Autoblog

It should come as no surprise that Jeremy Clarkson is pulling down more cash than his Top Gear cohorts. Not only does Clarkson own a stake of the show's rights, he's more of a figurehead for the series than either James May or Richard Hammond. Clarkson has become nearly an adjective to describe any auto pundit expressing a strong opinion in a certain manner. While May and Hammond seem happy enough with their slightly-diminished status in the show hierarchy, rumors about flat-out contract rejections and threats of departure are flying behind the scenes.

James May's people state that they're not looking for parity with Clarkson's £2-million yearly earnings, but they are aiming for the best deal possible. Arlington Enterprises spokesperson, Annie Sweetbaum, has commented that nascent negotiations are progressing, and that the BBC's first offer is never the one accepted. Hamster's people dodged commenting, but we're sure his representation also aims for the fattest checks it can secure. Nobody has yet publicly threatened to take his ball and go home, but one imagines that it could come to that if no agreement can be reached. Shoot, we'd love to see what the BBC's offering; perhaps we can weasel our way into Top Gear as cheaper alternative hosts – not that we'd be any good, but with the dollar worth about three pence, getting paid in Pounds or Euros sounds pretty good to us. Thanks for the tips!

[Source: BBC]

You may remember Alex Roy from his book, The Driver, about his team's record-breaking run across the U.S. in a BMW M5, but he's also a deep automotive insider that gets information from a number of cloaked sources who wear dark sunglasses and pass manilla envelopes under the yellow lights of parking garages. He's got some new information about Top Gear's plans for the U.S., and what's interesting is that it doesn't involve the TV show. It seems that TG hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond may be developing a touring car show for the U.S. called Top Gear Live. If you're thinking it will be like the famous MPH car shows they do in the UK, you're wrong, so so wrong. According to a document Roy has seen, Top Gear Live will be Circue-Du-Soleil meets Stomp... with cars. We're thinking a stage, lots of ramps, people playing instruments made out of car parts, dancers, etc. So let's recap... the three greatest automotive TV personalities of all time want to do a live, traveling road show in the U.S. that marries theatrical production qualities with their famous brand of car humor and mechanical destruction. Of course, we can't say for certain that any of this is true, but Roy's sources tend to reliable. We're not exactly sure if we want them to be reliable this time, though. Can't we just get new episodes of the original Top Gear here in the U.S. in a timely manner? Is that too much to ask? Click the source below to visit Roy's site where he explains what he knows in his own words.

[Source: Gumball114.com, Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty]

They really are dragging out the introduction of the 11th season of Top Gear, and we don't mean in the tire smoking way, either. But a commercial like this one after the jump helps to pass the time. There is nothing we could say that could best the BBC trio in this first ad for the telly. As for the second commercial, well, you can't win them all. But tigers racing badgers more than makes up for it, so follow the jump to check them out. Thanks for the tip, Mobius_1!

[Source: Final Gear]

Formula 1 will hit the BBC air waves in 2009 after a long run on ITV. The move will require new figureheads to sit at the desk, and London's Times has said that Top Gear's Richard Hammond is the top man for the job. Economics at least partially drove ITV's decision to withdraw from F1 coverage. The coverage is expensive, so making money is challenging, even with newly rising star Lewis Hamilton making F1 more interesting for UK viewers.

Hammond's presence might help broaden the appeal beyond just racing fans, as would guest appearances by Jeremy Clarkson and James May, Hammond's cohorts on Top Gear. Letting Clarkson and May prowl the paddock could offer priceless moments of color commentary that would set YouTube alight. The BBC also plans to update the look, feel and pace of its coverage, and fans will be able to get at the presentation more easily with races going out across broadband digital outlets in addition to the standard radio and television. Thanks for the tip, Eric!

[Source: Times Online, Photo by Getty Images/Getty]

Bionic Woman. Knight Rider. And now....Top Gear? NBC, America's remake network, has ordered a pilot of an Americanized Top Gear. Expect to see all the usual Top Gear conventions, including three presenters; a masked Stig-like driver; a private test track; taping in a hangar before a live audience; and (probably D-List) celebs driving midsize cars. Unfortunately, you won't see the program's British hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. And this is where it gets dicey. You see, those guys are the reason Top Gear is what it is. They're clever and witty, and they endear themselves to gearheads with segments like Clarkson's hilarious Peel P50 "review" (it's pasted after the jump). NBC's going to have a hard time finding US hosts who can replicate that vibe without being relentlessly annoying in the process. As BBC remakes go, we truly hope that a US-flavored Top Gear succeeds like The Office, but we're concerned that it might just turn into another Coupling. Thanks to all who sent tips.

[Source: Reuters]

The blokes at Top Gear are in the process of planning their summer return, and last week viewers abroad got a rare glimpse into how the sausage is made.

You might recall Clarkson, Hammond and May taking on the challenge of creating their own aquatic vehicles a few seasons back (if not, the video is posted after the jump), and the results were somewhat predictable, with Clarkson capsizing, Hamster taking on more water than the laws of physics would allow, and Captain Slow rolling into the docks triumphant in his Triumph Herald.

Well, the three motoring presenters decided to pull their aqua-whips out of retirement to cross the English Channel, and again, two of the three vehicles met their demise at the bottom of the sea. According to various reports, May's Herald and Hammond's VW van went under within the first few minutes, while Jezza was able to stay afloat long enough to stroke his ever-expanding ego.

The Daily Mail article has several photos of the event, and a few choice quotes from understandably peeved Coast Guard officers.

On a related side note, Hammond reportedly ditched his 911 Carrera in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire at 3 AM yesterday, after he was stuck in traffic caused by a flood for 12 hours. Our man wasn't going to miss his daughter's birthday party, so he decided to run the 16 miles back to his home, equipped with a waterproof jacket, some running shoes and an iPod. "There was no way I was going to miss it – I'm away from home enough as it is," said Hammond, after recounting his two-and-a-half hour-long jog. Kudos to Hamster for knowing what really matters.

[Sources: Autotrader.co.uk, Daily Mail]

Contrary to the now-defunct rumors, Top Gear will make its return on July 25th with an episode that'll surely send chills down the presenters' spines. The summer comeback episode will feature yet another race, this time pitting Clarkson and May against Hammond on a 450-mile trek from Northern Canada to the North Pole. According to Final Gear, the definitive Top Gear and Fifth Gear fan site, the journey will involve Jeremy and James traversing the Arctic in minus-85-degree Fahrenheit temperatures at the helm of a heavily-modified pickup, while Richard sees the sights on a sled pulled by ten Inuit dogs. With just ten days to go, let's just hope that the next series features more car reviews and bit less fluff.

[Source: Final Gear]

Top Gear has earned the ire of environmentalists yet again, this time for driving cars over the Makgadikgadi salt plains in Botswana. All three presenters of the British car show drove across the plains while filming a segment, leaving trails that could remain there for decades. Usually, you are only allowed to go over if you're on a quad bike and must still remain in single file.

The region is home to the largest salt pan in the world (take that, Bonneville!) and covers an area of 16,000sq km. Though there was some concern about the damage they caused directly to the salt plains, environmentalists are more worried about the example their drive will set for other visitors.

A BBC spokesperson said the ecology of the area was taken in to account when filming and no conservation areas were touched.

Jeremy Clarkson and his team have always disliked environmentalists and this latest run-in isn't expected to change anything.

[Source: Metro UK]

Is The Stig headed to the States? It appears that the wildly popular automotive TV show, Top Gear, could be heading to these shores (again). The BBC and The Sun newspaper have reported that there are again plans to do a Top Gear U.S. version, but this time with current hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Previous attempts at doing an American Top Gear lost the magic when they tried to replicate the show with different presenters. Although airing the current UK show on Discovery has made some fans happy, getting the lads to cover more American cars and feature more American celebs will probably draw an even bigger American audience. To that end it is said that the U.S. show will be just like the UK version, but will include more American cars, and U.S. stars doing their darndest to beat The Stig.

The deal hasn't been confirmed by BBC Worldwide, but there have apparently been talks. Top Gear, in case you don't know, is an international Emmy winner, which recently wrapped its most recent season with 8 million viewers tuning in for the finale. They have also been in the news for the horrific jet car crash and remarkable recovery of presenter Richard Hammond. The show's next UK season will begin airing in the fall.

A new U.S. version sounds intriguing. We say bring it on. Maybe if they're forced to drive more American cars on American roads in American driving conditions, they'll start to understand why their current negative impressions don't hold water on this side of the pond. I already have my "I'm the Stig's fat American cousin" T-shirt to welcome them to these shores. What do you think of a possible Top Gear U.S. edition?

Thanks for the tip, JayP!

[Source: BBC]

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Top Gear on the Discovery Channel
Top Gear America in the works by Discovery Channel
Meet the blokes hosting Top Gear in the U.S.
VIDEO: Top Gear season 9 preview

view the clip after the jump

The South has risen again, and unfortunately for our beloved team from Top Gear, it has focused its ire on Jeremy Clarkson, Jay Mays and Richard Hammond. In the latest episode of Top Gear (torrent here), the team arrives in Florida for a road trip that will see them travel from Miami to New Orleans. The catch? Each are given $1,000 to buy a whip that will carry them to their destination. Whips in hand, the trio decide to spice up the trip by spray painting inflammatory statements on the sheetmetal. Statements like "I'm bi", "NASCAR Sucks" and "Hillary for President" are worn like badges of pride, until a stop for gas in a self-described "hick town" turns ugly. Words were said, rocks were thrown, and somebody's "boys" were called in. The Top Gear crew fleed for its life, though not after the quickest jump in history gets Mays Caddy turned over, and the chase ensued on the highways of the rural South. The boys wise up and decide to pull over and scrub off the incendiary taunts with some towels and Coke. Their troubles don't end there, as the offended Southies call upon their god to rain down a torrent of H20 on the caravan of Brits. Clarkson, Mays and Hammond eventually escape the U.S. with hides in tact, but we can all thank those country bumpkins for ensuring Top Gear will never again set foot on U.S. soil. Check out the clip in full after the jump for proof.

Thanks for the tip, Eliot!

[Source: YouTube]