Car Zone: topgear

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Top Gear Removes Its Three Hosts From Website Banner

Even though neither James May nor Richard Hammond have said anything about their departure from the Top Gear show, a recent design change on the Top Gear website has left people wondering. Instead of featuring the mugshots of Jeremy Clarkson, who was recently ousted from the BBC, May, Hammond and The Stig, the website's banner only shows a new version of The Stig.

Somewhat surprisingly, all three presenters' columns are still featured on the website's front page, but there is no official news regarding the show's future lineup. Both Hammond and May have hinted that they wouldn't want to continue presenting without Jeremy Clarkson, so an announcement from the BBC will probably arrive soon.

Adding more fuel to the fire, The Stig's helmet on the updated banner seems mildly different than the old one. To some, that may hint that the "tame racing driver" could be either upgraded to full presenter - highly unlikely, considering he never speaks - or that The White Stig could be replaced with a Chrome Stig of some sort. Either way, considering that the banner change took place on April 1st, it could mean anything, really. Until the BBC puts together a new show for 2016, the current Top Gear season still has three unaired episodes, which are said to be in limbo indefinitely, since the studio bits haven't been filmed and likely never will be.

Continue reading to learn more about the Top Gear show.

Top Gear Removes Its Three Hosts From Website Banner originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 4 April 2015 12:00 EST.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Video: Top Gear Launched in China

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If you remember back a few short weeks, we told you France was getting its own version of Great Britain's Top Gear, the automotive show that earns the country's - nigh, the world's - top ratings in its category. Now it's China's turn. Above is the teaser trailer for the recently debuted series. It contains all the stunts, laughs, scary moments, and antics you'd expect from Top Gear. According the to the BBC, the show is presented by the men who are already well-known stars in China. Richie Jen is a pop singer turned professional racer, Tian Liang is a former Olympic diver, and Cheng Lei, the host of Chinese Idol.

Though Top Gear has been formatted for other local markets before, including the U.S., China is the show's largest market to date with the reasonable expectation for viewership numbering in the hundreds of millions.

China's new show will still feature all the familiar segments, including the star in a reasonably priced car, a live studio audience, and even a Chinese Stig. It will have special guest appearances by celebrities, outlandish stunts (as evidenced by the video above), and loads of off-color comedy.

Video: Top Gear Launched in China originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 7 December 2014 06:00 EST.