Top Gear Magazine/UK/December 1999
| Top Gear Magazine #75 | |
|---|---|
 For Your Eyes Only: Our photo-file on the new BMW Z8 | |
| Issue No. | 75 |
| Price | £3.20 |
| Cover date | December 1999 |
| Page count | 354 |
| Editor | Kevin Blick |
| Publisher | BBC Worldwide |
| Prev issue | Issue 74 (November 1999) |
| Next issue | Issue 76 (January 2000) |
The seventy-fifth issue of Top Gear Magazine/UK was released for the cover date of December 1999. Published by BBC Worldwide, the issue contained 354 pages and was edited by the magazine's first editor-in-chief, Kevin Blick. The final issue released before the Millennium, Issue #75 was largely centred around the imminent release of the then-new James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, whose star car was the BMW Z8, the car depicted on the cover. The subtitle on this issue's spine reads "The spine who loved me", in reference to the similarly-titled 1977 Bond film starring Roger Moore.
Cover[edit | edit source]
Issue #75 of Top Gear Magazine's cover prominently featured the BMW Z8, with a plain grey background. The cover photograph was taken by Joe Windsor-Williams.
Contents[edit | edit source]
As was the case with many earlier issues of Top Gear Magazine, Issue #75 featured an index page gimmick; in this instance, it was James Bond-themed, with each section being named after a famous gadget Bond was known to carry in his films. The road test index for instance was renamed to "Shaker", after a Martini shaker.
Walther PPK[edit | edit source]
- First steers: Prodded, poked and perused this time: the Caterham Seven Superlight R500, Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin, Hyundai Accent, BMW X5, Citroen's Saxo VTS and VTR, the 2.7-litre Porsche Boxster, Toyota Yaris Verso and MR-S, and SEAT Leon.
- New Fiesta vs. Rover 25: There's some fresh blood, of sorts, entering the supermini battlefield. But which of these facelifted foes will emerge victorious?
- Coupe creations: Toyota's sharp-looking new Celica squares up to its rival coupes: the Ford Cougar, Fiat Coupe, Honda Prelude and Peugeot 406 Coupe.
- Je ne baguette rien: They may look a lot like bread vans, but will the Renault Kangoo or the Citroen Berlingo Multispace take the lifestyle cake?
- Tree fella: We're not really lumberjacks, but our tong-term Subaru Forester is more than OK.
- Dad's got a new motor: Editor's perks No 23: you get first dibs on the new long-term Jaguar XJR.
- Putting the boot in: However young you feel, age will get you in the end. So plan for the future with some sensible saloons like the Chrysier Neon, Renault Megane Classic, Ford Focus and Fiat Marea.
Wristwatch Camera[edit | edit source]
- Dancing with the Devil: Meet Lamborghini's latest, lighter, lairier leviathan - the fab Diablo GT.
- BMW Z8: Not everyone can be a cool, world-saving secret agent - but you can drive the car. Here's what we civvies will get from Munich's super-sexy soft top.
- Licenced to thrill - With more gadgets than the Tokyo Motorshow, it's the best of 007's motors.
- The name was Bond, James Bond: But there's more to George Lazenby than than those pretend secret agent antics - like his love for bikes.
- Sideways stormers: Celica GT-Four, Sunny GTi-R, Impreza, Escort Cossie or Integrale? Which rally-bred road-goer is the best secondhand buy?
- Jumble fever: The place: the Hershey Autojumble, Pennsylvania. The goal: buy a Spindizzy. The outcome?
- LA's repo men: Are they low-lifes or good guys?
- Two-stroke sense: Young and eager to get mobile? Need some frugal transportation? Or just sick of the gridlock? Check out our guide to scooters.
Bow Tie Rocket Launcher[edit | edit source]
- First gear: The best from the Tokyo Motorshow.
- Headroom: Gordon Murray, Land Speed Record antics, Vicki B-H, 40 years of the M1 and a lot more.
- All torque: Our four columnists speak their minds.
- Subscribe!: And get yourself 12 issues for just £30, or buy yourself some natty Top Gear threads (p163).
- Write turns: The choicest selection of our in-tray.
- Ride on: The Honda X-11, plus a dose of bike news.
- Leftovers: The bits that almost got away, but didn't.
Cocktail[edit | edit source]
- Used car buyers' guide
- Used car of the month: Peugeot 106.
- Used car price guide
- Quentin Willson's pick
- Used car reprint service
- New car buyers' guide
- New cars by price: Plus Data Dad.
- New car list
- Mini tests
- Directory of manufacturers
- TG club
- Road test reprint service
- Magazine issues
- Issues of Top Gear Magazine
- Magazines with a cover month of December
- Magazines with a cover year of 1999
- Magazines priced at £3.20
- Magazines edited by Kevin Blick
- Magazines published by BBC Worldwide
- Magazines featuring a BMW on the cover
- Magazines featuring the BMW Z8 on the cover
- Magazines featuring a cover photographed by Joe Windsor-Williams
