Top Gear

The World’s Fastest Bumper Car and The Stig Have Some Fun

What happens when you mate a 600cc sports bike engine with a dodgem, bolt on a roll cage, and top it all off with the one and only Stig?

You get a dodgem capable of over 100mph.

Yes, you read that right.

So how did this wacky scenario come to be?

To celebrate a new season of Top Gear, the BBC asked inventor and YouTube personality Colin Furze to take care of the Stig for a day. Of course, taking care of the Stig isn’t an easy task. He, or rather it, is only happy when moving at an alarming velocity in a rather dangerous manner.

To cater for these rather specific demands, Furze attempts again to do what he does best.

In the past, Furze has built some terrifying contraptions including a flamethrower (which he was later arrested for), Wolverine-like claws on the end of a pneumatic ram (which strangely he wasn’t arrested for), and a hover-bike using the motors from a paraglider, proving that he is no stranger when it comes to danger and a bit of mechanical wizardry.

He begins the project by putting a 1960’s dodgem on a strict diet, ridding it of its concrete base and carving out its innards, leaving just the shell and a custom made skirt. The rear axle from a go-kart is then squeezed into the tail of the chassis, and a very simple steering system, much like that of a plane, is slotted into the front. In the centre of the chassis, is placed a 100hp 4-cylinder engine from a Honda CBR-600 sports bike.

The crème de la crème? A straight piped, stainless steel exhaust. I can think of no better way of getting tinnitus than riding this thing.

After a lot of polishing and perfecting, and the addition of all the bits and pieces you need to connect the engine to the wheels, the final product is ready to rock and roll. With a final lick of paint, it’s ready to be shipped off to the Top Gear test track where it will be piloted by the Stig himself in an attempt at cracking the Guinness world record for the fastest ever dodgem.

Watch the video yourself, and see if Colin and the Stig find success with this breathtaking endeavor.

You can also watch Colin throughout the build on his Youtube Channel. He’s much better at explaining the technical bits than me.

 

 

 

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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