Jay Leno and the former Stig race around in Aston Martins

By Imad Khan July 10, 2016

EXCLUSIVE: James Bond’s 2017 Aston Martin DB11 - Jay Leno’s Garage

What do you get when you combine elements from two hit car shows from opposite sides of the pond? In the most recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, an automotive show that explores everything car culture, Leno got to race alongside Ben Collins, the former Top Gear Stig, in brand new Aston Martins.

Leno and Collins got behind the new prototype Aston Martin DB11 and V12 Vantage S and raced them around Willow Springs. Because Leno was behind the DB11, which is still in development, he really couldn’t thrash the car around as much as he would have liked. That still didn’t stop Collins, who was also the stunt driver for Quantum of Solace, from driving around like a lunatic. The two tried to recreate a movie car scene to the best of their ability, even with the restricted speed limit.

Jay Leno has been on a roll since leaving the Tonight Show. He started up a YouTube channel titled Jay Leno’s Garage which was soon spun off into a television series for CNBC. The show has been monumentally successful, actually becoming the most watched CNBC freshman program. Recently, Leno escaped serious injury when a stunt car flipped over multiple times while filming. Amazingly Leno and the driver walked out unharmed.

Collins too has kept busy, and not just as a stunt driver. He’s been working on video game development, and contributed heavily to the recent and excellent Project Cars, a sim racing game from Slightly Mad Studios.

Leno still continues to update his YouTube channel, giving more in-depth looks at various cars. From the Acura NSX to more obscure cars like the Rocket II Trike, just about every vehicle you could think of has ended up in Leno’s garage.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Imad has been a gamer all his life. He started blogging about games in college and quickly started moving up to various…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.