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James May always wanted to be an astronaut. Now, 40 years after the first Apollo landings, he gets a chance to fly to the edge of space in a U2 spy plane. But first he has to undergo three gruelling days of training with the US Air Force and learn to use a space suit to stay alive in air so thin it can kill in an instant. He discovers that during the flight there are only two people higher than him, and they are both real astronauts on the International Space Station.

The ultra-budget Tata Nano is being hailed by many as the biggest leap forward since the Model T Ford. So, if they're right, it's more important than the Beetle. More important than the Mini. More important than man's conquest of the moon. And amazingly, more important too than the invention of Sky+. I don't think they are right though. Because the only thing that makes it stand out is the low, low price. Brilliant. But I could make a cheap car if I built it in a factory made from wattle and mud, paid the workers in rice and motivated...

Much has been written about the Insight, Honda’s new low-priced hybrid. We’ve been told how much carbon dioxide it produces, how its dashboard encourages frugal driving by glowing green when you’re easy on the throttle and how it is the dawn of all things. The beginning of days. So far, though, you have not been told what it’s like as a car; as a tool for moving you, your friends and your things from place to place. So here goes. It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing...

Some analysts suggest failure may not be such a bad thing for Detroit's Big Three. Others, especially Michigan politicians, warn of calamity. Are the Big Three worth saving? The U.S. auto industry's downward spiral has accelerated dramatically in recent weeks. In a desperate bid for solvency, General Motors Corp. is seeking a merger with Chrysler. Chrysler has talked with Renault and Nissan about partnerships. And now Ford Motor Co., GM and Chrysler -- backed by Michigan lawmakers -- are lobbying Washington to give them cash, implying that failure to provide a bailout could doom the industry to bankruptcy. Congress last...

Video: “Top Gear” visits Alabama posted at 10:43 am on February 13, 2007 by Allahpundit Send to a Friend | printer-friendly Wikipedia tells me that “Top Gear” is a BBC show about cars. Other than that? No. Comment. Whatsoever. Video here -http://hotair.com/archives/2007/02/13/video-top-gear-visits-alabama/ --- ‘NASCAR SUCKS’ in the home state of the Talladega 500??? LOL! Yeah that’ll get you killed. Of all the phrases they painted on those cars the NASCAR comment would be the most offensive to Alabamans and Alabamwomans.

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond will be "back to his old self" in about six months, according to the specialist looking after him. Hammond, who was today transferred to a private hospital in Bristol, was said to be "doing well" eight days after the 300mph dragster crash that left him with a brain injury.

Got five minutes to waste? Sure you do, you wouldn’t be here otherwise. So, let me take this post and introduce you to a clip, excerpted from British TV show Top Gear. In it, you’ll see Jeremy Clarkson, one of the show’s hosts, engage in what can only be gently described as “sadistic car annihilation”. In other words, he shoots some cars with some guns, and it’s freaking awesome! Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with technology or gadgets. But it doesn’t matter. Us geeks have diverse and wide-ranging taste, and I’m ready to bet you’ll get a kick out...

BBC NEWS TV host seriously hurt in crash Top Gear's Richard Hammond is seriously ill in hospital after a crash in a jet-powered car while filming for the BBC programme. The 36-year-old presenter was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary's neurological unit. A spokesman for the hospital said Mr Hammond was "stable". Mr Hammond had been driving a dragster-style car capable of reaching speeds of up to 300mph at the former RAF airfield in Elvington, near York. The crash will be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and the BBC. The BBC said in a statement: "We...