'Top Gear,' Stig-less on Apple's Screens What is it about the "Top Gear" television series that makes otherwise upstanding companies act like used-car salesmen? First there was Apple, which introduced its expanded Game Center at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday by pitting Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, against the Stig, the television show's mysterious, crack driver, in a racing simulator game. But appearances can be deceiving. Certainly the driver had the white racing suit and Simpson helmet of the Stig, albeit with a bit of uncustomary blue trim. Further muddling the driver's pedigree, there was his name, Racer OS X, a clear reference to the Apple operating system, but perhaps an allusion to Racer X of "Speed Racer" renown. In any case, Laura Klang-Glienna, a spokeswoman for BBC Worldwide, said in an interview that Racer OS X "was not the Stig." And because Apple never claimed him to be the Stig, don't expect to see any lawsuits. Meanwhile, the BBC, the producer of the original "Top Gear," has introduced a new video game called Top Gear: Stunt School Revolution, a sequel of sorts to Top Gear: Stunt School - and yes, it's available in the Apple Game Center. It is a stunt-driving game, but is, despite the title, remarkably free of what makes "Top Gear" such a beloved franchise. Yes, there is the show's familiar take on the Allman Brothers" "Jessica" at the start of the game, as well as the "Top Gear" logo, but no Jeremy Clarkson, James May or Richard Hammond, the British show's inimitable hosts. Mr. Clarkson, for one, has lent his voice recently to the Forza franchise, narrating a virtual-showroom feature of Forza 4, released last fall. Also missing is much of the wicked wit for which the show is known. Not that the game doesn't have its kicks - it does. Colorful and well-rendered, the game has jumps, time trials and precision driving tests that gamers complete in sports cars, utility vehicles and compacts. Successful stunts are rewarded with Gold Nuts: lug nuts that can be traded for car upgrades. In at least one appreciated nod to the show's humor, a gamer can buy a jet engine to strap on a car, as well as make more mundane chassis, engine and wheel improvements. The game is free, but if not inclined to play for hours, a gamer can buy the means to an upgrade. For 99 cents a competitor receives 1,500 Gold Nuts; a $9.99 splurge yields 20,000. Ben Badgett, creative director of BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment & Games, said there was more "Top Gear" content deeper in the game experience. "For example, the cow that Jeremy strapped to the top of his car; a new version of Car Darts; Motor homes; a truck reminiscent of the indestructible Toyota and the home-built "Hammerhead" all make appearances," he wrote in an e-mail, referencing some of the British show's more beloved sequences. Still, No Clarkson? No May? No Hammond? "Since this is a worldwide release, we haven't included any region-specific hosts," Mr. Badgett said.