Whereas Ferrari choose either the backdrop of a flowing mountain road, or some sideways action with Nando around Fiorano, their Italian neighbour Lamborghini usually adopt a more ‘edgy’ theme and with the more approachable 700 bhp Aventador, they seem more intent than ever to accentuate just how much rage there is left in the old bull.

These latest ads by the agency Philipp und Keuntje GmbH, Hamburg, Germany are beautifully illustrated by Herr Müller and depict four states of pain experienced when driving the Aventador.

Like the car, they’re unconventional, which is clearly Lamborghini’s intent behind the campaign, but it almost feels like they are compensating for the increased refinement and civility which has inevitably touched its most powerful of supercars.

But with Ferrari positioning itself as the automotive equivalent of Don Giovanni, the bull fighters from Sant’Agata are staying true to their heavy metal roots. On acid.

It’s good to see parent company Audi taking such good care of the brand.

The Truth Hurts: Gunshot

“It’s not a car, it’s a weapon. Sounds like a gunshoot and feels like one too.” - Michael Köckritz, Ramp Magazin.

The Truth Hurts: Delirium

“The acceleration is apocalyptic. It can deliver pure delirium on demand.” - James May, Top Gear.

The Truth Hurts: Eyeballs

“If you slam on the brakes at 100km/h, you come to a halt in just 30 meters. Your eyeballs should then pop back into their sockets.” - Ulrich Safferling, Auto-Illustrierte.

The Truth Hurts: Neck

“Gearshifts can be as unforgiving as a professionally executed punch in the neck.” - Jan Baedeker, Classicdriver.com.

Higher-res Image Gallery

20 years later and what was once primarily a consumer electronics company is moving ever closer to becoming a pure-play software and services provider, as the market for navigation systems moves away from its proprietary roots.

With the rapid success of in-car iOS devices (iPhones and iPads) and the move by manufacturers such as Renault, Opel and Mazda to offer semi-integrated systems in their new cars, sales of personal navigation devices have been tumbling – down by almost 25% in the last quarter.

So, what are TomTom to do?

Thankfully, much to the relief of their shareholders, TomTom has recently announced a EUR50 million restructuring program with a move away from devices, which are expected to decline by a further 19% in 2012, and given fresh impetus to their OEM fitments and software apps (the silly voices and suchlike).

Bert & Ernie

So hopefully that should have provided some background to TomTom’s latest foray into the world of Sesame Street.

Far from being a trivial bit of fun, the partnership with Jim Henson’s Muppets is a serious commercial endeavour to increase sales of TomTom’s voice add-ons, which at the price of a music CD (£7.95) can add up to quite a serious amount of income.

Currently there are 93 separate voices including Yoda, SpongeBob Squarepants, Snoop Dogg, The Simpsons, John Cleese and Darth Vader to name but a few.

The latest campaign is all about Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie, and it’s the perfect accessory to deal with bored kids asking, “..are we nearly there yet?”

Following on from the success of the Darth Vader and Yoda campaigns, this latest behind-the-scenes film sees Bert & Ernie clowning around in the recording studio as they progress slowly through the script.

Goodness knows how they managed to complete the whole package, but that’s part of the great appeal of these voice add-ons, they provide a genuinely entertaining addition to any car journey (with or without the kids) and serve to underline TomTom’s unique personality in a crowded marketplace of mainly functional products.

 Here are Three samples of the finished recording
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If you like that, then you’ll probably like these..

It can become something of an obsession, collecting more voices for your TomTom navigation system, so to help you decide, here’s some of our other favourites promotions including a new limited edition package for Top Gear fans.

For the marketing statisticians there’s one final question to answer, “Are these campaigns successful?” Without venturing too far into the specific performance of each campaign the Darth Vader viral has been watched 4,224,559 times and received 18,916 likes (since May 2010), Yoda has attracted 2,260,677 views and 9,381 likes, whilst our friends Bert & Eddie have already attracted 338,123 views in the past 10 days.

Ultimately what matters is how many viewers then go on to buy the voices from TomTom, but I suspect you would agree that several million views is not a bad starting point.

The basic principles behind online video consumption still apply – if a brand would like to engage new customers, then it must first produce content that people actually want to watch.

This future form of branded content will cannibalise today’s unwanted display ads, and the chances are the mode of persuasive communication will be just as peripheral as Bert & Ernie’s video – but with sufficient cognitive hints to convert the resulting good vibes into a purchase.

Top Gear Edition

For a limited period, TomTom are offering this special Top Gear Edition package, with unique Top Gear points of interest, car icons, start-up and shut-down screens, the voice of Jeremy Clarkson and a special ‘Stig Mode’ for muting the device.

Darth Vader – behind-the-scenes

Watch Lord Vader during the recording of his GPS voice for TomTom.

Yoda – behind-the-scenes

Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. This one a long time have I watched and now the time for direction to change, it is.

Disclosure: This article was brought to you by the letter ‘A’ and sponsored by TomTom, however all views expressed within are entirely our own. Sponsored articles are accepted at our own discretion and only where we believe the increased perspective will benefit our readers. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, then get in touch via email or using the contact tab on this page.

As each new Hilux is launched, the task gets harder and harder to convey just how tough and indestructible it has become – but they’ve pulled out all the stops for this latest Hilux. The 2012 model has been given a comprehensive re-style from the A-pillar forwards, with a new bonnet, radiator grille, headlamps and bumper, plus new wheel designs and new side bars and steps for the top-of-the-range Hilux Invincible.

Interior materials have been improved, CO2 emissions have been reduced (194 g/km for 2.5-litre Double Cab) and of course Toyota reckon it’s even more unbreakable than ever. It will be on sale here in the UK from October, priced at £16,090 for the entry-level Single Cab HL2 4WD 2.5-litre.

So, how unbreakable is it now? Well, Toyota’s Australian, New Zealand and South African teams have kicked off their campaigns with the following ads. They’re good, but are they as good as our all-time favourite Toyota Hilux ad (“Bugger”)? – which up until now has reigned supreme.

Take a look below and let us know what you think. We’ve also included the original Top Gear episodes to remind you why the Hilux has such an enviable reputation.

Toyota Australia – ‘Unbreakable’

Toyota New Zealand – ‘Tougher Than You Can Imagine’

Toyota South Africa – ‘Toughness Rubs Off’

Toyota New Zealand – ‘Bugger’

Made as a follow up to the beloved Barry Crump/Lloyd Scott Toyota ads, “Bugger” follows a series of farming mishaps each provoke the laconic comment — “bugger”. The role of ‘Hercules’ the dog plus the performance of the hapless farmer made for one of New Zealand’s most iconic advertisements and a symbol of Kiwi pop culture.

The Advertising Standards Authority received 120 complaints about the ad, but subsequently ruled that it was not in breach of the advertising codes and was unlikely to cause serious offence. It was originally released in August 1999.

Killing a Toyota Top Gear – BBC

Jeremy Clarkson drives a Toyota Hilux around in the hope of disproving the manufacturer’s claims about its indestructibility. He crashes the Hilux into bits of Bristol and trees, parks it in the sea and then drives it through a shed and drops a caravan on it. His final act involved parking it on a tower block before it is raised to the ground by a demolition team. Did he manage to kill the Hilux? Nope. Eventually he concedes that it might, just might, actually be indestructible.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

UPDATE: If you missed the live event, the edited highlights video is now available to watch. Take a look at the bottom of this page.

The race which will be broadcast live from 3pm (BST) later today will be run within a purpose-built game within GT5 called, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event.

With Coulthard in the driving seat, Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard will provide commentary and present the live broadcast. To add to the drama the track will remain a secret until the day to give all competitors a fair chance at victory, although perhaps in a deliberate faux-pas Legard announced on Twitter this morning “F1 star v virtual racers. Who’ll be champion around Dunsfold? #topgeartrack TODAY”.

He later corrected himself by tweeting, “Assuming it is there, of course. Like the stig, Some things aren’t always what they seem. Watch this space…”.

Jeremy Hart interviewed Martin Brundle for The Telegraph last week, who said, “When I first heard about this competition I thought it was DC racing gamers on a computer game, and he’s absolutely hopeless at that,” chortles Brundle. Then he gets serious. “But in a real SLS I think he’ll give them a good run for their money.”

“When I drive a car on a game, it amazes me how real it can feel. I recognise some of the traits of the real car in the digital version. But until you have felt the real car, the grip, the fear, you haven’t got a reference point. That’s why a digital racer needs the racing experience as well.”

Brundle then goes on to say, “In a real car you have to trust you can turn into a bend at 180mph and the car will stick and you won’t go off and kill yourself,” says Brundle. “If you go off the track during a game, it doesn’t hurt. That’s why we are still a long way from someone coming from virtual racing becoming a world champion. There are so many levels to being a top-flight racing driver. How to set up the car, read the weather and race wheel to wheel.”

Meanwhile at Mercedes-Benz World, Surrey, 24 prize draw winners will be battling it out to qualify for their place in the big race, and the lucky few who set the top six qualifying times will then compete against Coulthard in real time at Mercedes’ Brooklands venue, where visitors are welcome to come along and watch the action for themselves.

The GT5 contestant that sets the fastest lap will win an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Brazilian Formula 1™ Grand Prix on 27 November.

If you weren’t lucky enough to make it through to the final 24 players, then you can still compete against Coulthard in the SLS AMG by entering the specially created in-game ‘seasonal event’ on GT5. Leaderboard information for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available on www.gran-turismo.com

The in-game Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available until Monday 26 September so there’s plenty of time to earn those bragging rights, but make sure you tune in this afternoon to gain some pointers on how to beat an F1 driver..

Edited Highlights

To mark the release of EA Games’ highly anticipated Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit on November 19th, EA have teamed up with Urban Music Awards winning and MOBO nominated group Roll Deep and Ben Collins (The Driver Previously Known As The Stig) to film a series of teaser videos in the build up to a Hollywood-style cinematic trailer featuring both Roll Deep and Ben Collins which is available now [View on SkiddPlayer].

The latest instalment in the Need for Speed promotional trailers is 'Pagani v Lamborghini: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit' - filmed on the winding mountain roads just outside Venice, the Hollywood style trailer demonstrates the monstrous power of the Pagani Zonda Cinque as it's pursued by a cop liveried Lamborghini Murcielago Interceptor - both of which can be driven in game. The trailer contains a combination of real video intermixed with gameplay. Click to watch in SkiddPlayer

We showed you the preview footage a few weeks ago featuring the first shots of Roll Deep as they don their police uniforms and strike up some friendly banter with Ben Collins.

The preview video offered a glimpse of the main cinematic trailer where the band races a new breed of Lamborghini police car in a high speed hot pursuit to the soundtrack of ‘TEAM’, one of the lead tracks from their new album.

To celebrate the release of this high-octane live action trailer, SkiddMark has teamed up with EA Games to give away 3 copies of the new Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit game, all you’ve got to do is answer the following simple question:

(Note: The competition closes on Friday 3rd December 2010 at 11:59pm GMT and we wish you the very best of luck)

The Competition Question

We will contact the winners within 48 hours of the competition closing, however if you’d like to find out even sooner then follow us on Twitter at (@DriversRepublic.)

[contact-form 7 "NeedForSpeed_HotPursuit"]

A fleet of the sexiest, fastest, hottest cars are headed to the LA launch party which is the last leg of a 7-city roll out for the anticipated ”race of chase” driving game – accompanied by an entourage of Lamborghinis, Audi R8s, Spyker Spyders, Aston Martin DB9s and Mercedes SLSs.

Guests will be able to peep and take pictures with the launch super cars – most of which are featured in the game. Guests will also get to witness the rising star that is hip hop act Chiddy Bang, the MTV ”Buzzworthy” musical headliner.

The party, featuring HD game kiosks and all-night complimentary cocktails, is an invitation-only event but you can win a spot on the guest list by hot-footing over to the event website and registering your details.

Winning guests will be contacted directly by the promoter of the event, KingSize USA.

The game features several of Lamborghini’s finest including a Reventón and a LP560-4 and to mark the occasion Totally Dynamic wrapped three Lamborghinis to replicate their on screen appearance for the launch event at Longcross Test Centre in Surrey.

Speed was the order of the day for the work carried out by Totally Dynamic’s South London centre. Wrapped on the 25th October, the supercars were then used at the launch event on the 27th, unwrapped the same day and returned in mint condition on the 28th.

During the high profile launch event, the Lamborghinis were driven around the track by members of the grime music collective Roll Deep, recent winners at this year’s Urban Music Awards, with Ben Collins, formerly The Stig in Top Gear, on hand to drive a selection of Porsches around the track during the day.

A Demo version of the game is currently available from the EA Games website, for Xbox and PS3 consoles, whilst the full game will be on sale from November 11th simultaneously for all platforms (Xbox, PS3, PC, Wii).

Website: Totally Dynamic and on Twitter at @Totally_Dynamic.

When examining the vast array of videos, microsites and social media content we concluded that there was simply too much – the average viewer neither has the time nor the interest to wade through 24 videos (now 26 including the recent V60 promotions) and such dilution of their focus can subsequently undermine sharing on social media channels as our brief analysis of the views and shares appears to prove.

The response we received from readers at the time was one of suspicion, doubting the likelihood of a truly fun Volvo and figuring that with such a double-barreled charm offensive, Volvo were turning up the volume on their promotional activities to drown out any dissenters. “Let the car speak for itself…” they told us, rather than telling us how naughty it was – whatever that means!

So last weekend we joined Volvo’s Naughty Track Event and we brought along competition winner Kevin Matthews to provide a readers’s perspective. Kevin previously owned a Subaru Impreza Turbo, so he should be able to smell a rat if Volvo’s marketing team has been overly ambitous in it’s numerous references to the S60′s sporty nature.

You can read about Kevin’s impression of the day in the seperate article, “Naughty Volvo, The Competition Winner’s Story”.

What’s the S60 really like?

I’ve driven plenty of Volvos in the past, they’re safe, quite quick sometimes but ultimately a bit… beige. Let’s face it, Volvo’s average customer is a million miles away from the type that frequents a certain Munich brand, so when Volvo say that the S60 is a sporty and dynamic car to drive, I peg my expectations back a few notches.

First up in our Naughty Volvo experience is the Pro-Drive event, where a professional racing driver shows us around the Top Gear track at Dunsford. I step in beside Brazillian race driver Tommy Erdos – former British Formula Renault champion, BTCC competitor and race finisher in the Le Mans 24 Hours. As befits a top-level driver Tommy’s style of driving is smooth, economical and fearless.

He starts slowly showing me around the track, then after a lap he ups the pace. First up Tommy explains how much he enjoys driving the S60 around this track, “…it’s not boring, in fact it’s great fun to really get the S60 sliding – my passengers love that!” Tommy demonstrates just how balanced the S60 is when trail-braked into the left-right of Hammerhead, the S60′s tail kicks out as we brake and turn for the left-hander but the transition into the long right-hand corner exit is undramatic, there’s little understeer and the S60′s body control made the maneuver look easy.

The next trick Tommy wants to show me is the flat-right through Wilson Bend towards Follow-Through, his initial turn-in is aggressive to show how stable the S60 is at these high speeds (110 mph at this point), he really takes liberties with the S60 (and its Continental SportContact3 tyres), but despite the howls of protest from the tarmac beneath us the S60 isn’t fussed. He carries the speed into Follow-Through with his right-foot pinned to the floor – we’re well above 100 mph at this point and I can see that Tommy’s enjoying taking the S60 by the scruff of the neck in a way that would feel unnatural in most ordinary road cars.

Bacharach Bend is perhaps the most difficult on the circuit to get right, it’s unsighted and its exit leads into Gambon corner – another important corner which leads onto the longest straight and where the start/finish line is located. Surprisingly the S60 responds well to a lift of the throttle, so if entry speed is a little too ambitous into Bacharach the driver can still trim the S60′s line before tackling Gambon.

This is very un-Volvo like. Shouldn’t it be understeering horribly by now?

We're entering Bacharach Bend at around 90 mph and Tommy has lifted to dial in some oversteer before the next corner, Gambon. This is the maximum lean-angle you'll experience in the S60.

On our cooling-down lap Tommy explains that the S60′s chassis is essentially inert yet still responds well to a driver’s bidding, so the average driver will just feel confident and safe, whilst the more experienced driver can enjoy taking liberties safe in the knowledge that the S60 will not bite back. Ahh, so that’s why Volvo were calling the S60 the Naughty Volvo – strong and sensible on the outside, but when nobody’s looking it likes nothing better than to lay big black lines along the tarmac.

The S60 and I are going to get along just fine…

Behing the wheel

Our first taste from the driving seat of the S60 was with V70 Police car sat directly behind us – there’s nothing to fear but fear itself! A series of activities ensued – being chased through a slalom, practicing lift-off oversteer and testing out Volvo’s pedestrian detection with auto braking technology. As we progressed through the day our respect for Volvo’s achievements became ever more clear.

A scene we all dread, but this was just part of the fun on Volvo's Naughty Track Event.

The transformation Volvo have achieved over previous models is truly remarkable, the S60 steers crisply with just enough weight and feedback to suit enthusiast drivers Its brakes stood up with little protest to the punishment of repeated track use and it was genuinely fun to hustle around the various courses laid on for us on the day.

But does it stand comparison with BMW’s 3-series, or Mercedes’ C-class? Surprisingly the answer is yes. The S60 is solid, well made and a step above the Mondeo/Insignia crowd in terms of prestige and quality, but more importantly it’s been thoroughly well developed as a drivers car. Who’d have thought we’d be saying that about a Volvo?

[styledbox type="information" ]Thanks: I’d just like to thank all the drivers and instructors that made the Naughty Volvo Event such fun for all who attended. A big hand for the pro-drivers including James Rhodes, Tommy Erdos and Ross Hockenhull, who pounded around the track lap after lap in the S60, despite being used to driving much faster cars.

We’d also like to thank Fusion Events who ran the day smoothly with a smile on their faces and plenty of enthusiasm – we highly recommend them if you’re looking for a top-notch event management team.

[/styledbox]

Photos: Kevin McGlone

My day was almost over before it began since I’d forgotten to bring the paper part of my driving licence along (yes, the part that no one ever carries around) to register as a participant.

Apparently they needed this to verify that I’d not been banned from driving, or perhaps they were worried I might be a Bavarian spy..

So, thankfully after a quick call to the DVLA, the event organisers were satisfied that I posed no more risk to their range of cars than anyone else at the event.

Event 1: Pro-Drive

With that little mishap behind me I began the day being treated to several fast laps around the Top Gear circuit by a rather rapid Tommy Erdos, the well respected Le Mans Driver. The circuit has been graced by an array of extremely (and not so) talented drivers over the years – including the recently departed Stig, so I was fascinated to sit next to a professional and see it for myself.

Kevin sits alongside pro-driver Tommy Erdos as they head towards Gambon corner on the Top Gear circuit layout.

I have to say, Tommy really demonstrated what the new S60 was capable of doing. It was not the speed that impressed me, rather the car’s stability and agility. It was definitely a long way removed from Volvo’s of old.

Event 2: The Chase

We moved swiftly on to the next event on the opposite side of the enormous aerodrome (I never realised how huge this site is – the Top Gear section is just one tiny little part!).

This time we had to negotiate a tidy arrangement of cones used to mark out a series of slaloms and chicanes, with the goal of gaining an understanding of the car’s balance and handling – yet, the Volvo team thought that they’d make it a little more challenging by having a Volvo V70 Police Car chase us through the course!

Kevin was smiling as he climbed into the S60, shortly before he attempted to flee from the V70 police car. Now we understand why he 'forgot' to bring his licence along...

The best bit of this particular event for me however was getting the chance to ride in the passenger seat of the Police Car when the Pro-drivers tackled the course themselves at full speed – let’s just say there was a small amount of personal pride, mixed with a dash of ego, at stake for these guys. I’ll be taking those blurred images of hanging only inches from the tail of that S60 to my grave…

Event 3: Pedestrian Avoidance and Auto Braking Test

Back to base, a quick coffee and snack and then on to the sensible part of the day – the chance to see the Volvo auto-stop features in action. It was, well, typically Volvo really. Solid, reliable, safe, boring (I mean, in comparison to the previous two events), yet it demonstrated qualities of the S60 that every family man would seriously want to consider for their next automotive purchase.

Frank was abit camera-shy, so instead here's a picture of the 'solid' object Volvo used to simulate the S60's auto-braking system.

Frank (the inflatable dummy used to simulate a real pedestrian) looked a bit fed-up after being driven at all day, but at least we didn’t hit him, thanks to the spookily effective safety systems on the new S60. We promised to bring Frank a cup of tea later in the day, since he looked a bit parched..

Event 4: Lift-off oversteer test

For this test our instructor switched the stability control (DSTC) off, which doesn’t remove the safety net completely since there’s still 20% of the system active, but the idea was to show us how unobtrusive these systems were.

The exercise was simple – drive at a patch of wet tarmac as fast as you can, then turn and lift-off abruptly to see what happens. The result? Well the S60 oversteered for a fraction of a second before being reigned back in gently by the stability controls. Very undramatic and yet it was impossible to notice the stability controls cutting in.

The S60 shrugged of every attempt to unsettle it, this event was designed to test its high-speed stability when the driver responds suddenly to a loss of grip.

Event 5: Timed slalom

OK, sensible stuff out the way, now it was time to finish off the day with a competition event – who would be the fastest driver to negotiate a series of tight turns and obstacles. The winner would be the one who controlled their speed to complete the course without hitting any cones or missing gates, a 10 second penalty awaited anyone who transgressed.

By the end of the day Kevin's confidence in the S60 saw his customary smile replaced with a 'race face'.

I got close (actually within .8 of a second) but not close enough to win our group. Still the buzz was fantastic and it surprised me (again) how capable the S60 proved to be.

Wrapping up

So, the day drew to a close. Without doubt, an excellent experience and hat’s off to the event team (customer service and drivers) for the part they played – they were superb. All of them showed incredible enthusiasm for the event (despite an 8am start) and seemed to genuinely enjoy being part of the Naughty Volvo experience.

Finally, to the all important question . . . has the event altered my opinion of the Volvo brand?

I’m pleased to say yes – and in the most positive of ways.

When I was first invited to the event I thought Volvo were trying to prove themselves as a hot, sporty saloon manufacturer, worthy of competing against the established pedigrees of BMW and Audi. However, I soon realised that the event was not about that at all.

Volvo were simply showing that they were not boring, because let’s be honest, that’s what we tend to think of them; sensible, safe and boring.

Yet, the event clearly showed another side to the car, a side which could be fun, lively, agile and entertaining – but without compromising any of the important safety qualities that the company is so reputed for.

So overall, was it good to get a bit naughty with the S60?. . I’d say!

[styledbox type="information" align="center"]Thanks to Volvo for organising the ‘Naughty S60 Track Event’ and Skiddmark for running the competition that gave me the opportunity to experience the Volvo S60 and the event – Kevin Matthews. [/styledbox]

Photos: Kevin McGlone

Collins held the position as Stig for so many years (seven in total of the nine since the show re-launch) that many casual fans of the show won’t know that he is actually the second incarnation of the masked racing driver.

After battling his way through the junior formulae and even racing sports cars in America, Perry landed a 1992 drive with the highly disorganised Andrea Moda team that proved nothing short of disastrous – the team and Perry failed to ever qualify for a Grand Prix which does Perry’s talents no justice whatsoever. Test stints with Benetton and Williams followed in the seasons after but eventually Perry walked away from F1.

Having raced all manner of cars en route to his short lived Formula 1 career, Perry subsequently carved out a successful and lucrative career racing sports cars including campaigning Audi’s famous R8 at Le Mans in both the nineties and noughties.

Test stints with Benetton and Williams came in the seasons following his disastrous debut with the Andrea Moda team, but eventually Perry walked away from F1.

It was this level of adaptability to be quick in any car put before him that brought Perry to the attention to his old friend Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman who approached Perry for the role of the first Stig. Perry accepted and for the first two re-vamped Top Gear seasons drove celebrities and all types of cars from Renault Clios to Pagani Zondas around the Top Gear test track before leaving because, given the secretive nature of being The Stig, there were no opportunities to develop his career as a corporate speaker or TV presenter.

Many of you will have already read Perry’s book or know the story of The Stig, so we decided in our ten minute chat with one of motorsport’s biggest characters to instead chat about Perry’s views on the recent Collins vs Top Gear saga, his relentless ribbing of friend Mark Blundell and his own life post-Stig.

SM: Firstly, why did you hang up your helmet and stop racing?

PM: I finished racing at the end of 2004 because I suffered a major injury to my left shoulder and so it became impossible to race from then because even though I’ve had operations and treatment, that’s it, goodbye and thank you very much.

SM: There’s been a lot said in the press and on motoring forums about Ben Collins’ decision to out himself as The Stig in order to publish his tell-all book. What do you think about Collins’ decision to out himself?

When Top Gear producer Andy Wilman and presenter Jeremy Clarkson first conceived of The Stig, it was Perry who was chosen as the tame racing driver to bring the character to life.

PM: Contrary to popular opinion, I didn’t out myself so therefore I’ve got to say I don’t agree with how Ben’s gone about this. I can only link this in to my experience of being The Stig where I had a gentleman’s agreement to not talk about it, which I held my end of that bargain. But then because certain things within Top Gear weren’t working for me and weren’t going to work, I decided to leave and we parted ways and that’s when the black Stig was killed.

They brought the white Stig in and I imagine they signed a more binding contract. Now the reason why I didn’t sign anything like that was because it wasn’t working for me, Ben felt it was working for him and that’s why he signed those agreements. But he has then broken that agreement, so … for me personally, that’s not the way I would do it.

Contrary to popular opinion, I didn’t out myself so therefore I’ve got to say I don’t agree with how Ben’s gone about this.

Perry spoke to us about the recent falling out between Ben Collins and the BBC. Contrary to some recent newspaper reports Perry was not fired from Top Gear, but can understand both sides perspective.

SM: What have you been up to since you left Top Gear in 2003?

PM: Most of my time at the minute is spent with after-dinner speeches and sometimes motivational speeches in England, sometimes Europe and stretching as far as China and America. I’ve always enjoyed performing on stage and I used to write comedy sketches before I became a racing driver and the two things join together quite well now. So as long as people are happy to hear me speak I’m happy to do it and as long as they’re laughing at the end of the evening I’m happy continuing to do it!

I’m also having a lot of fun at race circuits now looking after Scott Pye who I brought over from Australia because there were certain things that were going wrong for him out there. I felt he was a superb talent and a really unusual kid who has shown exceptional grit and determination in the face of some very bad situations.

19-year old Scott Pye (left) is currently leading the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship – the young Australian’s career has taken off since Perry brought him to the UK.

I took the risk on bringing him over not because I wanted to be a driver manager, believe me, no way. But I brought him over thinking I’ve got to help this kid and so far out of 20 British Formula Ford Championship races he’s won 11 of them and he’s showing that that he’s somebody who’s got the talent who can reach Formula 1. And me trying to help that is quite fulfilling. It’s bloody hard work! But seeing this kid race wheel to wheel and winning week after week is great fun.

SM: For someone who made his living from danger and being on the edge, how do you now get your driving kicks now you don’t get to test the latest supercars every week?

PM: For me, with driving, there has to be something at the end of it. There has to be a reason to take the car into the twilight zone. So before when I was training to be a Formula 1 driver, sure, I was on the edge and often over the edge trying to get there. When I was driving at Le Mans, I wanted to the 24 hours race so again I was giving everything I had.

SM: You’re pretty prolific on Twitter – how did you get into it?

PM: I was fronting a campaign for a large drinks company who asked me if I would start tweeting – I didn’t know what the bloody thing was but I said “Yep, I’ll do it no problems, I’ll tweet!” And given how much they were paying I said I’ll tweet as much as you like! So the campaign finished and I continued doing it as I like communicating with everyone. I don’t do it every day but it’s a bit of a laugh and it’s a good way of connecting with people to hear what they think about stuff.

Perry is great mates with ex-F1 driver Mark Blundell – as you can see!   If you’ve got a Twitter account then we highly recommend you follow the banter between both men at @Original_Stig and @markblundellF1

Usually I talk about random things like the strange personality of my cat and I spend an awful lot of time having a go at Mark Blundell. And to give him his due, he spends an awful lot of time having a go at me! So between the two of us we entertain a lot of people by having a bit of banter going on.

SM: You’re clearly good mates with Mark Blundell, which other drivers do you keep in touch with?

PM: Well I mean there is a pack of us that are very close. Mark and I as you know are pretty much inseparable, Johnny Herbert and I have lived no more than one mile apart from each other for most of our motor racing careers so we’re very close. Damon Hill’s a very close friend of mine and fortunately I get to see him every two weeks because his son and Scott are team mates in Formula Ford. Martin Brundle … I catch up with Marty quite a bit in London during the year and I’m good friends with David Coulthard. So there is a pack of us that are close and we enjoy each other’s company and just have a lot of fun.

Damon and Perry have been practising this look for decades – nowadays you can find the ‘slightly’ older and wiser versions supporting Damon’s son Josh and Perry’s protege Scott Pye in the Formula Ford Paddock.

The big thing with racing drivers is that when one is talking to the outside world, we all do our best to communicate what it’s like to be in a racing car and in those racing conditions. But unless you’ve actually been in it, something is certainly lost in translation because you can’t instil that wide eyed moment of sheer fear when you’re about to launch into the earth at 200mph! Or when you’ve taken a particularly daunting corner flat out and made it. Drivers know this and so you can talk in shorthand when communicating because you all know what it’s like as you’ve all done the same things.

SM: You have three daughters, is there any likelihood of them getting into motor racing or have you learnt all the lessons to last a lifetime of McCarthys?

PM: As with all kids, any parents who are balanced would say they drive you completely nuts! I’m very flat line when it comes to how I look at the kids. I don’t go around singing their praises unless they deserve it. All three of them have got totally different traits and I totally believe they will be successful in their own right and not one of them will follow the same career path as me or as each other. But they have very strong characteristics in certain things and I think what they have got from their old man is to think that’s anything possible and to never quit.

SM: Your book, “Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way!” is perhaps one of the most entertaining autobiographies that we’ve read certainly for the insights it provides into the world of motor racing – are you planning to write another book?

PM: I don’t like the first part of that question because you said it’s one of the most entertaining books and it should be the most entertaining book on motor racing! Ha, have I got any plans to write another book? Can’t tell you at the moment, watch this space.

SM: Looking back on the whole ‘Stig’ period, are you glad to have been involved with Top Gear or do you feel that it overshadows your achievements in the highest forms of motorsport?

PM: I’m delighted to have been involved with Top Gear. It was good fun and it’s fantastic that so many people out there have got a real affection for The Stig, it’s created a huge stir not just in the UK but also internationally. So, to have been the first one, the original Stig who kicked it all off … I see that as adding to any achievement that I’ve had in motor racing.

Obviously, within motor racing there are achievements I’m particularly proud of and certain moments will always be with me. But my life as I’ve always said is about having done stuff – and that’s fantastic – but I can guarantee you my life is always about tomorrow and the future. I reflect joyfully sometimes on the past, but I’m still like a bulldozer going forward!

SM: Hopefully you’re a long way away from needing an epitaph, but if you were able to write your own, what would it be?

PM: Well I gave it a bloody good go, ha!

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Photo credits: Perry McCarthy, @Racingdick

To contact Perry about after-dinner and motivational speaking engagements, visit www.perrymccarthy.co.uk

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