Tanner Foust Takes 350HP Ford Focus RS500 for a Spin Around the 'Ring [Video]

Professional race car driver and American Top Gear host Tanner Foust was invited to Germany by Ford of Europe to try out the limited production Focus RS500 hot hatch on the famous Nordschleife circuit.

The refresh your memory, the RS500 was a special edition version of the standard Focus RS equipped with a modified 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five delivering 350-horses to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Ford only made 500 examples of the car available to the public and 12 units for its own use.

Read more »

Get it While You Can: TomTom Top Gear Edition Still Available for Order

As you probably have already heard, navigation system specialist TomTom was forced to stop production of the Top Gear Edition satnav and drop plans to allow existing owners to download Jeremy Clarkson's voice on their models because of a clause found in BBC’s own contact.

However, TomTom had already manufactured 54,000 units of the Top Gear Edition device and the deal they came up with the British public service broadcaster, was to donate any proceeds owed to BBC Worldwide to BBC Children in Need, along with an additional charitable donation by TomTom.

If you were disappointed, you'll be happy to know that a TomTom representative came in contact with Carscoop and told us that the Top Gear Edition device is still available for order while supplies last.

Read more »

TomTom's Jeremy Clarkson Voice Pack Axed over BBC Contract Breach!

Well, at least General Motors isn’t the only one making apologies today. BBC admitted that its deal with TomTom to release TopGear-branded navigation system voiced by the show’s famously sardonic host, Jeremy Clarkson, violated its own editorial guidelines.

More specifically, section 15, article 4, paragraph 7 states that:

“Those working on consumer programs must take particular care not to endorse any product or service which could be covered in the programs on which they work and they should have no commercial or other links which could appear to influence their BBC work”.

Read more »

Top Gear Spotted Filming Christmas Special in India [with Video]

In a recent interview with WitneyTV, Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson let slip out that this year's Christmas special episode will take place in India.

Being that all episodes are filmed several months before they hit the airwaves, it doesn't come as a surprise that the British TV show's crew were snagged in Mumbai this month.

Along with a short video clip showing Richard Hammond and a modified classic MINI Cooper that we found on Youtube, the guys over at IndianAutosBlog tipped us off about a set of pictures they took during the filming of the Christmas episode of Top Gear.

Read more »

Top Gear Season 17 Episode 1 Starts with a Blast: Forget about the Hummer, Meet the Marauder [Video]

Yesterday we brought you news about the first episode of the seventh season of BBC’s Top Gear TV series which aired last night featuring the Paramount Group’s Marauder. The South African-built armored vehicle was driven by TG presenter Richard Hammond in its native country.

However, “driven” is an understatement, since Hammond made the Marauder flatten cars, smash through walls and defy lion attacks. He also took a bright red one for a drive around Johannesburg, creating quite a fuss.

Read more »

Monstrous Paramount Marauder Armored Vehicle to Star in First Episode of Top Gear Season 17

In just a few hours from now, Top Gear will air the first episode of season 17 on BBC. During the past two weeks, we got a taste of what Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have in store for us this year through two teaser clips.

In one of those trailers, we saw a large off-road-like vehicle playing the role of a monster truck on a white Alfa Romeo 156 and an older generation Renault Megane sedan.

It turns out that the vehicle is a mine protected armored truck called Marauder from South African company Paramount Group and the driver behind the steering wheel is Richard Hammond. We were contacted by Paramount Group who told us that the Marauder will be featured in tonight's first episode of Top Gear Season 17.

Read more »

Second Trailer for Top Gear Season 17 Airs Online

We’ve been patiently waiting for the new season of Top Gear to come to our screens, but the time is almost here as the first episode of the series will air on Sunday.

Following last week’s release of the first teaser of season 17, BBC has now aired a second video highlighting the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

Among the other cars featured in the trailer are a McLaren MP4-12C taking on a Ferrari 458 Italia, a BMW 8-Series Coupe compared to a Mercedes CL, the rally version of the Mini Countryman and a Chevrolet Corvette from the early 1990s. You can check out the trailer for the new season of Top Gear after the break.

Read more »

TopCar Targets Russia's New Money with Porsche Panamera Stingray

Russia's newly formed high society will soon be able to turn to one of its own tuners to make their Porsche Panamera stand out from the crowd as TopCar has officially revealed its Stingray program for Stuttgart's four-door sports saloon.

Developed in cooperation with domestic tuner Cardi (bodykit design) and Germany's 9ff (performance upgrades and build), TopCar's Panamera Stingray comes with a full bodykit made from carboxylic fiber that includes newly designed front and rear bumpers, side skirts, rear diffuser, new bonnet and a twin rear spoiler.

The sport saloon's exterior looks are rounded off with a new set of 21-inch multispoke alloy wheels.

Read more »