I know…poor title! But I think a slightly garbled “random CarFest 2026, McLaren W1 and Ferrari pics and (lack of) updates on Top Gear” would be worse.

Top Gear

Still no real update on what is going on, more than a week since the leak relating to Jimmy being the front runner to host the reboot of Top Gear (more here).

A LOT of debate going on but, as Car and Driver say here:

…seems an unusual choice, but he was at the top of the leaderboard in the show’s Reasonably Priced Car lap challenge. He’s also an accomplished quiz show host, something that’s a big part of the U.K. television landscape.

CarBuzz (here) were more enthusiastic:

Upon first inspection, Carr might seem an unusual fit for the role, but a closer look reveals the comedian could be exactly what’s needed.

Being a comedian, he knows how to bring a smile to your face, and that’s something Top Gear has always managed ever since its 2002 reboot and new, chaos-heavy redirection. Instead of trying to recapture the trio’s magical chemistry, which has proven a tricky approach for the BBC since their departure, a singular front-man responsible for bringing the laughs might just be the perfect approach for injecting some humour back into the show. Secondly, Carr certainly has plenty of experience when it comes to presenting on TV, so his CV ticks the right boxes from a professional perspective also.

Finally, Carr already enjoys a huge reach, with his comedy shows played to over 40 countries around the globe, and a little familiarity never hurts when trying to rework an old favourite. Oh, and it helps that he’s pretty handy behind the wheel of a Suzuki Liana, too.

CarFest 2026

Judging by the publicity posters Jimmy was a last-minute confirmation for the StarFest stage as his name wasn’t listed. Had his intended presence been known before hand – I suspect StarFest would have attracted car journalists like wasps on jam.

He was on the stage on August 28^th (here) and, so far, barely any mentions. Some pictures to look at:

• Michael Palmer photography – “Jimmy Carr looking at a car” – here
• Food vendor posted a selfie with JC – here
• Youngster got his photo with the top man. Two images – here
• Jonny Faulkner photographer – portraits of Jimmy, Rob Brydon and Lee Mack – here

Jimmy got a fairly brief mention in Gridline Press (here) – includes a photo of him sitting inside a McLaren W1.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Final car(r) related story… MQX cars (here) and Spotting Cars UK (here) both posted pics of this Ferrari, on a London street. One of only 599 made.

They both identified it as Jimmy’s car and it’s apparently “finished in Argento Nürburgring” (which means a specific light silver Ferrari paint to us car luddites).