA is going to be about as good as Tommy Kendall's show on Speed..and it's not too good.
Nothing against TK, but it's puffball hour in the musclecars.
TG-USA is going to be puffball hour in the green-liberal-weenie non-fat-latte cars.
America has been neutered!
akboss 8:16AM (11/17/2008)
For those comparing Top Gear UK to Top Gear USA, let's not forget the episode where Jeremy and the gang drove a Prius around their test track against a BMW M3, and actually returned better mileage on the Bimmer. Was it an entire episode devoted to a Toyota Prius? Clearly not. Stop acting like you know what the show's all about, nobody has seen an episode, and the people badmouthing are going to be watching as well as the rest of us.
Hey you behind the bushes 11:05AM (11/16/2008)
The picture kinda looks like there are 2 camrys on their sides.
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Kotse 11:51AM (11/16/2008)
"...in his Camry Hybrid when someone rear-ended him, flipping the Toyota up on its side, sliding 50 feet down the street and roof-first into a curbside palm tree."
A tank must've rear ended him to "fly" that far...
spyker 11:55AM (11/16/2008)
Is that an ambulance in the background? That's what probably rear ended him ;). But yup, what kind of car hit him and how fast. It can't be that easy to flip over a camry.
cowboybob 12:15PM (11/16/2008)
I also see what looks like two toilets. Does someone understand this picture?
Torrent 1:55PM (11/16/2008)
The first time I read this, I was all, so he can handle supercars, but not a Camry hybrid? lol
Greg 7:18PM (11/16/2008)
The picture isn't hard to figure out. It's actually 2 pictures with a line in the middle separating them. The left side is just a closeup of the right side.
Mike 11:13AM (11/16/2008)
How many many times do we hear the dreaded "air bags never deployed". Ok, your car is rear ended, flipped up on its side and then hits a tree.
At what point should we realize that these are at best UNRELIABLE. Time and time again, accident reports state this as if it were supposed to be normal.
Its not normal and car manufactuers should be held accountable.
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alex 11:14AM (11/16/2008)
I believe there is currently a class action lawsuit against Toyota for this happening with a few Lexus models.
Andrew 1:33PM (11/16/2008)
Isnt the airbag sensor in the front of the car? Pretty sure its normal for them NOT to deploy during a rear end accident.
Honestly I dont know that an air bag deploying during a rear end collision is such a good idea since the dynamics of the accident are totally different.
Since it rolled over I would expect curtain airbags to deploy but I dont know if thats an option on this car.
bduddy 1:36PM (11/16/2008)
Why would you want an airbag hitting you in the face while you're on your side? Do you even know what airbags are for?
tankd0g 10:25PM (11/16/2008)
At what point do you think the airbags should have deployed if he walked away from the accident with no injuries? Do you have any idea how violent an airbag deployment is? I don't want one going off in my face unless it's to save my life.
the vegas style guy 1:52AM (11/17/2008)
A woman hit me while i was driving a Town car. She blew threw a red light at about 40mph. The Town was wrapped around a pole and the air bags popped up possibly saving me from serious injury.
On the other hand, I was in an accident in my Audi and they didn't pop out. My first thought was WTF!?! Where were my freaking airbags! The insurance sompany wasn't interested in pursuing that question.
Btw, that Town Car was completely totalled but the passenger cage was intact. Say what you will about American cars but that big bitch took it like a man and I strongly suggest anyone worried about safety think about getting one.