Top Gear: US Special
Encyclopedia
Top Gear: US Special was an episode of the popular series Top Gear, first broadcast on 11 February 2007 on BBC Two
, as part of series 9
. In this full-length story, presenters Jeremy Clarkson
, Richard Hammond
and James May
attempted to see if it was cheaper to buy a car for exploring the southern part of the United States
for a week rather than renting one.
150 pickup truck; and May a 1989 Cadillac Brougham
.
The overall challenge would be to drive from Miami to New Orleans; at the end of this trip the cars would be sold to see which presenter could make the most money back.
En route to their first challenge, the presenters discussed the foibles of their respective cars. It was soon discovered that May's Cadillac was the only one with working air conditioning, a point greatly appreciated in the Florida heat.
Challenge 1 (Fastest Race Track Lap): At Moroso Motorsports Park
, the 3 cars had to complete the track length in the quickest time possible. Since the presenters had never seen the track before, the cars would be driven by the Stig's
American cousin, an obese version of the second Stig, which they nicknamed "Big Stig". Clarkson's Camaro posted the fastest time; Hammond's Ram was not only last, but came off the track due to poor brakes.
Challenge 2 (0 mph-50 mph-0 mph): At the drag strip portion of the raceway's track, they all had to reach 50 mph (80 km/h) and brake as soon as they got to the speed. Ahead of them was a river, filled with alligators. The closest to the watery grave was, yet again, Hammond, by taking too long to reach the required speed and poor brakes.
Challenge 3 (Roadkill Rations): Each presenter was given $100 to buy something for their car that would "make the journey more comfortable", Hammond bought a grill, Clarkson bought a shower to replace his broken air conditioning and May bought a clothes rack. They were then told that they would be camping that night and dinner was whatever they could find dead at the side of the road
. Hammond commented on how these new objects could be used, saying Clarkson could prepare the food by washing it, he could cook it, and 'James could dress for dinner'. Clarkson found a possum but May ran over it; they then found a tortoise but refused to kill it, instead setting it back towards a nearby swamp. Hammond found a squirrel which was collected and spent a while trying to figure out how he would "peel" it. As Hammond and May set up camp, Clarkson went to look for more roadkill; he came back with an enormous dead cow, placed on the roof of the Camaro, which May refused to eat.
Later that night, Clarkson and Hammond successfully destroyed the Cadillac's air conditioning, much to May's annoyance.
Challenge 4 (Lethal Car Decorating): Prior to entering Alabama
, the presenters were instructed to roller-paint each other's cars with slogans which might lead to them getting shot by the locals. May painted pro-homosexual slogans on Hammond's car ("Man-love rules OK"), Hammond painted "Country and Western is Rubbish" on Clarkson's, and Clarkson painted "Hillary for President", "NASCAR sucks" and "I'm bi" on May's car. All three attempts were so successful at offending the locals that, in one of Top Gear's most famous moments, the presenters and the filming crew members were chased out of town by friends of the owner of State Line Convenience in Seminole, AL, who pelted the crew's vans with rocks. The frightened crew quickly aborted the challenge and removed the slogans using the t-shirts off their backs and cola drinks.
Challenge 5 (Sell Cars in New Orleans): The team eventually aborted this challenge after arriving in New Orleans and witnessing the remaining damage caused by Hurricane Katrina
the previous year. The presenters decided to give away the cars for free to a Christian mission. However, while Clarkson's and Hammond's were given away, James May was declared the loser as he was unable to find any claimants for his car. Immediately after filming for that segment was completed, a lawyer threatened to sue Clarkson for misrepresentation after she heard the car wasn't a 1991 Camaro (it was a 1989 model) but would drop the suit on payment of US$20,000.
Final results: Clarkson declared himself the winner and declared May the loser, although no points were given. They concluded that it was viable to buy, rather than rent, a car. Clarkson summed up the trip with his long-held opinion: "Don't go to America!" (The team would later return to America in Series 12, Episode 2
and later in the 2010 US Road Trip.)
Similar to the credits of the 2007 Polar Challenge Special and the Botswana Special, other than the four main presenters (who are credited as Cletus Clarkson, Earl Hammond Jr., Ellie May May, and Roscoe P. Stig), each crew member name is listed with the words "Billy Bob" attached to the start, a reference to the American redneck stereotype.
The Production Notes section of the Top Gear website describes the creation and production of this episode as "one of the most gruelling shoots in Top Gear history, damn near finishing off several members of the crew through exhaustion."
received complaints about the scene with the dead cow; the BBC defended the programme saying that the cow had died several days previously.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, as part of series 9
Top Gear (series 9)
The ninth series of Top Gear began on January 28th, 2007 and concluded on March 4th, 2007. The series featured six episodes, with a further two specials , broadcast afterwards...
. In this full-length story, presenters Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
, Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
and James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
attempted to see if it was cheaper to buy a car for exploring the southern part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a week rather than renting one.
Overview
Upon their arrival in Miami, the three were given US$1000 to buy a used car. Over the next several hours they discovered that there were very few usable American cars available at that price. Eventually, Clarkson bought a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS; Hammond a Dodge RamDodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
150 pickup truck; and May a 1989 Cadillac Brougham
Cadillac Brougham
Originally an enclosed carriage, drawn by a single horse, for 2-4 persons, “Brougham” owes its name to a British statesman, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, whose second claim to fame is having given to the sea-front drive, in Nice in the South of France, the nick-name of Promenade des...
.
The overall challenge would be to drive from Miami to New Orleans; at the end of this trip the cars would be sold to see which presenter could make the most money back.
En route to their first challenge, the presenters discussed the foibles of their respective cars. It was soon discovered that May's Cadillac was the only one with working air conditioning, a point greatly appreciated in the Florida heat.
Challenge 1 (Fastest Race Track Lap): At Moroso Motorsports Park
Palm Beach International Raceway
Palm Beach International Raceway is a motorsports facility located west of Jupiter, Florida. It is currently awaiting an FIA Grade II Certification.-Early days:...
, the 3 cars had to complete the track length in the quickest time possible. Since the presenters had never seen the track before, the cars would be driven by the Stig's
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
American cousin, an obese version of the second Stig, which they nicknamed "Big Stig". Clarkson's Camaro posted the fastest time; Hammond's Ram was not only last, but came off the track due to poor brakes.
Challenge 2 (0 mph-50 mph-0 mph): At the drag strip portion of the raceway's track, they all had to reach 50 mph (80 km/h) and brake as soon as they got to the speed. Ahead of them was a river, filled with alligators. The closest to the watery grave was, yet again, Hammond, by taking too long to reach the required speed and poor brakes.
Challenge 3 (Roadkill Rations): Each presenter was given $100 to buy something for their car that would "make the journey more comfortable", Hammond bought a grill, Clarkson bought a shower to replace his broken air conditioning and May bought a clothes rack. They were then told that they would be camping that night and dinner was whatever they could find dead at the side of the road
Roadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
. Hammond commented on how these new objects could be used, saying Clarkson could prepare the food by washing it, he could cook it, and 'James could dress for dinner'. Clarkson found a possum but May ran over it; they then found a tortoise but refused to kill it, instead setting it back towards a nearby swamp. Hammond found a squirrel which was collected and spent a while trying to figure out how he would "peel" it. As Hammond and May set up camp, Clarkson went to look for more roadkill; he came back with an enormous dead cow, placed on the roof of the Camaro, which May refused to eat.
Later that night, Clarkson and Hammond successfully destroyed the Cadillac's air conditioning, much to May's annoyance.
Challenge 4 (Lethal Car Decorating): Prior to entering Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, the presenters were instructed to roller-paint each other's cars with slogans which might lead to them getting shot by the locals. May painted pro-homosexual slogans on Hammond's car ("Man-love rules OK"), Hammond painted "Country and Western is Rubbish" on Clarkson's, and Clarkson painted "Hillary for President", "NASCAR sucks" and "I'm bi" on May's car. All three attempts were so successful at offending the locals that, in one of Top Gear's most famous moments, the presenters and the filming crew members were chased out of town by friends of the owner of State Line Convenience in Seminole, AL, who pelted the crew's vans with rocks. The frightened crew quickly aborted the challenge and removed the slogans using the t-shirts off their backs and cola drinks.
Challenge 5 (Sell Cars in New Orleans): The team eventually aborted this challenge after arriving in New Orleans and witnessing the remaining damage caused by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
the previous year. The presenters decided to give away the cars for free to a Christian mission. However, while Clarkson's and Hammond's were given away, James May was declared the loser as he was unable to find any claimants for his car. Immediately after filming for that segment was completed, a lawyer threatened to sue Clarkson for misrepresentation after she heard the car wasn't a 1991 Camaro (it was a 1989 model) but would drop the suit on payment of US$20,000.
Final results: Clarkson declared himself the winner and declared May the loser, although no points were given. They concluded that it was viable to buy, rather than rent, a car. Clarkson summed up the trip with his long-held opinion: "Don't go to America!" (The team would later return to America in Series 12, Episode 2
Top Gear (series 12)
The 12th series of Top Gear contained eight episodes, and premiered on 2 November 2008, with the usual presenting team of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig. Clarkson was injured while filming the series, after crashing a lorry through a brick wall at 56 mph in the first...
and later in the 2010 US Road Trip.)
Similar to the credits of the 2007 Polar Challenge Special and the Botswana Special, other than the four main presenters (who are credited as Cletus Clarkson, Earl Hammond Jr., Ellie May May, and Roscoe P. Stig), each crew member name is listed with the words "Billy Bob" attached to the start, a reference to the American redneck stereotype.
The Production Notes section of the Top Gear website describes the creation and production of this episode as "one of the most gruelling shoots in Top Gear history, damn near finishing off several members of the crew through exhaustion."
DVD Release
In 2008, a 52-minute version of the US Special was released on DVD as part of the Top Gear: The Great Adventures set. Due to contractual reasons some of the music cues were changed, and some minor scenes were deleted (including a segment featuring a drive through a rainstorm, when the Camaro's wipers failed).Reception
Both the BBC and the UK media regulator OFCOMOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
received complaints about the scene with the dead cow; the BBC defended the programme saying that the cow had died several days previously.