LEGO to produce BBC Top Gear sets?

I'd say it was a global brand...selling the rights for Top Gear globally makes the Beeb a shed load of money!

I wouldn't say it's a global brand. I live in America, and until reading this I'd never heard of Top Gear. however, Wikipedia refers to it as "the world's most widely watched factual television programme" do it might have more appeal than I thought. But as long as they're making Top Gear sets, they should make a line of licensed BBC sets, Dr. Who and Sherlock I think would have a lot more appeal.

TopGear is syndicated in other Countries but the shows hosts differ from country to country so that could rule out Minifigures. Then there is the issue of licensing of car manufactures so it will be interesting to see how TLG approach this licence.

Stig in a generic sports car with road cones and a checkered flag perhaps?

I would say that Top Gear is a global brand, since there is an American top gear. As an American, I strongly beleive that these sets will sell. Although I would love to hear more specifics about the sets, especially regarding the scale of the cars, but I'm guessing they will be minifig scale, maybe like the Ferrari sets.

There's loads of brands that are global but don't seem to be big in America. Football for one. And movies now can be a hit without necessarily doing great business in the States, e.g. Tintin, Pacific Rim. I would have thought it's going to be more about the age range they'll appeal to, not where those people are.

^^ I think that quite often countries show the British version and then have their own as well. I may be wrong on that.

Well, there's actually a "Top Gear USA" that airs in the US, although it's generally accepted to be a poor copy of the original.

Well that's a bombshell isn't it?

I like Lego. I like Top Gear. So Lego Top Gear should be heaven to me :-) Well, actually, we have Lego Stig keychains, so actual sets may very well happen.

Off Topic: All The Lego Movie sets are now listed at lego.shop.com

I believe that Top Gear is a very big global brand. It is broadcast in over 100 countries (the BBC version that is) and claims to have over 350 million worldwide viewers, so if that is all true, yes it is a very big brand. The last few seasons and certainly the specials have almost entirely been made with overseas markets in mind, specifically America. Oddly though I think this years UK viewing figures are down a bit though.
Moreover any deal with the BBC should be welcome as it opens the doors to the BBC vault past, present and future and that coul be very exciting

Top Gear is brilliant!

They should make a set of this! http://www.ontracks.co.uk/thumb.php?image_file=product_images/ODTG04.JPG&w=285&h=285&size=x

Ooh. A BBC licence would open up the door for Doctor Who Lego.

I've been watching the BBC version of Top Gear on BBC America for several years now.

The History Channel has the US version, but I have not really watched it as it has now got to where the only similarities between the two are in name only.

K'nex already has Top Gear sets and are selling them here in the US.

I would definitely buy some of the sets, but why are the host's heads brick-built and not standard minifigure heads. Plus, I wonder why the Stig's head would be a new part and not the existing helmet.

I had to just now google/wikipedia Top Gear; so yes I never heard of it....but then I watch very little tv. Seeing as there is nothing under the Racers theme I guess this fills that void (on that note, I'm a no on this). It does appear to have a huge following, so it will be interesting to see what happens.+

Seems like a good idea! I'm not sure if it will happen though... If it was to it would probably be a couple of years.

I don't know if this will do well in NA as I have never heard of Topgear

I live in the US, and I watch Top Gear. But I have no idea how they can make sets with them. Perhaps it will be just a rumor, like the ninjago "animal ninjas" for 2014. Boy, they were wrong. Then again, they did give out stig keychains...

Remember reading somewhere that the UK Top Gear shows were the most downloaded TV shows around the world... was a couple of years ago i think, but def a worldwide brand. i think Lego TG would be great!

Seems good, and as TheOneVeyronian noted the Stig keychain might have been a precursor.
I do wonder though, what would the sets be? More realistic cars? I wonder if some of the impressive car MOCs on Cuusoo factored into this too.

First Simpsons, now Top Gear?,If this is true,then LEGO must really want to sell stuff to Adults.
I would rather they just made more stuff like Hero Factory and Chima,but that's just my opinion ;)

I like James May and Richard Hammond. That much said, it didn't take many episodes for me to tire (no pun intended) of the show. And even regardless of my personal interest, I wonder how this is going to differ from any Lego vehicle-themed line (apart from four new minifigs, possibly with various facial expressions).

For me, the light at the end of this tunnel is the hope that this will clear the way for the Sherlock and - especially - Doctor Who themes. That would be worth it.

I watch Top Gear USA and it's not as good as it used to be. Unless the sets are minifig scale and look like real cars I have no interest in them. That being said and I would only get the sets of cars that I like. Don't see how lego could get/pay for the car rights and cover all makes and models. Will Lego make a Range Rover when they already have many made 4x4s that have looked close to them and not have to call it that. It would just seem that it would be a sub theme of city then.

I think it has a lot of potential, as Top Gear's challenges often involve building or customising vehicles to take part in various bizarre situations. In case you all need this pointing out, Lego also involves building.

Just think how well the Eagle Hammerhead iThrust Geoff would look in Lego...
http://static-q.blogo.it/autosblog/t/top/top-gear-hammerhead-i-eagle-thrust-01/Top_Gear_Hammerhead_Eagle_ithrust_02.jpg

I'm not a fan of the show personally. More so because I'm not in to British cars.

Lego Top gear could be an interesting one,especially since Lego Racers discontinued a couple of years back and this could be a sort of replacement.

Having seen the set concept picture, I don't like where this is going. Filming crew and and the semi are just irrelevant to the theme. What would make good sets? In my opinion, the studio where all the talks happen. Apart from that - only cars. Loads of cars. But I have no idea how the designers would make satisfactory replicas with their puristic ways and minimum pieces per model.

My brother, my best friend and I are all huge fans of Top Gear here in Canada. I'd love to have a Top Gear Studio set with the boys and The Stig.

Pardon my American ignorance, but what exactly is Top Gear? I understand that it has something to do with cars and racing, but couldn't LEGO just make some minifig-scale Racers sets?

LEGO might not get a Doctor Who licence as they already have lego type range with another company.

http://www.character-online.com/products/Character-Building/Doctor-Who/The-Time-of-Angels-Mini-Set/

http://www.character-online.com/products/Character-Building/Doctor-Who/Character-Building-Doctor-Who-11-Doctors-Collector/

http://www.character-online.com/products/Character-Building/Doctor-Who/Character-Building-Doctor-Who-Dalek-Spaceship-Set/

It's very well known in my household at least, both the British and American versions. It would certainly be a niche market though. I could have seen this being a Cuusoo suggestion but not an idea straight from Lego.

James May and LEGO go hand in hand... and I would love to see him in minifigure form. Top Gear is pretty much the most watched television series worldwide. If these rumours bear fruit, I think it'd be a big success. It is all about the personalities. Which of us hasn't made a LEGO Stig in our day?

I was just watching two episodes of Top Gear (UK) with friends today! I download the original BBC episodes because the ones shown on BBC America are edited down from an hour to about 45 minutes. I hate censorship. And commercials. :)
I've been watching the show for a good long while now and I gotta tell you that I have never laughed this hard at a TV show about cars!
Someone in this thread said something about not watching the show because they're not into British cars. That is astoundingly nearsighted. The boys cover all sorts of cars, not just British ones. Heck, I saw a Vauxhall on the road in L.A. and the only reason I knew what it was was because of Top Gear. :)
Top Gear Lego sets could be fun and interesting, and yes, a good addition to Racers.

At the end of the day its probably just going to be some cars isn't it? Maybe some more obscure supercars that they can pick the licence up fairly cheaply, but want a stronger brand than "fast cars you've never heard of and aren't Ferraris"

Whats not to like about "Drag Race Challenge", 3 nice cars, a white coat guy with a flag minifigure, maybe one with a stopwatch and 3 pull back cars like the recent V Power Ferraris

R

Finally, some Lego I definitely won't be buying. Can't think of anything worse than top gear.

I don't watch this show, but I'm shocked to see it's not a drama license which is a totally different targeted market, would there be other weird reality show licenses? If TLC believe that it sells, I'm happy to see TV program licensed themes and the BBC Sherlock project have a bigger chance.

Doctor Who had given license to Character company, but they also make Minecraft toys. Unless they don't mind to have a competitor.

As an American AFOL and fan of Top Gear, I think this could be a fun theme....If they go about it the right way.
Although random super cars in minifig scale would be great, I personally think it would be awesome to see some of the one off vehicles that they build and test on the show. Such as the over the top campers made from cars, or the car/boat vehicles they sank! Even the three man electric car with the pope bubble. Heck I'd even buy one of those trains made from cars... Hilarious.... The possibilities are endless for fun creative sets. In the end I really just want some Jeremy, James and Richard figures. Please?

I wonder if Adam Ferrara will get his own minifigure...?

I live in the US, and Top Gear is one of my favorite shows. And by Top Gear I mean the British one, I've never even bothered to look at the American one. I think this could be really great, I hope it happens.

Well, here's a nice MOC:

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/Brickstarrunner/1.png

But maybe it's an idea growing, after seeing this in Legoland UK?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRimEdoRjOaMdRplQrYNzsWUC4uuUoqgpTtIoifiLym9dkfqgKl

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/legoland_topgear.jpg

@beegeedee

Think Lego Simpsons... ;-)

I personally have about zero interest in Top Gear or the series as Lego, barely really know about it aside from car stuff and I have a feeling that's true of the vast majority of Americans.

So yeah, we can all spout facts about the show's popularity but really - records are being broken all the time. Seven of the top ten highest grossing films were released in the past 4 years. Nine in the past 10 years. Just because Top Gear is the most watched show in whatever format in the last year or whatever, does that really mean this is any more likely of a theme?

Maybe. After all, Simpsons is happening and that show has been on life support for more than twice as long as it's actually been good. And I'm sure we can drop all sorts of "most of" facts about the Simpsons.

So far, a "Stig" (whatever that is. a person?) has been made into a keychain. 'Cars' is an easy theme to make into Legos. Both of these make it sound like a likely theme. It really has minor niche appeal in America, but I gather it is extremely popular worldwide. Would it be worth it to have a theme do only 'fair' in America but very well in every other market? I would say probably.

Personally I couldn't care less about this theme if it happens, but I think it has a good enough chance of happening.

"Top Gear is broadcast in 170 different countries with 350 million viewers per week"
-wikipedia (CBS news)

Just because something isn't big in the US does not mean it isn't global. I for one would love to see Lego Top Gear

The only reason I know Top Gear is because I have a friend who's a big Auto Nut and is an Avid Top Gear fan...Otherwise, I'm terribly uninformed about the premise of the show.

A Geoff/Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust? The flaming caravan train? A double-decker race (With one of them being the Australian special!) set? Yes, please!