Top Gear (series 12)
Encyclopedia
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 episode's HGV challenge. The running joke
regarding the Dacia Sandero
continues from series 11
, with the alteration that Clarkson is now the one making the announcement with feigned enthusiasm, to utter indifference from May (instead of vice versa). Each news segment also features one of the hosts wearing something unusual, like slippers or a garishly patterned shirt. The only reference to this is that one of the other hosts will, at some point in the segment, ask if they're wearing it for a bet. The Stig, instead of listening to music during power laps, now listens to morse code
. The final episode, the "Top Gear: Vietnam Special
", aired two weeks after the rest of the series as part of the BBC's Christmas lineup. The series was followed by four "Best Of Top Gear" specials, charting the best moments from Series 11 and 12.
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| 96 || Series 12 Episode 1 || 2 November 2008 || Michael Parkinson
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Main Review: Clarkson tests the Porsche 997 GT2 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 on the Top Gear track. Clarkson described the Porsche as 'terrifying' and favoured the Gallardo, which went around the Top Gear test track at 1:19.5, because it was easier to drive and faster in a straight line. However, Clarkson didn't reveal the lap time of the Porsche until a later episode, in which he revealed a time of 1:19.5 also, tying the Lamborghini. The Gallardo was faster than its big brother, the Murciélago LP640 which did 1:19.8 in Series 9
. The GT2 was also the fastest Porsche, beating the Porsche Carrera GT
, which also did 1:19.8. Whilst driving the Lamborghini, the Stig was shown listening to morse code
. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "MELIKECHEESE" and "STRICTLYISCRAP" (a supposed reference to Strictly Come Dancing
).
Challenge: The Top Gear team each buy a second hand truck and travel to "Top Gear's Secret Alpine Test Location" in Bedfordshire
to test how easy it is to be a HGV
driver. With their 5000 pound budget May buys a Scania 94D
, Clarkson buys a Renault Magnum
and Hammond an ERF EC11
.
Challenge 1: The three had to decorate and personalize their trucks as drivers in "less developed countries like Australia and America" would. Richard made his ERF look like an American lorry with a bonnet which was actually a dog kennel, James decorated his with an Indian look and Jeremy gave his lorry a "stealth" look, which drastically reduced visibility.
Challenge 2: Jeremy, Richard and James would have to powerslide their lorries. Protesting that it was not possible, they watched a demonstration done by Rig Stig, The Stig
's lorry driving cousin, "whose favorite song is Forever Autumn
by Justin Hayward
" and who has the "world's largest collection of pornographical material" who did the slide in a modified MAN truck. All three tried their best but the lorries did not slide, although Jeremy slid off the chair in his lorry due to the "huge G-force
" and since he did not fasten the seat belt
, he injured himself. When asked by a paramedic "did you hurt your leg as well?", Jeremy replied "Yeah?, the gear-lever went up my arse!"
Challenge 3: The next challenge was to go to the High Speed Bowl in Millbrook, but before that the three would have to hitch up a trailer with valuable cargo and drive around the Alpine course under three minutes. Richard had a car which was not fastened down properly as his 'valuable' cargo, James had a wedding cake and Jeremy had a stack of straw at one end of the trailer and an incandescent electric heater at the other. James finished first and completed the course in just over three minutes, although his cargo was damaged (made worse by his attempt to fix it); Richard's car fell off the trailer while he was still on the course (though he later said was 'stolen'); Jeremy finished last with the trailer on fire.
Challenge 4: The three would drive around the Millbrook High speed bowl, with the limiters deactivated (Trucks are limited to 56 mph - 90 km/h) to discover the maximum speed of their lorries. James' lorry reached a maximum speed of 64.6 mph (104 km/h), Jeremy's lorry reached 80 mph (128.7 km/h), and Richard's reached a quick 90 mph (144.8 km/h).
Challenge 5: Each presenter is required to do a hill start in their lorries, with something close to their hearts behind the trailer to keep them focused. The winner would receive a years worth of 'gentleman's literature
'. Jeremy had his beloved drum kit behind his lorry, and was successful in the hill start, but Richard and James destroyed his drums anyway. Richard had Oliver (the Opel Kadett
from the African Challenge
, which has a new coat of paint and personalized number plate "OLIV3R") behind his lorry, and chickened out of the challenge. James had his grand piano placed behind his lorry. When his piano was being lowered down to the ground one of the piano legs fell off and was hoisted up to rest on a stack of porn magazines. James failed that challenge when he rolled back into the piano; much to the relief of Clarkson and Hammond, who didn't have to explain the previously mentioned broken leg.
Challenge 6: At the Top Gear test track the presenters were given their final challenge, which was to drive their lorries at the highest speed into an "obstacle" and brake quickly. Richard crashed into a demountable building, James into a stack of office cooler bottles and Jeremy into a brick wall. Jeremy was injured in this challenge. At the end, James declares himself the winner.
News: The team discuss how the economic crisis of 2008 has affected cars, particularly Clarkson's Aston Martin V8 Vantage
, which has depreciated by £44,000 in 1 year. Clarkson breaks the news that the Dacia Sandero
(a running gag in series 11
) will not be released in the UK.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Chat show legend Michael Parkinson
kicks off the start of the series, managing a respectable 1:49:4 around the track.
|-
| 97 || Series 12 Episode 2 || 9 November 2008 || Will Young
|- |
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Review: Jeremy Clarkson takes Fiat Nuova 500
Abarth through the test track. Despite being a small family car with a relatively small engine, Jeremy claims that he "loves" it. The Stig clocks a 1:35.5 on the test track. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "IVOTEDROSSPEROT" and "MESMELLCATS".
Challenge: The team head to America to test drive the new generation of American muscle cars on a road trip from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
. Hammond takes the trip in the new Dodge Challenger, Clarkson in the new Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
and May in the Cadillac CTS-V. As usual, the trip is plagued with difficulties.
The team only has visas
that allow them to be factual rather than entertaining owing to their previous visit to America when Jeremy put a cow on his roof which caused the U.S. State department to deem Top Gear an entertainment show rather than a factual show, which encourages the presenters to try and remove all 'entertaining' aspects to the trip. Chrysler refuses, at the last minute, to provide them with a Challenger, which forced Hammond to buy one at a $10,000 premium from a local dealership. May hates his Cadillac, so while the team visit Reno
, he spends all night at the casino trying to win a BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster
to replace his CTS-V. Clarkson and Hammond are stopped by the police twice for speeding, racing between the lights and using the V8 revs to trigger car alarms, and Clarkson uses the electronic proximity-key ignition on Hammond's Challenger to park in the middle of a public road while Hammond was busy eating.
After getting bored of the straight-line highway, they turn off onto twisty back roads. May immediately changes his opinion of the Cadillac due to its handling, and Clarkson's Corvette is even better. Hammond's Dodge, however, handles poorly due to its muscle car
origins.
Arriving at the Salt Flats, the trio must take part in a one mile straight drive to see who can take their cars to a high speed with Clarkson's, May's and Hammond's goals being 170 mph (273.6 km/h), 160 mph (257.5 km/h) and 150 mph (241.4 km/h) respectively. After trying numerous ways to increase speed, such as pumping up tires, all three presenters finally hit their targets. They claim that all three vehicles have exceeded their expectations, closing by saying that they were fantastic fun though perhaps not as well-made as possible. This Challenge was included in the Great Adventures 3.
News: Clarkson apologises for not posting the lap time of the Porsche 997 GT2
the previous week (a joke made in reference to his being criticised for his quip regarding lorry drivers murdering prostitutes in the previous episode). He reveals it to be 1:19.5, because the score had 'spontaneously combusted', exactly the same as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, despite the handling difficulties. It is also faster than the Porsche Carrera GT
, which did 1:19.8.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: The original winner of Pop Idol
, Will Young
, talks about his own Top Gear race, how Mini
s are similar to Lego
and drives a 1:48.9 damp lap.
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| 98 || Series 12 Episode 3 || 16 November 2008 || Mark Wahlberg
|- |
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Review: Hammond goes to Toyota City in Japan to test the i-REAL, a chair that is "drivable" and can tell your friends when you're going for coffee.
Main Challenge: The team attempted to make an ordinary second hand car (a Renault Avantime
, which posted a reference time of 1:42.5) lap the test track as fast as a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which managed 1:28.2. They were given half the cost of an Evo (£15,000) minus the cost of the Avantime (£5,200) leaving them £9,800 to spend on improving the car.
The modifications included fitting new brakes - which were too big for the wheels to fit on - forcing the team to spend more on bigger wheels and track tires; an adjustable suspension kit and swapping out the front seats for lighter racing ones. May spent the entire first night attempting to tune and restore the engine to its former glory of 210 bhp (156 kW), he almost succeeded, getting it up to a respectable 206 bhp (153 kW).
The next day, Hammond fixed a rear wing from a Super Aguri SA07
Formula 1 car to the rear of the car, to which Clarkson commented would be useless as it was a front wheel drive car and the spoiler would push the rear of the vehicle down. Clarkson also fitted a wooden splitter, which he fashioned himself, to the front of the vehicle, which promptly caught fire. During the Stig's lap, the wooden splitter also helped ruining the car's handling by popping the rear out and causing tires to lock.
After several attempts the car finally managed a time of 1:35.4 on the track in the hands of The Stig, which resulted in the team pointing out how much money is wasted on trying to improve cars and how little it does to improve the overall quality and performance of the vehicle – most of the improvement that they did manage came from removing unnecessary weight, and May's retuning of the engine, neither of which cost anything beyond the time and effort that was put in.
Challenge: As training for his first supercar review the following week, James goes to learn about "The Finnish Way of Car Control" from Mika Häkkinen
and enters a Jokamiesluokka
, a rallycross race primarily using scrapped cars. He finishes in the middle against a pack of locals.
Feature: Clarkson commented on how V8 engines seem to be disappearing, so he extracted one from a Chevrolet Corvette
for use in a food blender. He, May & Hammond drank a smoothie consisting of 'manly ingredients', such as raw beef
, Bovril
, a handful of chillies, a bottle of tabasco sauce
and a brick
. Hammond suggested calling the resulting drink "Desperate Shag in a Skip
," while May dubbed it "The Bloody Awful
."
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Mark Wahlberg
managed 1:48.7 even though he wasn't used to the manual gearbox and the right-handed seating position of the car.
|-
| 99 || Series 12 Episode 4 || 23 November 2008 || Harry Enfield
|- |
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Main Review: James tackles his first ever power test in the Pagani Zonda Roadster F and, after a two year wait, the Stig takes the Bugatti Veyron
around the track, clocking in at 1:18.3. Its inability to top the board is attributed by May and Clarkson to the heavy weight of the car. The Zonda also laps the track in 1:17.8.
News: The Peugeot TP is designed to hold a surfboard … inside. Boris Johnson recommends driving in the lower gears to reduce CO2 emissions. Another Boris Johnson recommends driving a Ferrari in the highest gears for maximum enjoyment. The European Car of the Year is the Vauxhall Insignia.
Challenge: The trio raced each other from Basel
in Switzerland
to Blackpool
in North-West England, a 750 mile (1,200 km) journey, on a single tank of fuel, with the winner being given the reward of switching on the Blackpool Lights
. Each presenter was allowed to use the unmodified production car of their choice; May selecting a Subaru Legacy
diesel, Clarkson a Jaguar XJ
diesel, and Hammond a Volkswagen Polo
BlueMotion
, to the scorn of his compatriots. They were also allowed to select their own route.
Clarkson immediately deemed the race pointless, as the raw figures of fuel efficiency showed that none of the cars chosen could make it to Blackpool on time with one tank of fuel, so he tried to lose just enough fuel so that his car would run out near his house in Chipping Norton. With this in mind, he used his air conditioning, radio, heated seats, charged his mobile phone and drove at 80 mph in France in order to burn fuel from his twin-turbo Jaguar.
Due to his speed, Clarkson remained miles ahead of the other two presenters for most of the race, managing to catch a Eurotunnel
train thirty minutes before both Hammond and May. However, in England, after passing his home with a considerable amount of fuel remaining, he slowed up, thinking that he could still win. However, as he travelled along the M6 Toll
road, Hammond overtook him. Clarkson could not retaliate, due to his need to conserve the little fuel that remained. Hammond remained ahead for the rest of the race. May, meanwhile, took a longer route via Leeds
to avoid the notoriously congested M6 and, despite overtaking Hammond in France and boarding the same train, he did not catch up.
Despite his fuel wasting actions in France, Clarkson still managed to finish the race, finishing second to Hammond, only a minute ahead. Hammond was therefore given the chance to turn on the lights but The Stig
, whom the producers sent to Blackpool just in case none of the trio managed to make it in time, switched them on himself. May did eventually finish, although 40 minutes late, missing the ceremony completely, later admitting he sacrificed his speed too much for greater fuel efficiency.
After the race, Clarkson revealed that a inspection of the Jaguar's fuel tank claimed that he had enough fuel to travel another 120 miles (193 km).
Preview: The three show off a model of the Lamborghini Estoqué in the studio. It will be a front-engined, four-seat supercar with an actual boot (trunk) and plenty of leg-room for passengers in the back seat. All three presenters are excited and hopeful that this concept car will become a production car for Lamborghini.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Harry Enfield
makes a second appearance to set a time in the Lacetti. Enfield discussed his 'Clarkson Island' sketch, alongside the bullying had received from his son after the time set on his first visit to the Top Gear studio. Harry Enfield posted a lap time of 1:49.7, making himself the most improved star.
|-
| 100 || Series 12 Episode 5 || 30 November 2008 || Kevin McCloud
|- |
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Main Review: Jeremy Clarkson tested the Lexus IS-F against the king of high-powered saloons, the four door BMW M3. Both were entered in a drag race, with the Lexus leading at the start before the BMW quickly overtook. The drag race ended with a very close win for the BMW, but Jeremy points out that the Lexus will eventually win as its top speed, 168 mph (270.4 km/h), is vastly larger than the BMW's 155 mph (249.4 km/h). Later, Tom Chilton
was put in the BMW M3
to see whether the Lexus' understeer would affect the time. Both were taken round the track and the Lexus went around the track in 1:26.9 whereas the BMW did it in 1:25.3, making it substantially quicker than the model it replaces. While driving the Lexus, Stig listened to morse code, the translations reading "TOOMANYGEARS" and "ILIKEMRSULU".
News: Richard Hammond introduced the Infiniti G37 convertible which he described as looking almost exactly like the Lexus SC 430, therefore describing it as the "most vile and hideous car ever made". Jeremy Clarkson criticised the 4-door sedan Porsche Panamera
describing it as looking 'sick' and resembling the Austin Maxi. Jeremy Clarkson announces his theory that, by using toy cars as an example, placing a magnet on the bonnet of cars would prevent head-on collisions, due to the repulsion between same poles. However, Hammond points that if the poles are different, such as in the event of two cars waiting at traffic lights, the attraction would cause more rear-collisions.
Main Challenge: May, in a 1.25 million pound power boat, races Hammond in a Ferrari Daytona
from Portofino
to Saint-Tropez
. For May, the journey was rough, damaging the in-vehicle camera. Both Hammond and May are pulled over by the police. May wins, but Hammond explains that the boat might have been the fastest way to complete the journey, but the car would always be the best method.
Challenge: Hammond sets out to find the best type of bus for London's streets by having a rally-race at Lydden Hill Race Circuit. The double decker
was represented by a 1987 Leyland Olympian
. The single decker
was represented by a 1993 Dennis Dart
. Two bendy buses are used. The first one being the Mercedes-Benz O305
G (a rear-engined pusher type articulated bus), and the second one is a Leyland-DAB articulated bus
, but goes unidentified during the programme. The types of the articulated buses are mixed up by Hammond, as he refers to the O305G as mid-engined and to the Leyland as rear-engined, when in fact they are the other way around. The compact hopper bus
was represented by a 1997 Optare MetroRider
. Similar to a previous segment in motor home racing
, a field of touring car legends
were picked to drive the buses. These were Anthony Reid
, Matt Neal
, Gordon Shedden
, Tom Chilton
and Hammond again rounds out the drivers list. The race ends with the compact bus being squashed, Hammond's bendy being disabled by the single-deck and the double-deck overturning on the home stretch while trying to take an inside line on the single-decker. The single deck bus was declared the winner because of its speed.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Kevin McCloud
made an appearance to set a time in the Lacetti of 1:45.9, making him the second fastest around the track after Jay Kay. Jeremy reveals that his time was in fact 1:45.87, making McCloud four hundredths of a second slower than the top ranker.
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| 101 || Series 12 Episode 6 || 7 December 2008 || Boris Johnson
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Introduction: This was the first episode when Clarkson didn't take part in the introduction, as he lost his voice, so for the first time ever, Hammond announced what was going on in the show instead.
Main Review: After receiving a complaint from a member of the public that they no longer do proper road tests like in the old days, Jeremy reviews the Ford Fiesta
in a "serious" road test. He tests practicality, fuel economy, quality, and driving enjoyment. The verdict is that it looks good, is fairly practical, easy to park, very special to drive, and built as well as a Volkswagen
. Throughout these sections Jeremy, in a dead pan manner, states points like it goes 70 mph (112.7 km/h) which the fastest you can go by law. The tests then become more bizarre including a race in the tight quarters of a shopping centre
against 'baddies' in a Corvette
. The Ford gets out the shopping centre but the Corvette crashes, not making it out. The last test features the Ford accompanying an amphibious assault
on Instow
Beach alongside Royal Marines
. The Fiesta manages to pass the test with flying colours.
News: James announces Jeremy has lost his voice, much to the amusement of Richard and James who proceed to mock Jeremy. They reveal he has won Heat's Weirdest Crush award, and that he is in the same magazine as his "boyfriend", Will Young. At this point, Jeremy interrupts and reveals that James is in no position to mock him, as he has an eye infection himself. They then proceed to do the proper news.
Challenge: Jeremy Clarkson and James May can't decide if imported Chinese-made cars would be any good, so they made their way to Greenham Common airbase
to see if the Communists ever historically built a good car. They begin with Russian cars (Lada Riva
, Moskvitch 408
, Lada Niva
, ZAZ-968), East German Wartburg. Both Clarkson and May declare all of those cars to be "truly terrible", though show some affection for the Niva. Clarkson declares the Lada Riva as "simply the worst car in the world" and May then disagrees with him, declaring the Moskvitch 408 to be the worst car in the world. They also look at an FSO Polonez
(and destroy it in a homage to the Toyota Hilux that they abused), a East German Trabant
, and Czechoslovak Velorex
to look at the whole Eastern bloc. Their favorites are the Niva and the GAZ Chaika, but neither are found to be good because they fail to run. Their test includes a race between a British "Communist" car, the Morris Marina
, and a Lada Riva
. The Marina wins, though they find it to be more effective as a brazier
for striking workers, than as a car. Overall, none of the cars that are tested in this challenge are liked by Clarkson or May. Richard Hammond later reminds them that Ferrari
, Maserati
, and Lamborghini
cars have been made in an Italian communist-run locality for decades.
Review: Richard Hammond tests the new Veritas RS III
, a German supercar built by Veritas. It achieved a time of 1:24.2. Richard also tests the Caterham 7 Superlight R500, which achieved a time of 1:17.9.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Boris Johnson
, the Mayor of London
, drove the Lacetti
in very wet conditions, and achieved a 1:57.4.
|- |
| 102 || Series 12 Episode 7 || 14 December 2008 || Tom Jones
|- |
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Main Review: James May takes a look at the future of motoring in California
in the hydrogen powered
Honda FCX Clarity. This segment features a cameo appearance by Jay Leno
. Leno makes reference to American Toyota Prius
drivers and comments, "In America we like everyone to know about the good work we are doing anonymously." During the segment May describes the Clarity as "the most important car in a hundred years" due to it being the first electric car that fits a modern, car-dependent lifestyle. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "ILIKEGARYNEWMAN" and "THATPORKTASTEDFUNNY".
Review: Jeremy Clarkson tested the battery powered
Tesla Roadster
on the track. Pitting it against a Lotus Elise
in a drag race, the Roadster beating the Elise. Upon more strenuous testing, both Roadsters provided to Top Gear broke down. The Stig achieved a time of 1:27.2 on mildly moist conditions.
Challenge: Richard Hammond takes a look at 50 years of Touring Cars racing history, with crashing being a pervasive theme.
Stunt: Top Gear Stuntman returns as he joins Richard Hammond in an attempt to beat a distance record set by their Fifth Gear
rivals: jumping off a ramp in a 1992 Jaguar XJ6 saloon car while towing a caravan. Stuntman falls just short of the mark set by Fifth Gear.
Feature: Jeremy decided that the effort required for elderly people to change TV channel was too much, so he attached a V8 engine to a rocking chair
. For safety reasons they sat a dummy in the chair when they carried out the test, which resulted in both the chair and the dummy breaking apart, although Clarkson felt a greater flaw was that the TV would be inaudible over the noise of the V8.
News: The three discuss how enraged fans of the Morris Marina had become, thanks to the previous episode. They "attempt" to make amends by purchasing another Marina, which then has a piano "accidentally" fall on it.
Following a two-year-old tradition on Top Gear, the boys discuss car-themed Christmas presents. During this bit they continually devolve into crude, sexual jokes, including a sword with various bits of pork on it, the sleeve from a wizard's robe with the Ferrari emblem, and a chicken with the four Audi rings on it, causing Clarkson to turn to the audience and quip, "It's all gone horribly wrong." They also present their annual year-end awards:
Star in a Reasonably-priced Car: Tom Jones
, the singer, drove the Lacetti
and achieved a 1:52.2.
|- |
| 103 || Series 12 Episode 8 || 28 December 2008 || None
|- |
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Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
contained eight episodes, and premiered on 2 November 2008, with the usual presenting team of 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:...
, 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....
and The Stig
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...
. Clarkson was injured while filming the series, after crashing a lorry through a brick wall at 56 mph in the first episode's HGV challenge. The running joke
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
regarding the Dacia Sandero
Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is a five door hatchback car produced jointly by the French manufacturer Renault and its subsidiary Dacia of Romania. The Sandero is based on the Logan.-Design and global marketing:...
continues from series 11
Top Gear (series 11)
The 11th series of Top Gear was broadcast between 22 June 2008 and 27 July 2008, in show's usual time slot of 8pm on Sunday on BBC Two. The series consists of six episodes. This series included a revised title sequence, following the same visual style as with the sequence used for Series 8 through...
, with the alteration that Clarkson is now the one making the announcement with feigned enthusiasm, to utter indifference from May (instead of vice versa). Each news segment also features one of the hosts wearing something unusual, like slippers or a garishly patterned shirt. The only reference to this is that one of the other hosts will, at some point in the segment, ask if they're wearing it for a bet. The Stig, instead of listening to music during power laps, now listens to morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
. The final episode, the "Top Gear: Vietnam Special
Top Gear: Vietnam Special
Top Gear: Vietnam Special is a special 75-minute episode of the motoring series Top Gear, which was broadcast on 28 December 2008 at 8:00 pm on BBC Two. An edited 46 minute edition of the show was broadcast on the UK TV channel Dave in the 8.00pm - 9.00pm slot on Monday 19 January 2009...
", aired two weeks after the rest of the series as part of the BBC's Christmas lineup. The series was followed by four "Best Of Top Gear" specials, charting the best moments from Series 11 and 12.
Episodes
{| class="wikitable"|-
! #
! Episode
! Airdate
! Guests
|-
| 96 || Series 12 Episode 1 || 2 November 2008 || Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Main Review: Clarkson tests the Porsche 997 GT2 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 on the Top Gear track. Clarkson described the Porsche as 'terrifying' and favoured the Gallardo, which went around the Top Gear test track at 1:19.5, because it was easier to drive and faster in a straight line. However, Clarkson didn't reveal the lap time of the Porsche until a later episode, in which he revealed a time of 1:19.5 also, tying the Lamborghini. The Gallardo was faster than its big brother, the Murciélago LP640 which did 1:19.8 in 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...
. The GT2 was also the fastest Porsche, beating the Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT
The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at...
, which also did 1:19.8. Whilst driving the Lamborghini, the Stig was shown listening to morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "MELIKECHEESE" and "STRICTLYISCRAP" (a supposed reference to Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
).
Challenge: The Top Gear team each buy a second hand truck and travel to "Top Gear's Secret Alpine Test Location" in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
to test how easy it is to be a HGV
Large Goods Vehicle
A large goods vehicle , is the European Union term for any truck with a gross combination mass of over...
driver. With their 5000 pound budget May buys a Scania 94D
Scania 4-series
The Scania 4-series was truck model range introduced in 1995 by Swedish truck manufacturer Scania. It was the successor of the 3-series and it came in five engine combinations and four chassis types...
, Clarkson buys a Renault Magnum
Renault Magnum
The Renault Magnum is the flagship model of Renault Trucks, which is available in semi and rigid configurations. Both configurations can be bought with a 6×2 or 4×2 drivetrain...
and Hammond an ERF EC11
ERF (lorry manufacturer)
ERF was a British truck manufacturer. Established in 1933 by Dennis Foden, its factory in Sandbach, Cheshire was closed in 2002, and finished as a marque by owner MAN AG in 2007.-History:...
.
Challenge 1: The three had to decorate and personalize their trucks as drivers in "less developed countries like Australia and America" would. Richard made his ERF look like an American lorry with a bonnet which was actually a dog kennel, James decorated his with an Indian look and Jeremy gave his lorry a "stealth" look, which drastically reduced visibility.
Challenge 2: Jeremy, Richard and James would have to powerslide their lorries. Protesting that it was not possible, they watched a demonstration done by Rig Stig, The Stig
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...
's lorry driving cousin, "whose favorite song is Forever Autumn
Forever Autumn (song)
"Forever Autumn" is a song by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. The original melody was written by Wayne in 1969 as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album Queues...
by Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
" and who has the "world's largest collection of pornographical material" who did the slide in a modified MAN truck. All three tried their best but the lorries did not slide, although Jeremy slid off the chair in his lorry due to the "huge G-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
" and since he did not fasten the seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
, he injured himself. When asked by a paramedic "did you hurt your leg as well?", Jeremy replied "Yeah?, the gear-lever went up my arse!"
Challenge 3: The next challenge was to go to the High Speed Bowl in Millbrook, but before that the three would have to hitch up a trailer with valuable cargo and drive around the Alpine course under three minutes. Richard had a car which was not fastened down properly as his 'valuable' cargo, James had a wedding cake and Jeremy had a stack of straw at one end of the trailer and an incandescent electric heater at the other. James finished first and completed the course in just over three minutes, although his cargo was damaged (made worse by his attempt to fix it); Richard's car fell off the trailer while he was still on the course (though he later said was 'stolen'); Jeremy finished last with the trailer on fire.
Challenge 4: The three would drive around the Millbrook High speed bowl, with the limiters deactivated (Trucks are limited to 56 mph - 90 km/h) to discover the maximum speed of their lorries. James' lorry reached a maximum speed of 64.6 mph (104 km/h), Jeremy's lorry reached 80 mph (128.7 km/h), and Richard's reached a quick 90 mph (144.8 km/h).
Challenge 5: Each presenter is required to do a hill start in their lorries, with something close to their hearts behind the trailer to keep them focused. The winner would receive a years worth of 'gentleman's literature
Pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines, sex magazines or top-shelf magazines are pornographic magazines that contain content of a sexual nature. Adult magazines are mainly aimed towards men, and in some parts of the world, many men's first sight of a naked woman has been in an...
'. Jeremy had his beloved drum kit behind his lorry, and was successful in the hill start, but Richard and James destroyed his drums anyway. Richard had Oliver (the Opel Kadett
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...
from the African Challenge
Top Gear (series 10)
Top Gear returned for a tenth series, containing 10 episodes, broadcast between 7 October 2007 and 23 December 2007. It was claimed that between the filming of the ninth and tenth series, rival motoring magazine Fifth Gear broke into the Top Gear premises and burnt down the Cool Wall...
, which has a new coat of paint and personalized number plate "OLIV3R") behind his lorry, and chickened out of the challenge. James had his grand piano placed behind his lorry. When his piano was being lowered down to the ground one of the piano legs fell off and was hoisted up to rest on a stack of porn magazines. James failed that challenge when he rolled back into the piano; much to the relief of Clarkson and Hammond, who didn't have to explain the previously mentioned broken leg.
Challenge 6: At the Top Gear test track the presenters were given their final challenge, which was to drive their lorries at the highest speed into an "obstacle" and brake quickly. Richard crashed into a demountable building, James into a stack of office cooler bottles and Jeremy into a brick wall. Jeremy was injured in this challenge. At the end, James declares himself the winner.
News: The team discuss how the economic crisis of 2008 has affected cars, particularly Clarkson's Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin V8 Vantage may refer to:* Aston Martin V8 Vantage * Aston Martin Virage * Aston Martin V8 Vantage...
, which has depreciated by £44,000 in 1 year. Clarkson breaks the news that the Dacia Sandero
Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is a five door hatchback car produced jointly by the French manufacturer Renault and its subsidiary Dacia of Romania. The Sandero is based on the Logan.-Design and global marketing:...
(a running gag in series 11
Top Gear (series 11)
The 11th series of Top Gear was broadcast between 22 June 2008 and 27 July 2008, in show's usual time slot of 8pm on Sunday on BBC Two. The series consists of six episodes. This series included a revised title sequence, following the same visual style as with the sequence used for Series 8 through...
) will not be released in the UK.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Chat show legend Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
kicks off the start of the series, managing a respectable 1:49:4 around the track.
|-
| 97 || Series 12 Episode 2 || 9 November 2008 || Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Review: Jeremy Clarkson takes Fiat Nuova 500
Fiat Nuova 500
The Fiat 500 or Fiat Nuova 500 is a city car built by Italian automaker Fiat since 2007. The car is currently produced in Tychy, Poland by Fiat Auto Poland S.A. and in Toluca, Mexico, by Chrysler Group LLC. The four-seater, three-door hatchback 500 is almost identical to the retro concept car...
Abarth through the test track. Despite being a small family car with a relatively small engine, Jeremy claims that he "loves" it. The Stig clocks a 1:35.5 on the test track. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "IVOTEDROSSPEROT" and "MESMELLCATS".
Challenge: The team head to America to test drive the new generation of American muscle cars on a road trip from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Hammond takes the trip in the new Dodge Challenger, Clarkson in the new Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
The Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 is a high performance version of the Chevrolet Corvette C6. Both the C3 from 1969–1971 and C4 Corvettes from 1990-1995 had ZR-1 models...
and May in the Cadillac CTS-V. As usual, the trip is plagued with difficulties.
The team only has visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
that allow them to be factual rather than entertaining owing to their previous visit to America when Jeremy put a cow on his roof which caused the U.S. State department to deem Top Gear an entertainment show rather than a factual show, which encourages the presenters to try and remove all 'entertaining' aspects to the trip. Chrysler refuses, at the last minute, to provide them with a Challenger, which forced Hammond to buy one at a $10,000 premium from a local dealership. May hates his Cadillac, so while the team visit Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, he spends all night at the casino trying to win a BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster
BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster
The Can-Am Spyder is a Three wheeled motorcycle with a single rear drive wheel and two wheels in front for steering, similar in layout to a modern snowmobile. The Spyder uses an ATV-like chassis...
to replace his CTS-V. Clarkson and Hammond are stopped by the police twice for speeding, racing between the lights and using the V8 revs to trigger car alarms, and Clarkson uses the electronic proximity-key ignition on Hammond's Challenger to park in the middle of a public road while Hammond was busy eating.
After getting bored of the straight-line highway, they turn off onto twisty back roads. May immediately changes his opinion of the Cadillac due to its handling, and Clarkson's Corvette is even better. Hammond's Dodge, however, handles poorly due to its muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
origins.
Arriving at the Salt Flats, the trio must take part in a one mile straight drive to see who can take their cars to a high speed with Clarkson's, May's and Hammond's goals being 170 mph (273.6 km/h), 160 mph (257.5 km/h) and 150 mph (241.4 km/h) respectively. After trying numerous ways to increase speed, such as pumping up tires, all three presenters finally hit their targets. They claim that all three vehicles have exceeded their expectations, closing by saying that they were fantastic fun though perhaps not as well-made as possible. This Challenge was included in the Great Adventures 3.
News: Clarkson apologises for not posting the lap time of the Porsche 997 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration...
the previous week (a joke made in reference to his being criticised for his quip regarding lorry drivers murdering prostitutes in the previous episode). He reveals it to be 1:19.5, because the score had 'spontaneously combusted', exactly the same as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, despite the handling difficulties. It is also faster than the Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT
The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at...
, which did 1:19.8.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: The original winner of Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
, talks about his own Top Gear race, how Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
s are similar to Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
and drives a 1:48.9 damp lap.
|-
| 98 || Series 12 Episode 3 || 16 November 2008 || Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Review: Hammond goes to Toyota City in Japan to test the i-REAL, a chair that is "drivable" and can tell your friends when you're going for coffee.
Main Challenge: The team attempted to make an ordinary second hand car (a Renault Avantime
Renault Avantime
The Renault Avantime is a grand-touring coupé combining features of a 2+2 coupé and an MPV — marketed by the French manufacturer Renault, designed and manufactured by Matra, between 2001 and 2003...
, which posted a reference time of 1:42.5) lap the test track as fast as a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which managed 1:28.2. They were given half the cost of an Evo (£15,000) minus the cost of the Avantime (£5,200) leaving them £9,800 to spend on improving the car.
The modifications included fitting new brakes - which were too big for the wheels to fit on - forcing the team to spend more on bigger wheels and track tires; an adjustable suspension kit and swapping out the front seats for lighter racing ones. May spent the entire first night attempting to tune and restore the engine to its former glory of 210 bhp (156 kW), he almost succeeded, getting it up to a respectable 206 bhp (153 kW).
The next day, Hammond fixed a rear wing from a Super Aguri SA07
Super Aguri SA07
The Super Aguri F1 SA07 was Super Aguri F1's Formula One car for the 2007 Formula One season. It was designed by Peter McCool and was driven by Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson.-Customer car controversy:...
Formula 1 car to the rear of the car, to which Clarkson commented would be useless as it was a front wheel drive car and the spoiler would push the rear of the vehicle down. Clarkson also fitted a wooden splitter, which he fashioned himself, to the front of the vehicle, which promptly caught fire. During the Stig's lap, the wooden splitter also helped ruining the car's handling by popping the rear out and causing tires to lock.
After several attempts the car finally managed a time of 1:35.4 on the track in the hands of The Stig, which resulted in the team pointing out how much money is wasted on trying to improve cars and how little it does to improve the overall quality and performance of the vehicle – most of the improvement that they did manage came from removing unnecessary weight, and May's retuning of the engine, neither of which cost anything beyond the time and effort that was put in.
Challenge: As training for his first supercar review the following week, James goes to learn about "The Finnish Way of Car Control" from Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
and enters a Jokamiesluokka
Folkrace
Folkrace is a popular, inexpensive, and entry-level form of Swedish rallycross that originally came from Finland, where it was called Jokamiesluokka . The sport also exists in Norway and Denmark, where it is known as Bilcross and Folkerace respectively.The races are run on special gravel or tarmac...
, a rallycross race primarily using scrapped cars. He finishes in the middle against a pack of locals.
Feature: Clarkson commented on how V8 engines seem to be disappearing, so he extracted one from a Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
for use in a food blender. He, May & Hammond drank a smoothie consisting of 'manly ingredients', such as raw beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, Bovril
Bovril
Bovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
, a handful of chillies, a bottle of tabasco sauce
Tabasco sauce
Tabasco sauce is the brand name for a hot sauce produced by US-based McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana. Tabasco sauce is made from tabasco peppers , vinegar, and salt, and aged in white oak barrels for three years. It has a hot, spicy flavor...
and a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. Hammond suggested calling the resulting drink "Desperate Shag in a Skip
Sex on the Beach
Sex on the Beach is a cocktail that has many variations. There are two general types:*The first type is made from vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice. This is an International Bartenders Association Official Cocktail....
," while May dubbed it "The Bloody Awful
Bloody Mary (cocktail)
A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Peri-Peri Sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt...
."
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
managed 1:48.7 even though he wasn't used to the manual gearbox and the right-handed seating position of the car.
|-
| 99 || Series 12 Episode 4 || 23 November 2008 || Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Main Review: James tackles his first ever power test in the Pagani Zonda Roadster F and, after a two year wait, the Stig takes the Bugatti Veyron
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of...
around the track, clocking in at 1:18.3. Its inability to top the board is attributed by May and Clarkson to the heavy weight of the car. The Zonda also laps the track in 1:17.8.
News: The Peugeot TP is designed to hold a surfboard … inside. Boris Johnson recommends driving in the lower gears to reduce CO2 emissions. Another Boris Johnson recommends driving a Ferrari in the highest gears for maximum enjoyment. The European Car of the Year is the Vauxhall Insignia.
Challenge: The trio raced each other from Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
in North-West England, a 750 mile (1,200 km) journey, on a single tank of fuel, with the winner being given the reward of switching on the Blackpool Lights
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Lights Festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the English seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire....
. Each presenter was allowed to use the unmodified production car of their choice; May selecting a Subaru Legacy
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, and manufactured by its division Subaru since 1989, and is available as a sedan or wagon. Part of the original design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru a vehicle in which they could compete in...
diesel, Clarkson a Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
diesel, and Hammond a Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
BlueMotion
BlueMotion
BlueMotion is a tradename for certain car models from the Volkswagen Group with an emphasis on higher fuel efficiency.Volkswagen introduced the name in 2006 on the Mk4 Polo BlueMotion, and in 2007 a version based on the current Passat was released...
, to the scorn of his compatriots. They were also allowed to select their own route.
Clarkson immediately deemed the race pointless, as the raw figures of fuel efficiency showed that none of the cars chosen could make it to Blackpool on time with one tank of fuel, so he tried to lose just enough fuel so that his car would run out near his house in Chipping Norton. With this in mind, he used his air conditioning, radio, heated seats, charged his mobile phone and drove at 80 mph in France in order to burn fuel from his twin-turbo Jaguar.
Due to his speed, Clarkson remained miles ahead of the other two presenters for most of the race, managing to catch a Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel Shuttle
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle is a shuttle service between Calais/Coquelles in France and Folkestone in Britain. It conveys road vehicles by rail through the Channel Tunnel...
train thirty minutes before both Hammond and May. However, in England, after passing his home with a considerable amount of fuel remaining, he slowed up, thinking that he could still win. However, as he travelled along the M6 Toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
road, Hammond overtook him. Clarkson could not retaliate, due to his need to conserve the little fuel that remained. Hammond remained ahead for the rest of the race. May, meanwhile, took a longer route via Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
to avoid the notoriously congested M6 and, despite overtaking Hammond in France and boarding the same train, he did not catch up.
Despite his fuel wasting actions in France, Clarkson still managed to finish the race, finishing second to Hammond, only a minute ahead. Hammond was therefore given the chance to turn on the lights but The Stig
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...
, whom the producers sent to Blackpool just in case none of the trio managed to make it in time, switched them on himself. May did eventually finish, although 40 minutes late, missing the ceremony completely, later admitting he sacrificed his speed too much for greater fuel efficiency.
After the race, Clarkson revealed that a inspection of the Jaguar's fuel tank claimed that he had enough fuel to travel another 120 miles (193 km).
Preview: The three show off a model of the Lamborghini Estoqué in the studio. It will be a front-engined, four-seat supercar with an actual boot (trunk) and plenty of leg-room for passengers in the back seat. All three presenters are excited and hopeful that this concept car will become a production car for Lamborghini.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
makes a second appearance to set a time in the Lacetti. Enfield discussed his 'Clarkson Island' sketch, alongside the bullying had received from his son after the time set on his first visit to the Top Gear studio. Harry Enfield posted a lap time of 1:49.7, making himself the most improved star.
|-
| 100 || Series 12 Episode 5 || 30 November 2008 || Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo ...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Main Review: Jeremy Clarkson tested the Lexus IS-F against the king of high-powered saloons, the four door BMW M3. Both were entered in a drag race, with the Lexus leading at the start before the BMW quickly overtook. The drag race ended with a very close win for the BMW, but Jeremy points out that the Lexus will eventually win as its top speed, 168 mph (270.4 km/h), is vastly larger than the BMW's 155 mph (249.4 km/h). Later, Tom Chilton
Tom Chilton
Thomas James Chilton is a British auto racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in the BTCC; he is a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver. For 2011 he is driving an NGTC-spec Ford Focus for Team Aon...
was put in the BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
to see whether the Lexus' understeer would affect the time. Both were taken round the track and the Lexus went around the track in 1:26.9 whereas the BMW did it in 1:25.3, making it substantially quicker than the model it replaces. While driving the Lexus, Stig listened to morse code, the translations reading "TOOMANYGEARS" and "ILIKEMRSULU".
News: Richard Hammond introduced the Infiniti G37 convertible which he described as looking almost exactly like the Lexus SC 430, therefore describing it as the "most vile and hideous car ever made". Jeremy Clarkson criticised the 4-door sedan Porsche Panamera
Porsche Panamera
The Porsche Panamera is a four-door a coupe. It is front-engined with rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive versions also available....
describing it as looking 'sick' and resembling the Austin Maxi. Jeremy Clarkson announces his theory that, by using toy cars as an example, placing a magnet on the bonnet of cars would prevent head-on collisions, due to the repulsion between same poles. However, Hammond points that if the poles are different, such as in the event of two cars waiting at traffic lights, the attraction would cause more rear-collisions.
Main Challenge: May, in a 1.25 million pound power boat, races Hammond in a Ferrari Daytona
Ferrari Daytona
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4...
from Portofino
Portofino
Portofino is a small Italian fishing village, comune and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast...
to Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
. For May, the journey was rough, damaging the in-vehicle camera. Both Hammond and May are pulled over by the police. May wins, but Hammond explains that the boat might have been the fastest way to complete the journey, but the car would always be the best method.
Challenge: Hammond sets out to find the best type of bus for London's streets by having a rally-race at Lydden Hill Race Circuit. The double decker
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
was represented by a 1987 Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
. The single decker
Single-decker bus
A single-decker bus or single-decker is a bus that has a single deck for passengers. Normally the use of the term single-decker refers to a standard two-axled rigid bus, in direct contrast to the use of the term double-decker bus, which is essentially a single decked bus with an extra deck and...
was represented by a 1993 Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
. Two bendy buses are used. The first one being the Mercedes-Benz O305
Mercedes-Benz O305
Mercedes-Benz O305 is a rear-engined bus model built in West Germany between 1967 and 1987. The O305 was built as a successor of the O317 and was the Mercedes-Benz adaptation of the first so called "Standard-Linienbus" design, that was produced by many different German bus manufacturers. The...
G (a rear-engined pusher type articulated bus), and the second one is a Leyland-DAB articulated bus
Leyland-DAB articulated bus
The Leyland-DAB articulated bus was an articulated bus built by Leyland-DAB in Denmark. The Leyland-DAB artic found customers in Denmark, and was the first modern style articulated buses in the United Kingdom, albeit with limited repeat orders....
, but goes unidentified during the programme. The types of the articulated buses are mixed up by Hammond, as he refers to the O305G as mid-engined and to the Leyland as rear-engined, when in fact they are the other way around. The compact hopper bus
Midibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long...
was represented by a 1997 Optare MetroRider
Optare MetroRider
The Optare MetroRider was a midibus built by Optare between 1989 and 2000. Optare based the original design on the MCW Metrorider after Optare bought the rights following a decision by MCW to end bus production. This model also replaced the less successful StarRider.The MetroRider was an integral...
. Similar to a previous segment in motor home racing
Top Gear (series 10)
Top Gear returned for a tenth series, containing 10 episodes, broadcast between 7 October 2007 and 23 December 2007. It was claimed that between the filming of the ninth and tenth series, rival motoring magazine Fifth Gear broke into the Top Gear premises and burnt down the Cool Wall...
, a field of touring car legends
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
were picked to drive the buses. These were Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid is a British auto racing driver, born on 17 May 1957 in Glasgow, Scotland. Although Scottish he now lives in England.-Formula cars:...
, Matt Neal
Matt Neal
Matthew Neal is a British motor racing driver. He won the British Touring Car Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2011. He has also won a European Touring Car Championship race. He is 6' 6" tall, making him almost entirely unable to race single-seaters...
, Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden is a Scottish auto racing driver.-Early years:In 2000 Shedden won the Ford Fiesta championship, with 9 wins. He raced in the SEAT Cupra Championship, finishing as runner-up in 2003 and 4th in 2004...
, Tom Chilton
Tom Chilton
Thomas James Chilton is a British auto racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in the BTCC; he is a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver. For 2011 he is driving an NGTC-spec Ford Focus for Team Aon...
and Hammond again rounds out the drivers list. The race ends with the compact bus being squashed, Hammond's bendy being disabled by the single-deck and the double-deck overturning on the home stretch while trying to take an inside line on the single-decker. The single deck bus was declared the winner because of its speed.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo ...
made an appearance to set a time in the Lacetti of 1:45.9, making him the second fastest around the track after Jay Kay. Jeremy reveals that his time was in fact 1:45.87, making McCloud four hundredths of a second slower than the top ranker.
|- |
| 101 || Series 12 Episode 6 || 7 December 2008 || Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Introduction: This was the first episode when Clarkson didn't take part in the introduction, as he lost his voice, so for the first time ever, Hammond announced what was going on in the show instead.
Main Review: After receiving a complaint from a member of the public that they no longer do proper road tests like in the old days, Jeremy reviews the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
in a "serious" road test. He tests practicality, fuel economy, quality, and driving enjoyment. The verdict is that it looks good, is fairly practical, easy to park, very special to drive, and built as well as a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. Throughout these sections Jeremy, in a dead pan manner, states points like it goes 70 mph (112.7 km/h) which the fastest you can go by law. The tests then become more bizarre including a race in the tight quarters of a shopping centre
Festival Place
Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened on Tuesday, 22 October 2002. It houses 165 shops including large department stores such as Bhs, Debenhams, and Marks and Spencer...
against 'baddies' in a Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette C6
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 2005 model year. The current generation Corvette is the first with exposed headlamps since the 1962 model...
. The Ford gets out the shopping centre but the Corvette crashes, not making it out. The last test features the Ford accompanying an amphibious assault
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
on Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
Beach alongside Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. The Fiesta manages to pass the test with flying colours.
News: James announces Jeremy has lost his voice, much to the amusement of Richard and James who proceed to mock Jeremy. They reveal he has won Heat's Weirdest Crush award, and that he is in the same magazine as his "boyfriend", Will Young. At this point, Jeremy interrupts and reveals that James is in no position to mock him, as he has an eye infection himself. They then proceed to do the proper news.
Challenge: Jeremy Clarkson and James May can't decide if imported Chinese-made cars would be any good, so they made their way to Greenham Common airbase
RAF Greenham Common
RAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
to see if the Communists ever historically built a good car. They begin with Russian cars (Lada Riva
Lada Riva
The VAZ-2105, VAZ-2104 and VAZ-2107 are a series of medium-sized family cars built by Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ, introduced in 1980 in the Soviet Union, and progressively in other European markets through the early 1980s and sold in both saloon and estate versions...
, Moskvitch 408
Moskvitch 408
The Moskvitch-408 series is a small family car produced by the Soviet car manufacturer MZMA/AZLK between 1964 and 1976....
, Lada Niva
Lada Niva
The Lada Niva or VAZ-2121 is the Russian word for "crop field") is an off-road vehicle built by Soviet/Russian automaker AvtoVAZ. The car is very popular in its home country. It is also popular in Canada , South America, Europe, and other regions where the terrain requires a robust and tough car...
, ZAZ-968), East German Wartburg. Both Clarkson and May declare all of those cars to be "truly terrible", though show some affection for the Niva. Clarkson declares the Lada Riva as "simply the worst car in the world" and May then disagrees with him, declaring the Moskvitch 408 to be the worst car in the world. They also look at an FSO Polonez
FSO Polonez
The FSO Polonez is a Polish motor vehicle produced from 1978 to 2002. The car name comes from the Polish dance, polonaise.-Background:The Polonez is a rebodied Polski Fiat 125p that Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych built under license from Fiat...
(and destroy it in a homage to the Toyota Hilux that they abused), a East German Trabant
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
, and Czechoslovak Velorex
Velorex
Velorex was a manufacturing cooperative in Solnice, Czechoslovakia. Notable products included a small three wheeled car first named Oskar, later Velorex , and the Type 562 sidecar...
to look at the whole Eastern bloc. Their favorites are the Niva and the GAZ Chaika, but neither are found to be good because they fail to run. Their test includes a race between a British "Communist" car, the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
, and a Lada Riva
Lada Riva
The VAZ-2105, VAZ-2104 and VAZ-2107 are a series of medium-sized family cars built by Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ, introduced in 1980 in the Soviet Union, and progressively in other European markets through the early 1980s and sold in both saloon and estate versions...
. The Marina wins, though they find it to be more effective as a brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
for striking workers, than as a car. Overall, none of the cars that are tested in this challenge are liked by Clarkson or May. Richard Hammond later reminds them that Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
, and Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
cars have been made in an Italian communist-run locality for decades.
Review: Richard Hammond tests the new Veritas RS III
Veritas (Automobile)
Veritas was a famous West German post World War II sports and race car company, located in the village of Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, later at Meßkirch and Muggensturm and moved finally to the Nürburgring....
, a German supercar built by Veritas. It achieved a time of 1:24.2. Richard also tests the Caterham 7 Superlight R500, which achieved a time of 1:17.9.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, drove the Lacetti
Daewoo Lacetti
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car made by the South Korean automaker GM Daewoo since 2002. The first-generation Lacetti was available as a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback or a five-door station wagon. The sedan and wagon were designed by Pininfarina, and the hatchback by Giorgetto Giugiaro...
in very wet conditions, and achieved a 1:57.4.
|- |
| 102 || Series 12 Episode 7 || 14 December 2008 || Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
|- |
| colspan="4" valign="top" |
Main Review: James May takes a look at the future of motoring in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the hydrogen powered
Hydrogen vehicle
A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen as its onboard fuel for motive power. Hydrogen vehicles include hydrogen fueled space rockets, as well as automobiles and other transportation vehicles...
Honda FCX Clarity. This segment features a cameo appearance by Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
. Leno makes reference to American Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
drivers and comments, "In America we like everyone to know about the good work we are doing anonymously." During the segment May describes the Clarity as "the most important car in a hundred years" due to it being the first electric car that fits a modern, car-dependent lifestyle. The morse coded messages in the two shots were "ILIKEGARYNEWMAN" and "THATPORKTASTEDFUNNY".
Review: Jeremy Clarkson tested the battery powered
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors in California. The Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States. Since 2008 Tesla has sold 2,024 Roadsters in 30 countries...
on the track. Pitting it against a Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise
The 1996 Lotus Elise weighed . Because of its relatively low weight, it was able to accelerate 0- in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of...
in a drag race, the Roadster beating the Elise. Upon more strenuous testing, both Roadsters provided to Top Gear broke down. The Stig achieved a time of 1:27.2 on mildly moist conditions.
Challenge: Richard Hammond takes a look at 50 years of Touring Cars racing history, with crashing being a pervasive theme.
Stunt: Top Gear Stuntman returns as he joins Richard Hammond in an attempt to beat a distance record set by their Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
rivals: jumping off a ramp in a 1992 Jaguar XJ6 saloon car while towing a caravan. Stuntman falls just short of the mark set by Fifth Gear.
Feature: Jeremy decided that the effort required for elderly people to change TV channel was too much, so he attached a V8 engine to a rocking chair
Rocking chair
A rocking chair or rocker is a type of chair with two curved bands of wood attached to the bottom of the legs . The chair contacts with the floor at only two points, giving the occupant the ability to rock back and forth by shifting his/her weight or pushing lightly with his/her feet...
. For safety reasons they sat a dummy in the chair when they carried out the test, which resulted in both the chair and the dummy breaking apart, although Clarkson felt a greater flaw was that the TV would be inaudible over the noise of the V8.
News: The three discuss how enraged fans of the Morris Marina had become, thanks to the previous episode. They "attempt" to make amends by purchasing another Marina, which then has a piano "accidentally" fall on it.
Following a two-year-old tradition on Top Gear, the boys discuss car-themed Christmas presents. During this bit they continually devolve into crude, sexual jokes, including a sword with various bits of pork on it, the sleeve from a wizard's robe with the Ferrari emblem, and a chicken with the four Audi rings on it, causing Clarkson to turn to the audience and quip, "It's all gone horribly wrong." They also present their annual year-end awards:
- Best new sound: Will YoungWill YoungWilliam Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
's new single - Best victory dance by a Star in a Reasonably-priced Car/Fastest Celebrity: Jay Kay, who accepted his award in the Top Gear studio
- Most painful injury to a motoring related body part: Max Mosley's bottom.
- Car of the Year: the Caterham 7 Superlight R500, for posting a faster time around the TG test track than the Bugatti VeyronBugatti VeyronThe Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of...
, while being much less expensive. - Worst flirting award: Jeremy Clarkson when talking to Will Young.
Star in a Reasonably-priced Car: Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, the singer, drove the Lacetti
Daewoo Lacetti
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car made by the South Korean automaker GM Daewoo since 2002. The first-generation Lacetti was available as a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback or a five-door station wagon. The sedan and wagon were designed by Pininfarina, and the hatchback by Giorgetto Giugiaro...
and achieved a 1:52.2.
|- |
| 103 || Series 12 Episode 8 || 28 December 2008 || None
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