Top Gear's The Stig is racing driver Ben Collins.

[Kabob]

I don't particularly care who The Stig is. The whole point to the gag was to not know who he is.

Exactly.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Um, Rubens Barrichello?

Rubens is an epic driver. One of the best, IMHO, just had some shitty team choices. I loved it when he owned the Stig.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Exactly...that way you can believe he has some magic power that is more capable than any driver out there. I mean really...who can run that track better than the Stig...no one...because they are not the Stig...he is infallible...they are all fallible. Plus he has balls made out of titanium and eats valves in a bowl of transmission fluid for breakfast.

Lol.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Andy Williams from TG, provides his view on the situation:

As you can tell I’m quite cross at the moment, but there’s plenty to be cross about. Last week, instead of working on the next series, I had to go to court. If you go to court you have to look smart, which meant I had to dig my suit out of the back of the wardrobe, and the last time I wore that suit George Michael could still drive in a straight line. So on Monday there I was, dressed like somebody who works behind the till at NatWest, having to listen to people from HarperCollins telling me that they have the right to reveal who the Stig is. Well actually, that’s tosh. The whole point of the Stig is the mystique – the bizarre characteristics he has, the wonderment created about what he might think, feel, do or look like. Kids adore the conceit, and I believe adults, although they know it’s a man in a suit (or is it?), gladly buy into the whole conceit because they find it entertaining. Even the papers, who love to make mischief, have kept everyone guessing over the years because they acknowledge that viewers like the Stig secrecy thing.

Anyway, HarperCollins have decided none of that is as important as their profits, so if you get your Christmas ruined by one of the best and most harmless TV secrets being outed, you can rest easy in the knowledge that by contrast, HarperCollins’ executives will be enjoying a fantastic Christmas.

So why are we fighting in court? Well, obviously we want to protect the Stig’s anonymity for the reasons I’ve just outlined. Also, it’s an issue of trust. Everyone who’s ever worked on Top Gear has kept the Stig thing a secret, and the person who wears the suit has signed confidentiality agreements to do the same. So talk about what you like in your own life, but not the bit you agreed not to. Your word is supposed to mean something.

Here's the rest. It's quite long, so I just quoted to prevent tl;dr:

http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2010/08/27/the-stig-he-is-ours/

 

[Kabob]

Andy Williams from TG, provides his view on the situation:

Good writeup, much how I feel as well.

I sorta equate The Stig with Batman (or how Bruce Wayne explains himself in Batman Begins). As a man with a name and face he's just another racing driver, they're a dime a dozen. But as The Stig he's a symbol; incorruptable, infallible, unbeatable (well, mostly), and awesome.

Maybe I take it too far, but I totally bought into the mystery.

 

[DivideBYZero]

No, I understand, I bloody love The Stig as a mechanic to give him legendary status.

 

[PricklyPete]

Good writeup, much how I feel as well.

I sorta equate The Stig with Batman (or how Bruce Wayne explains himself in Batman Begins). As a man with a name and face he's just another racing driver, they're a dime a dozen. But as The Stig he's a symbol; incorruptable, infallible, unbeatable (well, mostly), and awesome.

Maybe I take it too far, but I totally bought into the mystery.

I totally agree with you...and this is why they need a new stig pronto...but I did like the white Stig...it's a shame it went down this way.

 

[JulesMaximus]

What's he going to write about? His sad existence as the stig? Everytime Jeremy Clarkson would make fun of me while wearing the stig costume I would cry inside my helmet...

 

[DivideBYZero]

What's he going to write about? His sad existence as the stig? Everytime Jeremy Clarkson would make fun of me while wearing the stig costume I would cry inside my helmet...

Apparently he spent some time in the SAS, so I suggest you say the above to his helmet and see how long you last!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Um, Rubens Barrichello?

Awesome! I'm a big Rubens Barrichello fan. :thumbsup: