Top Gear legend shows swish new £50k motor with ‘plenty of space’ after saying goodbye to ‘handsome’ long-term favourite
A TOP Gear icon has bagged a fresh £50,000 motor after selling his previous vehicle capable of clocking speeds of 149mph.
Broadcaster and former racing driver Tiff Needell took to social media on January 3 to flaunt his new eye-catching BMW 320i.
Loved hearing all your thoughts on my buying a new car…but the answer is already parked outside,” he wrote on X, attaching a snap of the sleek blue motor.
He continued: “Just a 320i, really don’t need more power for every day use, petrol, RWD, good looking, classy interior, plenty of space, enjoyable to drive, under £50k…what more do you want?”
Just one day before, Tiff bid farewell to his 2023 Maserati Ghibli GT, capable of reaching 149mph.
The veteran broadcaster also defended its durability following criticism from other petrolheads.
He said: “Sad to say goodbye to the Ghibli!
“After two years and over 20,000 miles of trouble free driving cruising around in this handsome, spacious four door saloon.
“For some reason the British press gave it a hard time and demand for the dreaded SUVs blunted its sales but I loved it!”
Who is Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell?
Timothy “Tiff” Needell is a British former racing driver and television presenter, who has appeared on Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and Lovecars.
He was born on October 29, 1951, in Hampshire, England.
Before launching his racing career, Tiff studied civil engineering at City University in London, where he contributed to the construction of the M5 motorway.
His racing journey started in the early 70s with Formula Ford, following his victory in an Autosport Magazine competition with a Lotus 69 FF.
He then moved on to Formula 3, where he stayed until graduating to Formula 1 in 1980.
Tiff drove two Grands Prix for the Ensign team — which shut down in 1983 — and qualified for the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit Zolder.
He then saw some success at Le Mans, achieving his best result in 1990, coming in at third, driving a Porsche.
The driver raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 14 times in total.
Tiff went on to spend a few years driving in the British Touring Car Championship with Nissan but returned to sports cars in 1995 to race at Le Mans.
Tiff went on to race in the GT Championship, Silverstone Golden Jubilee Trophy race, Daytona, Le Mans again, Donington Park, and the 2000 FIA GT Championship at Zolder.
Tiff began working on BBC’s Top Gear in the 1980s and Fifth Gear when it first premiered in 2002.
Fifth Gear was canceled by Channel 5 in 2016, and it moved to Quest in 2018. However, Tiff was not part of the cast in 2019.
In 2001, when Top Gear was rebooted by the BBC, Tiff, along with other cast members, moved to Channel 5 to host a new rival car show, Fifth Gear.
Fifth Gear was cancelled by Channel 5 in 2016, and moved to Quest in 2018 — but the 2019 did not include Needell as part of the cast.