When the BBC asked The Stig not to help Tom Cruise…

Do you remember that episode from Top gearwhen it was still led by a trio formed by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May: this was the one in which Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz they competed on a lap of the track in a “reasonably priced car”. Well, behind the episode in which the star Top Shooter Maverick AND Mission impossible the tour ended with a car on two wheels, there’s a delicious backstory that Ben Collins, who was playing the part at the time stig he says in video which you can see below is taken from the YouTube channel VINwiki.

BBC in a panic Collins says one of his responsibilities was to teach the show’s guests how to deal with Dunsfold schemewhere the gearbox was spinning, at the highest possible speed. The presence of Tom Cruise, however, would cause “fright” (but perhaps it would be better to say panic) between the producers and the BBC. The broadcaster would ask Collins not to teach Cruz too well the tricks of the trade, fearing the star might move too fast and injure himself: what insurance

The BBC might not have been able to reach.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in the 5th episode of the 15th season of Top Gear

FOUR WHEELS IN THE MEADOW Cruz, who has never been a quiet person, actually exaggerated what the cameras caught. If Collins suggested trim slightly In the last turn, the actor put all four wheels on the grass: the outer sides, which, resting their shoulders on the asphalt, almost caused overturning vehicle. And Collins recalls his anxiety at the sight of this scene: especially since, moving on two wheels, Cruz did not release the gas at all to put the car on a level, but rather he continued to accelerate in an attempt to spend as little time as possible to get to the finish line.

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CARE WITHOUT MEANING? On the one hand, on a car with a normal differential like Kia Sid used for transmission, when one of the drive wheels is lifted off the ground and starts spinning, the power output from the other wheel also stops. What makes it almost irrelevant is that Cruz kept the gas open. Unsurprisingly, the film’s circle wasn’t the best thing the actor did that day. But the real question I have what is the meaning of recommendations? BBC (probably ignored) so as not to give the actor all possible information in a short training time (about 15 minutes, I think).

Tom Cruise driving Top Gear’s ‘reasonably priced car’

”OLD PEN” On the one hand, in fact, Tom Cruise was certainly not a newcomer. Long before playing Cole Trickle in a movie days of thunder

and to appear on Top Gear, in 1987, the actor raced stock cars for the stable for a season. Paul Newman: With the Nissan 300 ZX recently listed for sale on Bring A Trailer. And ten years ago, he also tested on the track with F1 Red Bulls From David Coulthard. Ben Collins’ advice has certainly been invaluable for him to better interpret a track that was new to him, but given his passion for extreme sports (we know he performs his stunts in person, with no stunt doubles, as shown in video below), do you really think he would have saved himself?

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Finally, I remembered the old popular saying: ”Better a live donkey than a dead horse” and while it is certainly true when it comes to carrying a load, sports activities, especially those that involve a certain degree of risk, are a classic exception. There driving safety on the highway at high speed, as well as on the road and within the permissible limits, this is done not out of ignorance, but out of Preparation And competence. It is no coincidence that novice drivers are more at risk of accidents, and if not a movie stunt is improvised, then it is studied and prepared in all details: at the table, before implementation. So no, dear BBC, in this case, better a live horse than a dead donkey. Even the insurance company will agree to this.

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