The Stig's 'cousins'
The Stig is also portrayed as having an extended family of cousins who appear in his place, reinforcing various comical stereotypes.
In the US Special in 2006, the show featured a portly American cousin nicknamed "Big Stig". He raced the presenters' cars around the Moroso Motorsports Park track. "Big Stig" should not be confused with the white Stig of Top Gear America.
The Botswana Special featured the Stig's African cousin, with dark skin, wearing just Puma racing boots, a loincloth, white racing gloves and the iconic white helmet. He raced two of the presenters' chosen cars around an improvised rally track - Clarkson's Lancia Beta refused to start. According to the Special's DVD commentary, this cousin did have experience in Formula 1 racing.
In Series 12, episode 1, 'Rig Stig' made his debut, sporting a "sunburned" right sleeve and glove in reference to his supposed job as a lorry driver. He appeared powersliding a Team Oliver racing truck to show to the presenters that a lorry could drift.
There was another cousin in the Vietnam Special, although his scenes were not broadcast due to time constraints. He was nicknamed the Stig's Vietnamese/Communist cousin and wore a red uniform. The footage was however included in a later DVD release. Top Gear hired a local motorcycle stunt rider.
In Series 14, episode 2, the Stig's vegetarian cousin, nicknamed "Janet Stig Porter", appeared. He wore green overalls, Birkenstock sandals with socks and a solar-powered helmet. He drove the presenters' "Hammerhead iEagle Thrust" hybrid around the MIRA test circuit to see how long it would last, but died from the car's diesel fumes.
In Series 15, episode 2, the Stig's German cousin, nicknamed "Herr Stig" and "Stiggy Ray Cyrus" (a parody of Billy Ray Cyrus), he was almost identical to the main Stig, wearing white overalls, the main difference being that he had a mullet haircut. He drove the presenters' cheap sports saloons around EuroSpeedway Lausitz.
In Series 18 episode 1, the Stig's Italian cousin, which the presenters called "Bunga-Bunga Stig", was introduced during the final leg of their Italian Road Trip at Imola Circuit. He came out of a motor-home dressed in a suit followed by three girls, to set a lap time in a Ferrari 458 Italia.
In Series 18 episode 2, the Stig's Chinese cousin nicknamed "Attack Stig" made his dramatic arrival by karate kicking through a door at the local race track. While in appearance he looks the same as the normal Stig but unlike the original Stig who is quiet, the Chinese Stig is found to be highly violent and attacks anyone indiscriminately, using martial arts. His unruly behaviour caused problems not just for the presenters but also for the Top Gear filming crew, flag bearer and a nearby track marshal to which he even interrupted his timed lap of the Roewe 350 in order to attack him. After the timed laps, he then walked on-screen and kicked James "in the plums." His behavior was so bad that Clarkson remarked, "that's the worst Stig we've ever had".
The U.S. Top Gear, Top Gear Australia and Top Gear Russia also feature their own versions of The Stig. Additionally, when Top Gear Australia visited New Zealand (in series 3 episode 2), they introduced their Stig's Kiwi cousin, "The Stug" (referencing New Zealand English's centralised short-"i" sound). When Top Gear U.S. drove a modified off-road racer through Colorado against a kayak they introduced a new Stig called "Backwoods Stig" who wears a sleeveless worn out t-shirt.