The 11th series of Top Gear

Top Gear (current format)

Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...

was broadcast between 22 June 2008 and 27 July 2008, in show's usual time slot of 8pm on Sunday on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

. The series consists of six episodes. This series included a revised title sequence, following the same visual style as with the sequence used for Series 8 through 10, but incorporating footage from the two prior series. A new character (Top Gear Stunt Man) was introduced in the first episode of the series. Also for the first five episodes of this series, the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" becomes "Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car", featuring two celebrity guests every week, each one setting an individual laptime. In May 2008, after series producer Andy Wilman

Andy Wilman

Andrew "Andy" Wilman is a British television producer who is best known as the producer of the present Top Gear show. He has also presented segments of the original Top Gear...

 held a brainstorming session with the presenters and other production staff, various facts about the upcoming series were released. Wilman confirmed that series 11 would see the presenters, Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...

, Hammond

Richard Hammond

Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...

 and May

James May

James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....

, gain more control over the flow of the show's popular news segment. The series included running jokes appearing in each episode: Clarkson showing an image he claims to have found on "the Internet" which is censored for the television broadcast; and, in the news section, May appearing to feign enthusiasm whilst presenting a brief news item about the Dacia Sandero

Dacia Sandero

The Dacia Sandero is a five door hatchback car produced jointly by the French manufacturer Renault and its subsidiary Dacia of Romania. The Sandero is based on the Logan.-Design and global marketing:...

 with no further discussion before they move on to the next item.

Episodes

#	Episode	Airdate	Guests
90	Series 11 Episode 1	22 June 2008	Alan Carr Alan Carr Alan Carr is an English comedian and television personality. Born in Weymouth, he was raised in Northampton before moving to Manchester during his early 20's....  and Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins, commonly known as JLC, is an award-winning English comedian and television presenter.A Bristolian, he's well known for his strong West Country accent, shaggy appearance and colourful shirts....
Challenge: Fuel Economy Part 1: The Top Gear team are advised that they must discuss fuel economy, so they decide to find the most economical supercar. The Ferrari 599 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian gran turismo produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model.... , Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo-German grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2009... , Lamborghini Murciélago LP640, Aston Martin DBS Aston Martin DBS V12 The modern Aston Martin DBS is a high performance GT sports car from the UK manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston has used the DBS name once before on their 1967–72 grand tourer coupe... , and Audi R8 were taken around the track at maximum speed, each given one gallon (4.55 l) of fuel, to see how far they could travel. The first loser, the Ferrari, coughed up a mere 1.7 miles (2.7 km), and the winner, the Audi, managed 5 miles (8 km) (56.9 L/100 km). Challenge: Fuel Economy Part 2: In ten laps at maximum speed, a Toyota Prius Toyota Prius The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...  is shown to manage 17.2 mpgimp. A BMW M3 follows directly behind it at the same speed for the entire time, and is able to achieve 19.4 mpgimp with its 4.0 L V8 engine V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... . Clarkson declares that it doesn't matter what you drive, but how you drive it. News: The Hyundai Genesis Coupe Hyundai Genesis Coupe The Hyundai Genesis Coupé is a rear-wheel drive sports coupe from Hyundai Motor Company, released on October 13, 2008 for the Korean market. It is Hyundai's first rear-wheel drive sports coupe, and shares its basic platform with the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan.... , Tata Nano Tata Nano The Tata Nano is an inexpensive, rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by the Indian company Tata Motors and is aimed primarily at the Indian domestic market....  and Toyota Urban Cruiser Toyota Urban Cruiser The Toyota Urban Cruiser is a mini MPV that is currently produced by Japanese automaker Toyota. It was first introduced in 2008 and is still in production. It slots below the Toyota RAV4 to compete against small crossover SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Soul, while also attracting buyers of...  are discussed. Main Review: Clarkson reviews the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. After seemingly damning the car's electronic interferences, he praised it as the finest Ferrari in years. The Stig then drove it around the track in 1:19.7, making it 0.7 seconds slower than the Enzo Ferrari, despite the fact that Ferrari claimed it went faster than the Enzo around their test track Fiorano Circuit The Fiorano Circuit is a private racetrack owned by Ferrari for development and testing purposes. It is located near the Italian town of Maranello.... . Challenge: May introduces a new Top Gear member, the Top Gear Stunt Man(credited as Jim Dowdall, though not named in-programme). May has the stuntman try to break a non-existent record of most cars jumped over by a vehicle moving backwards. They choose an Austin Allegro Austin Allegro The Austin Allegro is a small family car manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti between 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent... , claiming that the aerodynamics are better going backwards than normally. Stars in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Hosts of The Sunday Night Project The Sunday Night Project The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project... , Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins, commonly known as JLC, is an award-winning English comedian and television presenter.A Bristolian, he's well known for his strong West Country accent, shaggy appearance and colourful shirts....  sets a time of 1:51.8, which Alan Carr Alan Carr Alan Carr is an English comedian and television personality. Born in Weymouth, he was raised in Northampton before moving to Manchester during his early 20's....  beats with a lap of 1:51.2. Challenge: Make a Better Police Car:: The Top Gear team seek to prove that cheap used cars would make better police cruisers than the Vauxhall Astra Vauxhall Astra Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...  diesel Diesel engine A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...  that British police use. They must purchase their own vehicles for £1000 or less and modify them for £500 or less. Points were awarded for money saved on the initial purchase only. Clarkson bought a £900 turbocharged Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...  20V Fiat Coupé Fiat Coupé The Fiat Coupé was a coupé produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1993 and 2000. The car was introduced at Brussels Motor Show in 1993....  onto which he fitted scythed wheel covers (as on a scythed chariot Scythed chariot The scythed chariot was a war chariot with scythe-like blades mounted on each side, employed in ancient times.-History:The scythed chariot was a modified war chariot. The blades extended horizontally for about to each side of the wheels... ) and marked it as an Italian Polizia di Stato Polizia di Stato The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...  cruiser. May bought an old Lexus LS400 for £900, onto which he fitted a rear-mounted paint gun system, a "siren" taken from an ice cream van Ice cream van An ice cream van or ice cream truck is a commercial vehicle which serves as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near parks, beaches, or other areas where people congregate... , and marked in a classic "jam sandwich" livery. Hammond bought a £750 Suzuki Vitara which he covered in lightbars, and onto which he mounted an ambitious self-deploying spike strip Spike strip A spike strip is a device used to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires... . They were first challenged to set lap times against The Stig The Stig The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...  in his Astra diesel while also earning points for flair; none of them beat the Stig, and only Hammond earned any flair points (one, for driving through a pile of boxes). They then had to clear a road of mangled cars and bloody mannequin bodies, which they did successfully. Finally, they had to combine forces to try and stop the Stig as he drives around the track in a BMW 7 Series BMW E32 After almost 7 years in development since September 1979, in July 1986, BMW introduced the second generation of the 7 series, known internally as the E32. Aimed at the high end of the luxury market, the car offered some of the latest innovations in automotive technology, and a new, top-of-the-line... . May fired a jet of paint at the BMW's windscreen, momentarily obscuring the Stig's view, until he simply cleared it away with his windscreen wipers. Hammond attempted to catch the Stig with his spike strip, but it proved much too short. Finally, Clarkson attempted to disable the Stig's car with his spiked wheels, but only succeeded in causing minor bodywork damage to the BMW before the stress generated caused his car's rear wheel to break off. Hammond declared victory, and ate the paper containing the evidence when a disbelieving Clarkson disputed the result.
91	Series 11 Episode 2	29 June 2008	Rupert Penry-Jones Rupert Penry-Jones Rupert William Penry-Jones is an English actor, best known for his role as Adam Carter in the British television series Spooks, also broadcast under the title MI-5.-Family life:Penry-Jones was born in London on September 22, 1970...  and Peter Firth Peter Firth Peter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
Main Review: Clarkson tests the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities... . He lavishes immense praise on the handling characteristics of the Evo, and bashes the Impreza as ugly and less fun to drive. The Evo appears to be more precise and more agile, while the Impreza (markedly cheaper in the UK market) is said to look like a 'war wound' and sound like it is being fueled by mogadon. Although Jeremy dislikes the STI, it turns out to be faster around the track by setting a lap time of 1:28.2, against which the Mitsubishi achieves 1:28.22. News: The Top Gear team continue their campaign against road signs, especially those concerning squirrels. They also note that the Vauxhall Vectra Opel Vectra The Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by Opel. In the United Kingdom, the car was sold under the Vauxhall marque as the Vauxhall Cavalier and later as the Vauxhall Vectra, from 1995 onwards...  is dead and is replaced with the good-looking Vauxhall Insignia Opel Insignia The Opel Insignia is a large family car engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel. Production of the Insignia began in 2008 as a replacement for the Opel Vectra. Opel launched the vehicle at the 2008 British International Motor Show in London as the Vauxhall Insignia, reflecting the... ; they believe that with the precedent of the new Citroën C5 Citroën C5 The Citroën C5 is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since early 2001. The C5 replaced the Citroën Xantia in the large family car class.-First generation :...  and Ford Fiesta Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa... , that mainstream cars are becoming the best-looking of all. Clarkson compares the Stig to the archeologists in the Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... episode "Silence in the Library Silence in the Library "Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to... ". Review/Challenge: Hammond reviews the second-generation Audi RS6 Avant Audi RS6 The Audi RS6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest performing version, and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6, positioned above the Audi S6...  near Tignes Tignes Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...  and Villaroger Villaroger Villaroger is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...  in the French Alps French Alps The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions.... . With a twin-turbo Twin-turbo Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...  V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...  engine producing 572 hp, the RS6 is significantly more powerful than its rivals, the BMW M5 Touring, and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG estate Mercedes-Benz W211 The Mercedes-Benz W211 is a mid-size luxury car–executive car which was produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz from 2002 to 2009, under the E-Class model names. The W211 models replaced the W210 E-Class models and were superseded by the Mercedes-Benz W212 in 2009... . However, it is also far more expensive with a base price of about 75,000 GBP. Hammond tests the car's handling and power by driving across down a stretch of road from the Arc 1950 ski resort at Les Arcs Les Arcs Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...  to Villaroger in a race against two French skiers who ascend to the mountaintops of Mont Pourri Mont Pourri Mont Pourri is a mountain in the Vanoise Massif in the Graian Alps. It is located in the Vanoise National Park.-External links:* , Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia.* , Peakbagger.*... , then reach the bottom with parachutes and skis. Hammond loses the challenge because he gets lost in the village streets at the end of the trip. Stars in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Stars of Spooks Spooks Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a... , Rupert Penry-Jones Rupert Penry-Jones Rupert William Penry-Jones is an English actor, best known for his role as Adam Carter in the British television series Spooks, also broadcast under the title MI-5.-Family life:Penry-Jones was born in London on September 22, 1970...  achieves 1:48.1, and Peter Firth Peter Firth Peter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...  achieves 1:47.1. Challenge: James May has the Top Gear Stuntman attempt to replicate the extremely difficult stunt from The Man with the Golden Gun The Man with the Golden Gun (film) The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond... , in which a car crosses a river while completing a full 360-degree spin. However, as he does it with a front-drive MG Maestro Austin Maestro The Austin Maestro is a compact-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced from 1983 to 1994, initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and from 1988 onwards by its successor, Rover Group. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxford. It was initially...  rather than the rear-drive AMC Hornet AMC Hornet The AMC Hornet was a compact automobile made by the American Motors Corporation in one generation beginning with the 1970 model year and continuing through the 1977 model year. The Hornet replaced the compact Rambler American marking the end of the Rambler marque in the American and Canadian markets...  used in the film, May must rework the physics on the jump. His calculations are a bit off, as it is a miserable failure. Cool Wall: The Cool Wall is resurrected. They have a complete switch-up of priorities, for example deeming BMW BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands... s cool, and Audi Audi Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group.... s uncool. The Fiat Panda Fiat Panda The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 2003 with only a few changes. It is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "New Panda"...  moves from cool into way beyond seriously uncool, due to James May owning one. Hammond goes too far when he attempts to move all Aston Martin Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire... s into uncool. When he touches the DB9 fridge, Jeremy restrains him and puts the card high up in sub-zero. He then steals Hammond's microphone so there is no more argument. Review: Clarkson drives the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a mid-size rear-wheel drive coupé/convertible . While it was based on the W202 and W203 platforms of the C-Class, its styling cues, engine, and price range are closer to that of the E-Class, with Mercedes-Benz slotting the CLK as a coupé version of the W210 and W211... . The Black Series provides more power than the 481 hp standard; it is lightened and tightened. It's the first car that Jeremy ever receives which comes with a warning from the manufacturer itself. However, it retains comfort, luxuries, an automatic gearbox, and civility. Clarkson goes driving just for the sake of driving, and finds it to be ideal from a purist's perspective. Clarkson calls it a perfect blend of supercar fun and practicality, and he calls it his new favorite car. According to Clarkson, the Stig also notes that it's the most fun car he had driven in years.
92	Series 11 Episode 3	6 July 2008	James Corden James Corden James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....  and Rob Brydon Rob Brydon Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
Challenge: The Top Gear presenters attempted to prove to the show's producers that to be a true "petrolhead", you need to have owned an Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars... . Each presenter was told to buy any Alfa Romeo they wanted with their own money. Clarkson bought an Alfa Romeo 75 Alfa Romeo 75 The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact sports saloon / compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992...  3.0 V6 (for £450), Hammond bought an Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0i  (for £1000), and May bought an Alfa Romeo GTV Alfa Romeo GTV & Spider The Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....  2.0 Twin Spark Alfa Romeo Twin Spark engine Alfa Romeo Twin Spark technology was used first time in Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car in 1914. In the early 1960s it was used in their race cars to enable it to achieve a higher power output from its engines...  (for £995). They first had to attend a track day at Rockingham Raceway Circuit Rockingham Motor Speedway Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport... . They would lose a point if overtaken and gain a point for overtaking other vehicles; all of their Alfas broke down due to mechanical failures and broken parts. Their competitors were mostly much faster track cars, primarily Porsche 911 Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998... s, and each presenter was overtaken about two hundred times. They then had to make a calendar Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...  featuring their car and sell them in a newsagent; each presenter made a poor effort and none were sold. Finally, they had to decorate and restore their cars to enter an Alfa Romeo Concours Concours d'Elegance A Concours d'Elegance dates back to 17th Century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during Summer weekends and holidays...  competition. Richard had to be towed as his engine overheated when his hand-cranked water pump broke. Jeremy and Richard got the two lowest scores ever recorded at the competition (out of 150, 23.5 and 9 respectively). James's GTV had been carefully polished and he earned 74 points, his score let down by the presence of reeking cheese gratings added to the engine bay by Jeremy and Richard from spite. However, Jeremy won the overall challenge because his car's initial price was so cheap. Review: Clarkson reviews the Bentley Brooklands Bentley Brooklands The Bentley Brooklands is a full-size luxury car introduced for 1992 as a replacement for the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8... , a hand-made car billed as the roomiest two-door vehicle in the world and yet with a top speed of 185 mi/h. During a power slide he blows out one of the tyres due to the car's torque. It did not set a lap time as Jeremy said "The Stig might as well drive this studio around the track". News: Clarkson predicts that the British Grand Prix British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...  was won by a man, as the field only consists of male drivers. This spurs into a discussion about the lack of female racing drivers. He shows a poll of the top 10 sexiest female racing drivers, in which May (despite being male) was among one of the contestants http://www.pistonheads.com/GASSING/topic.asp?h=0&f=42&t=543839. Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car: 'Gavin & Stacey Gavin & Stacey Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also... ' stars James Corden James Corden James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....  and Rob Brydon Rob Brydon Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist... . In wet conditions, Rob managed a 1:51.7, which was slower than his friend Steve Coogan Steve Coogan Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...  in hot conditions, whom he had beaten in the Suzuki Liana. Corden (who, up until appearing on the show, had only driven an automatic car) managed a 1:53.4.
93	Series 11 Episode 4	13 July 2008	Fiona Bruce Fiona Bruce Fiona Elizabeth Bruce is a British journalist, newsreader and television presenter. Since joining the BBC in 1989, she has gone on to present many flagship programmes for the corporation including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, Crimewatch, Call My Bluff and, most recently, Antiques Roadshow...  and Kate Silverton Kate Silverton Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...
Review: Jeremy reviews the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year... . The Stig manages a lap time of 1.38.2 in extremely wet conditions, making it one of the slowest cars around the track, although many powerful cars like the Mercedes-Benz SL55AMG (1.33) had slow times due to the sheer amount of rain the track. He calls it utterly impractical, not very nice to drive, not very well-made, but beautiful and raucous: a pure work of art. News: The trio continue their crusade against excessive road signs and bash Boris Johnson Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...  for not removing articulated bus Articulated bus An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint... es. The Ferrari California Ferrari California The Ferrari California is a grand touring sports car that was launched by Ferrari at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. It is a two door "2+2" hard top convertible. The California is powered by front-mid mounted gasoline direct injection V8 with...  is discussed. Challenge: Jeremy goes to Japan to drive a Nissan GT-R Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R is a sports car produced by Nissan released in Japan on December 6, 2007, the United States on July 4, 2008, and the rest of the world in March 2009.-History:...  and James and Richard greet him with a challenge: travel across Japan from Hakui Hakui, Ishikawa is a city located in Ishikawa, Japan.- General :As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 23,682 with 8,368 households and a density of 288.95 persons per km². The total area is 81.96 km².The city was founded on July 1, 1958.- Name :...  to the top of Mount Nokogiri Mount Nokogiri (Chiba) is a low mountain on the Bōsō Peninsula on Honshu, Japan. It lies on the southern border of the city of Futtsu and the town Kyonan in Awa District in Chiba Prefecture.The mountain runs east to west, having the characteristic sawtoothed profile of a ....  in Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture... , where they would meet at a "Buddha Buddha In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...  dedicated to road safety." The two would take a long, complicated and ad hoc Ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....  combination of bullet trains Shinkansen The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a... , buses, a ferry, and finally a cable car Nokogiriyama Ropeway The is the name of Japanese aerial lift line, as well as its operator. The line climbs Mount Nokogiri from the outer Tokyo Bay coast in Futtsu, Chiba. It opened in 1962... . Jeremy would take a shorter path using the GT-R, but he would have to pass through crowded Tokyo en route, and he had to rely on satnav that only communicated in Japanese. Both teams encounter trouble en route: Jeremy accidentally turns his satnav system off, while James and Richard were temporarily separated when their last train on Keikyū Keihin Electric Express Railway , also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. means the Tokyo - Yokohama area. The company's railway...  was split. The final distance to the goal had to be covered by running for all three; Jeremy winds up winning the challenge by 3 minutes, 12 seconds. Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car: Newsreaders Fiona Bruce Fiona Bruce Fiona Elizabeth Bruce is a British journalist, newsreader and television presenter. Since joining the BBC in 1989, she has gone on to present many flagship programmes for the corporation including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, Crimewatch, Call My Bluff and, most recently, Antiques Roadshow...  and Kate Silverton Kate Silverton Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...  drove in very wet conditions and managed 1:57.4 and 1:54.7 respectively.
94	Series 11 Episode 5	20 July 2008	Peter Jones Peter Jones (entrepreneur) Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...  and Theo Paphitis Theo Paphitis Theodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall...
Review: Clarkson, reviews the Nissan GT-R Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R is a sports car produced by Nissan released in Japan on December 6, 2007, the United States on July 4, 2008, and the rest of the world in March 2009.-History:...  and tests its abilities on the Fuji Speedway Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... . He is impressed by its electronically-assisted handling and sheer attention to detail put into preparing each hand-crafted car to both provide and cope with the severe cornering, but is himself forced to stop when the strong G-forces cause him a strained neck, and he leaves the scene in an ambulance. The Stig, with a "weapons-grade titanium Titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....  neck", survives driving the since-imported car to post a time of 1:19.7. Mini Feature: James shows off the Renault Megane Coupé Concept, including its power doors and keyless engine start, which are remote-controllable by mobile phone; however, the car will not go into production. Peugeot are offering a real world alternative in the 308 RCZ coupe, with a supercharged 1.6 litre 218 bhp engine (from the 207 GTi) and a specially-shaped rear window that removes the need for a spoiler. Richard however criticizes the extremely unspacious rear seats, explaining that "even I'd struggle to get in there!" News: Jeremy reveals the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, with a 6 L V12, the torque of which has to be limited to 1000 N•m (737 ft·lbf); it is £100,000 cheaper than the less powerful SLR McLaren Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo-German grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2009... . James posits that Citroën is the only manufacturer which makes only good-looking cars, but is shot down when Richard reminds him of the Pluriel. They settle upon Vauxhall Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for... , partly on the basis of the new Agila. Hilary Benn Hilary Benn Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs... 's suggestion that higher fuel cost is a good idea leads to criticism. Richard complains that all his village's local services have been withdrawn and that a car is the only means of accessing the alternatives in other towns. Jeremy likens Gordon Brown to Stalin, saying he is restricting movement by raising fuel tax, and that ID cards and curfews are to follow. Councillor Peter Greenalls is lauded for having the entire Swindon speed camera system scrapped. Main Challenge: Clarkson's wife had bought him a 1969 Großer Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz 600 The Mercedes-Benz 600 is a large luxury automobile offered in several variants worldwide. Introduced in September 1963, it had very few competitors, these being Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Cadillac Fleetwood 75, the stretched Lehmann-Peterson Lincoln, and the Crown Imperial Ghia...  for Christmas, and May bought a 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupé Rolls-Royce Corniche The Corniche was Rolls-Royce's coupé and convertible version of the Silver Shadow produced between 1971 and 1996. The Corniche was named "Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two door fixed head coupé " from 1966 until 1971 when the Corniche name was applied. The exterior design was by John Polwhele...  "HJ Mulliner-Park-Ward" edition. They are set a series of challenges, including a handling test on a slalom Zigzag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular....  course vs a 1.1 L Hyundai i10 Hyundai i10 The Hyundai i10 is a 5-door hatchback subcompact produced by the Hyundai Motor Company. It was launched in October 2007, replacing the Hyundai Atos in some markets.The i10 is produced in India at Hyundai's Chennai plant for the domestic and export markets... , a top speed and braking run, a quarter mile "push" race, and a test to successfully and legally park their cars in the middle of London. Neither presenter manages to complete the final two tests, but Jeremy tries to claim victory over James's "Ford Zephyr" on the basis of better performance and handling, having more (hydraulic) toys, being owned by more celebrities (albeit mainly military dictators, vs James' camp icons), a louder horn, and ultimately "having more petrol in" when James runs out and has to syphon some from the Mercedes, still hunting for a space. James's car won some points as it was easier to push, and significantly cheaper to service. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Peter Jones Peter Jones (entrepreneur) Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...  and Theo Paphetis, judges from Dragons' Den Dragons' Den (UK) Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world... . Peter's lap time is 1:46.9, and Theo's is 1:48.5. Challenge: "Saving the Countryside" - with Fox hunting Fox hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...  banned, and "Green Laning" under threat, Clarkson and Hammond invent a new "perfectly legal" rural sport combining the two controversial activities, "Small Japanese Off-Roader Hunting". Jeremy takes a 4WD Daihatsu Terios Daihatsu Terios The Daihatsu Terios is a mini SUV, first released in 1997 by the Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu. The engines are a modified Daihatsu Charade 1.3 litre or kei car 660 cc unit, with constant four wheel drive or two wheel drive , respectively. It has 5-speed manual transmission or... , towing a scent-laced satchel in a similar manner to drag hunting, and sets off through the fields towards Tewkesbury Tewkesbury Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook... , aiming for a hill outside the town. After a two-minute head start, a mounted hunting pack, including Hammond, follows in pursuit. Clarkson manages to successfully keep ahead of the pack for almost the entire 9 miles (14.5 km) trail, demonstrating the mini-SUV's offroad ability, despite his aggressive driving through rough terrain. He is eventually caught when he crashes into a ditch and becomes stuck whilst searching for a bridge across the River Severn River Severn The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales... . Humorously, Hammond and May state the Jeremy was, in fact, killed by the hunting pack.
95	Series 11 Episode 6	27 July 2008	Jay Kay
Review: James conducts two road tests in Japan, on the Mitsuoka Orochi Mitsuoka Orochi The Mitsuoka Orochi is a Japanese sports car designed and built by Mitsuoka Motors as a concept car in 2001, with updates and revisions to the design appearing in 2003 and 2005, before finally being put into production and offered for sale in late 2006 as a 2007 model. The car takes its name from...  and the Galue Mitsuoka Galue The Mitsuoka Galue is a name used on two series of cars, which are based on more conventional Japanese and American cars. Both series are available as of February 2008.- First series :... . He is impressed in both of the cars by their stylish look and the attention to detail on the making of a good VIP car. The test of using the Galue to chauffeur two Sumo wrestler VIPs does not end well however, with James' driving upsetting the passengers. Review: Richard tests the Gumpert Apollo Gumpert Apollo The Gumpert Apollo is a sports car produced by German automaker Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH in Altenburg.-History:In 2000 Roland Gumpert proposed a new generation sports car. One of the first concerns of this car was that it would be a street-legal car, ready for the race track. Gumpert...  and talks about the strange look, adjustable suspension system, fixed seats and the enormous power from a twin-turbo 4.2L V8 engine mounted at the middle. The Stig clocks a 1:17.1 on the test track, beating the record set by the Ascari A10. Hammond is unable to put the time at the top of the board due to his height so decides to try a run up but ends up knocking the whole Power lap board over and wrecking it. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Jay Kay achieved the fastest time around the track; beating Simon Cowell, with a time of 1:45.81. It was the third time both the Power Lap and the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car record times fell on the same show. The previous two occurrences were in series 7, Episode 4, when both records were beaten by the Pagani Zonda Pagani Zonda The Pagani Zonda is a sports car built by the Italian manufacturer Pagani. It debuted in 1999, and production ended in 2011. As of June 2009, 206 Zondas had been built, including test mules. Both 2-seat coupe and convertible versions have been produced. Construction is mainly of carbon...  and Ellen MacArthur Ellen MacArthur Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur, DBE is an English sailor, up until 2009, from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in West Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. She is best known as a solo long-distance yachtswoman. On 7 February 2005 she broke the world record for the fastest solo...  and in series 10, Episode 5, for the Caparo T1 Caparo T1 The Caparo T1 is a British mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat automobile built by Caparo Vehicle Technologies, founded by design director Ben Scott-Geddes and engineering director Graham Halstead, engineers formerly involved in the development of the McLaren F1. The T1 was inspired by Formula...  and Simon Cowell Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...  respectively. However, the Caparo was disallowed from the board due to its ride height. Challenge: Britain v Germany. A series of car challenges deciding the best motoring country. The German team was made up of the presenters of German motoring show D Motor DMAX (TV channel) DMAX is a men's lifestyle channel operated by Discovery Networks Deutschland free-to-air in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though the channel is widely available throughout the rest of Europe... (Sabine Schmitz Sabine Schmitz Sabine Schmitz , is a German former professional motor racing driver for BMW, now known for driving the BMW "Ring taxi" around the Nürburgring race track as well as being a television personality... , Carsten van Ryssen and Tim Schrick Tim Schrick Tim Schrick is a German racecar driver and television presenter. He is the son of Peter Schrick, founder of engine manufacturing company Dr... ), while Jeremy, James, and Richard made up the British Team. The challenges were set on the Zolder Zolder The Circuit Zolder, also known as Circuit Terlaemen, is an undulating motorsport race track in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.Built in 1963, Zolder hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1980 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix. The F1 circus...  circuit, in Belgium. In the challenges the British team only managed to win two (the drag race and the off-road racing) and lost in the "double-decker" race, autocross and the Mini challenge. The Top Gear team managed to salvage victory in the final challenge, a two-lap race between two racing cars (an Aston Martin DBRS9 Aston Martin DBRS9 The Aston Martin DBRS9 is a racing car built by Aston Martin Racing to be a cheaper alternative to the Aston Martin DBR9, both of which are based on the Aston Martin DB9. The DBRS9 is the only GT3 class car produced by Aston Martin and was introduced in 2005....  and a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup), by passing the Stig off as James May, despite the skepticism of their opponents.