The Stig's FIRST APPEARANCE | Lamborghini Murcielago vs Pagani Zonda | Top Gear

Top Gear's tame racing driver the Stig makes his debut as the Lamborghini Murcielago and Pagani Zonda set the first power lap times, but which is faster?
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[@brucelamberton8819]

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]

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]

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

[@scoot.112]

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

[@MatthewPettyST1300]

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]

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

[@andrewtimothy9792]

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

[@sadladd]

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]

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

[@gn01036238]

more middle-aged car nerds.

[@netweed09]

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

[@johnhotchkiss9842]

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.

[@wyattneal2797]

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

[@3dgar7eandro]

🤯🤯🤯

[@sukhdevr3489]

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

[@woodenhoe]

well he did became the stig for some time

[@cccp2846]

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

[@oussamahamouda9251]

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

[@mohamedemara9199]

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

[@boardernut]

first ever episode of the "new" topgear.

[@chiefcaptn1922]

No nah keep it in your pants

[@MrWolfSnack]

Series 1, episode 1, 2002.

[@jakob9614]

Subaru owners club

[@90AlmostFamous]

No sheelas lol

[@samedman1]

"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]

+samed halafi "this series"

[@weston9106]

In Britain series means season

[@davidtatelo]

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

[@Psiberzerker]

1:08.5.

[@harryj7864]

It was 1:18 not 1:08

[@Blarry-vb9je]

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

[@oddessydied]

The Stig’s teenage cousin

[@enveloreal]

Stigga

[@khoralis6458]

@@enveloreal HAHA

[@francescozennaro7197]

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

[@demonslayer1735]

Hey it’s you again what’s up

[@cato8767]

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

[@HisameArtwork]

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

[@travisberry4777]

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

[@JackpotButtonLewis]

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

[@underground2stillcancelled757]

@@JackpotButtonLewis r/wooosh

[@cresbalundo8845]

@@underground2stillcancelled757 i think he was just correcting him

[@noahlbecker]

@@underground2stillcancelled757 r/itswooooshwith4o’s

[@fuhrerchan479]

Oh shit look, it's the redditors

[@Spamfriedrice323]

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

[@insertusernamehere5055]

+The Host Ohh!

[@beeter3588]

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

[@heinman6250]

Some say he’s basically Michael Jackson

[@drewgaming2882]

Nick Navata that was good

[@MrWolfSnack]

...and then he died.

[@iielysiumx5811]

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]

I just see senior/matured men around the audience.

[@llenny]

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]

You have no idea buddy.

[@ihathtelekinesis]

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]

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.

[@bryankerbow7871]

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

[@ao8271]

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]

SLIM J1M1 don't you mean said?

[@sukhdevr3489]

It was fake?

[@sukhdevr3489]

@@oaz8 washing his hair in a volcano?

[@burnoutlegend0185]

@@sukhdevr3489 yes!

[@Packle.]

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

[@Jetdot37]

1:51 that mans wink could stop a war

[@Damian-el1sw]

Or start it

[@PashwaOfficial]

Started from the bottom now we here

[@ThumberBulls6]

now we fell way back under bottom

[@MondySpartan]

Bottom gear.

[@sohrabakaberian7135]

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

[@MrSiLenTb88]

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

[@marguskiis7711]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@jaspersimkins1784]

but in the start of season2 james may was introduced

[@MasterofSpiders]

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

[@shany-zi4sm]

man this show was really ahead of its time

[@Ved_Overclocked]

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]

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

[@nswoqm]

i honestly love that full black that the stig had

[@brucelamberton8819]

Black Stigs Matter

[@Paragon13]

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

[@nswoqm]

@@Paragon13 fair enough

[@matrixpictures7799]

@@brucelamberton8819 stigga

[@chemicalbrucey157]

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.

[@jonathanwood8847]

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

[@qasimmir7117]

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

[@AWJFunk]

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.

[@xbruteplayz3245]

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

[@park7985]

more like twenty, it aired in 2002

[@xbruteplayz3245]

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

[@magisteerium132]

01:48 What is that one guy plotting?

[@mark_prothero]

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

[@sukhdevr3489]

DEATH

[@lapamful]

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

[@sukhdevr3489]

Or this black Stig was a terrible driver...

[@patrick7695]

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]

@@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]

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

[@sukhdevr3489]

@Taylor The Chicken Wing Thief For a racing driver this black Stig is a terrible driver. He got 1 29 in a murcielego, whilst the white Stig got a 1 22 in a Corvette and so on...

[@CSM13]

1:29 extremely good 😂

[@Georgeous129]

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

[@thefancydoge8668]

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

[@droneintothewild4k]

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

[@MaximumDorifto]

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

[@Buildingblox17]

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]

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

[@Callllum]

Buildingblox17 very racist imo

[@jameshavenga4998]

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

[@Teezythadon]

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

[@TheWatzitooya]

@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.

[@groundsymphony]

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

[@psych3009]

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

[@ThunderTHR]

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.

[@Andrew4181975]

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

[@jbee9713]

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 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@suspiciouschicken]

Rewatching these old episodes make me feel old

[@scoot.112]

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

[@davidmac2007]

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

[@aadastroyergg1922]

It’s crazy how the studio wasn’t packed

[@marcovinicio8549]

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

[@natshirley101]

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.

[@TheMainMan318]

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

[@TechMechMen]

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

[@rramkhal]

I always forget how amazing the zonda sounds

[@ejb654]

Can some one help me out here? I'm from America and for some reason, i remember Discovery Channel trying to market the original BBC Top Gear to American audience in the early 2000's and i distinctly remember seeing an episode where the Stig was doing a lap in a Maserati MC12 but it had an ominous sounding voice over that said it was a completely computer controlled robot driver. Not in the traditional Top Gear sense of joking that Stig wasn't human but more serious sounding. Did that ever happen or was that just some random fever dream i had? I was a child so my memory could be completely wrong.

[@timmypix]

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

[@henryatkinson1479]

such humble beginnings

[@Mzee1084]

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

[@iantownsend5480]

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

[@kyongslist]

go on an internet HAHA

[@Pilcrepus]

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.

[@R.Clayton]

when did they rename the corners?

[@Shenmoki]

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

[@bensstuff1889]

Ye what the hell is the 'carpenters corner'

[@vincentyzer1627]

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

[@whizkid235]

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

[@MisatoKatsuragiHD]

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

[@stanvelchoxx]

So quaint to see them so excited about those lap times

[@yashsinha3604]

Top gear fans watching this in 2021

[@Smart1529]

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

[@MrAlwaysBlue]

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

[@georgemorley1029]

Perry McCarthy.

[@BatMan-xr8gg]

@@georgemorley1029 Ben Collins replaced Perry

[@georgemorley1029]

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

[@BatMan-xr8gg]

@@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.

[@TheJohngilberttyler]

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

[@Ved_Overclocked]

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

[@WestSide1207]

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

[@thelastjediknight1]

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

[@awakenedsoul2638]

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

[@awakenedsoul2638]

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

[@mattarmoogam5041]

Ur a dumbass if you think thatt

[@awakenedsoul2638]

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

[@jamez629]

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

[@hipotard1381]

Zonda S is best.

[@michaelbeahn5977]

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

[@HECKproductions]

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

[@AdityaSharma-ng3bc]

He was James may What else to expect

[@lyh0619]

there were water and oil on the track on purpose

[@farishaddadin1]

hahahahaha 'no car will beat that on our show' hahahaahhahahahaha!!

[@markgonsalves]

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

[@SpencerHHO]

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

[@PPP777HHH]

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

[@hakeemsd70m]

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

[@otaimaksimaify]

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

[@zakariaameur7138]

John Cheesecake yes you are

[@PROcrastiDRIVESVofficial]

Yes, you certainly are.

[@porsche911sbs]

"I honestly can't see that being beaten throughout the entire series." (3:54) I'm sure Richard learned to stop saying that, as its been beaten 29 times since then! (granted he may not have expected the series's longevity)

[@Rendclaw]

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

[@RallyLancer95]

I just realized this is almost 20 years ago now

[@NavGTI]

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.

[@Psiberzerker]

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

[@smartassforhire]

Painful how fast the years fly by...

[@ulua88]

wow, one of the first episodes of topgear

[@BassBoyDevin]

2002. first episode of new topgear. love it!

[@Lynxtro]

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

[@rozh996]

Back when even the most extreme sport cars were manual

[@theatomizer]

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

[@ivanbarisic6404]

Does anyone know who black Stig was?

[@fedefeche2201]

Perry McCarthy

[@lespaz1197]

Clarkson: ,,this is where you really wanna nail it" KZbin subtitles: Im Leila 🤔

[@jocky102]

@mszs when they started the track times thing they wanted it to be fair and make it wet with everycar on every lap but it didnt work out that way so you dont see it now, they stopped it

[@mohamedidrees8603]

The Stig MK 1

[@carsinmyheart]

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

[@bangskeetband]

That was only for the Fxx if im not mistaken, since it is his personal car and Ferrari has some restrictions on the use of those cars. I was under the impression they have alot of different Stigs.

[@BlindParabol]

@blacksoilder10 That's totally why the Veyron SS is one of the fastest cars on their track with a time of 1:16 seconds.

[@khanage360]

A legend was born

[@LOLHICRONO]

i miss this top gear :3

[@tharazero1686]

1:29, a very fast lap time

[@daneeehhhh]

wow wow oldie but goodie

[@Soxaldinho]

Current Stig is Chris Harris. Hidden in plain sight. Very clever really. (He took over from Ben Collins before he became a regular host)

[@BatMan-xr8gg]

Before Collins came out as the Stig, it was reported that eight different drivers all shared the role, including Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Chris Goodwin, Dan Lang and Julian Bailey. When Top Gear returned with Chris Evans at the helm in 2016, new presenter Chris Harris took over as trainer for the revamped Star in the Rallycross Car segment. Many believed Harris' driving skills, as well as those of co-presenter Sabine Schmitz, had rendered the Stig's role obsolete, but the rather formidable looking man in white remains on the show to this day. Chris Harris was never the Stig.

[@TheSchmittable]

did you notice how blue the sky is and still the track is wet at some places...but just in the corners. and just the lines where the cars are driven on. I think in the first episode they wet the track on purpose to get the tail out more easily and make the lap look more exciting. maybe black stig wasn't good enough to get a car drifting without slippery surfaces ;-)

[@FlockOfSharks]

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

[@XR6Turbo2003]

This obviously looks like the introduction to the race lap times with the Stig...That board now makes this show... all fans know what I'm talking about!

[@lemongrabracing71]

Back when the crowds were nowhere near what they were today... it's crazy how much this show has grown

[@chiefrocka8604]

Just called that number and a Irishman was screaming Jeremy stop it