'Top Gear' sound and fury heralded by silent Stig

A MAN famed for saying nothing arrived in Dublin yesterday and did exactly that.

But the presence of the silent Stig carried a message likely to excite petrolheads across the land: the Top Gear Live world tour is coming back to Ireland.

The Stig – along with his colleagues from the BBC series, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May – is returning to the RDS in Dublin from December 3rd-6th with a show which they are certain will set the adrenaline pumping.

Flaming rally cars, underground street racing, a hall of fame featuring everything from Ferraris to Nissans and an attempt to drive a car through a loop-the-loop are among the feats promised by the Top Gear crew.

The apparently fearless Stig will – through a mixture of hand gestures, sonic pulses and Morse code – lead a team of international stunt drivers through a series of daredevil challenges and will also demonstrate the precision driving which has made his white racing helmet and boiler suit famous.

The Top Gear Live programme also features a display of iconic cars, interactive games, an attempt to rebuild a 1948 Ferguson tractor and Scalextric and Lego competitions for the junior members of the audience.

Organisers say the audience will witness an eye-popping 92,160sq ft of fireballs and have their senses assaulted by decibel levels that reach 104 on the scale.

Some 49,000 people attended the show in Dublin last year and Clarkson said he was hopeful the Irish crowd would appreciate what they had to offer in 2009.

“I am looking forward to returning to Dublin with our spectacular new show,” he said.

“Once again we’ve taken the best bits of Top Gear and will be attempting them live in the arena. It’s ambitious, but I’m sure it will work out well.”

When asked about his hopes for the show, the Stig, unsurprisingly, declined to comment – much to the delight of one young fan.

“He’s so cool,” the boy said.

“Why’s that?”

“Because he never ever says anything.”

Tickets for the event begin at €49. For more information visit www.topgearlive.ie, www.ticketmaster.ie or call 0818-300800.