Jezza, Captain Slow, and the Hamster will reunite for Top Gear Live Tour

By Alexander Kalogianni Published April 3, 2015

The bombshell of Jeremy Clarkson being dropped from Top Gear last week was very much like the season one finale of Game of Thrones: Nobody expected that the main character was going to get the axe, but he did, leaving us all uncertain about what happens next. (and don’t give me the “spoilers” talk, that was four years ago). Fortunately, some fans won’t have to wait long to see the trio reunited.

Some people night not be aware of this, but Top Gear is more than just a television show. There’s a Top Gear magazine that runs independently of the BBC program as well as “Top Gear Live,” a sort of traveling version of the show in which hosts Clarkson, Hammond, and May perform many of their antics in arenas. Along with the car stunts that accompany them, the three are a big part of the draw, as one would expect.

Recommended Videos

After Jezza’s “fracas,” the remaining scheduled live shows were in the same jeopardy as the remaining episodes of the TV show’s season. Top Gear Magazine now reports that those shows will go on, with everyone still involved… just without the “Top Gear” part.

“ …BBC Worldwide has agreed with our joint venture partner Brand Events that the remainder of the tour can continue,” a spokesperson stated. “These events will not, however, feature any BBC Top Gear branding or content. We believe this is a sensible approach in the circumstances.”

The tour will now be renamed “Clarkson, Hammond and May Live” and should continue as planned, although its hard to guess what bits of the show the BBC might lay claim to. Yes, stuff like the branding and the reworked Jessica theme tune are expected to go, but would the company pull segments? Will it say that they built the comical P45 that’s been used in the show?

Only the people who are attending the upcoming shows will know for sure. Right now, it’s like the uncomfortable fallout after the collapse of a long term relationship: The two involved parties are sorting out what belongs to whom, taking down pictures, and trying to figure out how to continue. We’re the folks on the outside that are friends with both of them who knew how much one needed the other, and that neither will be the same.

The show tour will resume in Sydney on April 25th, reuniting the crew publicly for the first time since they’ve been on suspension following Jeremy’s reporting of the incident. No doubt there will be many jokes concerning the whole ordeal, being jobless, and the importance of a warm steak dinner.

Alexander Kalogianni

Former Automotive Editor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

Topics

Cars

Order an Uber and a self-driving Mustang might show up

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Ordering an Uber in London could come with a surprise today. Instead of a conventional car and driver pulling up, you might find a Ford Mustang Mach-E that can drive itself. Uber has launched London's first public robotaxi service in partnership with British autonomous driving company Wayve. The service is available through the Uber app, meaning you don't need to download anything new or book a special type of ride to try it.

There is one important caveat. Although the cars will handle the driving themselves, a trained safety operator will initially sit behind the wheel, ready to intervene if necessary. Fully driverless rides are planned for a later stage. The launch fleet consists of electric Mustang Mach-Es equipped with cameras, radar, and Wayve's AI Driver technology. These systems give the vehicle a 360-degree view of what's happening around it. And if anywhere can put that technology through its paces, London seems like a pretty good candidate.

Cars

Range Rover Electric arrives with 543hp, 600km range, and a starting price of the moon

The electric Range Rover is here, and your wallet may need CPR

Range Rover EV

The Range Rover has never been shy about luxury, size or price, and its first fully electric version is carrying that tradition into the EV era. Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) first battery-electric Range Rover is now open for orders, starting at £154,070, or about $208,420. That makes it one of the most expensive electric SUVs on the market.

The electric model costs almost £50,000 more than the standard combustion-engine Range Rover. It is priced in the same territory as the electric Mercedes-Benz G 580 and not far from ultra-luxury gasoline SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga.

Cars

A solar ambulance has successfully tackled 500 miles of difficult terrain

Stella Juva

For years, solar-powered vehicles have largely lived in the world of prototypes, university projects and ambitious demonstrations. Now, one has completed the kind of test that matters far more than a flashy concept reveal: it drove hundreds of miles through difficult terrain while carrying medical equipment and generating enough electricity to operate independently.

Called Stella Juva, the vehicle was developed by Solar Team Eindhoven, a group of 23 students from Eindhoven University of Technology and two other educational institutions. According to a CNN report, the team describes it as the world's first solar ambulance. Unlike a conventional ambulance, however, Stella Juva is designed less to rush patients to hospitals and more to bring medical care to people who cannot easily reach it.