Jeremy Clarkson has admitted feeling 'never so embarrassed' after causing a scene at a funeral with his new Porsche. The 66-year-old former Top Gear presenter was test-driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Touring when he stalled the car in a crematorium car park, drawing attention from mourners.
Embarrassing Incident at Crematorium
Writing in the Sunday Times, Clarkson described the £204,000 sports car as 'the best sports car I've ever driven' but noted its tendency to stall easily. 'Unless you give it a bootful of revs when pulling away from the lights or manoeuvring, it is ridiculously easy to stall,' he wrote. This characteristic led to his embarrassing moment: 'This isn't so bad unless you are trying to reverse into a space in the car park at your local crematorium. I have never felt so embarrassed.'
He added: 'The mourners were all gathering for a very upsetting funeral, and here was an absolute dingleberry making sports-exhaust revving noises as if he was in a Sainsbury's car park on a Saturday night in a souped-up Vauxhall Nova.'
Other Complaints About the Porsche
Clarkson also noted a slight delay when switching from dipped headlights to full beam and additional tyre noise that made conversation inside the cabin difficult. Despite these issues, he praised the car as a terrific drive, albeit one out of step with modern times. 'It's as if Porsche has engineered a car for a world that no longer exists. It sits in the market today like a four-piece rock band would sit in the charts,' he said.
Clarkson's Comments on Richard Hammond's Car Collection
In the same column, Clarkson made slightly mean-spirited remarks about his former co-star Richard Hammond's car collection. Hammond owns several desirable cars, including two Jaguar E-Types valued at over £292,000 combined, and his entire collection is estimated at around $2 million (£1.5 million).
Clarkson admitted feeling jealous when Hammond bought a Series 1 E-Type Jaguar during their Top Gear days, especially as its value soared. 'My money was in the bank earning sod all. He was driving about in his money and it was going up in value at about 100% a year,' Clarkson wrote. However, the classic car market has since stalled, and the E-Type's value has fallen close to what Hammond originally paid. Clarkson confessed: 'I'm not punching the air as I write this, I promise, but I am smiling.'
