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The Stig (final answer) - frostbite
Oh well, if it's in The Mirror then it MUST be right !
The Stig (final answer) - Humpy
Sorry for my implied ignorance, but who is Perry McCarthy??
The Stig (final answer) - SteveH42
Ex-Formula 1 driver, used to hang around with Damon Hill and Mark Blundell apparently. Got a drive for Andrea Moda, but unfortunately for him they failed to provide a car that actually worked before the owner was done for fraud or something and the team went under. There was a feature about him in MN a few months back. Seems he was potentially better than Damon but didn't get the breaks.
The Stig (final answer) - Homme van Blanc
So Clarkson's references to him being a frog were herrings of the rouge variety, eh!
The Stig (final answer) - RichL
When Sir Michael Gambon appeared on 'Star in a reasonably priced car' he reckoned the Stigs French accent was fake.
The Stig (final answer) - midlifecrisis
As a side issue. Mcarthy recently released a book called 'flat out and flat broke'. It is a hugely entertaining read. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed.
MLC
The Stig (final answer) - martint123
Watching the warm up for the 24 hour race this morning, the commentators on Eurosport seemed to have great pleasure in exposing one of the Audi drivers as 'the stig' to upset the BBC.

Perry McCarthy confirmed from this source.
The Stig (final answer) - Rob the Bus {P}
Erm...at the risk of sounding terribly un-hip, who or what is 'The Stig'??
The Stig (final answer) - Marcos{P}
Watch Top Gear on Sunday night.
The Stig (final answer) - Morris Ox
...or read today's Telegraph, where what we all knew about Perry McCarthy is confirmed, and an intriguing new angle added: the Stig is, according to Doug Nye, two test drivers, one of which is our Pel.

So, who's the other?

The Stig (final answer) - Chris - nearly an ex-pat...
Nicolas Minassian - a frog F3 driver.

Actually, I think it's a bit rich describing McCarthy as an "ex F1 driver" when his entire F1 mileage consisted of just half of one practice lap. Also, though he's been around for ages, he really doesn't have much success to boast about in other categories of racing. But he did manage to commentate (a bit) on F1 last year on Bernievision.

But he's a Brit, so best of luck to him this weekend a LerManns!
The Stig (final answer) - SteveH42
But he's a Brit, so best of luck to him this
weekend a LerManns!


I think this came too late to jinx him, but wasn't it his Audi that ran out of fuel after about 2 hours? (Not him driving at the time - I don't think he'd even had a stint..)
The Stig (final answer) - Rob the Bus {P}
>>Watch Top Gear on Sunday night.

Ah! It's all become clear. I take it that 'The Stig' merely drives cars extremely fast?

I must admit that tonight is the first time that I have ever seen the 'new' Top Gear and I was rather surprised by the prescence of the audience and the fact that it is studio based. I will be quiet now, as I have a sneaky suspicion that this will have already been done to death on another thread.

Rob
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
The Stig (final answer) - J Bonington Jagworth
"I have a sneaky suspicion that this will have already been done to death on another thread"

It has, but don't let that stop you from voicing your opinion. The more people who think it's utter carp and tell the world, the better, IMHO. Apparently, they were testing the Mitubishi Evo and the equivalent Scooby tonight, which I would normally have watched avidly, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch JC blathering on with his goggle-eyed minions hanging on to his every word.
The Stig (final answer) - Flat in Fifth
>>Watch Top Gear on Sunday night.
Ah! It's all become clear. I take it that
'The Stig' merely drives cars extremely fast?


Partly Correct!

Actually considering some of the stuff done to cars I would say the Stig is an animal. If that had been my Jag the other week I would have sued!

Plus the reason for "The Stig" is because the average Top Gear viewer, present company excepted, thinks they know all about high speed and car control having once driven a shade rapidly on the M25 when nobody was looking. If JC had said here is our test driver Pervy wossname most folks would have gone.... who? Hence Stig.
The Stig (final answer) - Marcos{P}
Who is Pervy wossname?
The Stig (final answer) - Flat in Fifth
Who is Pervy wossname?


Surely you don't need an answer to that!
The Stig (final answer) - Pervy Wossname
Did someone call me?
The Stig (final answer) - Flat in Fifth
And when we click on Mr Wossnames name what do we get? his profile? No we get the thread. Hmm!

Methinks someone who reckons he is a comedian has been abusing the edit button.
The Stig (final answer) - Ben {P}
I couldnt beleive it when i read of the damaged the idiot "stig" had caused to that wonderful car. I just hope they can pursuade a real f1 driver like micheal schumacher to take a lap and shut the stig bloke up. (thats the perry mccarthy incarnation i am refering to). Someone at top gear should pay for the repairs.

I didnt see top gear this week or last. What were the conclusions regarding the EVo VIII and the Subaru
The Stig (final answer) - Marcos{P}
I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but the audience just look like the biggest collection of sad cases going. Where on earth do they find them?
The Stig (final answer) - Ben {P}
Maybe they are just picked out of a hat from competition entries to be on the show from the JC fan club?
The Stig (final answer) - Colin M
> Where on earth do they find them?

Off that there internet by the looks of things:

www.applausestore.co.uk

The reason it all looks so family friendly is;

Show Title: TOP GEAR - BBC2
Show Date: 4 JUNE / 11 JUNE / 18 JUNE /
Show Location: DUNSFOLD AERODROME, GODALMING, SURREY GU8 4BS

**********************************************************
*VERY IMPORTANT* - SERIES II IS HERE, BUT THIS TIME ITS DIFFERENT!

THE PRODUCER OF THE SERIES REQUIRES EQUAL AMOUNTS OF WOMEN & MEN IN THE AUDIENCE, SO IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BOOKING TICKETS, YOU MUST HAVE A 50/50 SPLIT OF GUYS & GALS IN YOUR PARTY FOR US TO ACCEPT YOUR REQUEST.

WE HAVE TO BE VERY STRICT WITH THIS - ANY EXCUSE ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF RECORDING WILL RESULT IN NOT GAINING ENTRANCE INTO THE STUDIO ITSELF.

**********************************************************

We are really excited about this one!

You are invited to come hang out with the one and only Jeremy Clarkson, and the new Top Gear Team as they take an entertaining side swipe at the world of cars. Drool over the latest new metal, enjoy banter with celebrity guests, and see the stunts that all go together to make up the new Top Gear.

Recorded on location at the fantastic Dunsfold Aerodrome, this show is A MUST if you like cars that are either new, old, cheap, expensive, exciting, thrilling, pretty or just down right ugly!

Limited tickets available, so book now to avoid disapointment.

LOADS MORE DATES IN JUNE & JULY TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!
The Stig (final answer) - bafta
From the backroom, of course! LOL
The Stig (final answer) - maz64
I didnt see top gear this week or last. What were
the conclusions regarding the EVo VIII and the Subaru


www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/prog16/evoimpreza.shtml

Also said that Evo was like an F16- light, manoeverable; Impreza was an F15- muscular, brutal. Impreza ulitmately an understeerer on the limit, about a second(?) slower with the Stig around the test track.

I'll take one of each please.

John
The Stig (final answer) - Blue_nova
I think they decided that the Subaru would be the one they would chose. If you look at these pages they should answer your question

Subaru:- tinyurl.com/mdld

Evo 8:- tinyurl.com/mdlm
The Stig (final answer) - Cardew
Anne Robinson described the Stig as "'a very famous racing driver','quite short' and 'quite London'

I don't know where Perry Whatshisname comes from, or his size, but by no stretch of the imagination is he a famous racing driver.

And Anne Robinson knows everthing and could not possibly be wrong!
The Stig (final answer) - Wally Zebon
Read all about Perry McCarthy and many other F1 flops here

f1rejects.crosswinds.net/drivers/mccarthy/index.ht...l

Try not to laugh too loud at some of the drivers attempts at F1 fame and glory.



The Stig (final answer) - jonesy127 {P}
Why, have you successfully campaigned a Formula One car?
The Stig (final answer) - Wally Zebon
Every Sunday! But then I wake up just in time to watch a Ferrari take the chequered flag....

Actually, I know its difficult, but I still think I could get an F1 car more than 18 metres down a pit lane.

The Stig (final answer) - SteveH42
The trouble is that more often than not the problems are with the car rather than the driver. Even a lot of the accidents you see are due to breakages rather than driver error, but OTOH, give them some credit - they have to find the limits and sometimes when they are trying to haul a shed around quickly, those limits are lower than they hope.
The Stig (final answer) - David Lacey
I don't think most people wouldn't even be able to even pull away in an F1 car - the clutch is very tricky to operate.
The Stig (final answer) - Altea Ego
I don't think most people wouldn't even be able to even
pull away in an F1 car - the clutch is very
tricky to operate.


Now let me see that would be

1/ hold launch control button
2/ select 1st gear with paddle behind wheel
3/ hold 12k revs with throttle
4/ let go of launch control button


The Stig (final answer) - SteveH42
When it works of course! The sad this is that the 'HP' advert where Ralf and JPM are driving the cars from the stands by radio-control wouldn't actually be all that difficult to do, there is so much of the car controlled by computer these days.
The Stig (final answer) - cinqmeister

>>When it works of course! The sad this is that the 'HP' advert
>>where Ralf and JPM are driving the cars from the stands by
>>radio-control wouldn't actually be all that difficult to do,
>>there is so much of the car controlled by computer these days.


Of course it would be quite difficult... on the circuit they were on, they wouldn't have been able to see the whole way round to know which way they were going...


Cinqmeister,
visiting from www.fiatforum.com
The Stig (final answer) - Pervy Wossname
I don't think most people wouldn't even be able to even
pull away in an F1 car - the clutch is very
tricky to operate.


Only if it's a Renault , surely!
The Stig (final answer) - Mad Trucker
Finally. The truth. Go to 2cvtv.com/2003snetterton/ThumbnailFrame.htm and look at the thumbnail #0115.jpg This shows the team that took part in the 24-hour 2CV race at Snetterton recently. The guy in the red suit is Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond - one of the Sunday evening show's three front-line presenters, alongside Olevi Doctrove and the Reverend Anthony Feltham-White, the 'fasta rasta' and 'racing vicar' who starred in the light-hearted 'Fastest Religion' feature screened in one of last year's shows. And guess who the "Man in Black" is? You've guessed it, it's The Stig!
The Stig (final answer) - teabelly
There is a picture of Perry McCarthy here:
f1rejects.crosswinds.net/drivers/mccarthy/

He looks nothing like the bloke in the picture up at Snetterton. Someone suggested it might be Ben Collins:
www.bencollinsracing.co.uk/profile.htm

This Ben chap looks a little young though. The one in the 2cv race seems to remind me of Anthony Reid or some other Touring Car driver I can't place.
teabelly
The Stig (final answer) - Morris Ox
Remember, there may be more than one 'Stig'...
The Stig (final answer) - Soupytwist
Was in a barber's shop in Lydney, Glos on Saturday morning. As I was waiting my turn in the chair the bloke before me was telling the barber that the publishing company he works for will be publishing the autobiography of "that bloke who's The Stig on Top Gear", unfortunately I didn't hear him say what his actual name was !


Matthew Kelly
No, not that one.
The Stig (final answer) - notbetty
I know this is late, but. A qick search on the internet reveals this at "http://www.sfb.co.uk" SFB is "Speakers For Business and this publicises one of their clients. Perry McCarthy. Of course he is an Essex Man, although nobody seems to mention that


Perry McCarthy
The Stig (from BBC2's Top Gear) and Former Formula 1 Driver
Short Profile
At the age of 42, Perry McCarthy is one of Britain's top racing drivers and is already part of motor racing folklore. He is known to millions of motoring enthusisasts as 'The Stig', the mysterious racing driver who races some of the world's most powerful cars for the BBC's flagship motoring show, Top Gear.

McCarthy's rise through the ranks along with close friends Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell, has been against all odds and in a sport dominated by finance he recalls how he 'started with nothing and then lost it all!'

Perry's 10-year fight to reach the sport's elite paid off in 1992 when he was chosen to drive for the fledgling Andrea Moda Formula One organisation. The dream however turned into a nightmare as the team stumbled from one disaster to the next and in recent years he has turned his attention away from Grand Prix to Le Mans and the demands of Sports Prototype racing.