Thus began the legend of The Stig. Some say the Black Stig never died, and if you listen carefully you can hear him at abandoned racetracks at midnight.

@thegooldash2443

3 жыл бұрын

Always followed by the distant rumbling of the drowned jaguars motor Some even claim finding him near londons beaches, but the moment someone tried to come closer he would instantly speed off in an algae covered jaguar

@spinejackel

3 жыл бұрын

the stig is a camera-comfortable cryptid, but i’m all for freerange cryptid black stig

@scoot.112

3 жыл бұрын

But how can you hear him he doesn’t make any noise

@MatthewPettyST1300

3 жыл бұрын

When Gandalf in LOTR change from Gandalf the grey to Gandalf the "White". He gained all kinds of powers. I think that happened here with the Stig skills over car handling ! Transforming to White increased every aspect of car handling. Just a thought of mine.

@fusiongamerx412

3 жыл бұрын

actually, the death of black stig was just a fake! He's actually alive, The white suit stig is the black suit stig!

barely any people in the studio and then after a few seasons its awlays jam packed

@sadladd

7 жыл бұрын

And there's completely different types of people in the audience. Back then, there was middle-aged car nerds, now there's hot girls and... other people.

@sadladd

7 жыл бұрын

I completely take my last statement back! Back then, there was middle-aged car nerds, now there's... no one.

@gn01036238

7 жыл бұрын

more middle-aged car nerds.

@netweed09

5 жыл бұрын

Where there's an audience (and cameras), there's girlz, the hot type mostly

@johnhotchkiss9842

3 жыл бұрын

It turned out later on they paid people to stay in the studio. Clarkson and co admitted it. They said filming would go on for so long they would pay people to stay in the studio.

Plot twist: The Stig was James May the entire time.

@3dgar7eandro

4 жыл бұрын

🤯🤯🤯

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

It could be because these lap times were atrocious for a "racing driver".

@woodenhoe

3 жыл бұрын

well he did became the stig for some time

@cccp2846

3 жыл бұрын

He cant be because the stig once kick May in da PLUMS

@oussamahamouda9251

3 жыл бұрын

@@cccp2846 no it was the stig’s Chinese cousin

so little audience . Early days huh .....

@boardernut

9 жыл бұрын

first ever episode of the "new" topgear.

@chiefcaptn1922

6 жыл бұрын

No nah keep it in your pants

@MrWolfSnack

5 жыл бұрын

Series 1, episode 1, 2002.

@jakob9614

5 жыл бұрын

Subaru owners club

@90AlmostFamous

4 жыл бұрын

No sheelas lol

Stig was just going through his Emo/Goth phase at this point.

@oddessydied

3 жыл бұрын

The Stig’s teenage cousin

@enveloreal

3 жыл бұрын

Stigga

@khoralis6458

3 жыл бұрын

@@enveloreal HAHA

@francescozennaro7197

2 жыл бұрын

Typical metalhead phase. He was an adolescent at the time.

@demonslayer1735

2 жыл бұрын

Hey it’s you again what’s up

"one minute twenty three! I don't think we will ever see that beaten on this show!" amazing how Zonda managed after a few years to get one minute eight!

@btk7834

8 жыл бұрын

+samed halafi "this series"

@weston9106

8 жыл бұрын

In Britain series means season

@davidtatelo

6 жыл бұрын

The have made water ponds of half the corners in this one...

@Psiberzerker

3 жыл бұрын

1:08.5.

@harryj7864

3 жыл бұрын

It was 1:18 not 1:08

Even this early drab top gear with clarkson and a 5 year old Hammond is better than the new top gear series.

@HisameArtwork

2 жыл бұрын

ikr XD i always thought hamster was after captain slow. didn't know he had seniority over May

i guess the stig has something in common with michael jackson...from black to white

@insertusernamehere5055

8 жыл бұрын

+The Host Ohh!

@beeter3588

6 жыл бұрын

Nick Navata too bad black suit and white suit sting are probably different people

@heinman6250

6 жыл бұрын

Some say he’s basically Michael Jackson

@drewgaming2882

5 жыл бұрын

Nick Navata that was good

@MrWolfSnack

5 жыл бұрын

...and then he died.

James May was the stig in series 1 that's why he wasn't presenting

@JackpotButtonLewis

8 жыл бұрын

+Travis Berry Actually it was Perry McCarthy, ex Formula 1 driver and then Ben Collins, former racing and stunt driver

@underground2stillcancelled757

5 жыл бұрын

@@JackpotButtonLewis r/wooosh

@cresbalundo8845

3 жыл бұрын

@@underground2stillcancelled757 i think he was just correcting him

@noahlbecker

3 жыл бұрын

@@underground2stillcancelled757 r/itswooooshwith4o’s

@fuhrerchan479

3 жыл бұрын

Oh shit look, it's the redditors

Amazing to think that in the early days the audience was just a bunch of car nerds now it’s packed with people of all kinds

@jnr1989

8 ай бұрын

I just see senior/matured men around the audience.

Its sad this stig died from washing its hair in a volcano... That was the First and Last time stig took of its helmet.

@ivarsimonsson6239

7 жыл бұрын

SLIM J1M1 don't you mean said?

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

It was fake?

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

@@oaz8 washing his hair in a volcano?

@burnoutlegend0185

3 жыл бұрын

@@sukhdevr3489 yes!

@Packle.

3 жыл бұрын

Hold on I remember this stig dying after driving a jag off a carrier.

Wow, watching this really makes me think about how this show has developed over the years. Bigger studio, more people, more cars, white stig(s), james, all older etc. I remember the good old days:)

@SamD.Coffey

Жыл бұрын

You have no idea buddy.

Interesting how some of the corner names fell out of use. Obviously there’s Carpenters which became Gambon, but nobody ever talks about the Crooner Curves and Willson at the start of the lap, Bentley through the tyres or Bacharach just becoming the second to last corner.

@BatMan-xr8gg

3 жыл бұрын

Away from the line, the first turn you come to is a little kink called Crooner Curve, named in honour of the original Stig's fondness for easy listening music. Willson Bend, named after former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson Chicago, another old Stig favourite. This bit of the track was designed by Lotus and is what its boffins call a 'steady state' corner. This is a tricky and testing corner, named because, erm, it's sort of hammerhead-shaped. Bentley Bend is a tribute to former Top Gear producer Jon Bentley, who now makes a living popping up on Channel Five and explaining things. Bacharach corner, now more commonly known as 'the second-to-last corner', this was originally named as a tribute to another one-time Stig favourite, Burt Bacharach. This corner was originally called Carpenters - yes, another reference to old Stig's musical preferences - but when legendary actor all-round splendid chap Sir Michael Gambon almost flipped our old Liana here, so they named it in his honour.

1:51 that mans wink could stop a war

@Damian-el1sw

2 жыл бұрын

Or start it

Ah. The birth and beginnings of a legendary cast member Top Gear. It's amazing how the series goes on and the Mysteries behind the Stig the come deeper in stranger and the introductions become funnier and funnier. In the 1 minute 23 Second lap time that Jeremy says he doesn't think we will ever see beaten is slow in comparison to shows at the later seasons and it really shows how supercars progressed very quickly after that. The Zonda and the Murcielago really set the Benchmark times for future cars

Started from the bottom now we here

@ThumberBulls6

6 жыл бұрын

now we fell way back under bottom

@MondySpartan

3 жыл бұрын

Bottom gear.

@sohrabakaberian7135

3 жыл бұрын

They fell back to the bottom when those 3 left the show...

Fun fact: The random puddles are because they thought it would be more fair if they could make the track wet for every lap, so they used a water tanker to spray the track down before a lap, but it was shit and just ended up having patches of random water everywhere so they ditched the idea after a few episodes.

man this show was really ahead of its time

@Ved_Overclocked

3 жыл бұрын

Top gear has to be one of the most underrated shows ever I mean you don't have to like cars to like this show!!

@insayn7995

3 жыл бұрын

@@Ved_Overclocked exactly, just the humor alone was incredible.

I love the 1st episodes, hardly any crowd, and just simple on the spot script

"which you need to have a cellular phone for" aaand then is when you remember this clip is over 12 years old

@park7985

3 жыл бұрын

more like twenty, it aired in 2002

@xbruteplayz3245

3 жыл бұрын

@@park7985 ah, i was going off the YT upload date lol

I'm so glad they changed the names to "second-to-last corner" and "Gambon"

After season 1 there were plans to change almost everything. So the Stig was killed because the character was planned to omit for good. Both Hammond and Jason Dawe were planned to sack. Only Jeremy as the central force was planned to stay. Someway Hammond remained but it was very close. But Jason was sacked. Stig returned as white Stig beacuse the show was turned much more into humor and Stig started to work as some object of aburdic jokes.

@shroomzed2947

6 жыл бұрын

Black Stig was around longer than series 1 you know. I don't think he was killed off until the beginning of series 3 actually.

@netweed09

5 жыл бұрын

People are always slave to unnecessary change; it's just ego-tripping from the directors but yea they'll slap you with spiralling viewing figures (aka: Success) Meanwhile; Jeremy only got to drive the amazing F-type in 2015 and has probably never touched a Cayman GTS, lol

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

@@shroomzed2947 yeah but it was still in the plan just not executed till a year later

@jaspersimkins1784

3 жыл бұрын

but in the start of season2 james may was introduced

@MasterofSpiders

3 жыл бұрын

Black Stig (Perry McCarthy) was only dropped because he, like Collins later, released an autobiography in which he said he was The Stig.

Zonda posts a faster lap time, puts it below the Lamborghini.

the story goes that they wanted consistent times, so they planned to have the track wet all the time. however, they under estimated how much water that would take, and it just ended up being a few strategically placed wet spots, until they gave up altogether.

i honestly love that full black that the stig had

@brucelamberton8819

3 жыл бұрын

Black Stigs Matter

@Paragon13

3 жыл бұрын

I honestly prefer the white suit, but both are really cool.

@nswoqm

3 жыл бұрын

@@Paragon13 fair enough

@matrixpictures7799

2 жыл бұрын

@@brucelamberton8819 stigga

01:48 What is that one guy plotting?

@mark_prothero

6 жыл бұрын

Which one, three of them look like they're about to commit mass genocide

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

DEATH

This is a historic moment that needs to be documented in an museum

1:29 extremely good 😂

Amazing how few audience members there and how small the production value was then. At its height, the three presenters got a worldwide audience of 350 million, highest for any show ever and waiting list for tics to see it being filmed was 19 years 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Amazing to think Lewis Hamilton was only 15 sec slower than the Lambo in some crappy Suzuki... in the wet!

@sukhdevr3489

4 жыл бұрын

Or this black Stig was a terrible driver...

@patrick7695

3 жыл бұрын

15s in racing world is like an eternity 0-100 in 3 seconds vs 0-100 in 18 seconds is not "only 15s slower" Its 30 years of advancing technology

@lapamful

3 жыл бұрын

@@patrick7695 naturally, but you're talking about a Suzuki Liana against a Lambo Merci! And the crappy Liana was in the wet!!! The point of my comment is that Lewis Hamilton is clearly a witch :P

@patrick7695

3 жыл бұрын

@@lapamful yeah thats true, he is beyond talented for the sport...legend

@Nightshade_787B

3 жыл бұрын

@@sukhdevr3489 I'd like to see if you have better driving skills than Stig or driving skills at all...

i absolutely adore'd seeing these 2000s icons being driven round the track, the murcielago with the gated manual, my bedroom poster car and my unobtainable dream car

It’s amazing to see that they’ve been this way since day one. So basically they stay true to themselves for 20 years now

Its a shame they never re-tested the Zonda after they went back to the Murcielago in Season 3 to do a much better time. I always felt it could atleast knock 3 or 4 seconds off its 1:23.8 time seen here on a completely dry track with the then-new Stig.

I like how they just refer to the stig like he’s just an animal or something

Look how far they came, even this is more satisfying to watch the the new Top Gear

Rewatching these old episodes make me feel old

is it normal watching this makes me sad?? im a huge fan of top gear, and I feel kinda proud on how much the show has evolved... amazing.... look at that, few people in the crowd and only 2 cars in the lap time board!! :O

The faces of the people behind alway cracks me up and pisses me of at the same time.

It’s crazy how the studio wasn’t packed

Great memories, one of the first episodes of the modern version of Top Gear.

wow this is amazing how old this is. like 20 people there. nothing on the lap time board. different camera angles. he even has to explain who stig is. im happy this show grew so much bigger

Honestly I'm glad the black Stig left, he didn't drive anywhere NEAR as good as the newer ones. I think the drag race was unfair and the race was with this black stig. The new stig made the Lamborghini faster. ;D

@Buildingblox17

9 жыл бұрын

samed halafi​ I know he died, but he also left due to his "death"

@Callllum

7 жыл бұрын

Buildingblox17 very racist imo

@jameshavenga4998

7 жыл бұрын

Callum Docherty Well after a comment like that I don't think anyone cares about your opinion

@Teezythadon

5 жыл бұрын

But....he's the reason they call it the Stig. They wanted to call him the Gimp. So he made his contribution.

10 years and 1 day old. Incredible how huge it's become now. Near empty hanger to a 250 million viewer global audience and amazing films too. Also Zonda C12S, personally my favourite Zonda of all time. And if anybody doesn't know and is curious, black Stig is former GT and 1 time F1 driver Perry McCarthy

I could tell. Amazing how the show was changed!!! Thanks!!

I always forget how amazing the zonda sounds

This is the first episode of new Top Gear, so 2002 :)

I just realized this is almost 20 years ago now

So quaint to see them so excited about those lap times

Back when The Stig was black and there was Jason Dawe instead of James May

go on an internet HAHA

Thank God they got substantially better at filming the lap times quickly. That was nearly what I was used to. Lol

That purple Murcie was beautiful , and a gated one at that, Nice!

Top gear fans watching this in 2021

I liked watching this. It had a more laid back atmosphere before it felt like they were trying extra hard to be funny.

this is actually the first episode of new top gear, back in 2002 the reason the corners were wet was because they wanted to make every lap consistent but the water kept drying and they said they just ended up with a big water bill

I don't think they could of expected this show to get many cars, by the size of the board they got.

"Some say his name is Ben Collins..."

@georgemorley1029

3 жыл бұрын

Perry McCarthy.

@BatMan-xr8gg

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgemorley1029 Ben Collins replaced Perry

@georgemorley1029

3 жыл бұрын

@@BatMan-xr8gg Please show me where Ben Collins is in this video.

@BatMan-xr8gg

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgemorley1029 I did not say Ben was in this video. So I don't know how you came to that conclusion. It is fact, Previously another racing driver, Perry McCarthy, played a black-suited Stig but was replaced by Collins as the white Stig in 2003 after McCarthy also revealed his identity in a book.

when did they rename the corners?

@Shenmoki

9 жыл бұрын

It changed slowly as the show went on - The final corner for instance was re-named when Michael Gambon rolled on that corner.

@bensstuff1889

4 жыл бұрын

Ye what the hell is the 'carpenters corner'

@vincentyzer1627

3 жыл бұрын

@@bensstuff1889 named after one of the old rock bands the stig listened to

James May started in series 2 & the reason the track is wet in some places is they tried to make the whole track wet so every car would go round in the same conditions but it didn't really work

That Pagani Zonda is such a gorgeous car.

Wow, the first zonda on the track 1:23 the last Zonda 1:08.5

@natshirley101

7 жыл бұрын

I thought that was a poor lap and was a bit wet round hammer head. A 1:21 or even a 1:20 could have been possible I reckon.

That is not the stig but it is the stig ninja cosine lol

i love how you think this is more recent than the other videos you've seen.

Barney murcie with a 6spd and silver wheels... I don’t think it could ever get better than that

Great footage. Dire commentary from Clarckson. Best watched on mute.

@Ved_Overclocked

3 жыл бұрын

I still can't believe that this is in 360p yet looks so good

Even the normal Lamborghini Murcielago 6.2 liters is way much faster than the Pagani Zonda!

@awakenedsoul2638

9 жыл бұрын

David Martin Wooow you know what I'm saying, that is good and thank you for the plus +1!

@mattarmoogam5041

9 жыл бұрын

Ur a dumbass if you think thatt

@awakenedsoul2638

9 жыл бұрын

SuperGugax You understand my comment! Give me more Plus 1+!

@SINSSTER They explained later that they were purposely trying to make the track wet, but didn't have enough water. That's why they tested the Murcielago again with a dry track and it got a much better lap time. Actually went to the top of what they had at the time. I don't know if they did the same with the Zonda, though.

Everyone: Stig Captions: *s t e a k*

Zonda S is best.

I have moved on from Lamborghinis...

@homeofthemad3044

8 жыл бұрын

+sam fletcher im proud of you

such humble beginnings

Painful how fast the years fly by...

is it just me or is this stig a much worse driver than the later one??

@AdityaSharma-ng3bc

3 жыл бұрын

He was James may What else to expect

@lyh0619

3 жыл бұрын

there were water and oil on the track on purpose

Am I the only one who thinks that that lambo looks hideous?

@PPP777HHH

10 жыл бұрын

most lambo look like a jet fighter or stealth while pagani on the other hand is like a mixture of F1 and creativity

@hakeemsd70m

9 жыл бұрын

You have no taste. Tell me, is it the color?

@otaimaksimaify

7 жыл бұрын

John Cheesecake personally I think the murcielago design is really lacking compared to gallardo

@zakariaameur7138

6 жыл бұрын

John Cheesecake yes you are

@PROcrastiDRIVESVofficial

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, you certainly are.

lol look at the amount of peple in the background in the studio compared to when you watch the show now. Amazing how its popularity has increased

Lol! Their crowd, their studio, The Stig! Its all so different. :o

I never would have thought the Zonda would be faster around the track than the Murcielago. That was what, eight years ago??

Here we are in 2021 where KZread's recommended bring us back to this video from 11 years ago

It's unbelievable how much Top Gear grew after this. It got so much more professional, but at the same time so much more ridiculous. It the good sense of the word.

2002. first episode of new topgear. love it!

i love how tiny and awkward the crowd is vs how it is now

this is the 1st episode of new top gear

they do have their own website with newer ones. or you could order their dvds.

wow, one of the first episodes of topgear

Oh my that segment was so tepid, haha The Stig looked a lot more nervous behind the wheel than in later seasons.

1st day at work: drive a Zonda as fast as you can around there. Best job ever.

Haha the introduction on The Stig!!

What's with all the water on the corners, just for dramatic effect?

@Ved_Overclocked

3 жыл бұрын

I agree, also with the water on the corners it'll make the tire slippery which could result in a an accident

@Ridcully72

3 жыл бұрын

Clarkson did explain this in an interview once. Due to the weather been somewhat unpredictable in Britain they had the great idea of always having a wet track to give a fair comparison between all the cars. The initial idea was to soak the whole track, then it was just to soak the corners, unfortunately all they ended up with was a large expense for the tankers and water, and a few large puddles.

"I don't think I can ever imagine it being beaten throughout the series!"

It feels weird watching old Top Gear, still good at least!

WOW ! The first Stig emission ???????? the start of a legend :D

Oh wow...this is from the very first episode! Nice.

Back when even the most extreme sport cars were manual

Man you can really tell they got better at announcer skills on their lap

I love how despite the constant fooling about TopGear did, their track is actually sublime to test cars on and having an independent racing driver whose only job is to throw cars around said track ASAP is quite a good concept as well. I think Grand Tour perfectly summed up why. You either get someone with a hateful character who you'd wish shut up (The American) or you'd have Abbie Eaton who you'd prefer if she did more than just rag cars about. If you don't know who you're looking at, you don't know what you're missing.

I love how there are maybe 12 people in the audience.

you see how this was one of the first episodes and theres not many people and now they have a bonch of people

Future watching this video be like: What's an internet?

Why were these laps so much more interesting

it would of been nice to see the zonda cinque around their track