Former Stig Ben Collins challenges new The Grand Tour’s driver Mike ‘The American’ Skinner to a duel
Ex Top Gear Stig Ben Collins doesn’t rate Clarkson, Hammond's and May's new race track.. or the new driver
THE NATION’s loving Jeremy Clarkson’s new Amazon show The Grand Tour. But ex Top Gear Stig Ben Collins doesn’t rate the new race track.. or the new driver.
In an exclusive interview with , Collins talks Clarkson, Top Gear, his worst Ferrari crash and what he really thinks about modern cars and UK drivers.
What’s the Stig’s view of The Grand Tour?
I’ve just watched it, it was really good and the images are fantastic. But there’s probably a few things they’ll adjust as they go.
It’s tight, twisty and I wasn’t blown away by it
Bless them, I thought the Ebola track was not quite in keeping with the rest of the show. Clarkson calls it the Eboladrome.
I think the track looks pretty basic. It’s tight, twisty and I wasn’t blown away by it.
It’s a similar thing to the Stig.
Who’s better, you or the American?
I could beat the American driver. Show me an F1 driver I couldn’t beat. He’s doing his best.
I could beat the American driver
We’ll have to arrange a duel. I’m sure they’ll be in touch if they want to do something funny like that.
I’m always up for it.
Is The Grand Tour as funny as Top Gear?
I’m going to hold judgment to see the whole series. It’s warming up. They’ve come back in pretty hot.
Are you a fan of the tent?
I did enjoy the shake-up of the studio. There’s only so many times you can go to the studio in Dunsfold. It had become a bit flat. The fact it moves, it really works. It’s a much nicer vibe to see the landscape of the country you’re in.
We had the most fun when we were touring with the live shows because you dive into the culture of wherever you are - South Africa, Amercia. It brings out more of the audience.
Will it be a success?
It’s on the right trajectory. It’s been a long wait since Top Gear the original came off the air.
I’m looking forward to downloading the next episode where they’re all jumping out of helicopters. I heard Jeremy fell out of it, so I’m looking forward to seeing if that made it to the screen.
Will Top Gear die?
The brand’s so big they’ll find a way to innovate and come forward. Chris [Evans] has called it a day, so the show will evolve. It’s got a fantastic slot on BBC2 and the Worldwide footprint, The Stig and the heritage. It will take a long time to stamp out all the enthusiasm there is for Top Gear.
The figures they got weren’t far off where we started in 2002. You’ve got build from somewhere. Hopefully we’ll have two good car shows.
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What do you hate about UK drivers?
Apart from nuking anyone who sits in the middle lane?
Drivers need to think and look further ahead. That’s what my book How to Drive was really about. Save fuel, anticipate traffic and corners, not crash, be smoother, be quicker and all those things.
How do you rate modern cars?
Car companies have fallen into the trap of thinking they need to load cars with ever more technology. They’re turning people off. Every time they add a new system, they claim it’s one less thing for drivers to think about. But drivers just switch off and pick up the phone.
We may have reached peak technology. I’m being slightly facetious. For instance, ABS: there are studies to show it causes more harm because people follow cars more closely. It actually take you longer to stop with ABS. But it is a good tool for people who don’t want to worry about that kind of thing.
Electric power steering: You’ve got a deader steering wheel. It’s going to take 5-6 years before they put the artificial feel back into steering. Hydraulic was better, but it uses a fraction more fuel. It was a better system.
There is some questionable tech coming into cars and I don’t like them as much as cars pre 2010.
Do you like car ads?
I love them because I do a lot of them.
I drove a Range Rover sport down the longest downhill ski run in the world - 15km. Crazy terrain. That was a car ad. Car ads have changed. It’s on TV and the internet. It’s far more adventurous.
Some ads are boring and dull because of a weird law in the UK where it’s ok for a CGI car to do a backflip and land in a ball of flames, but a real car can’t do anything too sporty. Let’s open that up.
Car companies are using ads to expain the joy of driving. I’m all for it.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in a Ferrari?
I hit a wall in a Ferrari 430 on Top Gear. I was pushing it really hard. I was under a lot of pressure, as always. And I skimmed the tyre wall on the follow through. I was mortified. With a racing car, you get used to abusing them, but a supercar?
I knew that I’d marked the car, but I kept my foot in to get the best lap time of the day. The Ferrari guys were so cool about it. I put this horrible black grunge down the side of the car, and they just said, Don’t worry. At Ferrari we have many cars. This is no problem.
It felt so wrong doing that to a priceless car. I grazed the wall. It was a flesh wound. It felt horrible.
You’ve always loved Ferraris?
I’ve had a relationship with Ferrari since I was the hooded bandit on Top Gear. I love the engineering and the passion.
I’m doing some more films with them this year.
What’s your fav Ferrari?
I’ve heard amazing things about the LaFerrari. But the 458 is the best I’ve driven. I love the mid-engined cars, and that was fantastic. Fantastic handling. Hard to surpass that.
I also love the 430 Scuderia because it was the last one with a handbrake.
You’re helping launch Ferrari Land in Spain?
I want to take my three young kids to the launch of Ferrari Land. I love a good rollercoaster.
I’ve been to a lot of rollercoaster parks, and the fact that this is the biggest and fastest in Europe is quite enticing.
I love a good rollercoaster
It’s extreme with the F1 acceleration and the G Forces. And it’s focused on families. Kids get to have a drive as well.
It’s got a waterpark, it’s next to the coast, plus there’s the car element. My kids are into their cars.
I hope the Ferrari designers are there to give talks about the rigours they put these cars through - it’s quite phenomenal. It’s hard to believe how much they abuse these cars in testing to make them work. It’s an untold story.
For more info about Ferrari Land -
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