Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: <i>Top Gear Live</i> holding design-your-own-stunt contest]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/01/video-i-top-gear-live-i-holding-design-your-own-stunt-contes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/01/video-i-top-gear-live-i-holding-design-your-own-stunt-contes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/01/video-i-top-gear-live-i-holding-design-your-own-stunt-contes/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Top Gear Live Contest - Click above to watch the video after the jump

We love Top Gear for a lot of reasons, but we love the British motoring series most for its big-budget creativity. After all, how many shows are going to storm a beach in a Ford Fiesta? And from everything we've seen and heard, Top Gear Live takes the creativity to the next level with its gold envelope challenge. This year, the live theatrical extravaganza starring Clarkson, May and Hammond is looking for even more bombastic challenges for the its new season.

While we're sure the TGL team will come up with some amazing stunts, this year, the live show is giving you the opportunity to come up with a crazier stunt than the show's producers could ever dream. To enter, contestants must propose a stunt in the form of a YouTube video due in by October 14.

The TGL team will select five winners from each of the eight live events in the 2009-2010 season, and winners will receive a pair of tickets to the show of their choosing and a leather jacket signed by Clarkson, May and Hammond. Unfortunately, anyone who wins a pair of tickets will be responsible for their own travel or accommodations, so if you can't afford a trip to London (UK), Birmingham (UK), Dublin (Ireland), Johannesburg (S.Africa), Sydney (Australia), Auckland (NZ), Hong Kong (China), or Amsterdam (Holland), you may want to sit this one out. Hit the jump to watch the clever promotional video, click here for contest terms and conditions, and feel free to share your stunt ideas with your fellow readers in 'Comments.'

[Source: Top Gear Live via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Top Gear Live holding design-your-own-stunt contest

VIDEO: Top Gear Live holding design-your-own-stunt contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clarksonhammondjames mayJamesMayjeremy clarksonJeremyClarksonmayrichard hammondRichardHammondTGLtop geartop gear contesttop gear liveTopGearTopGearContestTopGearLiveThu, 01 Oct 2009 12:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Ferrari's Prancing Horse voted most iconic badge [w/POLL]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/ferraris-prancing-horse-voted-most-iconic-badge-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/ferraris-prancing-horse-voted-most-iconic-badge-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/10/ferraris-prancing-horse-voted-most-iconic-badge-w-poll/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The people have spoken. (Well, the British anyway. But they're people, too). And according to a public opinion survey, Ferrari has the most iconic badge among exotic automakers.

The poll in question was conducted by European telecom company Orange for the MPH Top Gear Live show, a sort of live-action performance car show held in car-crazed England. Ferrari was identified far and away as the most recognizable of car logos, garnering nearly half the votes. Aston Martin came in second with a quarter of the votes, edging out Lamborghini, Bugatti and Porsche, while Maserati, Spyker, Lotus, Koenigsegg and Pagani rounding out the rest of the top ten with small shares of the votes.

The numbers go to show that while the Prancing Horse is still king, England's own Aston Martin has grown to eclipse some of the biggest power houses in terms of brand recognition. We wonder how long it will take McLaren's Nike-like tick logo, which appears as a motif repeatedly in the design of the new MP4-12C supercar unveiled today, to rise up the ranks, too. We also wonder how American car fans would vote differently from our former colonial masters, and we're wondering if the survey takers were given a limited number of choices, or if the poll specifically targeted performance marques. After all, aren't workaday emblems like Ford's Blue Oval or Chevrolet's Bowtie more recognizable, or even Blighty's own Rolls-Royce's Double R logo?

In any case, we've started a performance badge poll of our own and thrown in the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper sub-brands (together with McLaren) for good measure. Follow the jump to cast your vote and read the press release with full figures after the jump.

[Source: MPH]

Continue reading Ferrari's Prancing Horse voted most iconic badge [w/POLL]

Ferrari's Prancing Horse voted most iconic badge [w/POLL] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badgeferrariiconlogomphprancing horsePrancingHorsetop gear liveTopGearLiveThu, 10 Sep 2009 19:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Ferrari tells Top Gear to stop using knockoffs in live show]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/06/ferrari-tells-top-gear-to-stop-using-knockoffs-in-live-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/06/ferrari-tells-top-gear-to-stop-using-knockoffs-in-live-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/06/ferrari-tells-top-gear-to-stop-using-knockoffs-in-live-show/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Apparently, word got around to Ferrari that Top Gear Live was not using real Prancing Horses for its stunt driving routine in Australia a few weeks back, and it sounds like the Italian automaker is none too happy about it. A spokesperson for Ferrari said, "We asked them to change it... for the Hong Kong [Top Gear Live] show (the last stop on the world tour). We said please use real Ferraris."

The Ferrari spokesperson also said that Top Gear Live had admitted to using replica Ferraris. BBC's head of communications, Philip Fleming, says that he's been in contact with Ferrari but stops short of admitting that the show's supposedly Italian machinery was fake. Whatever the case, the Top Gear Live show in Hong Kong didn't use Ferraris at all, real or fake. Instead, the sequence was changed to incorporate unspecified drift cars that TG believes are more in keeping with the the interests of the local audience. Problem solved.

[Source: Stuff]

Ferrari tells Top Gear to stop using knockoffs in live show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ferraritop geartop gear livetop gear live ferrariTopGearTopGearLiveTopGearLiveFerrariFri, 06 Mar 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear Live lambasted for using fake Ferraris]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/14/top-gear-live-lambasted-for-using-fake-ferraris/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/14/top-gear-live-lambasted-for-using-fake-ferraris/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/14/top-gear-live-lambasted-for-using-fake-ferraris/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Proving once again that Top Gear, in all its forms, is a show meant solely for entertainment are new accusations that the Ferraris driven by stuntmen at last week's Top Gear Live event in Sydney didn't exactly hail from Maranello. In fact, it seems that the cars really originated from Sagamihara, Japan. How's that? The twin red cars that looked to all the world like Ferrari 360s were actually rebodied Toyota MR2s, which, of course, cost significantly less than the real thing.

Showgoers reported that the soul-stirring sounds they expected from high-strung small-bore V8s were notably absent, replaced by deafening music instead. At least one fan was interested enough to snoop backstage, where he noticed that these specimens lacked the rear air intakes and the transparent engine cover of the real thing. Further inspection revealed mid-mounted engines with half the expected number of cylinders.

We'll leave to you to decide if this is really a big deal or not, but ask yourself this: Would the Top Gear Live organizers have gone to the trouble of using Ferrari lookalikes if they thought attendees didn't care whether they saw less exotic machinery?

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Top Gear Live lambasted for using fake Ferraris originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>top geartop gear australiatop gear ferraritop gear livetop gear live ferrariTopGearTopGearAustraliaTopGearFerrariTopGearLiveTopGearLiveFerrariSat, 14 Feb 2009 09:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Impulse Redefined: Top Gear Live audience buy supercars at the show]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/04/impulse-redefined-top-gear-live-audience-buy-supercars-at-the-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/04/impulse-redefined-top-gear-live-audience-buy-supercars-at-the-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/04/impulse-redefined-top-gear-live-audience-buy-supercars-at-the-s/#commentsFiled under: ,

Go to see a live show, and you may walk out with a t-shirt or a CD. But a new car? Much less a six-figure supercar? Amazingly, that's the effect Top Gear Live is evidently having on its audience. The stage version of the popular BBC television program combines the best of conventional car shows with Knievel-esque stunts to create a spectacle of unparalleled popularity.

Part of the show - presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and of course, The Stig - is a demonstration of top supercars, which manufacturers gladly supply to the show's producers despite the potential for damage all because of one simple phenomenon: on their way out, wealthy show-goers have been known to pony up for the exotic machinery they'd just seen perform on stage. That's world-class impulse buying.

The show is going on its first world tour, hitting London and Birmingham before sailing off to Dublin, Johannesburg, Sydney, Auckland and Hong Kong. Unfortunately the tour doesn't include this side of the Atlantic (or Pacific, for that matter), so you might just have to buy your next supercar the old-fashion way.

[Source: WA Today]

Impulse Redefined: Top Gear Live audience buy supercars at the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>tg liveTgLivetop geartop gear liveTopGearTopGearLiveWed, 04 Feb 2009 06:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear terrorizes London with tank to kick off live tour]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/top-gear-terrorizes-london-with-tank-to-kick-off-live-tour/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/top-gear-terrorizes-london-with-tank-to-kick-off-live-tour/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/02/top-gear-terrorizes-london-with-tank-to-kick-off-live-tour/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res gallery of Top Gear's tank

You may remember our report from a few months back about Top Gear developing a live arena show for the U.S. We still don't know if that's going to happen, but Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are taking the Top Gear show on the road for a number of live events beginning at London's Earls Court from October 20th through November 2nd. The trio announced their new tour in the most Top Gear of ways, by driving a tank sporting Top Gear livery across London's Tower Bridge while being trailed by a Ferrari F430 and Aston Martin DBS with luggage strapped to their roofs.

The Top Gear triumvirate will reportedly "unleash automotive mayhem, take on crazy challenges, preside over breathtaking stunts and engage in hilarious motoring tomfoolery" during each 75-minute show, of which there will 10 separate performance at both Earls Court and Birmingham's NEC in the U.K. Tickets will cost £38 ($67 USD) for a Silver seat, £56 ($100 USD) for Gold and £105 ($188 USD) for a Platinum spot, which we presume means you'll be close enough to wipe Clarkson's spit off your face.

The press release after the jump, however, notes that the tank stunt kicks off the UK and world tour for the Top Gear live show, so perhaps arena shows in the U.S. and elsewhere are still in the cards. For now, however, Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow will be busy enough trying to get through 20 separate live performances in just eight days at these two venues.

You can check out a video of the Top Gear tank stunt here, and read the official press release after the jump.

Gallery: Top Gear terrorizes London in tank

Continue reading Top Gear terrorizes London with tank to kick off live tour

Top Gear terrorizes London with tank to kick off live tour originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>top geartop gear livetop gear tanktop-geartop-gear-livetop-gear-tankTopGearTopGearLiveTopGearTankTue, 02 Sep 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear hosts developing live arena show for U.S.?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/top-gear-hosts-developing-live-show-for-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/top-gear-hosts-developing-live-show-for-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/12/top-gear-hosts-developing-live-show-for-u-s/#commentsFiled under: , ,



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]

Top Gear hosts developing live arena show for U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex royAlexRoybreakingjames mayjames maysJamesMayJamesMaysjeremy clarksonJeremyClarksonrichard hammondRichardHammondtop geartop gear liveTopGearTopGearLiveThu, 12 Jun 2008 15:02:00 EST