Top Gear (UK) Season 17

Season 17 of the most famous car show in the world.
June 26, 2011 - July 21, 2011
contains 6 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Episode 1:
Richard is in South Africa to test a bigger, even more rugged alternative to the famous Hummer — the MarauderJeremy tests the new BMW 1MJames meets up with Olympic Skelton Gold Medal Winner, Amy Williams, and races her in the new Mini Rally Car with WRC champion Kris Meeke Jeremy celebrates the 50th Birthday of the Jaguar E-type by driving a modernized version, the Eagle SpeedsterSIARPC: Alice Cooper
 
Episode 2:
James drives the new Aston Martin Virage and the Stig takes it around the test trackJeremy, James, and Richard go on a road trip challenge through Italy to Monaco driving three hot hatches — the Citroën DS3 Racing, Renault Clio Renault Sport Cup, and Fiat 500 Abarth SSSIARPC: comedian Ross Noble
 

Episode 3:
McLaren claims that their McLaren MP4-12C is better than the Ferrari 458 Italia and Jeremy sets out to see if this is true or notJames drives from Death Valley to Las Vegas in the new Range Rover EvoqueThe cheapest new car for sale in Britain today is the Nissan Pixo for £6995. Jeremy and Richard find out what that kind of money will get you in the used car market.SIARPC: Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel
 

Episode 4:
Jeremy drives the new Jaguar XKR-S and the latest version of the Nissan GT-RThe guys set out to create cheaper trains using carsSIARPC: actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson
 

Episode 5:
Jeremy drives a modernized Jensen Interceptor SJeremy races the Lotus Exos T125, a Formula 1 type race car that you can buyThe guys destroy buildings using military machinesSIARPC: Bob Geldof
 

Episode 6:
Richard drives Lamborghini’s newest flagship model, the Aventador LP700-4
The Lotus Exos T125 from last week’s show is taken around the test track by the StigJames and Jeremy take two fully electric cars on a road trip, the Nissan Leaf and the Peugeot iOnRichards follows the progress of military amputees who make up an off-road racing teamSIARPC: Louis Walsh

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Top Gear (UK) Season 16

Season 16 of the most famous car show in the world.
December 26, 2010 - February 27, 2011
contains 7 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Middle East Special:
The three “wise men” journey through the Middle East to Bethlehem in cheap 2-seater convertible sports cars
 

Episode 1:
James drives the V8 version of the Ariel Atom and the new Stig takes it around the track. Will it be fast enough to take the top of the board?Richard and James look at the hybrid turbine-powered Jaguar C-X75 concept car in the studioThe newsJeremy does a “sensible” review of the Škoda YetiRichard uses a Porsche 911 to race a Volkswagen Beetle dropped from a helicopterSIARPC: comedian John Bishop
 
Episode 2:
The British perspective of the Top Gear Australia Ashes SpecialJeremy drives the Ferrari 599 GTO and compares it to two GTOs of the past — the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO and the Ferrari 288 GTO. The Stig also takes the 599 around the track.SIARPC: tennis star Boris Becker
 

Episode 3:
The guys head to Albania to see if the Rolls Royce Ghost is a better car than it’s competitors for the Albanian mafiaJeremy drives the Subaru WRX STI Cosworth, Ford Focus RS500, and Volvo C30 Polestar and the Stig takes them around the trackSIARPC: Jonathan Ross
 

Episode 4:
The guys each buy a cheap convertible 4 seater and compare them to each otherJeremy drives the insane Pagani Zonda R and the Pagani Zonda Tricolore as a farewell tribute to the ZondaSIARPC: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost
 

Episode 5:
Frustrated with the performance of the snow clearing in Britain, the guys build their own snow plow out of a combine harvester and take it to Norway to test it outJeremy drives the new BMW M3 Competition Package and the new Audi RS5SIARPC: actress Amber Heard of the movie “Drive Angry”

Episode 6:
Richard takes two kings of the 1980′s out on the track — the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari F40Jeremy uses the new Jaguar XJ to race the sun across BritainThe Cool Wall returnsJames drives NASA’s new lunar rover, the Space Exploration VehicleSIARPC: politician John Prescott

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Top Gear (UK) Season 15

Season 15 of the most famous car show in the world.
June 27, 2010 - December 21, 2010
contains 7 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Episode 1:
Jeremy drives the high performance Bentley Continental Supersports and the Stig takes it around the track
Before the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull started making it’s massive ash cloud, James took a drive up it in a Toyota Hilux to the mouth of the volcano to fetch a piece of hot lava
The Reasonably Priced Car Chevrolet Lacetti is retired, the new car is introduced, and a bunch of celebrities drop by to set lap times in the new car
Jeremy asks why there aren’t more three-wheeled cars in the world and investigates further with a closer look at the Reliant Robin
 
Episode 2:
The boys are given £5000 each to go out and buy 4-door saloons that could be used every day but that could also be used on a track. They then head to Germany to test them in a series of tests.
James drives the beautiful Porsche 911 Sport Classic and the Porsche Boxster Spyder which the Stig takes around the test track
SIARPC: Alastair Campbell

Episode 3:
The boys compare three high performance 4-door saloons — the Maserati Quattroporte GTS, Aston Martin Rapide, and Porsche Panamera Turbo
Can the Germans really make a better muscle car than the Americans? Richard drives the Chevrolet Camaro SS and the Mercedes E63 AMG to find out and the Stig takes them around the track
SIARPC: F1 driver Rubens Barrichello drives the original RPC and Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint drives the current one
 
Episode 4:
Jeremy compares two supercar convertibles, the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 Turbo, and the Stig gives them lap times
The boys are challenged to build their own cool motorhomes and put them through a series of challenges
SIARPC: actor Andy Garcia

Episode 5:
Richard races two snowmobiles over snow and ice in Sweden using the Dakar Volkswagen Touareg
James takes the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport to 259 MPH and the Stig races it around the Top Gear track
Jeremy looks back at F1 driver Ayrton Senna’s career
SIARPC: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz

Episode 6:
Clarkson reviews the Ferrari 458 Italia in classic Top Gear style
The boys are given £5000 each to go out and buy a classic British car which they put through a series of challenges
SIARPC: Jeff Goldblum

Episode 7:
The guys drive across the eastern United States exploring the roots of NASCAR and getting to see that part of the country in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing, Ferrari 458 Italia, and Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The annual automotive Christmas gift guide
SIARPC: director Danny Boyle

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Top Gear (UK) Season 14

Season 14 of the most famous car show in the world.
November 15, 2009 - January 3, 2010
contains 7 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Episode 1:
Jeremy, Richard and James take an Aston DBS Volante, a Ferrari California, and a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder to Romania in search of an obscure stretch of tarmac that some hardcore drivers claim is the nothing less than the greatest road in the world
James compares two powerful limos, the BMW 760i and Mercedes S63 AMG
SIARPC: Eric Bana

Episode 2:
Jeremy, Richard and James attempt to save the planet by building their own electric car, and then put their latest “green” creation through the rigors of the new car testing process
Jeremy pits the Corvette ZR1′s muscle against the finesse of Audi’s R8 V10
SIARPC: actor Michael Sheen

Episode 3:
James explores a new way to get a caravan to it’s destination and Richard drives the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni
Jeremy and Richard drive all of Lancia’s great cars
Jeremy drives a Lancia Stratos kit car and the Stig takes it somewhat around the track
SIARPC: Radio 2 breakfast host-elect Chris Evans

Episode 4:
Richard finds out which airport vehicle is the fastest by having a race
Jeremy drives the new BMW X5M, Audi Q7 V12 diesel, and the latest supercharged Range Rover
Jeremy heads to Belfast to do another “sensible” review involving a Renaultsport Twingo 133, a sewer tunnel, a ferry, and actor Ross Kemp
SIARPC: Guy Ritchie

Episode 5:
Jeremy drives Noble’s latest creation, the M600
The annual Top Gear Christmas Gift Guide
The guys take over an entire modern art gallery in Middlesbrough and fill it with motoring-related works, including some remarkable creations of their own, in a quest to prove that cars can be more popular than traditional art
SIARPC: F1 driver Jenson Button

Episode 6:
South America Special

Jeremy, Richard, and James buy three cars over the Internet and then drive them over 1000 miles from the rainforest of Bolivia, over the Death Road and the Andes, to the Pacific coast of Chile

Episode 7:
Richard drives Lexus’ first super car, the LFA
Jeremy attempts to do an inexpensive review of the BMW X6
James drives the new Vauxhall Insignia VXR and is accompanied by Margaret Calvert, the designer of Britain’s road signs
The annual Top Gear Awards Ceremony
SIARPC: blues musician Seasick Steve

 

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Top Gear (UK) Season 13

Season 13 of the most famous car show in the world.
June 21, 2009 - August 2, 2009
contains 7 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Episode 1:
The boys race from London to Edinburgh as if it were 60 years ago using the fastest types of transport at the time — a Jaguar XK120, a Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle, and a Peppercorn A1 Class Tornado steam train
Jeremy drives what is perhaps the most comfortable supercar ever — the Lotus Evora
The Stig takes the Ferrari FXX around the test track. Will it be the fastest car on the leaderboard?
SIARPC: The Stig

Episode 2:
The boys set out to find the best cars for a 17-year old boy while being able to pay insurance and pass age-related challenges
Richard goes to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to drive a Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV and drag races it against a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition
Richard and the Stig do a mile long drag race with a Bugatti Veyron and a McLaren F1
SIARPC: Stephen Fry

Episode 3:
Jeremy drives the Mercedes-Benz AMG SL65 Black and the Stig races it around the test track
The boys play a quick game of Car Sauna where you get in a hot car and crank up the heat
Due to the current economy, the guys try out some “cheap and cheerful” cars
James goes to America to get a ride with Ken Block
SIARPC: comedian Michael McIntyre

Episode 4:
Jeremy and Richard drive the new Ford Focus RS and the Renault Megane R26.R
Richard and James use a Porsche Panamera to race against a letter and the Royal Mail
Jeremy races some of the British Army’s latest toys using a modified Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII
SIARPC: Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt

Episode 5:
The boys are given £1500 to buy rear-wheel drive cars for a series of challenges in France in order to prove they’re better than front-wheel drive cars
Jeremy drives Jaguar’s new 500bhp XFR and sees how it stands up against the BMW M5
Jeremy invents something to save the environment — a no-pollution Range Rover
SIARPC: actress Sienna Miller

Episode 6:
Jeremy drives the latest BMW Z4 and compares it to the new Nissan 370Z
The boys are given £3000 each to go buy a car made before 1982 which they will use for one big challenge
SIARPC: Brian Johnson, the lead singer of AC/DC

Episode 7:
Richard looks for an alternative to boring German sports saloons in the supercharged Vauxhall (Holden) VXR8 Bathurst and Maloo VXR
Jeremy and James set out to make an advertisement for Volkswagen
The Cool Wall returns
Some of the best cinematography on Top Gear ever as Jeremy drives the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage
SIARPC: Jay Leno

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Top Gear (UK) Season 12

Season 12 of the most famous car show in the world.
November 2, 2008 - December 28, 2008
contains 8 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Episode 1:
Jeremy heads to the test track with the new Porsche 911 GT2 and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.
In another “how hard could it be?” adventure, the boys are given £5000 to go out and buy a cheap lorry (semi-truck) to be used in a series of challenges.
SIARPC: broadcaster and journalist Michael Parkinson

Episode 2:
Jeremy tests the Fiat 500 Abarth SS and the Stig takes it around the track
The guys head to America and drive a Corvette ZR-1, a Dodge Challenger SRT-8, and a Cadillac CTS-V from San Fransisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
SIARPC: Pop Idol winner Will Young

Episode 3:
Richard heads to Japan to try out Toyota’s i-Real concept “car”
James meanwhile goes to Finland to get some rally racing lessons from two-time Formula 1 champion Mika Häkkinen and then participates in an amateur race
Jeremy unveils his Corvette V8 powered food blender
The guys are challenged to modify a normal car to make it beat a Mitsubishi Evo X’s lap time
SIARPC: Mark Wahlberg

Episode 4:
James “Captain Slow” May, in his first supercar review, drives the Pagani Zonda F Roadster and compares it to the Bugatti Veyron on the track
The guys race on a single tank of gas from Switzerland to Blackpool in order to turn on the annual Blackpool Illuminations
The Stig takes the Bugatti Veyron and the Pagani Zonda F Roadster around the track. Will either beat the lap record?
SIARPC: Harry Enfield who was the very first SIARPC ever

Episode 5:
Jeremy compares the Lexus IS-F to the current saloon king, the BMW M3
Richard does a public service by finding out which city bus type is the best for London by taking them racing
The Cool Wall is updated
To celebrate the Ferrari Daytona’s 40th anniversary, Richard races it against James in the XSR 48, the world’s fastest diesel-powered production boat, from Portofino in the Italian Rivera to Saint Tropez in France

Episode 6:
Richard drives the lightweight Caterham R500 and Veritas RS3 and the Stig takes them around the track
Did Communism ever create a decent car? Jeremy and James set out to find the answer
Jeremy gives a serious and (not so) sensible review of the new Ford Fiesta
SIARPC: London mayor Boris Johnson

Episode 7:
Richard takes a look back at the last 50 years of the British Touring Car Championship
The annual automotive related Christmas presents showcase
Jeremy finds out if the Tesla electric car is any good and the Stig takes it around the track
In retaliation for Fifth Gear being “responsible” for burning up the Top Gear set, the Top Gear Stunt Man attempts to snatch away Fifth Gear’s world record for the farthest distance jumped by a car towing a caravan
The Top Gear Awards for Motoring Achievement 2008
James heads to Los Angeles to see the future of motoring — the hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity. Features a bit of Jay Leno discussing the car.
SIARPC: singer Sir Tom Jones

Episode 8:
Vietnam Special

The guys heads to Vietnam to travel 1000 miles in 8 days via cheap motorcycles

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Top Gear (UK) Season 11

Season 11 of the most famous car show in the world.
March 14, 2008 - July 27, 2008
contains 7 episodes
comedy | talk show | car show

Ground Force Sports Relief Special:
Alan Clarksmarsh, Jamesy Dimmock and Handy Hammond resurrect Ground Force for a Sport Relief special and redo a top celebrity sportsman’s garden

Episode 1:
In an effort to help viewers save money on fuel, Top Gear finds out which supercar is the most economical
Jeremy takes the Ferrari F430 Scuderia out onto the Top Gear track
James introduces Top Gear Stunt Man who’s first stunt is to jump a car off a ramp going backwards
The team is sent out to build their own cheap cop cars and are then given a series of tests
SIARPC: Friday/Sunday Night Project’s Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins

Episode 2:
Jeremy compares the new Subaru WRX STi against the new Mitsubishi Evo X
Richard in the new Audi RS6 Avant races some French skiers down a mountain in the Alps
Top Gear Stuntman returns to attempt a barrel roll like the one seen in the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”
The return of the Cool Wall
Jeremy takes the Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black to Wales
SIARPC: Rupert Penry-Jones and Peter Firth of Spooks

Episode 3:
Jeremy makes some smoke in the new Bentley Brooklands
Cheap Alfa Challenge: the boys are each given £1,000 to buy Alfa Romeos with which will be used in a series of challenges
SIARPC: James Corden and Mathew Horne of the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey

Episode 4:
In an epic bit of cinematography, Jeremy reviews the Alfa Romeo 8C around the track followed by the Stig giving it a lap time
Jeremy uses the new Nissan GT-R to race Richard and James in a bullet train across Japan
SIARPC: BBC news presenters Fiona Bruce and Kate Silverton

Episode 5:
Jeremy races the Nissan GT-R around Japan’s legendary Fuji circuit and the Stig gives it a lap on the Top Gear Test Track
Both Jeremy and James bought large, old luxury cars while Top Gear was off the air, a Mercedes 600 ‘Grosse’ and a Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupe respectively, so they decided to compare them with a series of tests
Jeremy and Richard combine fox hunting and offroading with a race using a Diahatsu Terios
SIARPC: Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis from the Dragons’ Den

Episode 6:
James drives the Mitsuoka Orochi and Mitsuoka Galue through downtown Tokyo
Richard examines the ugly Gumpert Apollo and the Stig gives it a lap of the Top Gear Test Track
Germany’s D-Motor television show challenges Top Gear to a series of competitions in Belgium
SIARPC: Jay Kay tries to beat Simon Cowell’s lap record

 

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