The Thread about Nothing....

[Thylacine]

Originally Posted by Wattsy Rules

Who is the Stig? I've heard Damon Hill, but reckon that's crap.

Got to hand it to the 911. with only 235kw it still kicked ass.

It's all about power-to-weight. Just like cycling.

Which BMW did they test? I must say, I really like the M5 these days. A car you can drive easily as a daily driver, but push a button and you unleash that V10 fury in a major way.

[matagi]

Originally Posted by Thylacine

It's all about power-to-weight. Just like cycling.

Which BMW did they test? I must say, I really like the M5 these days. A car you can drive easily as a daily driver, but push a button and you unleash that V10 fury in a major way.

They tested the M6 with the 500hp V10 and it only just kept up with the Aston Martin and couldn't get anywhere near the 911 (all this according to MrM, coz I was stuck on the phone at the time )

The guys hated the Beemer, which they felt was over-computerised (apparently the EMS defaults to 400hp on start up and if you want to get 500hp out of the engine, you actually need to go into the setup options and reconfigure the bloody thing when you fire it up - I mean WTF???? )

You shouldn't need to push a button to do that - they are superfluous crap. After all the STi pootles along fairly happily in traffic, but plant the foot and he launches bigtime. Why the hell do I want to be fiddling with extraneous crap when I need a bit of power? Especially if I need it fast.

[pshaw]

Originally Posted by matagi

They tested the M6 with the 500hp V10 and it only just kept up with the Aston Martin and couldn't get anywhere near the 911 (all this according to MrM, coz I was stuck on the phone at the time )

The guys hated the Beemer, which they felt was over-computerised...

Clarkson loved it!!! got outvoted...
Described the Aston as "impulse drive" and the BM as "Warp speed"

I guess in the hands of someone who can drive quick, the 911 kicks ass but for the humble normal driver, sounds like the BM was a beast and the aston underpowered...

FWIW, im guessin any of them would feel quick compared to my Corolla

[matagi]

Originally Posted by pshaw

Clarkson loved it!!! got outvoted...
Described the Aston as "impulse drive" and the BM as "Warp speed"

I guess in the hands of someone who can drive quick, the 911 kicks ass but for the humble normal driver, sounds like the BM was a beast and the aston underpowered...

FWIW, im guessin any of them would feel quick compared to my Corolla

FWIW an electric scooter would feel quick compared to a Corolla.

[climbo]

Originally Posted by pshaw

FWIW, im guessin any of them would feel quick compared to my Corolla

I'll let you drive the '88 Volvo any time you want some real power !!

[classic1]

Originally Posted by matagi

Lots of rumours but they keep his identity very well hidden.

EDIT: I reckon the Stig might be a rally driver.

I buggerised around on the net last night checking it out. The original Stig was ex F1 driver Perry McCarthy. The speculation is that the current Stig is several guys, with some F3 driver being the most regular of the 'Stigs'. One driver they reckon suits up occassionally is Damon Hill, because he never denies it when asked.

[pshaw]

Originally Posted by matagi

FWIW an electric scooter would feel quick compared to a Corolla.

I'm better in slow cars!

I found out the hard way that Audi's dont fly!
The rally ones must be super-beefed up cause when I overshot a bend in my Quattro and aired out about 40ft into a field (clearing the fence!) the wheels fell off and the engine fell out!...

[matagi]

Originally Posted by classic1

I buggerised around on the net last night. The original Stig was ex F1 driver Perry McCarthy. The speculation is that the current one is several guys, with some F3 driver being the most regular of the 'Stigs'. One driver they reckon suits up occasionally is Damon Hill, because he never denies it when asked.

You read the Wikipedia entry too, huh? I reckon DH could be indulging in a bit of good old-fashioned leg pulling.

I was kinda intrigued by the fact that Jensen Button supposedly said it wasn't an F1 driver 'coz the Stig's racing line was different from theirs.

[jock.c]

Originally Posted by matagi

I was kinda intrigued by the fact that Jensen Button supposedly said it wasn't an F1 driver 'coz the Stig's racing line was different from theirs.

I've seen some preetty awkward lines (as in WTF was he thinking?!?) taken by The Stig mostly in the high powered cars, then other weeks he'll absolutley nail it in something like a Micra. Lends credence to both the rally driver theory and the multiple driver theory.

[hdtvkss]

well its not Colin McCrae, the Stig doesnt smash enough cars!

Mark Webber was also mentioned as a name, but the stig is too short.

Hill is too popular a driver and would now be out. id bet on a rotation of stigs, probably even some female drivers being used like Katherine Legge.

[hdtvkss]

Originally Posted by matagi

FWIW an electric scooter would feel quick compared to a Corolla.

Ill wager that his corolla was faster than the SS running on 7 Cyl's on saturday

[classic1]

Originally Posted by matagi

You read the Wikipedia entry too, huh? I reckon DH could be indulging in a bit of good old-fashioned leg pulling.

I was kinda intrigued by the fact that Jensen Button supposedly said it wasn't an F1 driver 'coz the Stig's racing line was different from theirs.

I read wiki, but I looked at some forums as well.

[Wilchemy]

Originally Posted by pshaw

I'm better in slow cars!

I found out the hard way that Audi's dont fly!
The rally ones must be super-beefed up cause when I overshot a bend in my Quattro and aired out about 40ft into a field (clearing the fence!) the wheels fell off and the engine fell out!...

I hope you took it back to the dealer and demanded a refund!

[hdtvkss]

Originally Posted by Wilchemy

I hope you took it back to the dealer and demanded a refund!

well i can vouch for the structural integrity of 69 Corolla Coupe's having sent one off a 20 ft cliff into a drainage ditch at 60 Kph + and walked away....

[Thylacine]

All the Top Gear and Fifth Gear episodes await your eager download -

http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/