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{{Infobox British television| |
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[[Image:Topgear.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Top Gear DVD cover featuring [[Jeremy Clarkson]]]] |
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| show_name = Top Gear |
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: ''This article is about the television series. For other uses, see [[Top Gear (disambiguation)]].'' |
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| image = Image:TopGearLogo.jpg |
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| size = 275px |
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| caption = The Top Gear logo |
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| format = [[Motorsports]] |
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| runtime = 60 minutes (in current format) |
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| starring = [[Jeremy Clarkson]]<br>[[Richard Hammond]]<br>[[James May]]<br>[[The Stig]] |
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| channel = [[BBC2]] |
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| first_aired = 1978 |
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| last_aired = present |
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| num_episodes = |
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| producer = |
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| related = [[Fifth Gear]] |
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}} |
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{{Otheruses1|the television series}} |
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'''''Top Gear''''' is a long-running [[BBC]] [[television]] series about [[automobile|cars]] and [[Auto racing|motorsports]]. The programme completed its seventh series in December 2005 under its current format and is expected to return in May 2006.<ref>"[http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2006/02/stories/01/3.html Clarkson's right on cue]." TopGear.com. [[1 February]] [[2006]]. Accessed [[20 February]] [[2006]]</ref> ''Top Gear'' is estimated to have over 350 million viewers worldwide, 5 million of which view the programme each week in the UK. <ref>"[http://www.teamellen.com/en/article.asp?artid=3020 Ellen on BBC TWO’S Top Gear]." Team Ellen. [[2 December]] [[2005]]. Accessed [[28 December]] [[2005]].</ref> There is also ''[[Top Gear (magazine)|Top Gear]]'' magazine, a publication produced by the BBC in conjunction with the TV show and sharing some common editors and features between them. |
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'''''Top Gear''''' is a long-running [[BBC]] [[television]] series about [[automobile|car]]s and [[motorsport]]. |
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''Top Gear'' is currently hosted by [[Jeremy Clarkson]], [[Richard Hammond]] and [[James May]]. The show was relaunched in 2002 with two new presenters and a new format, with each programme consisting of at least one review of a new car, automotive news highlights, and a ''Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car'' segment where a celebrity guest is interviewed and performs timed laps, the best of which is posted on a leader board. Following most car reviews on the show is a ''Power Laps'' segment where ''Top Gear's'' resident test driver [[The Stig]] sets a lap time to be posted on the Power Laps board. |
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==1977 to 2001== |
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==History== |
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When it started in [[1977]], it was initially not networked throughout [[United Kingdom|Britain]], hosted by BBC anchorwoman [[Angela Rippon]]. Early presenters included [[Noel Edmonds]] and [[William Woollard]]. |
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===1977 to 2001=== |
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''Top Gear'' started in 1977 and was originally hosted by BBC anchorwoman [[Angela Rippon]], although the show was initially not networked throughout [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. Early presenters also included [[Noel Edmonds]] and [[William Woollard]]. The programme was 30 minutes long. |
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Originally a fairly |
Originally, ''Top Gear'' was a fairly conventional magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as [[road safety]], but it saw a massive boost in its audience in the early 1990s when it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly [[petrolhead]]-oriented programme, fronted by Jeremy Clarkson. Among Clarkson's contemporary presenters were [[Quentin Willson]], a former used car salesman, and racing drivers [[Tiff Needell]] and [[Vicki Butler-Henderson]]. |
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Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly [[macho]], encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour, and ignored the environment, under Clarkson's presentation |
Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly [[macho]], encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour, and ignored the environment, the show under Clarkson's presentation pulled in huge audiences. It became hugely influential with the motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the ''Top Gear'' team could spell disaster in the sales department. One such example is the original [[Vauxhall Vectra]] where Clarkson explained "I know it's the replacement for the [[Vauxhall Cavalier|Cavalier]]. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels" |
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However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the [[Toyota Corolla]], and extreme praise did not help the [[Renault Alpine GTA/A610]]. |
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Every year since the early [[1990s]], the team has named and shamed the worst (and the best) of the year's new cars in the [[J. D. Power]] Top 100 survey. |
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Since the early 1990s, the team has named and shamed the worst (and the best) of the year's new cars in the annual [[J. D. Power]] Top 100 survey. This feature is now restricted to the magazine format, and the survey now uses [[Experian]]. |
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After Clarkson left to pursue other aspects of his TV career, the show became more toned down, but still retaining something of its influence. Without Clarkson its audience fell from six million to under three million. |
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Following Jeremy Clarkson's departure in 1999 the ''Top Gear'' audience fell from six million to under three million, resulting in the BBC's cancellation of the programme in 2001. The remaining presenters moved to [[Five (TV)|Five]] to launch a similar show, ''[[Fifth Gear]]'', which continues to this day. After ''Top Gear's'' huge success in the mid-1990s, a number of similar programmes were also produced including [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Driven (TV)|Driven]]'', [[ITV]]'s ''[[Pulling Power]]'' and [[BBC World|BBC World India]]'s ''[[Wheels (TV)|Wheels]]''. <ref>"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/cars/story/0,15383,1358541,00.html Road shows]." Jason Deans. [[24 November]] [[2004]]. Accessed [[1 January]] [[2006]]</ref> |
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Consequently, in [[2001]] the BBC axed the program. In [[2002]], the show's presenters moved to [[five (TV)|Channel Five]] with a virtually identical show called ''[[5th Gear]]''. |
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==2002 to |
===2002 to today=== |
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[[Image:TopGearNews.jpg|thumb|right|300px|James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson during a news segment]] |
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After a period of doing other programmes, Clarkson and producer [[Andy Wilman]] successfully pitched a new format for ''Top Gear'' to the BBC, and a new series began airing in 2002. At one hour long, the new show was twice the length of the old ''Top Gear''. Two new presenters were introduced: Richard Hammond and [[Jason Dawe]], before James May replaced Dawe after the first series. The credits also mention The Stig, the show's masked racing driver, although he never speaks a word. |
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The new show, made at [[Dunsfold]] Park Aerodrome in [[Surrey]], involves a standing studio audience with whom the presenters interact and with whom Clarkson often argues in good-natured way. The revised format introduced the ''Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car'' segment, where Clarkson talks to a different guest each week and the video of their on-track performance in a [[Suzuki Aerio|Suzuki Liana]] is viewed. The show has featured a number of races where Clarkson pilots a car against other forms of transport, typically involving Hammond and May taking the same journey by combinations of plane, train, ferry or bus: |
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After a period of doing other programmes, Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman pitched a new format for ''Top Gear'' to the BBC, who consequently brought it back. Two new presenters were introduced, [[Richard Hammond]] and [[Jason Dawe]], before [[James May]] replaced Dawe after the first series. The credits also mention [[The Stig]] as a presenter, although he never speaks a word. From [[2002]] to [[2003]], [[Perry McCarthy]] is credited with being the Stig, though the presenters themselves have not confirmed this. |
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*[[Aston Martin DB9]] and the [[TGV]] train from Surrey to [[Monte Carlo]] |
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*[[Ferrari 612 Scaglietti]] against a plane from Surrey to [[Verbier]] |
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*[[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] versus a plane, ferry and speedboat from [[Heathrow Airport]] to [[Oslo]] |
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*[[Bugatti Veyron]] against a [[Cessna 182]] light aircraft piloted by May, with Hammond as his nervous passenger, between [[Alba, Italy|Alba]] in northern [[Italy]] and [[Tower 42]], [[London]]. |
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All of the above races have been won by Clarkson in the car, although, with the exception of the race to Oslo, all have been extremely close. |
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The new format show, made at [[Dunsfold Park]] in [[Surrey]], involves a standing studio audience with whom the presenters interact and with whom Clarkson often good-naturedly argues. There is also a "chat show"-type segment where Jeremy talks to a different guest each week and the video of their on-track performance in a [[Suzuki]] [[Suzuki Aerio|Liana]] is viewed (the segment being titled 'Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car'). The show is famed for its outrageous races, for example Clarkson racing the [[TGV]] train against Hammond and May from [[Surrey]] to [[Monte Carlo]] in an [[Aston Martin]] [[Aston Martin DB9|DB9]], racing a plane from [[Surrey]] to [[Verbier]] in a [[Ferrari 612 Scaglietti]], racing a boat from [[Heathrow Airport]] to [[Oslo]] in a [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]]. |
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''Top Gear'' regularly reaffirms that the races do take place for real, and that many of the shots used in the film are then recorded over a few days by retracing the journey. In the case of the Bugatti race, the Stig drove the car back to Italy, although these shots are filmed so that it is not apparent that Clarkson is not driving. <ref>[http://www.topgear.com/content/timetoburn/sections/galleries/other/bugatti/17/ Top Gear TV: Bugatti vs. Plane] Top Gear|Galleries</ref> High production values meant that this 32-minute feature took 33 16-hour days to edit. <ref>[http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2006/02/stories/01/2.html Clarkson's right on cue] Top Gear Website</ref> |
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A trait exhibited by ''Top Gear'' producers is an apparent pathological hatred for [[Travel_trailer|caravans]]. Various stunts have seen caravans destroyed by using them as [[conkers]] while suspended from cranes, dropping one onto a [[Toyota]] [[Toyota Hi-Lux|Hi-Lux]] [[diesel]] to prove the truck's indestructibility, and towing one example to the point of [[aerodynamics|aerodynamically]]-induced structural failure using a powerful [[Mitsubishi]] [[Mitsubishi_Lancer_Evolution|Lancer Evolution]] saloon in an attempt to set the world record for towing a caravan. Though many of these "tests" are often pointless and silly, they are marvellously entertaining to the audience. Presenter Richard Hammond carried this treatment of caravans over to his show [[Brainiac: Science Abuse]]. |
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Other races have involved one of the presenters in a more modest car against an athlete on foot: |
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The sixth series of ''Top Gear'' began on [[May 22]], [[2005]]. |
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*[[Fiat Panda (2003)|Fiat Panda]] with Clarkson driving against a runner on a modified [[London Marathon]] route on a weekday morning rush hour. |
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*[[Audi RS4]] with Clarkson driving up a mountain road against a rock climber climbing the same distance vertically |
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*[[Renault Clio|Renault Clio III]] with May driving down the narrow streets of [[Castle of São Jorge]]'s district in [[Lisbon]] against [[Gee Atherton]], a downhill bike racer. |
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On all of the above occasions, the car has lost against the person on foot. |
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Due to the good viewing figures of the new format show, it also seems to have been awarded an increased budget as there are several expensive experiments and trips into Europe and to America. |
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''Top Gear's'' new format is much more social. The presenters banter with the studio audience and between themselves, particularly during the "News" and "Cool Wall" segments. Each host's persona is paid almost as much attention as the cars they review. Hammond is occasionally ribbed for being short and supposedly having his teeth whitened, and was dubbed by Clarkson as ''Top Gear's'' "resident hamster" - more recently, he has been accused of having acquired an interest in "oddly-shaped vegetables", following the launch of ''[[Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show]]'' on [[ITV1]]. May earned the nickname "Captain Slow" because of a lighter foot as compared to his colleagues, his refusal to run on camera, and a tendency to lose any competition where speed is the measure of victory. Clarkson is noted for his inconsistent yet strong opinions and ego. |
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In May 2005 [[Discovery Channel]] in the US started showing a modified version of the relaunched show . |
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A trait exhibited by ''Top Gear'' producers and presenters is an apparent pathological hatred for [[travel trailer|caravans]]. Various stunts have seen caravans destroyed by using them as [[conker]]s suspended from cranes, dropping one onto a [[Toyota Hi-Lux]] [[diesel]] to prove the truck's indestructibility, and towing one example to the point of [[aerodynamics|aerodynamically]]-induced structural failure using a powerful [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution]] saloon in an attempt to set the world record for towing a caravan. |
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==North American Versions== |
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As of May [[2005]], Top Gear has been shown in North America on the [[Discovery Channel]]. The American format is different from the British format, with the news and talk show segments cut to make room for commercials. The show consists of old stories from the British version shown with the studio segments specially recorded for the North American viewers, even though it still is on the same set with the same hosts of the British version. |
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Clarkson then proceeded to perform a similiar demolition to another caravan towed at full speed, but upside down, along a runway with a Birds-Hartge performance-enhanced V8 Range Rover in the Top Gear performance / sportscar 2003 Special - tearing the caravan to small metallic threads, with an armour-encased camera inside the caravan to record the destruction. |
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Currently the North American version is no longer being produced for [[Discovery Channel]]. The show no longer has a link on the Discovery Channel's website.[http://dsc.discovery.com/tvlistings/a2z.jsp?channel=DSC&click=dsc_leftnav#T][http://forum.finalgear.com/viewtopic.php?t=7444] The sudden "pulling" of the show left an odd questionmark on many fans' minds. |
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Another example had a caravan as the bullseye on a giant car throwing dart board. These segments are intended only to be entertaining to the audience, rather than to demonstrate any serious point. Hammond also uses this treatment of caravans when presenting another television show, ''[[Brainiac: Science Abuse]]''. |
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Early speculation was that Discovery pulled the show in response to an article Jeremy Clarkson wrote for the [http://www2.nationalreview.com/images/paperforgreg.jpg Sun Newspaper on September 10, 2005]. When fans then sent in their protests about the show's "cancellation" to Discovery, Discovery replied by e-mail: |
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===Theme music=== |
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''"The "Top Gear" show was not "taken off the air" but rather ran its pattern. It is being revamped for a U.S. audience and will return later this year. Look for it in December.'' |
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''Top Gear'' has used the [[Allman Brothers Band]] instrumental hit ''[[Jessica (song)|Jessica]]'' as its [[theme music|theme song]] for many years. Initially the show used part of the original artist's recording of the song, but later seasons of ''Top Gear'' use updated [[cover version]]s. As part of a segment in the [[August 7]], [[2005]] episode, James May recorded a version of ''Jessica'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/downloads/audio/james_may_top_gear_theme_tune_with_engines.mp3 (download available)] using engine sounds from cars including a classic [[Bugatti]], [[Mazda RX-8]], [[Honda S2000]], [[Fiat Panda (2003)|Fiat Panda]] and a [[Ferrari Enzo Ferrari|Ferrari Enzo]]. Richard and Jeremy ridiculed the effort, with Clarkson telling May "You've taken a car and made it sound like a fat, talentless shop assistant farting." with it also apparently getting worse overnight since he last heard it. |
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For much of the original series' lifespan, [[Elton John]]'s instrumental ''Out Of The Blue'' (from the ''[[Blue Moves]]'' album) played over the closing credits. |
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How the [[Americanization]] of this show turns out remains to be seen. |
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===Nominations and awards=== |
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For Canadian viewers, [[BBC Canada]] has announced that they will soon start broadcasting the original, uncut episodes of the show originally shown on [[BBC2]] in the UK. |
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In November 2005, ''Top Gear'' won a 2005 [[Emmy Award#International Emmys|International Emmy]] in the Non-Scripted Entertainment category. <ref>"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/11_november/23/emmys.shtml BBC picks up two International Emmy Awards]." BBC. [[23 November]] [[2005]]. Accessed [[28 December]] [[2005]].</ref> |
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In the episode where the presenters showed the award to the studio audience, Clarkson explained that he was unable to go to [[New York]] to receive the award since he was too busy writing the script for that episode. |
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''Top Gear'' was also nominated twice, in 2004 and 2005, for the [[British Academy Television Awards]] in the Best Feature category. In 2004 and 2005, ''Top Gear'' was also nominated for a [[National Television Award]] in the Most Popular Factual Programme category. <ref>"[http://imdb.com/title/tt0163503/awards Awards for "Top Gear"]." IMDb. Accessed [[1 January]] [[2006]].</ref> |
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==Imitators== |
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After its huge success in the mid-1990s, a number of similar programs were produced. These include [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Driven]]'', [[ITV]]'s ''[[Pulling Power]]'' and [[BBC World | BBC World India]]'s ''[[Wheels (TV)|Wheels]]''. |
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===Criticism=== |
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When the show was axed in [[2001]], the show's then current presenters began a near identical show on [[five (TV)|Channel Five]] called ''[[Fifth Gear]]''. |
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''Top Gear'' has come under fire on more than one occasion for promoting irresponsible driving <ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4432279.stm 'Petrolheads' under attack]." BBC. [[12 April]] [[2005]]. Accessed [[28 December]] [[2005]].</ref>, causing ecological damage, and favouring performance over fuel efficiency and conservation. |
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Jeremy Clarkson has spurred several controversies in his capacity as a presenter for ''Top Gear''. During the [[November 13]], [[2005]] episode a news segment featuring BMW's MINI Concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased what Richard Hammond quoted as a "quintessentially British" integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking that the German designed-and-owned [[MINI Cooper]] should be fitted with "a quintessentially German... sat-nav that only goes to Poland" in reference to the [[Nazism|Nazi]] [[Polish September Campaign|invasion of Poland]] that started [[WWII]], and saying "[one] fan belt will last a thousand years," a reference to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s [[propaganda]] slogan of "the thousand-year [[Nazi Germany|Reich]]". These statements gained negative attention in the British and German news media, such as the UK [[Daily Mail]] [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=371720&in_page_id=1773 article] which noted that the BBC would follow a formal investigation of any complaints made on the matter. |
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==Theme Tune== |
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The BBC compensated a Bristol local parish in 2004 after Clarkson rammed a [[Toyota Hilux]] into a landmark tree<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/3509191.stm BBC stumps up for tree stunt]." BBC. [[21 February]] [[2004]]. Accessed [[9 January]] [[2006]].</ref> during a segment on proving the sturdiness and reliability of the truck through a series of "torture tests". The parish had no idea the damage had been caused by a BBC television show, believing that it had been the work of vandals. |
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''Top Gear'' has used the [[Allman Brothers Band]] instrumental hit ''[[Jessica (song)|Jessica]]'' as its [[theme tune]] for many years, so much so that many viewers are unaware that the track exists as a separate entity from the show. Originally the show used part of the original recording of the song, although in recent years (and as of the previous series in 2004) it has used a different recording which has different instruments and is not performed by the original artists. On the August 7th show in [[2005]], a version of the theme song was recorded using the engine noise of cars including a classic [[Bugatti]], a [[Mazda RX-8]], a [[Fiat Panda (2003)|Fiat Panda]] and a [[Ferrari Enzo Ferrari|Ferrari Enzo]]. |
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The road safety group [[Transport 2000]] have asked the BBC to replace ''Top Gear''<ref>"[http://www.transport2000.org.uk/news/maintainNewsArticles.asp?NewsArticleID=239 Campaigners say scrap Top Gear and replace it with ‘Third Gear’ version promoting sensible driving]." Transport 2000. [[11 April]][[2005]]. Accessed [[9 January]][[2006]].</ref> with a tamer, more environmentally-friendly "Third Gear." The group's reasons for this demand include claims of "substantial ecological damage" to a peat bog during an off-roading segment and disregard for speed limits in another segment where Clarkson was cited by police. |
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==Segments== |
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''Top Gear'' was in negotiations to move to [[Enstone, England|Enstone]] but has so far been unable to negotiate a deal and has had their initial application blocked after much opposition by local citizens because of fears that ''Top Gear'' would create pollution and noise. <ref>"[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/20/ntopg20.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/20/ixhome.html Villagers put the brake on Top Gear]." Telegraph. [[20 February]] [[2006]]. Accessed [[20 February]] [[2006]].</ref> |
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Clarkson has been critical of the BBC. In the February issue of Top Gear Magazine, Clarkson voices his opinion that the BBC does not take Top Gear seriously. He also appears to be annoyed with BBC bosses for often replacing the show with snooker, despite Top Gear having considerably higher viewer ratings, and the show's shortening season runs.<ref>"[http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2006/02/stories/01/1.html Clarkson's right on cue]." Top Gear Magazine. [[1 February]] [[2006]]. Accessed [[6 March]] [[2006]].</ref> |
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===International versions=== |
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{{main|List of Top Gear broadcasters and video releases}} |
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In June 2005, the American ''[[Discovery Channel]]'' started airing a modified version of the show, with heavily edited studio segments, and the complete removal of the news and ''Star in a Reasonably Priced Car'' segments. This version of the show is now currently airing on national television in [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]], and on BBC's pan-European cable channel. The Discovery Channel stopped airing ''Top Gear'' in October 2005, though on [[9 Feb]] [[2006]], they aired a mini-marathon of the half-hour episodes. This version was also aired in Canada on ''[[BBC Canada]]'' and ''[[Discovery Channel Canada]]''. In late 2005, ''BBC Canada'' began airing a one hour version of the show. Though longer, this version was still somewhat modified in order to fit ten minutes of commercials into the timeslot. |
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In the United Kingdom, digital television channels [[UKTV People]] and [[UKTV G2]] are airing a similarly edited version of the show, to make room for advertisements every 15 minutes. None of the segments in the show have been edited out, but smaller moments, such as applause, have been trimmed. |
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In December 2005, Top Gear started airing on Australia's SBS channel, although much to fans disappointment, the episodes shown were over a year old. |
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In late 2005, ''Discovery Channel'' decided to produce a pilot for an American version of the show, to take place in the [[Mojave Desert]], with different hosts, named John, Johnny, and Bruno.<ref>Porter, Richard (January 2006). [http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2006/01/stories/08/1.html "In ''Top Gear'' we trust"]. ''Top Gear'', p. 55.</ref> |
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==Segments== |
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===Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car=== |
===Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car=== |
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[[Image:TopGearDamonHill.jpg|thumb|275px|left|Damon Hill appearing as the ''Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car'']] |
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In each programme, a celebrity – usually of British fame – is interviewed by Clarkson and usually includes the guest's car history and the logic behind it. After the light-hearted chatter is done, Clarkson, the guest and the studio audience watch the guest's fastest lap on the Top Gear test track in a [[Suzuki Aerio|Suzuki Liana]]. The Liana used is stock, except a rollcage and racing seats with harnesses have been added as safety measures for the celebrities. Each guest first practises with The Stig and is then allowed a set number of attempts to make his or her way around the test track in the fastest time, and that corresponding lap is then presented for the audience to see. However, the star doesn't learn of his or her lap time until they are interviewed, so guests are often visibly anxious awaiting their results while in the studio. The two slowest laps on the celebrity list are held by [[Terry Wogan]] and the late [[Richard Whiteley]], both of whom were beaten by a completely blind man, Bosnia war veteran [[Billy Baxter]], who wrenched the Liana through the track under nervous directions from Clarkson in the passenger seat. |
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The Liana has endured it's fair share of abuse from the stars when undertaking their laps, often to the delight and amusement of the hosts and the audiance. In one famous incident, actor [[Michael Gambon]] clipped the final corner in such a spectacular fashion that the corner was henceforth named Gambon Corner. The week [[Lionel Richie]] drove the car, someone forgot to tighten up the wheel nuts, and the front wheel fell off. [[Trevor Eve]] also lost a wheel. British transport minister [[Stephen Ladyman]] added further injury to the Liana by denting the boot when he lost control during practice and slid backwards into a tyre wall. [[David Soul]] managed to destroy the clutch of two Lianas during his time on the show due to his unfamiliarity with manual cars. [[Christopher Eccleston]] was the only celebrity to use a Liana with an automatic transmission, because a hesitant Eccleston admitted he was "only qualified to drive an automatic". To accommodate his needs, ''Top Gear'' succeeded in "borrowing" a Liana in automatic form, of which only 40 existed in the UK. |
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This is a section in the show where a celebrity guest does a lap of the Top Gear track in a [[Suzuki]] [[Suzuki Aerio|Liana]]. |
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The Liana has also been modified on several occassions. [[David Soul]]'s Lianas featured a red police light and a white stripe in reference to his ''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'' days. [[Johnny Vegas]] was provided with 'L' plates as he hadn't passed his driving test at the time. When [[Justin Hawkins]] came on the show, the Liana he drove had flame decals pasted on it. |
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Currently, the top ten celebrity laps are: |
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In July 2005, a [[Formula One]] driver appeared on the show for the first time as the star. All Formula One drivers are put into their own list with regard to lap times because of the exceptional skill level. The drivers (and their lap times) in order of appearance are [[Damon Hill]] (1:46.3), [[Mark Webber]] (1:47.52) (in very wet conditions), and [[Nigel Mansell]] (1:44.6). |
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* Comedian and TV presenter [[Jimmy Carr]] with 1:46.9s |
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* Music expert and TV presenter [[Simon Cowell]] with 1:47.1s |
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* [[Snooker]] player [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] with 1:47.3s |
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* Radio DJ and TV Presenter [[Chris Evans (British broadcaster)|Chris Evans]] tied with comedian [[Rory Bremner]] on 1:47.9s |
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* Lead singer of [[The Darkness]] [[Justin Hawkins]] with 1:48s |
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* Actor [[Rob Brydon]] with 1:48s |
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* Supermodel [[Jodie Kidd]] with 1:48s |
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* Lead singer of Jamiroquai [[Jason Kay|Jay Kay]] with 1:48s |
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* Hypnotist [[Paul McKenna]] with 1:48s |
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<div style="font-size: 90%"> |
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The two slowest laps are held by the late TV presenter [[Richard Whiteley]] with 2:06.0s and Broadcaster [[Terry Wogan]] with 2:04s. They were later humourously beaten by a completely blind man, Bosnia war veteran Billy Baxter, with a time of 2:02s. In June 2005, former [[Formula 1]] racing driver [[Damon Hill]] took the lead with a time of 1:46.3s, but his time was recorded separately from other celebrities since he was a former F1 driver, and there is now a separate board for such drivers. |
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{| margin="0" |
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|- valign="top" |
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# 1:46.7 – [[Ellen MacArthur]] |
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# 1:46.9 – [[Jimmy Carr]] |
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# 1:47.1 – [[Simon Cowell]] |
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# 1:47.3 – [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] |
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# 1:47.8 – [[Ian Wright]] |
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# 1:47.9 – [[Chris Evans (British broadcaster)|Chris Evans]] |
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# 1:47.9 – [[Rory Bremner]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Justin Hawkins]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Jodie Kidd]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Jason Kay|Jay Kay]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Paul McKenna]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Trevor Eve]] |
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# 1:48 – [[Patrick Kielty]] |
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# 1:48.6 – [[Rob Brydon]] |
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# 1:48.8 – [[Stephen Ladyman]] |
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# 1:49 – [[Neil Morrissey ]] |
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# 1:49.6 – [[Roger Daltrey]]<sup>1</sup> |
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# 1:50 – [[Jeremy Clarkson]] |
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# 1:50 – [[Patrick Stewart]] |
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# 1:50 – [[Martin Clunes]] |
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# 1:50 – [[Gordon Ramsay]] |
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# 1:50 – [[Jamie Oliver]] |
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|<ul><ol start="23"> |
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<li>1:50 – [[Lionel Richie]] |
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<li>1:50 – [[Cliff Richard]] |
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<li>1:50.7 – [[David Walliams]] |
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<li>1:51 – [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:51 – [[Ranulph Fiennes]] |
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<li>1:51.1 – [[Timothy Spall]] |
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<li>1:51.2 – [[Carol Vorderman]]<sup>1</sup> |
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<li>1:51.3 – [[James Nesbitt]] |
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<li>1:51.4 – [[Christian Slater]] |
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<li>1:51.5 – [[Omid Djalili]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:51.5 – [[Joanna Lumley]] |
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<li>1:52 – [[David Dimbleby]] |
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<li>1:52 – [[Eddie Izzard]] |
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<li>1:52 – [[Jordan (model)|Jordan]] |
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<li>1:52 – [[Rick Parfitt]] |
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<li>1:52.4 – [[Christopher Eccleston]] |
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<li>1:52.7 – [[Tim Rice]] |
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<li>1:53 – [[Steve Coogan]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:53 – [[Vinnie Jones]] |
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<li>1:53.2 – [[Johnny Vaughan]] |
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<li>1:53.2 – [[Denise Van Outen]] |
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<li>1:53.3 – [[Fay Ripley]]<sup>1</sup> |
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|<ul><ol start="45"> |
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<li>1:53.4 – [[Bill Bailey]] |
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<li>1:53.5 – [[Jack Dee]] |
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<li>1:54 – [[Alan Davies]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:54 – [[Stephen Fry]]<sup>1</sup> |
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<li>1:54 – [[Rich Hall]] |
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<li>1:54 – [[Martin Kemp]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:54 – [[Ross Kemp]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:54 – [[Tara Palmer-Tomkinson]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:54 – [[David Soul]] |
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<li>1:55 – [[Michael Gambon]]<sup>2</sup> |
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<li>1:55.4 – [[Geri Halliwell]] |
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<li>1:56 – [[Boris Johnson]] |
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<li>1:56.1 – [[Trinny Woodall]]<sup>3</sup> |
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<li>1:56.9 – [[Davina McCall]]<sup>3</sup> |
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<li>1:57 – [[Anne Robinson]] |
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<li>1:57 – [[Jonathan Ross]] |
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<li>1:58.6 – [[Johnny Vegas]] |
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<li>2:01 – [[Harry Enfield]] |
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<li>2:02 – [[Billy Baxter]] |
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<li>2:03.04 – [[Terry Wogan]] |
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<li>2:06 – [[Richard Whiteley]] |
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|} |
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</div> |
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<sup>1</sup> Moist track |
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<sup>2</sup> Wet track |
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<sup>3</sup> Very wet track |
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Note: Aside from driver ability, the Top Gear hosts estimate a wet track as yielding an average time four seconds slower than a dry track surface. "Moist" and "very wet" can be estimated accordingly. Most drivers drive the car alone. However, Clarkson carried two passengers during his timed run. Trinny and Susannah were both present in the cars during their respective laps, as well as Johnny Vaugn and Denise Van Outen. Clarkson also rode along with Billy Baxter, navigating for him. |
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In one famous incident, actor [[Michael Gambon]] spectacularly clipped the final corner, following which the corner was named after him. On another occasion, while practicing, ex-[[Commodores]] singer [[Lionel Richie]] lost a front wheel on a fast corner, but kept the car under control. |
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===Power Laps=== |
===Power Laps=== |
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[[Image:TopGearStig.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Stig driving a Pagani Zonda-F]] |
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In the Power Laps segment, The Stig completes a lap around the Top Gear test track to gauge the performance of various cars. The Stig is the mystery-shrouded, masked driver who never says a word. Over the course of the show, there have only been two Stigs, who can be differentiated by the color of their jump suit, black (for series 1-2) or white (from series 3 onward). The black Stig was "killed off" in a [[James Bond]]esque stunt aboard the [[HMS Invincible (R05)|HMS ''Invincible'']] in the first programme of series three when he drove modified Jaguar XJS off the aircraft launch ramp and into the sea. According to an article in the British newspaper, ''[[The Times]]'', written by Clarkson, the origin of the name of the Stig derives from his school years: ''we started to think about reviving Top Gear in a new format, with a track, special guests and the Stig — new boys at [[Repton School|Repton]] were always called Stig — and we thrashed it out over a couple of years.''<ref> "[http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22750-1857808_1,00.html The backroom boy who put Top Gear on top of the world]." Jeremy Clarkson. Accessed [[10 January]] [[2006]].</ref> For series one and two, the black Stig is credited as [[Perry McCarthy]] in a book he wrote, though the presenters themselves have not confirmed this. |
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The car raced by The Stig is usually a car that was reviewed by one of the presenters that episode, but sometimes it is a car reviewed from a previous programme. There are two separate lists, one for production cars and one for non-production cars. For comparison, it is interesting to note that the current record lap time for the Suzuki Liana is 1:44.6 by Nigel Mansell. |
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This is the current list of power laps, or laps where a car is driven round the track by [[The Stig]] are held by: |
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There is a separate board of times for non-production car times. The four times include [[BAE Sea Harrier|Sea Harrier]] (0:31.2), [[Renault F1|Renault R24 Formula 1 Car]] (0:59.0), [[Aston Martin DBR9]] (1:08.6) and the [[Radical (plane)|Radical]] (1:19.0). |
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* [[Maserati MC12]] with 1:18.9s |
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* [[Ferrari Enzo Ferrari|Ferrari Enzo]] with 1:19.0s |
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* [[Ariel (vehicle)|Ariel Atom]] with 1:19.5s |
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* [[Porsche Carrera GT]] with 1:19.8s |
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* [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] with 1:20.9s |
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* [[Ford GT]] with 1:21.9s |
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* [[Ferrari 360#Challenge Stradale|Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale]] and the [[Porsche Carrera GT3 RS]], both with 1:22.3s |
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* [[Ferrari 430]] with 1:22.9s |
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* [[Lamborghini Murcielago]] with 1:23.7s |
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Note: The following laps were clocked with the tested vehicle configured for maximum performance. That is to say, all adjustable suspensions were set at their most efficient, all gear shift maps were at their most aggressive, and driving aids such as traction control were deactivated. These lap times do not offer entirely reliable comparisons between the cars - the conditions are far from controlled. |
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===Car of the Year=== |
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<!-- Times should be in ascending order. Be sure to list track conditions (something the official website sometimes omits). Note: I've noticed differences in times between Top Gear's website and what was presented in the show. Furthermore, some cars aren't listed on the website (like the M5). So I have been assuming the times that were written on the wall in the show are correct and any differences on the website are typos.--> |
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Each year, the show presents a "Car of the Year" for the best new car in that year. Winners have included: |
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<div style="font-size: 90%"> |
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{| margin="0" |
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|- valign="top" |
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| |
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# 1:18.4 – [[Pagani Zonda#2005 C12 F|Pagani Zonda C12 F]] |
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*[[2001]]: [[Ford Mondeo]] |
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# 1:18.9 – [[Maserati MC12]] |
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*[[2002]]: [[Ford Focus]] RS |
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# 1.19.0 – [[Ferrari Enzo Ferrari]] |
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*[[2003]]: [[Rolls Royce Phantom]] |
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# 1:19.5 – [[Ariel Atom|Ariel Atom 2]] |
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*[[2004]]: [[VW Golf]] GTI |
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# 1:19.8 – [[Porsche Carrera GT]] |
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# 1:20.7 – [[Ascari KZ1]] |
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# 1:20.9 – [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] |
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# 1:21.9 – [[Ford GT]] |
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# 1:22.3 – [[Ferrari 360#Challenge Stradale|Ferrari Challenge Stradale]] |
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# 1:22.3 – [[Porsche 911 GT3 RS]] |
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# 1:22.9 – [[Ferrari F430]] |
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# 1:23.2 – [[Ferrari F430|Ferrari F430 Spider]] |
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# 1:23.7 – [[Lamborghini Murcielago]] |
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# 1:23.8 – [[Pagani Zonda|Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3]]<sup>1</sup> |
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# 1:23.9 – [[Koenigsegg CC8S]] |
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# 1:24.8 – [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Evolution VIII|Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ400]] |
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# 1:24.8 – [[TVR Sagaris]] |
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# 1:24.8 – [[TVR Tuscan|TVR Tuscan Mk 2]] |
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# 1:25.0 – [[Noble (car)|Noble M12]] |
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# 1:25.6 – [[Audi RS4]] |
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# 1:25.8 – [[Lamborghini Gallardo]]<sup>2</sup> |
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# 1:25.9 – [[Morgan Aero 8|Morgan Aero 8 GTN]] |
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# 1:26.0 – [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Evolution VIII|Mitsubishi Evo VIII FQ320]] |
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# 1:26.2 – [[BMW M5]] |
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# 1:26.7 – [[Porsche Cayman S]] |
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# 1:26.8 – [[Chevrolet Corvette]] |
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# 1:26.8 – [[Ferrari 575M Maranello#GTC handling package|Ferrari 575M GTC]] |
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# 1:26.9 – [[Lotus Exige]]<sup>1</sup> |
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# 1:26.9 – [[Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class|Mercedes CLS55 AMG]] |
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# 1:27.1 – [[Aston Martin V12 Vanquish|Aston Martin Vanquish S]] |
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|<ul><ol start="31"> |
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<li>1:27.1 – [[Aston Martin DB9]]</li> |
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<li>1:27.2 – [[Porsche 996|Porsche 911 GT3]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:27.3 – [[Spyker Cars|Spyker]] C8</li> |
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<li>1:27.5 – [[TVR]] 350C</li> |
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<li>1:27.9 – [[Wiesmann]] Roadster</li> |
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<li>1:28.0 – [[BMW M3]] CSL<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:28.2 – [[Marcos (automobile)|Marcos TSO GT2]]</li> |
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<li>1:28.5 – [[Dodge Viper|Dodge Viper SRT-10]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:28.6 – [[MG XPower SV|MG SV]]</li> |
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<li>1:28.7 – [[Porsche Boxster|Porsche Boxster S]]</li> |
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<li>1:28.9 – [[Porsche 996|Porsche 911 Carrera S]]<sup>3</sup></li> |
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<li>1:28.9 – [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Evolution VIII|Mitsubishi Evo VIII]]</li> |
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<li>1:29.0 – [[Mercedes-Benz CL#W215|Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG]]</li> |
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<li>1:29.0 – [[BMW Z8|BMW Alpine Z8]]</li> |
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<li>1:29.0 – [[Lamborghini Murcielago]]<sup>1</sup></li> |
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<li>1:29.4 – [[Subaru Impreza WRX STi|Subaru Impreza STi WRX WR-1]]</li> |
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<li>1:30.0 – [[Alfa Romeo|Alfa 3.7 GTA]]</li> |
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<li>1:30.1 – [[Subaru Impreza WRX STi|Subaru Impreza STi]]</li> |
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<li>1:30.1 – [[Vauxhall Monaro VXR]]</li> |
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<li>1:30.4 – [[Aston Martin DB7]] GT</li> |
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<li>1:30.4 – [[Volkswagen Golf]] R32 ''2005''</li> |
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<li>1:30.9 – [[Audi S4]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.0 – [[Porsche 911 Turbo]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:31.3 – [[Vauxhall VX220]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.6 – [[Honda NSX]] Type-R<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:31.8 – [[BMW M3]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.8 – [[BMW 5 Series|BMW 535d]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.8 – [[Nissan 350Z]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.8 – [[Mazda RX-8]]</li> |
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<li>1:31.9 – [[BMW 1 Series|BMW 130i]]</li> |
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|<ul><ol start="61"> |
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<li>1:32.2 – [[Ford Focus|Ford Focus RS]]</li> |
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<li>1:32.5 – [[Lotus Esprit]] V8</li> |
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<li>1:32.7 – [[Audi TT|Audi TT V6]]</li> |
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<li>1:32.8 – modernized [[Jaguar E-Type]]</li> |
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<li>1:32.9 – [[Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class|Mercedes SLK 350]]</li> |
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<li>1:33.0 – [[Mercedes-Benz SL-Class|Mercedes SL55 AMG]]</li> |
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<li>1:33.0 – [[Vauxhall Astra]] VXR</li> |
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<li>1:33.1 – [[Noble (car)|Noble M12 GTO]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:33.3 – [[Volkswagen Golf]] R32</li> |
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<li>1:33.3 – [[Cadillac CTS|Cadillac CTS-V]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:33.7 – [[MG ZT]] 260</li> |
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<li>1:33.8 – [[Renault Clio]] Cup</li> |
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<li>1:33.9 – [[Holden Monaro]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:34.9 – [[Ford Focus|Ford Focus ST]]<sup>4</sup></li> |
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<li>1:35.0 – [[Volvo S60|Volvo S60R]]</li> |
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<li>1:35.2 – [[Ferrari 575M|Ferrari 575]]<sup>3</sup></li> |
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<li>1:35.6 – [[Alfa Romeo 147]] GTA</li> |
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<li>1:35.6 – [[Lotus Elise]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:36.2 – [[Aston Martin Vanquish]]<sup>3</sup></li> |
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<li>1:36.2 – [[Renault Clio]] V6</li> |
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<li>1:36.5 – [[Honda Civic]] Type R</li> |
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<li>1.37.0 – [[Porsche Boxster]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1.37.3 – [[BMW Z4]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1.37.4 – [[Honda S2000]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:37.9 – [[Saab 9-5|Saab 95 HOT Aero]]</li> |
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<li>1:38.0 – [[Mazzer]]</li> |
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<li>1:39.4 – [[Bowler Wildcat]]</li> |
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<li>1:40.8 – [[Bentley Arnage]]<sup>2</sup></li> |
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<li>1:44.0 – [[Overfinch]]</li> |
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<li>1:46.0 – [[Aston Martin DB5]]</li> |
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</ol> |
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|} |
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</div> |
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<sup>1</sup> Moist track |
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<sup>2</sup> Wet track |
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<sup>3</sup> Very wet track |
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<sup>4</sup> Foggy conditions<br><br> |
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Note: The most powerful production car ever featured on ''Top Gear'', the 1001 bhp [[Bugatti Veyron]], has not yet been taken around the track by The Stig. |
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===Car of the Year=== |
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Each year, the show presents a "Car of the Year" for the best new car in that year. Winners have included: |
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*1997: [[Ford Puma]] |
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*1998: [[Ford Focus]] |
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*2000: [[Fiat Multipla]] |
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*2001: [[Ford Mondeo]] |
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*2002: [[Ford Focus]] RS |
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*2003: [[Rolls-Royce Phantom]] |
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*2004: [[VW Golf]] GTI |
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*2005: [[Bugatti Veyron]] |
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===The Cool Wall=== |
===The Cool Wall=== |
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The Cool Wall is a board where Clarkson and Hammond decide which cars are cool, and which aren't, and has nothing to do with how good or bad a car is. The categories are ''Sub Zero'', ''Cool'', ''Uncool'', and ''Seriously Uncool''. Initially, part of that "coolness" factor rested on the extent to which the presenters believed each car would impress English actress [[Kristin Scott Thomas]]. More recently, BBC newsreader [[Fiona Bruce]] has replaced Scott Thomas as their notional judge, after Kristin Scott Thomas said in a conversation with Clarkson that she owned the Honda Civic, which was deemed "uncool". |
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The Aston Martin DB9 has been put in a fridge of its own next to the wall as it was deemed just too cool for the wall. The [[Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005)|Aston Martin V8 Vantage]] has since joined it. The 2005 [[BMW 3 Series]] [[BMW E90|(E90)]] was judged to be the first that the presenters couldn't be bothered to put it on the wall, described as just "a lump of car" and being like "mild cheddar". The Toyota Prius was deemed so uncool that it was put in a zone "outside the cool wall" as the wall was deemed too small to show how uncool the Prius was, with the card containing an image of the car throw to the back of the studio. |
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''Main article: see [[Cool wall]]'' |
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One rule is that cars owned by any of the Top Gear presenters are to be placed on the "uncool" or "seriously uncool" sections of the wall. |
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The cool wall is a board where Jeremy and Richard decide which cars are cool, and which aren't. The groups are ''Sub Zero'', ''Cool'', ''Uncool'', and ''Seriously Uncool''. |
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The [[Aston Martin DB9]] has been put in a fridge of its own next to the wall as it was deemed just too cool for the wall. |
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Jeremy often puts the cars he likes (or more often doesn't like) at the top if Richard disagrees with him, so that Richard cannot reach to move it. |
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Clarkson often puts the cars he likes (or more often doesn't like) at the top of the wall if Hammond disagrees with him, so that the much shorter Hammond cannot reach to change it. For the first time, on the [[November 27]], [[2005]] programme, the presenters came to blows over the placement of a car on the Cool Wall (the [[BMW M6]]) and it led to Hammond eating part of the picture. The situation was reversed after Clarkson slipped two discs in his back, and was unable to bend low enough to reach Hammond's low-lying pictures. |
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==Highlights== |
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After Clarkson placed an order for a new [[Ford GT]], the Ford vehicle gradually progressed up the board as Clarkson got closer to obtaining his dream vehicle. |
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==Highlights== |
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===2002=== |
===2002=== |
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*The programme launched a search for the fastest faith, with representatives from different religions each driving a lap of the test track. The winner was |
*The programme launched a search for the "fastest faith", with representatives from different religions, such as ministers of various Christian denominations, a Jewish Rabbi, Buddhist monk and a Muslim Imam, each driving a lap of the test track. The winner was a [[Church of England]] bishop, but during a continuation he was beaten by a [[Rastafarian]], who was jokingly warned to "keep off the grass". |
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*A Radical was raced around the track against an aerobatic plane. |
*A Radical was raced around the track against an aerobatic plane. |
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===2003=== |
===2003=== |
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*In May |
*In May, Hammond used a drag racer with a rocket engine to blow up the car he considered to be the worst of all time, the [[Nissan Sunny]]. At the end of the show he also used the racer to blow up a caravan. |
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* |
*Clarkson tested the Koenigsegg which, with a top speed of 242mph was at the time the world's fastest production car. He couldn't resist a speed run on the test track. The record was 170mph set by the Pagani Zonda. This was smashed, with the Koenigsegg managing 174mph. Clarkson later commented how he felt nervous before the run because engineers from Koenigsegg had asked him if they could put tape around the windscreen; he thought that the tape was to keep the windscreen from flying off. |
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*The team visited the [[Isle of Man]] to test four [[BMW]] [[sports car]]s, the [[BMW M1|M1]], M3, M5 and M3 CSL. |
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*[[Supermodel]] [[Jodie Kidd]] managed to knock [[Jason Kay|Jay Kay]] off the top spot of the celebrity laps. He had been there since the second ever programme. |
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*Using a swimming pool, Hammond showed the dangers of being in a car that is sinking in water; and demonstrated that you should open the car doors as soon as it strikes the water, rather than waiting for the car to fill with water and the pressure to equalize. |
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*The team visited the [[Isle of Man]] to test four [[BMW]] sportscars, the [[BMW M1|M1]], [[BMW M3|M3]], [[BMW M5|M5]] and M3 CSL. |
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*Richard Hammond demonstrated the dangers of being in a car which is sinking in water. |
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===2004=== |
===2004=== |
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*Clarkson undertook a challenge to see if he could evade being caught in missile lock from an [[AH-64 Apache#AH-64D|AH-64D Apache]] anti-tank helicopter while driving a [[Lotus Exige]]. The helicopter failed to lock in on the Exige when remaining within the confines of the test track. However, when allowed to move further away, the helicopter acquired lock within seconds. |
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*Richard Hammond proved that it was safe to sit in a car struck by the lightning by sitting in [[Volkswagen Golf]] in a huge lightning generator. |
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*Recalling the "Fastest Faith" episode, Clarkson examines the divine characterstics of the [[Alfa Romeo 166]], and Richard Hammond finds out if a [[nun]] can drive a [[monster truck]]. |
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* The team participated in two experiments in the form of races to test whether public transport could beat a car. The format is that Richard and James take public transport while Jeremy attempts to beat them in a car. In the first race Richard and James used France's TGV Atlantic trains in an attempt to beat Jeremy to Monte Carlo. Jeremy drove the Aston Martin DB9 and won by a significant margin. In the second race Richard and James attempted to get from London to Verbier in Switzerland using a plane while Jeremy drove there in a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Jeremy won again but this time only just, passing Richard and James barely 100 metres from their destination. |
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*Hammond demonstrated that it was safe to sit in a car struck by lightning by sitting in Volkswagen Golf in a huge lightning generator. In the same episode, Clarkson, May and Hammond tested the [[BMW 645i]], [[Jaguar XK-R]] and [[Porsche 911]] on flat wet beach in the rain. Clarkson successfully made an allusion to the nature of each car, and also interestingly had each presenter matched to their cars to perfection 'You've (May) got the [[Business Jet]] (the 645i), I've got the [[Tornado]] (The Jag) - where's Hammond with the [[Messerschmidt]] (the [[911]]) ?' |
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* After much practice, Jeremy Clarkson took a [[Jaguar S-Type]] Diesel around the [[Nürburgring]] in just under ten minutes. His instructor, [[Sabine Schmitz]], promptly took the same car out and did it almost a minute quicker on her first try. When she first heard of Jeremy's time, her reaction was "I could do that in a van", and was given the opportunity to do so in the 2005 season. (She was roughly ten seconds slower in a standard [[Ford Transit]].) |
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* The team participated in two experiments in the form of races to test whether public transport could beat a car. The format is that Hammond and May take public transport while Clarkson attempts to beat them in a car. In the first race they used France's TGV Atlantic trains in an attempt to beat him to Monte Carlo. Clarkson drove the Aston Martin DB9 and won by a significant margin. In the second race they attempted to get from London to Verbier in Switzerland using a plane while Clarkson drove there in a [[Ferrari 612 Scaglietti]]. He won again but this time only just, passing his colleagues barely 100 metres from their destination. |
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*After much practice, Clarkson took a [[Jaguar S-Type]] Diesel around the [[Nürburgring]] in just under ten minutes. His instructor, [[Sabine Schmitz]], promptly took the same car out and did it almost a minute quicker on her first try. When Schmitz heard Clarkson's time, she retorted, "I could do that in a van". In the following series she was given the opportunity to do so and was only seven seconds slower in a standard [[Ford Transit]]. |
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===2005=== |
===2005=== |
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* |
*In the first episode of series 6, Clarkson tested the new Mercedes CLS AMG, Hammond and May played football using the new [[Toyota Aygo]] and Clarkson took up the gauntlet to see whether a [[Challenger 2 tank]] could lock its main cannon onto a [[Land Rover Range Rover Sport|Range Rover Sport]]. |
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*In the second episode of series 6, |
*In the second episode of series 6, Clarkson tested the Maserati MC12, which costs a staggering £412,000. The team also decided to buy for less than £1,500 a 2-door [[coupé]] each that wasn't a [[Porsche]], mirroring a competition they had last series where they each had to spend £1,500 to buy a Porsche. They were then set a series of challenges to see who had got the best deal, scoring points for each challenge. The winner turned out to be May, with a [[Jaguar XJS]]. Hammond bought a BMW 635CSi, while Clarkson went for a [[Mitsubishi Starion]]. May, however, offered to give the title to Clarkson if he admitted "''I'm a clot and I ruined my car''", as he had tried to install a turbo in his Starion without fitting an essential intercooler. The result was the engine coolant boiled in a matter of minutes and ruined his engine. The challenges included trying to get to 140 mph, having to drive at 30 mph over Belgian [[cobblestone|cobbles]] with a bucket of water on their lap, and doing an endurance race on a farm. |
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*In the sixth episode of series 6, yet another grand race was held, this time racing from Heathrow Airport to Oslo. Jeremy drove the [[Mercedes SLR]], while James and Richard took a flight to Newcastle, and then a ferry. It proved to be disastrous for them, with a series of breakdowns causing them to arrive more than five hours after Jeremy. |
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* Jeremy announced that his participation in the next series will be severely limited for medical reasons (2 slipped discs), and he cannot record any driving segments, under medical advice. It was hinted that this role may be filled by [[Sabine Schmitz]], who had a great deal of fun at Jeremy's expense at the [[Nürburgring]] in 2004. |
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*In the final episode of series 6, Hammond tested the Vauxhall Monaro VX-R and was taught how to drift in the same car by [[D1 Grand Prix]] driver [[Yasuyuki Kazama]], despite being unable to speak English, he had to teach using hand signals (the making of this segment can also be seen on JDM Option vol. 18 & [[Video Option]] vol. 138). Hammond also participated in the [[Encierro|Pamplona Bull Run]] in Spain, where he was shoved into the path of a bull by a participant, before a segment in which he road tested the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster. |
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*A new world record was set for the number of complete sideways rolls in a car. A stuntman managed to make a [[Ford Sierra]] estate complete 6 rolls - and survived. |
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*A new world record was set for the number of complete sideways rolls in a car. A stuntman managed to make a [[Ford Sierra]] estate complete 6 rolls - and survived. |
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* [[Mark Webber]] became the second F1 driver to drive the [[Suzuki Liana|Liana]] around the (very wet) Top Gear track for the F1 Drivers Board in 1m 47.1. Notably, like [[Damon Hill]], he took the first corner differently from the Stig. It should be noted however that there has never been any footage of the Stig in the [[Suzuki Liana|Liana]] aired on the show, so it's still impossible to be sure that Webber or Hill isn't the Stig. |
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*All three presenters created a traffic jam in [[Paris]] attempting to leave a [[multi-storey car park|car park]] in a Pagani Zonda, a Ford GT, and a Ferrari F430; the problem was that, owing to the angle of the slope onto the road combined with the low bodies of the cars, the fronts were scraping the ground. May defied his "Captain Slow" nickname and drove the Ferrari F430 faster than Hammond in the Pagani Zonda and Clarkson in the Ford GT on a twisting mountain road, all while driving across France in the three aforementioned supercars to reach the [[Millau Viaduct]]. |
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* On the [[11 December]] [[2005]] episode, Hammond and May once again attempted to beat Clarkson in a race across Europe using transport other than a car. This time, as May had earned himself an almost fully-fledged pilot's licence, their chosen mode of transport was a [[Cessna 182]] [[general aviation|light aircraft]]. However, his license did not cover night flying, and they were forced to make an early landing and travel the remainder of the journey by [[Eurostar]]. Once again, Clarkson won by a whisker (or so it seemed), aided by his 1001bhp [[Bugatti Veyron]] [[supercar]], reaching the top of the Natwest Tower minutes prior to the other two. |
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* Clarkson traveled to the race course [[Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca|Laguna Seca]] in [[Monterey, California]] to compare racing a lap in real life versus a video game ([[Gran Turismo 4]]). Clarkson's time of 1:41.148 for the video game was substantially faster than the 1:57 time that he was able to do on the real course. The car he used on the game was a Honda NSX and the car he drove at Laguna Seca was the US equivalent, the Acura NSX. |
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*The 2005 Top Gear Awards were given to: |
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**Biggest Surprise - [[Audi RS4]] |
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**Ugliest Car - [[BMW 3 Series]] |
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**Best Car - [[Bugatti Veyron]] |
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**Best Engine Noise - [[Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005)|Aston Martin V8 Vantage]] |
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**Gas Guzzler - [[Ford GT]] |
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**Coolest Car - [[Aston Martin V8 Vantage]] (according to Clarkson), [[Porsche 997|Porsche 911]] (according to Hammond and the script) |
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**The Golden Cock - James May |
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===2006=== |
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*On [[February 12]] [[2006]], ''Top Gear'' had a [[Winter Olympics]] special which took place in [[Lillehammer]], [[Norway]], the location of the [[1994 Winter Olympics]]. In this episode they featured car variations of Winter Olympic Sports: |
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**[[Biathlon]]: Jeremy raced a [[Volvo XC90]] against James in a [[Audi Q7]], cross-country, with 2 shooting rounds mid-course. James used a standard Biathlon [[.22 Long Rifle|.22]] rifle, while Jeremy opted for a [[Heckler & Koch MP5|H&K MP5]] machine pistol. |
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**Cold weather endurance: Richard was subjected to Arctic temperatures in a [[Citroen C1]], in a bid to see who will crack first: man or machine? |
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**[[Speed skating]]: Jeremy raced a [[Jaguar XK8]] against a human skater on an ice course |
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**Off-road [[slalom]]: James and Jeremy raced a [[four-wheel drive]] [[Land Rover Discovery]] and a [[two-wheel drive]] [[Jaguar XK8]] against the clock, on a frozen lake. |
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**[[Bobsleigh]]: In a repeated segment from Series 5 Episode 8, Richard and a bobsleigh team race against James and a [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution|Mitsubishi Evo]] rally car, along near-identical courses. |
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**[[Ice hockey]]: Ten [[Suzuki Swift]]s played 5-a-side hockey, in teams captained by James and Richard. |
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**[[Ski jumping]]: Could a rocket-powered [[Mini]] jump further than a skiier from a downhill slope? |
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**The episode ended with a ski jump on a [[snowmobile]] driven by Dan Lang, a Swedish snowmobile driver, dressed as the Stig. <ref> "[http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,788722,00.html Han hoppar med skoter]." Eric Tagesson. Accessed [[15 March]] [[2006]].</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of Top Gear broadcasters and video releases]] |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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==External links== |
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{{wikiquotepar|Top Gear}} |
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear Official BBC ''Top Gear'' website] |
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* [http://www.topgear.com/ ''Top Gear'' magazine website] |
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* [http://www.racingcircuits.net/UnitedKingdom/England/Dunsfold.html Top Gear Test Track] Animated .gif of the Top Gear Test Track |
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* [http://www.finalgear.com/ FinalGear.com] Top Gear fansite |
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== External links == |
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear BBC Top Gear] The official BBC Top Gear website |
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* [http://www.topgear.com/ Top Gear magazine] BBC 'Top Gear magazine' website |
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* [http://www.finalgear.com/ FinalGear.com] Top Gear and Fifth Gear community forum |
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* [http://www.racingcircuits.net/UnitedKingdom/England/Dunsfold.html TopGear Test Track] Animated .gif of the Top Gear Test Track. |
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Revision as of 14:35, 30 March 2006
Top Gear | |
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File:TopGearLogo.jpg | |
Starring | Jeremy Clarkson Richard Hammond James May The Stig |
Production | |
Running time | 60 minutes (in current format) |
Original release | |
Network | BBC2 |
Release | 1978 – present |
Related | |
Fifth Gear |
Top Gear is a long-running BBC television series about cars and motorsports. The programme completed its seventh series in December 2005 under its current format and is expected to return in May 2006.[1] Top Gear is estimated to have over 350 million viewers worldwide, 5 million of which view the programme each week in the UK. [2] There is also Top Gear magazine, a publication produced by the BBC in conjunction with the TV show and sharing some common editors and features between them.
Top Gear is currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The show was relaunched in 2002 with two new presenters and a new format, with each programme consisting of at least one review of a new car, automotive news highlights, and a Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment where a celebrity guest is interviewed and performs timed laps, the best of which is posted on a leader board. Following most car reviews on the show is a Power Laps segment where Top Gear's resident test driver The Stig sets a lap time to be posted on the Power Laps board.
History
1977 to 2001
Top Gear started in 1977 and was originally hosted by BBC anchorwoman Angela Rippon, although the show was initially not networked throughout Britain. Early presenters also included Noel Edmonds and William Woollard. The programme was 30 minutes long.
Originally, Top Gear was a fairly conventional magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as road safety, but it saw a massive boost in its audience in the early 1990s when it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly petrolhead-oriented programme, fronted by Jeremy Clarkson. Among Clarkson's contemporary presenters were Quentin Willson, a former used car salesman, and racing drivers Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson.
Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour, and ignored the environment, the show under Clarkson's presentation pulled in huge audiences. It became hugely influential with the motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the Top Gear team could spell disaster in the sales department. One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra where Clarkson explained "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels"
However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla, and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610.
Since the early 1990s, the team has named and shamed the worst (and the best) of the year's new cars in the annual J. D. Power Top 100 survey. This feature is now restricted to the magazine format, and the survey now uses Experian.
Following Jeremy Clarkson's departure in 1999 the Top Gear audience fell from six million to under three million, resulting in the BBC's cancellation of the programme in 2001. The remaining presenters moved to Five to launch a similar show, Fifth Gear, which continues to this day. After Top Gear's huge success in the mid-1990s, a number of similar programmes were also produced including Channel 4's Driven, ITV's Pulling Power and BBC World India's Wheels. [3]
2002 to today
After a period of doing other programmes, Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format for Top Gear to the BBC, and a new series began airing in 2002. At one hour long, the new show was twice the length of the old Top Gear. Two new presenters were introduced: Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, before James May replaced Dawe after the first series. The credits also mention The Stig, the show's masked racing driver, although he never speaks a word.
The new show, made at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, involves a standing studio audience with whom the presenters interact and with whom Clarkson often argues in good-natured way. The revised format introduced the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment, where Clarkson talks to a different guest each week and the video of their on-track performance in a Suzuki Liana is viewed. The show has featured a number of races where Clarkson pilots a car against other forms of transport, typically involving Hammond and May taking the same journey by combinations of plane, train, ferry or bus:
- Aston Martin DB9 and the TGV train from Surrey to Monte Carlo
- Ferrari 612 Scaglietti against a plane from Surrey to Verbier
- Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren versus a plane, ferry and speedboat from Heathrow Airport to Oslo
- Bugatti Veyron against a Cessna 182 light aircraft piloted by May, with Hammond as his nervous passenger, between Alba in northern Italy and Tower 42, London.
All of the above races have been won by Clarkson in the car, although, with the exception of the race to Oslo, all have been extremely close.
Top Gear regularly reaffirms that the races do take place for real, and that many of the shots used in the film are then recorded over a few days by retracing the journey. In the case of the Bugatti race, the Stig drove the car back to Italy, although these shots are filmed so that it is not apparent that Clarkson is not driving. [4] High production values meant that this 32-minute feature took 33 16-hour days to edit. [5]
Other races have involved one of the presenters in a more modest car against an athlete on foot:
- Fiat Panda with Clarkson driving against a runner on a modified London Marathon route on a weekday morning rush hour.
- Audi RS4 with Clarkson driving up a mountain road against a rock climber climbing the same distance vertically
- Renault Clio III with May driving down the narrow streets of Castle of São Jorge's district in Lisbon against Gee Atherton, a downhill bike racer.
On all of the above occasions, the car has lost against the person on foot.
Top Gear's new format is much more social. The presenters banter with the studio audience and between themselves, particularly during the "News" and "Cool Wall" segments. Each host's persona is paid almost as much attention as the cars they review. Hammond is occasionally ribbed for being short and supposedly having his teeth whitened, and was dubbed by Clarkson as Top Gear's "resident hamster" - more recently, he has been accused of having acquired an interest in "oddly-shaped vegetables", following the launch of Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show on ITV1. May earned the nickname "Captain Slow" because of a lighter foot as compared to his colleagues, his refusal to run on camera, and a tendency to lose any competition where speed is the measure of victory. Clarkson is noted for his inconsistent yet strong opinions and ego.
A trait exhibited by Top Gear producers and presenters is an apparent pathological hatred for caravans. Various stunts have seen caravans destroyed by using them as conkers suspended from cranes, dropping one onto a Toyota Hi-Lux diesel to prove the truck's indestructibility, and towing one example to the point of aerodynamically-induced structural failure using a powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution saloon in an attempt to set the world record for towing a caravan.
Clarkson then proceeded to perform a similiar demolition to another caravan towed at full speed, but upside down, along a runway with a Birds-Hartge performance-enhanced V8 Range Rover in the Top Gear performance / sportscar 2003 Special - tearing the caravan to small metallic threads, with an armour-encased camera inside the caravan to record the destruction.
Another example had a caravan as the bullseye on a giant car throwing dart board. These segments are intended only to be entertaining to the audience, rather than to demonstrate any serious point. Hammond also uses this treatment of caravans when presenting another television show, Brainiac: Science Abuse.
Theme music
Top Gear has used the Allman Brothers Band instrumental hit Jessica as its theme song for many years. Initially the show used part of the original artist's recording of the song, but later seasons of Top Gear use updated cover versions. As part of a segment in the August 7, 2005 episode, James May recorded a version of Jessica (download available) using engine sounds from cars including a classic Bugatti, Mazda RX-8, Honda S2000, Fiat Panda and a Ferrari Enzo. Richard and Jeremy ridiculed the effort, with Clarkson telling May "You've taken a car and made it sound like a fat, talentless shop assistant farting." with it also apparently getting worse overnight since he last heard it.
For much of the original series' lifespan, Elton John's instrumental Out Of The Blue (from the Blue Moves album) played over the closing credits.
Nominations and awards
In November 2005, Top Gear won a 2005 International Emmy in the Non-Scripted Entertainment category. [6] In the episode where the presenters showed the award to the studio audience, Clarkson explained that he was unable to go to New York to receive the award since he was too busy writing the script for that episode.
Top Gear was also nominated twice, in 2004 and 2005, for the British Academy Television Awards in the Best Feature category. In 2004 and 2005, Top Gear was also nominated for a National Television Award in the Most Popular Factual Programme category. [7]
Criticism
Top Gear has come under fire on more than one occasion for promoting irresponsible driving [8], causing ecological damage, and favouring performance over fuel efficiency and conservation.
Jeremy Clarkson has spurred several controversies in his capacity as a presenter for Top Gear. During the November 13, 2005 episode a news segment featuring BMW's MINI Concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased what Richard Hammond quoted as a "quintessentially British" integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking that the German designed-and-owned MINI Cooper should be fitted with "a quintessentially German... sat-nav that only goes to Poland" in reference to the Nazi invasion of Poland that started WWII, and saying "[one] fan belt will last a thousand years," a reference to Adolf Hitler's propaganda slogan of "the thousand-year Reich". These statements gained negative attention in the British and German news media, such as the UK Daily Mail article which noted that the BBC would follow a formal investigation of any complaints made on the matter.
The BBC compensated a Bristol local parish in 2004 after Clarkson rammed a Toyota Hilux into a landmark tree[9] during a segment on proving the sturdiness and reliability of the truck through a series of "torture tests". The parish had no idea the damage had been caused by a BBC television show, believing that it had been the work of vandals.
The road safety group Transport 2000 have asked the BBC to replace Top Gear[10] with a tamer, more environmentally-friendly "Third Gear." The group's reasons for this demand include claims of "substantial ecological damage" to a peat bog during an off-roading segment and disregard for speed limits in another segment where Clarkson was cited by police.
Top Gear was in negotiations to move to Enstone but has so far been unable to negotiate a deal and has had their initial application blocked after much opposition by local citizens because of fears that Top Gear would create pollution and noise. [11]
Clarkson has been critical of the BBC. In the February issue of Top Gear Magazine, Clarkson voices his opinion that the BBC does not take Top Gear seriously. He also appears to be annoyed with BBC bosses for often replacing the show with snooker, despite Top Gear having considerably higher viewer ratings, and the show's shortening season runs.[12]
International versions
In June 2005, the American Discovery Channel started airing a modified version of the show, with heavily edited studio segments, and the complete removal of the news and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segments. This version of the show is now currently airing on national television in Denmark and Norway, and on BBC's pan-European cable channel. The Discovery Channel stopped airing Top Gear in October 2005, though on 9 Feb 2006, they aired a mini-marathon of the half-hour episodes. This version was also aired in Canada on BBC Canada and Discovery Channel Canada. In late 2005, BBC Canada began airing a one hour version of the show. Though longer, this version was still somewhat modified in order to fit ten minutes of commercials into the timeslot.
In the United Kingdom, digital television channels UKTV People and UKTV G2 are airing a similarly edited version of the show, to make room for advertisements every 15 minutes. None of the segments in the show have been edited out, but smaller moments, such as applause, have been trimmed.
In December 2005, Top Gear started airing on Australia's SBS channel, although much to fans disappointment, the episodes shown were over a year old.
In late 2005, Discovery Channel decided to produce a pilot for an American version of the show, to take place in the Mojave Desert, with different hosts, named John, Johnny, and Bruno.[13]
Segments
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
In each programme, a celebrity – usually of British fame – is interviewed by Clarkson and usually includes the guest's car history and the logic behind it. After the light-hearted chatter is done, Clarkson, the guest and the studio audience watch the guest's fastest lap on the Top Gear test track in a Suzuki Liana. The Liana used is stock, except a rollcage and racing seats with harnesses have been added as safety measures for the celebrities. Each guest first practises with The Stig and is then allowed a set number of attempts to make his or her way around the test track in the fastest time, and that corresponding lap is then presented for the audience to see. However, the star doesn't learn of his or her lap time until they are interviewed, so guests are often visibly anxious awaiting their results while in the studio. The two slowest laps on the celebrity list are held by Terry Wogan and the late Richard Whiteley, both of whom were beaten by a completely blind man, Bosnia war veteran Billy Baxter, who wrenched the Liana through the track under nervous directions from Clarkson in the passenger seat.
The Liana has endured it's fair share of abuse from the stars when undertaking their laps, often to the delight and amusement of the hosts and the audiance. In one famous incident, actor Michael Gambon clipped the final corner in such a spectacular fashion that the corner was henceforth named Gambon Corner. The week Lionel Richie drove the car, someone forgot to tighten up the wheel nuts, and the front wheel fell off. Trevor Eve also lost a wheel. British transport minister Stephen Ladyman added further injury to the Liana by denting the boot when he lost control during practice and slid backwards into a tyre wall. David Soul managed to destroy the clutch of two Lianas during his time on the show due to his unfamiliarity with manual cars. Christopher Eccleston was the only celebrity to use a Liana with an automatic transmission, because a hesitant Eccleston admitted he was "only qualified to drive an automatic". To accommodate his needs, Top Gear succeeded in "borrowing" a Liana in automatic form, of which only 40 existed in the UK.
The Liana has also been modified on several occassions. David Soul's Lianas featured a red police light and a white stripe in reference to his Starsky and Hutch days. Johnny Vegas was provided with 'L' plates as he hadn't passed his driving test at the time. When Justin Hawkins came on the show, the Liana he drove had flame decals pasted on it.
In July 2005, a Formula One driver appeared on the show for the first time as the star. All Formula One drivers are put into their own list with regard to lap times because of the exceptional skill level. The drivers (and their lap times) in order of appearance are Damon Hill (1:46.3), Mark Webber (1:47.52) (in very wet conditions), and Nigel Mansell (1:44.6).
1 Moist track 2 Wet track 3 Very wet track
Note: Aside from driver ability, the Top Gear hosts estimate a wet track as yielding an average time four seconds slower than a dry track surface. "Moist" and "very wet" can be estimated accordingly. Most drivers drive the car alone. However, Clarkson carried two passengers during his timed run. Trinny and Susannah were both present in the cars during their respective laps, as well as Johnny Vaugn and Denise Van Outen. Clarkson also rode along with Billy Baxter, navigating for him.
Power Laps
In the Power Laps segment, The Stig completes a lap around the Top Gear test track to gauge the performance of various cars. The Stig is the mystery-shrouded, masked driver who never says a word. Over the course of the show, there have only been two Stigs, who can be differentiated by the color of their jump suit, black (for series 1-2) or white (from series 3 onward). The black Stig was "killed off" in a James Bondesque stunt aboard the HMS Invincible in the first programme of series three when he drove modified Jaguar XJS off the aircraft launch ramp and into the sea. According to an article in the British newspaper, The Times, written by Clarkson, the origin of the name of the Stig derives from his school years: we started to think about reviving Top Gear in a new format, with a track, special guests and the Stig — new boys at Repton were always called Stig — and we thrashed it out over a couple of years.[14] For series one and two, the black Stig is credited as Perry McCarthy in a book he wrote, though the presenters themselves have not confirmed this.
The car raced by The Stig is usually a car that was reviewed by one of the presenters that episode, but sometimes it is a car reviewed from a previous programme. There are two separate lists, one for production cars and one for non-production cars. For comparison, it is interesting to note that the current record lap time for the Suzuki Liana is 1:44.6 by Nigel Mansell.
There is a separate board of times for non-production car times. The four times include Sea Harrier (0:31.2), Renault R24 Formula 1 Car (0:59.0), Aston Martin DBR9 (1:08.6) and the Radical (1:19.0).
Note: The following laps were clocked with the tested vehicle configured for maximum performance. That is to say, all adjustable suspensions were set at their most efficient, all gear shift maps were at their most aggressive, and driving aids such as traction control were deactivated. These lap times do not offer entirely reliable comparisons between the cars - the conditions are far from controlled.
1 Moist track
2 Wet track
3 Very wet track
4 Foggy conditions
Note: The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1001 bhp Bugatti Veyron, has not yet been taken around the track by The Stig.
Car of the Year
Each year, the show presents a "Car of the Year" for the best new car in that year. Winners have included:
- 1997: Ford Puma
- 1998: Ford Focus
- 2000: Fiat Multipla
- 2001: Ford Mondeo
- 2002: Ford Focus RS
- 2003: Rolls-Royce Phantom
- 2004: VW Golf GTI
- 2005: Bugatti Veyron
The Cool Wall
The Cool Wall is a board where Clarkson and Hammond decide which cars are cool, and which aren't, and has nothing to do with how good or bad a car is. The categories are Sub Zero, Cool, Uncool, and Seriously Uncool. Initially, part of that "coolness" factor rested on the extent to which the presenters believed each car would impress English actress Kristin Scott Thomas. More recently, BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce has replaced Scott Thomas as their notional judge, after Kristin Scott Thomas said in a conversation with Clarkson that she owned the Honda Civic, which was deemed "uncool".
The Aston Martin DB9 has been put in a fridge of its own next to the wall as it was deemed just too cool for the wall. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage has since joined it. The 2005 BMW 3 Series (E90) was judged to be the first that the presenters couldn't be bothered to put it on the wall, described as just "a lump of car" and being like "mild cheddar". The Toyota Prius was deemed so uncool that it was put in a zone "outside the cool wall" as the wall was deemed too small to show how uncool the Prius was, with the card containing an image of the car throw to the back of the studio.
One rule is that cars owned by any of the Top Gear presenters are to be placed on the "uncool" or "seriously uncool" sections of the wall.
Clarkson often puts the cars he likes (or more often doesn't like) at the top of the wall if Hammond disagrees with him, so that the much shorter Hammond cannot reach to change it. For the first time, on the November 27, 2005 programme, the presenters came to blows over the placement of a car on the Cool Wall (the BMW M6) and it led to Hammond eating part of the picture. The situation was reversed after Clarkson slipped two discs in his back, and was unable to bend low enough to reach Hammond's low-lying pictures.
After Clarkson placed an order for a new Ford GT, the Ford vehicle gradually progressed up the board as Clarkson got closer to obtaining his dream vehicle.
Highlights
2002
- The programme launched a search for the "fastest faith", with representatives from different religions, such as ministers of various Christian denominations, a Jewish Rabbi, Buddhist monk and a Muslim Imam, each driving a lap of the test track. The winner was a Church of England bishop, but during a continuation he was beaten by a Rastafarian, who was jokingly warned to "keep off the grass".
- A Radical was raced around the track against an aerobatic plane.
2003
- In May, Hammond used a drag racer with a rocket engine to blow up the car he considered to be the worst of all time, the Nissan Sunny. At the end of the show he also used the racer to blow up a caravan.
- Clarkson tested the Koenigsegg which, with a top speed of 242mph was at the time the world's fastest production car. He couldn't resist a speed run on the test track. The record was 170mph set by the Pagani Zonda. This was smashed, with the Koenigsegg managing 174mph. Clarkson later commented how he felt nervous before the run because engineers from Koenigsegg had asked him if they could put tape around the windscreen; he thought that the tape was to keep the windscreen from flying off.
- The team visited the Isle of Man to test four BMW sports cars, the M1, M3, M5 and M3 CSL.
- Using a swimming pool, Hammond showed the dangers of being in a car that is sinking in water; and demonstrated that you should open the car doors as soon as it strikes the water, rather than waiting for the car to fill with water and the pressure to equalize.
2004
- Clarkson undertook a challenge to see if he could evade being caught in missile lock from an AH-64D Apache anti-tank helicopter while driving a Lotus Exige. The helicopter failed to lock in on the Exige when remaining within the confines of the test track. However, when allowed to move further away, the helicopter acquired lock within seconds.
- Recalling the "Fastest Faith" episode, Clarkson examines the divine characterstics of the Alfa Romeo 166, and Richard Hammond finds out if a nun can drive a monster truck.
- Hammond demonstrated that it was safe to sit in a car struck by lightning by sitting in Volkswagen Golf in a huge lightning generator. In the same episode, Clarkson, May and Hammond tested the BMW 645i, Jaguar XK-R and Porsche 911 on flat wet beach in the rain. Clarkson successfully made an allusion to the nature of each car, and also interestingly had each presenter matched to their cars to perfection 'You've (May) got the Business Jet (the 645i), I've got the Tornado (The Jag) - where's Hammond with the Messerschmidt (the 911) ?'
- The team participated in two experiments in the form of races to test whether public transport could beat a car. The format is that Hammond and May take public transport while Clarkson attempts to beat them in a car. In the first race they used France's TGV Atlantic trains in an attempt to beat him to Monte Carlo. Clarkson drove the Aston Martin DB9 and won by a significant margin. In the second race they attempted to get from London to Verbier in Switzerland using a plane while Clarkson drove there in a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. He won again but this time only just, passing his colleagues barely 100 metres from their destination.
- After much practice, Clarkson took a Jaguar S-Type Diesel around the Nürburgring in just under ten minutes. His instructor, Sabine Schmitz, promptly took the same car out and did it almost a minute quicker on her first try. When Schmitz heard Clarkson's time, she retorted, "I could do that in a van". In the following series she was given the opportunity to do so and was only seven seconds slower in a standard Ford Transit.
2005
- In the first episode of series 6, Clarkson tested the new Mercedes CLS AMG, Hammond and May played football using the new Toyota Aygo and Clarkson took up the gauntlet to see whether a Challenger 2 tank could lock its main cannon onto a Range Rover Sport.
- In the second episode of series 6, Clarkson tested the Maserati MC12, which costs a staggering £412,000. The team also decided to buy for less than £1,500 a 2-door coupé each that wasn't a Porsche, mirroring a competition they had last series where they each had to spend £1,500 to buy a Porsche. They were then set a series of challenges to see who had got the best deal, scoring points for each challenge. The winner turned out to be May, with a Jaguar XJS. Hammond bought a BMW 635CSi, while Clarkson went for a Mitsubishi Starion. May, however, offered to give the title to Clarkson if he admitted "I'm a clot and I ruined my car", as he had tried to install a turbo in his Starion without fitting an essential intercooler. The result was the engine coolant boiled in a matter of minutes and ruined his engine. The challenges included trying to get to 140 mph, having to drive at 30 mph over Belgian cobbles with a bucket of water on their lap, and doing an endurance race on a farm.
- In the sixth episode of series 6, yet another grand race was held, this time racing from Heathrow Airport to Oslo. Jeremy drove the Mercedes SLR, while James and Richard took a flight to Newcastle, and then a ferry. It proved to be disastrous for them, with a series of breakdowns causing them to arrive more than five hours after Jeremy.
- In the final episode of series 6, Hammond tested the Vauxhall Monaro VX-R and was taught how to drift in the same car by D1 Grand Prix driver Yasuyuki Kazama, despite being unable to speak English, he had to teach using hand signals (the making of this segment can also be seen on JDM Option vol. 18 & Video Option vol. 138). Hammond also participated in the Pamplona Bull Run in Spain, where he was shoved into the path of a bull by a participant, before a segment in which he road tested the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.
- A new world record was set for the number of complete sideways rolls in a car. A stuntman managed to make a Ford Sierra estate complete 6 rolls - and survived.
- All three presenters created a traffic jam in Paris attempting to leave a car park in a Pagani Zonda, a Ford GT, and a Ferrari F430; the problem was that, owing to the angle of the slope onto the road combined with the low bodies of the cars, the fronts were scraping the ground. May defied his "Captain Slow" nickname and drove the Ferrari F430 faster than Hammond in the Pagani Zonda and Clarkson in the Ford GT on a twisting mountain road, all while driving across France in the three aforementioned supercars to reach the Millau Viaduct.
- On the 11 December 2005 episode, Hammond and May once again attempted to beat Clarkson in a race across Europe using transport other than a car. This time, as May had earned himself an almost fully-fledged pilot's licence, their chosen mode of transport was a Cessna 182 light aircraft. However, his license did not cover night flying, and they were forced to make an early landing and travel the remainder of the journey by Eurostar. Once again, Clarkson won by a whisker (or so it seemed), aided by his 1001bhp Bugatti Veyron supercar, reaching the top of the Natwest Tower minutes prior to the other two.
- Clarkson traveled to the race course Laguna Seca in Monterey, California to compare racing a lap in real life versus a video game (Gran Turismo 4). Clarkson's time of 1:41.148 for the video game was substantially faster than the 1:57 time that he was able to do on the real course. The car he used on the game was a Honda NSX and the car he drove at Laguna Seca was the US equivalent, the Acura NSX.
- The 2005 Top Gear Awards were given to:
- Biggest Surprise - Audi RS4
- Ugliest Car - BMW 3 Series
- Best Car - Bugatti Veyron
- Best Engine Noise - Aston Martin V8 Vantage
- Gas Guzzler - Ford GT
- Coolest Car - Aston Martin V8 Vantage (according to Clarkson), Porsche 911 (according to Hammond and the script)
- The Golden Cock - James May
2006
- On February 12 2006, Top Gear had a Winter Olympics special which took place in Lillehammer, Norway, the location of the 1994 Winter Olympics. In this episode they featured car variations of Winter Olympic Sports:
- Biathlon: Jeremy raced a Volvo XC90 against James in a Audi Q7, cross-country, with 2 shooting rounds mid-course. James used a standard Biathlon .22 rifle, while Jeremy opted for a H&K MP5 machine pistol.
- Cold weather endurance: Richard was subjected to Arctic temperatures in a Citroen C1, in a bid to see who will crack first: man or machine?
- Speed skating: Jeremy raced a Jaguar XK8 against a human skater on an ice course
- Off-road slalom: James and Jeremy raced a four-wheel drive Land Rover Discovery and a two-wheel drive Jaguar XK8 against the clock, on a frozen lake.
- Bobsleigh: In a repeated segment from Series 5 Episode 8, Richard and a bobsleigh team race against James and a Mitsubishi Evo rally car, along near-identical courses.
- Ice hockey: Ten Suzuki Swifts played 5-a-side hockey, in teams captained by James and Richard.
- Ski jumping: Could a rocket-powered Mini jump further than a skiier from a downhill slope?
- The episode ended with a ski jump on a snowmobile driven by Dan Lang, a Swedish snowmobile driver, dressed as the Stig. [15]
See also
References
- ^ "Clarkson's right on cue." TopGear.com. 1 February 2006. Accessed 20 February 2006
- ^ "Ellen on BBC TWO’S Top Gear." Team Ellen. 2 December 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
- ^ "Road shows." Jason Deans. 24 November 2004. Accessed 1 January 2006
- ^ Top Gear TV: Bugatti vs. Plane Top Gear|Galleries
- ^ Clarkson's right on cue Top Gear Website
- ^ "BBC picks up two International Emmy Awards." BBC. 23 November 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
- ^ "Awards for "Top Gear"." IMDb. Accessed 1 January 2006.
- ^ "'Petrolheads' under attack." BBC. 12 April 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
- ^ "BBC stumps up for tree stunt." BBC. 21 February 2004. Accessed 9 January 2006.
- ^ "Campaigners say scrap Top Gear and replace it with ‘Third Gear’ version promoting sensible driving." Transport 2000. 11 April2005. Accessed 9 January2006.
- ^ "Villagers put the brake on Top Gear." Telegraph. 20 February 2006. Accessed 20 February 2006.
- ^ "Clarkson's right on cue." Top Gear Magazine. 1 February 2006. Accessed 6 March 2006.
- ^ Porter, Richard (January 2006). "In Top Gear we trust". Top Gear, p. 55.
- ^ "The backroom boy who put Top Gear on top of the world." Jeremy Clarkson. Accessed 10 January 2006.
- ^ "Han hoppar med skoter." Eric Tagesson. Accessed 15 March 2006.
External links
- Official BBC Top Gear website
- Top Gear magazine website
- Top Gear Test Track Animated .gif of the Top Gear Test Track
- FinalGear.com Top Gear fansite