Reality

What happens when you mix internet darling Tom Hiddleston with global phenomenon Top Gear? Something awesome, obviously. (We're only just past the second episode, but let's hear it for Series 21, yeah? Applause all around for the celebrity line-up thus far in my book.)

The Thor and The Hollow Crown star recently appeared as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car on the mega-popular driving series and did a lap of the Top Gear race track in a 1.6 Tech Line Vauxhall Astra. Sadly, this did not occur in a Loki costume, but I guess we can’t have everything.

There are glasses though, if that’s your thing.

Watch for yourselves below.

Just in case you were wondering where Hugh Bonneville got off to during that episode of Downton Abbey where Robert was off-screen – well, it looks like he went straight to the Top Gear track.

The Downton star – best known for his role as uber-posh Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley – recently appeared on mega-popular driving series as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car and did a lap of the Top Gear race track in a 1.6 Tech Line Vauxhall Astra.

Seems a bit of a comedown from the vehicles Lord Robert might have expected, but it’s likely that even a reasonably-priced car from today goes a great deal more quickly than their Edwardian era counterparts.

Here’s a look at a fun behind-the-scenes segment documenting Bonneville’s track experience, which is incredibly fun to watch. Bonneville is possibly even more charming than you might have otherwise expected, and his glee at just getting to drive a car really fast is palpable.

He also manages to drive the car off the course quite a lot.

Believe or not, the twenty-first series of modern classic automotive show, Top Gear, is airing this month. (It started this week in the UK and will make its way Stateside beginning February 10 on BBC America. And, yes,Top Gear is really that old.)

According to the 2013 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records,the series is “the most widely watched factual TV programme”; however; the Top Gear of today is a far cry from its regional motoring magazine beginnings. Did you know, for example, that the show originally began in 1977? And that it used to look quite a bit different from it current incarnation?

In fact, you might be surprised by just how much has changed

Read on for a bit of a history lesson - and a look at some of the show's best moments!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever said the following sentence: “I love Top Gear and I don’t even like cars!” I’ve certainly said it before, and I imagine the same sentiment will probably hold true for the latest addition to the Gearhead family, as well.

BBC America’s doing a new project with Top Gear star Richard Hammond, called Richard Hammond’s Crash Course, set to premiere in a little under two weeks. This isn’t a proper Top Gear “spin-off,” per se, more a distant cousin, I guess – but it does feature Hammond travelling all over the United States to try out driving some massive, dangerous and awesome looking vehicles, including a tank, a trash compactor, and an airport fire engine.

Click through for a look at the series trailer for yourself!

BBC America has announced that Season 18 of Top Gear, everyone’s favorite series that is ostensibly about motor vehicles but really is so much more awesome than that, will debut here in the US on Monday, April 16. Yes, Top Gear really has run for that many seasons already, believe it or not. I had no idea. But, at any rate, going by the footage in this way-too-brief clip, it still looks as incredibly entertaining and fun ever. Despite the fact that it's a bit older than I thought!

Let’s be honest: I don’t even like cars and I love Top Gear. I have a feeling that I’m not the only person who feels this way either, given how popular the show’s become worldwide over the past few years. (And just for the record: one of the things I’m going to make sure I do if I ever get crazy famous is try to take the reasonably priced car for a spin. Just so that’s now written down somewhere for the sake of posterity.)

Click through for a look at the brand new BBC Two promo for Season 18, featuring an appearance from Ray Winstone, Richard Hammond at NASCAR, Jeremy Clarkson in a rather dreadful wig, and what appears to be the Stig’s “Italian cousin”.