Top Gear (series 16) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The sixteenth series of BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

motoring series Top Gear began airing on 21 December 2010, with the usual team of Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson

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

, James May

James May

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

and Richard Hammond

Richard Hammond

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

, and 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...

Episodes

#	Episode	Airdate	Guest
126	USA Road Trip	21 December 2010	Danny Boyle Danny Boyle Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
Challenge: The presenters head over to the US for a road trip. Jeremy brings a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, James a Ferrari 458 Italia, and Richard, predictably, a Porsche 997 GT3 RS Porsche 911 GT3 The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS... . Initially beginning on the pretext to see whether Virginia's Blue Ridge Parkway Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains... can depose the Transfăgărăşan Transfagarasan The Transfăgărășan or DN7C, also known as Ceaușescu's folly is the second-highest paved road in Romania, and considered by some to be the most dramatic... as the best driving road in the world, they were quickly stifled by the average speed limit of a whopping 35 mph (60 km/h). Plan scrapped, they then head to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina North Wilkesboro, North Carolina North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 4,116 at the 2000 census and is now 4,245 as of the 2010 census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in... to go on the North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996... where, after an agreement with the Mayor, they begin racing around. Jeremy, in a fit of excitement, shreds a rear tyre and is unable get it changed until the next morning because the tyre shops around do not carry tyres large enough for the SLS. The next morning, the three men wake up to the sound of car racing in the garden. As it turns out, their chalet overlooks the Virginia International Raceway Virginia International Raceway The Virginia International Raceway is a road course located in the community of Alton, Virginia near Danville, Virginia. It is found less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina on the banks of the Dan River... , so they immediately take their cars racing. Jeremy has a lot of fun even though his SLS is tail-happy. As a result of all the fun, Jeremy has to change the SLS' tyres again. Ahead on the track, Richard and James have a race. Even though Richard nearly reels James in, at the last moment he spins off. At this point Jeremy and James set a bet between themselves: whoever has the fastest car in a drag race wins 5 pounds. Before they can race, however, the presenters have a drive-by shooting Drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target... challenge: they sit in the passenger side seat of their cars and pump bullets into cardboard standees of 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... . Special sections Male reproductive system (human) The human male reproductive system consists of a number of sex organs that are a part of the human reproductive process... gain them more points. James scores the lowest, Richard next, who as a country boy seemed to pick up the pistol instantly, while Jeremy cheats and uses an M4 assault rifle M4 carbine The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,... , scoring the most points in the process. The next day, the three presenters take a car journey all the way to New York. Along the way, James and Jeremy attempt to settle their challenge using a drag race course. Unfortunately, the launch control systems of both cars do not work well in the wet, and when they eventually switch to automatic, James manages to complete the course by starting slowly while Jeremy spins the SLS out of control, again. Finally, in the big city of New York, the presenters are given their final challenge: to be the first to reach the set of an American television show. At first it seemed like a walkover for the two sat nav equipped cars, but it turns out that the Ferrari's sat-nav is stifled by the buildings, while the SLS' sat-nav works, but keeps directing Jeremy to the Manhattan ring roads, which the presenters are not allowed to drive on. Meanwhile Hammond, who Clarkson refers to as Stuart Little Stuart Little Stuart Little is a 1945 children's novel by E. B. White, his first book for children, and is widely recognized as a classic in children's literature. Stuart Little was illustrated by the subsequently award-winning artist Garth Williams, also his first work for children... because of Hammond's fear of cities, has no sat-nav in his car and ends up lost. Eventually, James, with (or maybe despite) his sense of direction, reaches the studio first, only to find out that he has to appear on a yoga Yoga Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul... programme. Jeremy and James later settle their drag-race dispute with a final race on the Top Gear airfield. Interestingly, it is a photo-finish, and thus the two cars cannot be separated by eye. Therefore, it is declared a draw. News: The presenters talk about car-related products. Interesting objects like a can of Pussy energy drink, a model of a car engine, and even a gear-knob toothpick come up. In dramatic fashion, Jeremy takes control of a Parrot AR.Drone Parrot AR.Drone The Parrot AR.Drone is a RC quadricopter with cameras attached to it built by Parrot. It is designed to be controllable with iOS devices and with Android devices,... and, despite Richard's protests that he is not technologically savvy, flies it around for a while before crashing it into a light system and promptly fusing all the lights in the studio. Following that, the presenters are forced to light candles. Richard then sets his news notes on fire, and Jeremy throws it into the "Christmas Tree", which is then set alight. Eventually, the fire gets extinguished by the aforementioned Pussy energy drink. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Director Danny Boyle Danny Boyle Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director... discusses about his upcoming film 127 Hours 127 Hours 127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003.... . The only person as yet to not have been trained by the Stig, but instead by Emergency Stig Tiff Needell Tiff Needell Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:... , nevertheless he sets a time of 1:47.8, the fastest lap time so far in the wet.
127	Middle East Special	26 December 2010	None
Challenge: The presenters are challenged to re-enact the journey of the Three Wise Men Biblical Magi The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh... by travelling from northern Iraq Iraq Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.... to a stable in Bethlehem Bethlehem Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism... , using second-hand two-seater convertibles bought for 3,500 pounds. As Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... will not allow cars registered in its surrounding neighbours to enter its borders, they must buy cars from Georgia Georgia (country) Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... before flying to their destination in an Ilyushin Il-76TD Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas... cargo plane. Jeremy buys a Mazda MX-5 Mazda MX-5 The MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan, is a lightweight two-seater roadster, of front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, built by Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. The model was introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show... , Richard a Fiat Barchetta Fiat Barchetta The Fiat Barchetta is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1995 to 2005 . "Barchetta" in Italian means 'little boat'.-History:... and James a BMW Z3 BMW Z3 The BMW Z3 was the first modern mass-market roadster produced by BMW, as well as the first new BMW model assembled in the United States. The Z3 was introduced as a 1996 model year vehicle, shortly after being featured in the James Bond movie,... . As in previous challenges, a spare car is provided to any presenter whose car breaks down. For this challenge, that car is an Opel Astra Opel Astra The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America... convertible - a car loathed by all three presenters. After landing at Arbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr... , the three decide that it is too dangerous to drive directly to Bethlehem as it would involve travelling through the stronghold of Mosul Mosul Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial... . Instead, Jeremy proposes a circuitous route that involves travelling east and crossing into Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... and then doubling back into Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... and down into Syria Syria Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... to avoid the dangers of Iraq. However, once they reach the Iranian border, they find that for "political reasons", BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... staff are not permitted to cross into Iran. They manage to find a route back across Iraq to the Turkish border that bypasses Mosul. Once inside Turkey, they discover that they have a bigger problem: a Kurdish insurgency is attempting to claim the southern provinces of Turkey and that the region has been declared a war zone, with the Foreign Ministry issuing a document that states all non-essential travel should be avoided. The presenters are given four hours to travel the 363 kilometres (225.6 mi) to Şanlıurfa Sanliurfa Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language , in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323 inhabitants Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language (Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhoy,Armenian Ուռհա Owr'ha, Arabic الرها ar-Ruhā), in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323... , a safe city, before nightfall. Jeremy experiences trouble with his Mazda, but all three are able to make it to the hotel. To punish Richard for being smug about his car's reliability, Jeremy and James disconnect the standard stereo and install a secret, second stereo in the Fiat and a Genesis Genesis (band) Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years... CD (specifically, Live over Europe 2007 Live Over Europe 2007 Live over Europe 2007 is the sixth live album by British band Genesis recorded during the Turn It on Again: The Tour of 2007. It was released in North America by Atlantic Records on 20 November 2007, and in Europe on by Virgin Records on 26 November 2007.-Disc 1:# "Duke's Intro" – Manchester –... ) — a band Hammond is known to hate — which he cannot turn off. They finally turn south and enter Syria, their progress halted by the Z3's security system, which refuses to start the car. Once inside, they discover that Top Gear is enormously popular in Syria, which they are less than enthusiastic about because Israel will not allow them into the country if they have been in Syria, and any word of their presence in the country will spread like wildfire and tip the Israelis off before they can get to the border. Jeremy proposes that they "sneak through" the country by modifying their cars for desert travel. Richard models his Fiat on a Bedouin Bedouin The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:... tent, while James takes inspiration from the Afrika Korps Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II... and models his BMW on a desert army unit. Meanwhile, Jeremy paints his car in bright colours to resemble the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors Coat of many colors In the Hebrew Bible, the coat of many colours is the name for the garment that Joseph owned. It may be a mistranslation, and the actual nature of the garment is subject to dispute... , making it Jeremy and his Car of Many Colours. He also installs the "Axle of Evil Axis of evil "Axis of evil" is a term initially used by the former United States President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002 and often repeated throughout his presidency, describing governments that he accused of helping terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction... " to make his Mazda a six-wheeled vehicle, though this quickly proves to hinder him more than it helps. While travelling through the desert, Richard's radiator very nearly falls out and Jeremy is bitten by an unidentified insect that causes his arm to swell up. Of more concern is an accident whilst attempting to drag a car out of a sand trap; James May is knocked over by the strap used to haul the car out and receives a head wound when he hits his head on a rock. He is taken to a nearby hospital while Jeremy and Richard carry on. They soon find a road near Palmyra Palmyra Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert... and change their tactics: rather than disguising their cars, they disguise themselves, meeting May at the hospital dressed in burqa Burqa A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology... s and attempt to drive to Damascus Damascus Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major... incognito. Their efforts are in vain, because word has spread that they are in the country and there is a welcoming party at their hotel. The next day, they cross into Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... , and arrive in Jerash Jerash Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate , which is situated in the north of Jordan, north of the capital Amman towards Syria... , where they invent the sport of "Old Testament Old Testament The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism... NASCAR NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr... ", racing their cars around a two thousand year old chariot racing circuit. With that, they cross into Israel and make a slight detour to the Sea of Galilee Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m... , where Jeremy tries to convince the others that everyday activities and natural occurrences - James' head wound and his arm healing, Richard not liking fish at lunch, walking on water and inventing the sport of swimming - are all miracles that he had performed. On the Mount of Olives Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes... , overlooking Jerusalem, they unanimously declare Richard's Fiat to be the best car, because James hated the transmission of his Z3, which he described as having gear ratios so spread out that he could fit another gearbox between them, and Jeremy did not develop an attachment to the MX-5. That night they finally make it to Bethlehem, where they arrive at a nativity scene Nativity scene A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke... with gifts they have purchased in Syria: a gold-relief medallion, a bottle of hotel shampoo labelled frankincense Frankincense Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana... and a Nintendo DSi Nintendo DSi The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable... because Jeremy could not find any myrrh Myrrh Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum.... . They peel back the covers on the manger to discover that the baby Jesus is actually a baby 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... .
128	Series 16, Episode 1	23 January 2011	John Bishop John Bishop (comedian) John Joseph Bishop is an award-winning comedian.His television debut came on The Panel. As an actor, he has appeared in the E4 teen drama Skins as Mr Fitch, father of twins, Katie and Emily and in the Ken Loach film Route Irish...
Review: James May reviews the Ariel Atom Ariel Atom The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England and under licence in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.... V8, the latest edition of the Ariel Atom that comes with a huge price tag, a lot of racecar technology, and surprisingly easy to drive according to May. To re-enact the race against a motorcycle, James had brought in Tiff Needell Tiff Needell Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:... to race against Steve Brogan riding on a BMW S1000RR. Needell beat Brogan in the race. The Atom V8 has also topped the lap chart in the hands of the "New" Stig, posting a time of 1:15.1. Review: Jeremy conducts a proper road test on the Skoda Yeti Škoda Yeti The Škoda Yeti is a five-door five-seater compact SUV model built by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto. It was introduced at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March, as the division's first entry into the popular SUV market... . In his review he has compared that it is more practical than a Maybach, faster than a Ferrari 308 GTS in Donington Park Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship... , a track then under heavy rebuilding work, and is fairly robust against abuse. The tests then get more bizarre as Jeremy finds out that the ride is smooth enough that a tattoo can be applied to a mans back whilst travelling through some countryside but cannot do the same in a Range Rover. He also finds out that the Yeti has good enough air conditioning that an ice cream won't melt whilst being driven through a building in flames, and the car is strong enough to not only hold a helipad on its roof, it can also hold on with a helicopter landed on the roof. News: Jeremy announced that the new Lancia Stratos Lancia Stratos The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity... is being produced, with its engine and chassis coming from a Ferrari 430. A company had offered complete rebuilds of the Jensen Interceptor Jensen Interceptor The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957... , with a new engine, brakes and suspension. James mentions that Lamborghini is developing a new car that mounts a V12 engine and develops 700 PS, but is overshadowed by a "Dagger" developed by an American company, along with a long wishlist of performance criteria. The trio then moves on to the topic of fuel prices, and find out that the vehicle consumption of fuel is somewhat related to the number of children they have. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: John Bishop gets his turn in the Kia Cee'd Kia cee'd The Kia Cee'd is a front wheel drive small family car released in the European market by the Korean manufacturer Kia Motors in December 2006—superseding the Kia Spectra—and available as a five-door hatchback, three-door hatchback , and five-door estate with a choice of up to four... . He posts a time of 1:42.8, the fastest so far in this feature. Challenge: Richard Hammond looks for a way that a VW Beetle Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003... would beat its descendant, a Porsche 997 Turbo S Cabriolet in a one mile drag race, with the only catch of the Beetle is powered only by gravity, having been dropped from a helicopter. He ultimately loses the race to the falling Beetle.
129	Series 16, Episode 2	30 January 2011	Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
Review: After a brief showcase of both the extremely rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO and the 1980's era 288 GTO, Jeremy reviews the Ferrari 599 GTO. The car proves extremely difficult to handle in wet conditions despite the sophisticated electronics. He concludes that it is an excellent car, but unworthy of the GTO name because it is a road car rather than a racing car. He also states that it is simply too aggressive for him to be able to enjoy the drive. In the hands of The Stig, the GTO could only manage a lap time of 1:19.8, slower than Ferrari 458 Italia (he even spun out once on a practice lap). News: Complaints about the previous episode's Ariel Atom V8 vs. BMW motorcycle race prompts James to elaborate on the bike (albeit briefly). The new Mini Countryman is discussed and derided by Jeremy as "the stupidest car I've ever seen and it gave me crabs." Richard is excited about the new Pagani Huayra Pagani Huayra The Pagani Huayra is an Italian mid-engined sports car produced by Pagani. Succeeding the company's previous offering, the Zonda, it will cost £850,000 when it goes on sale in Spring 2012. It is named after Huayra-tata, a South American wind god.- Performance :Like the Zonda, the Huayra uses a... and talks Clarkson and May into letting him test it in a future show. Jeremy responds, "You knock yourself out!" prompting gleeful laughter from James, who recognizes the reference to Richard's accident in the Vampire dragster prior to the start of Season 9. Next up, the Ford Focus is proclaimed "ideal if you just want some car." The presenters then discuss the first Mexican supercar the Mastretta MXT Mastretta MXT The Mastretta MXT is the first high performance sport automobile produced by the Mexican car maker Mastretta, and is notable for being both completely produced and designed in Mexico, as well as the first fully Mexican made sports car... , which May calls the "Tortilla Tortilla In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize... " when he cannot remember the actual name. The segment provoked controversy and accusations of xenophobia after two presenters described Mexican Mexican people Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity.... s as being lazy and that no-one would complain because they were all too busy sleeping Siesta A siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm.... . Finally, Jeremy tells of a German radio promotion that promised a Mini Cooper to the listener who could do the most outlandish thing. The winner was a guy who got the word "Mini" tattooed on his "gentleman's sausage" (as Clarkson put it). Challenge: In a similar segment to the series of contests against their German counterparts (Series 11 Top Gear (series 11) The 11th series of Top Gear was broadcast between 22 June 2008 and 27 July 2008, in show's usual time slot of 8pm on Sunday on BBC Two. The series consists of six episodes. This series included a revised title sequence, following the same visual style as with the sequence used for Series 8 through... , Episode 6), Clarkson, Hammond, and May challenge the presenters of Top Gear Australia Top Gear Australia Top Gear Australia was an Australian motoring television series based on the BBC series Top Gear.The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes... to a series of five events in an "Ashes for the motoring world". Clarkson, Hammond and May spend most of their time trying to cheat at the events. In the first event, a "Working Man's Drag Race", they enter a Ford Transit Ford Transit The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term... with a Jaguar Jaguar (car) Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors.... engine that easily beats the Australian HSV Maloo HSV Maloo The HSV Maloo is a performance coupe utility which has been produced by Holden Special Vehicles since October 1990. All versions of the Maloo have been based on the mainstream Holden Utes, but have featured high-performance V8 engines and body kits... . In the second event, a repeat of the "double-decker car" race, the Australians are forced to drive vehicles with the top car welded on upside down so that they would "feel at home". The British presenters win in a 1-2 victory, but the Australians later protest the result because Hammond and May spent a lap stationary, and so finished in fourth, not first; Top Gear UK is deducted ten points. The third event is "Synchronised Drifting". Clarkson and the Stig take to the circuit in a pair of high-performance sports cars,(Jaguar XKR And Aston Martin V12 Vantage) with Hammond and May scoring because they claim BBC health and safety regulations mean only British citizens can judge the event. Clarkson and the Stig receive full marks. The Australians are then given a pair of Vauxhall Omega's and proceed to crash into one another, but a mistake in scoring by Hammond accidentally awards them 11 marks instead of 1.1, much to Clarkson's annoyance. In the fourth event, both teams must round up sheep on motorbikes. Clarkson, thinking he is giving the Australians terrible bikes, accidentally gives them Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... n KTM KTM KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen... s, which the Australians claim are actually the best on the market and proceed to round up all the sheep in two minutes. The British presenters are deducted twenty points after they lose all of the sheep, putting the Australians in front by 15.1 points. The final event is a rally race, with the Stig standing in for James. The Australians are given a 15.1 second headstart, but "James" takes a shortcut to pass them, handing a controversial victory to Top Gear UK. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... sets a time of 1:45.9, the fastest wet lap thus far.
130	Series 16, Episode 3	6 February 2011	Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
Review: Jeremy drives the Ford Focus RS500, the Subaru Impreza STI Cosworth CS400 and the one-off Polestar Racing Polestar Racing Polestar Racing is a Swedish motorsport team, affiliated with Volvo, currently competing in the Swedish Touring Car Championship and World Touring Car Championship. The team promotes environmentally friendly racing, and features ethanol engines and E85 fuel... Volvo C30 Performance Concept. He enjoys the Ford, but loathes the Subaru, as it’s far too dull to be deserving of the Cosworth name; he likes the Volvo even more, but laments the fact that it’s a concept (and therefore, cannot be timed around the track). The Ford posts a time of 1.30.8 while the Subaru posts a 1.27.7. Challenge: The guys get a letter from the Albanian Mafia asking them to test the new Rolls-Royce Ghost against a Bentley and a Mercedes. Despite their fervent objections, they eventually agree to the testing. James takes the Rolls-Royce, Richard a Mercedes-Benz S-Class AMG, and Jeremy opts for a Bentley Mulsanne. Unfortunately, at the last second, Bentley pulls out of the comparison, leaving Jeremy to arrange to drive a Yugo Zastava Koral The Zastava Koral , also known simply as the Yugo, was a subcompact car built by the Zastava corporation. The first Yugo 45 was handmade on 2 October 1978.... in its place. During the comparison, the trio carries on as if the Yugo is a Bentley Mulsanne, even calling the small hatchback a Bentley by name. While in Albania, they hold several tests to determine which of their cars would be best for a Mafia boss. They “murder” a fat man, then attempt to squeeze his body into the boots of their cars, eventually asking the man to climb into the boots himself, whereupon they find that while he fits comfortably into the Rolls-Royce, the Mercedes’ boot contains a fridge unit which takes up space and leaves too little for a “body”, and while the “body” fits into the back of the “Bentley”, not only does that car sag due to its weak suspension, but the hatchback body style allows nearly crystal-clear visibility of the body through the back window. Later, they disguise themselves, with pantyhose on their heads and “rob” a bank, and are chased by the Albanian police. Jeremy makes off in the Mercedes; Richard takes the Rolls-Royce; and James is forced by default into the “Bentley”. Jeremy and Richard easily outrun the police, but James isn’t so lucky – his car is so slow, the police are nearly bumper-to-bumper with him the entire time, and the cops who had been chasing Richard and Jeremy form a roadblock, which James attempts to drive around, only to tumble off the side of the cliff to what looks to be his death. Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car: Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer... returns after 15 seasons. His new time is much more improved from his first-season attempt, at 1:49.0.
131	Series 16, Episode 4	13 February 2011	Simon Pegg Simon Pegg Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film... , Nick Frost Nick Frost Nicholas John "Nick" Frost is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his work with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg in the role of Mike Watt in the television comedy Spaced, as well as the film characters Ed in Shaun of the Dead, PC/Sgt...
Review: Jeremy reviews the Pagani Zonda R, a high-performance version of 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 said to be the last production model of the car. It's incredibly fast with a V12 AMG engine, but it's also extremely loud and requires Jeremy to use a headset microphone in the car to be heard over it. The car had set a record 6:47 on the Nürburgring Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... , but since the car's noise prevents it from being raced on most public race tracks, Jeremy describes it as "useless". However, Pagani had released a scaled-down version of the Zonda R called the Zonda Tricolore. The Zonda R sets a Power Lap time of 1:08:01, the fastest lap time on the Top Gear track, but since the car is not road legal, it has to be disqualified. News: Jeremy discusses that, since speed cameras were turned off on British motorways a few months before, there have been no changes in accident and fatality figures, so the speed cameras are a waste of money. He also discusses the British superstition of saluting a magpie, and how it might be dangerous for motorists, if they salute a magpie while driving. Challenge: The three are told to buy a four-seater convertible for less than £2000, but unfortunately, they all buy the same car: a BMW 325i. Richard bought the 1987 model, Jeremy the 1988, and James the 1989. Jeremy decides to use this as an opportunity to test how different the same car would be if bought used, so they come up with a series of different challenges to test the cars' reliability, performance, and condition. The first test is a 0 to 100MPH to 0 race. Richard couldn't participate because his car wouldn't start, and his aftermarket Aftermarket (automotive) The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the... car alarm wouldn't stop, so James and Jeremy race without him. Even though Jeremy's car has a faster engine, James wins because the brakes in Jeremy's car don't work. After this test, the group bring in a forensics team to see what condition the car's interior is in. Jeremy's car is the cleanest, with the seats just containing crisps, leaves, and his own dried skin. James fares worse, since his car has evidence of scabs that were picked off, and his steering wheel is covered in saliva. Richard's car, however, has traces of blood, faeces, and pubic hair in the upholstery, and saliva on the steering wheel, prompting him to drive the car in a hazmat suit Hazmat suit A hazmat suit is a garment worn as protection from hazardous materials or substances. A hazmat suit is generally combined with breathing apparatus for protection and may be used by firefighters, emergency personnel responding to toxic spills, researchers, specialists cleaning up contaminated... . The next test is a thief test, where the three arrange for three car thieves to break into their cars and steal it. Despite the double-locks on Richard's car, his is stolen, while the other two take too long. After this, the Stig sets a lap in a 2011 325i, which the other three must try to meet. Jeremy's car is the fastest, but he destroys the engine as a result of the lap. They then test if the retractable roof is tight by filling the car with helium Helium Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table... gas and having the presenter sit in it for as long as he can. If his voice is squeaky and high-pitched, then that means the roof is airtight. James and Jeremy's cars don't leak, but Richard's leaks badly. Then, three car assessors come by to see how much money would need to be invested in the cars to restore them to showroom condition. Richard's needs £7500 worth of work, James' £5000, and Jeremy's needs £11,000. The final challenge is for the three to use the cars in a stunt driving show at the Essex County Fair Essex County Fairgrounds Essex County Fairgrounds is a historic county fair located at Westport in Essex County, New York. The fairgrounds include 15 contributing buildings, one contributing site, and seven contributing structures. Four of these, the Grandstand, Judge's Stand, Floral Hall, and Racetrack, were among the... , but unfortunately, they all crash their cars as soon as the show begins. The points are tallied up, and James' car is the clear winner. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Simon Pegg Simon Pegg Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film... and Nick Frost Nick Frost Nicholas John "Nick" Frost is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his work with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg in the role of Mike Watt in the television comedy Spaced, as well as the film characters Ed in Shaun of the Dead, PC/Sgt... both set laps. Simon Pegg set a time of 1:44.9, while Nick Frost set a time of 1:44.5.
132	Series 16, Episode 5	20 February 2011	Amber Heard Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
Review: Jeremy drives the BMW M3 Competition Pack and the Audi RS5. In the end, he says he doesn't like either car, as the BMW offers nothing of value for the extra £3000 - not mentioning a £1,755 matte paint job on the test unit, of which Jeremy reclaims as "useless", since you can't polish it, or even taking it to a car wash - spent on a Competition Pack over a normal M3, and the Audi is plagued by understeer. The Audi sets a time of 1:27.5, while the BMW sets a 1:26.5 -- more than a full second slower than a stock M3. News: The presenters discuss a new electric concept car by Nissan which leads to them Jeremy and James singing their version of Elton John's "Daniel", and they discuss the Infiniti Etherea concept, with Jeremy calling it the "urethra Urethra In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine... " due to the similar spelling. Challenge: After all the snow problems last year (caused by a shortage of snowplows, as well as of the money needed to run them), the presenters decide to build their own snow plow out of a Claas CLAAS Claas is an agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1913, now based in Harsewinkel, Germany, in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. Their agricultural products are usually sold under the Claas name, except in North America where combines are distributed under the Lexion brand by Caterpillar... combine harvester. The machine, called The Dominator, features a gritter and flamethrower at the back. James is chosen to drive the machine, which maxes out at 12 miles per hour. They test the gritter on the side of an old BMW 3-series, which is destroyed by the spray of grit. They decide that since snow isn't forecast for England that day, in fact, as of the filming, it is projected to warm up considerably, they should bring the plow to Norway, where there is snow. First, they try to build a runway on a frozen lake so that a plane can land. The "snow-bine" breaks through the ice but they manage to rescue it; in the end, their efforts, or lack thereof, result in a runway that veers back and forth like a pinball and is pocked with bumps, causing the plane to crash. Then, they try to plow the streets in a local village, but this causes more problems. They destroy a house, as James is turning around and the gritter is aimed at the front window, wreck a car, which was hidden in a mound of snow, set a skier on fire, and destroy a sign; in the end, they are kicked out of the village as their actions raise protests from the locals. Finding no success on the lake or in the village, they decide to plow a 10 Km mountain pass. They veer into a ditch once, and Hammond loses his wedding ring, but in the end, they clear the road and declare the stunt ambitious and actually quite useful. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Amber Heard Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms... sets a lap time of 1:50.3, the slowest dry lap thus far in the Kia Cee'd.
133	Series 16, Episode 6	27 February 2011	John Prescott John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
Feature: James drives the Space Exploration Vehicle from NASA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... . He calls it the best car he has ever driven, referring to the amount of technology included in it. He also grieves over the cancellation of the funding for moon missions in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 NASA Authorization Act of 2010 The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 is a U.S. law which authorizes NASA appropriations for fiscal years 2011–2013 with the same top-line budget values as requested by President of the United States Barack Obama... . Review: Richard drives the Ferrari F40 Ferrari F40 The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door coupé sports car produced by Ferrari from 1987 to 1992 as the successor to the Ferrari 288 GTO. From 1987 to 1989 it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car... and the Porsche 959 Porsche 959 The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built.... . The Stig tries to take each car around the track, but the Ferrari gets a DNS (Did Not Start) and the Porsche did a DNF (Did Not Finish). Feature: James gives a quick review of Peugeot's new electric concept car, the EX1. Hammond delights in the fact that the seat is located in the door, and that it has aviation steering handles instead of the typical wheel. James then tells the audience that they can expect to own the car 'never' as it's not being mass produced. News: Jeremy talks about the new Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time... film coming out in Summer 2011, referring back to the Senna film from Series 15 Top Gear (series 15) Top Gear returned for a 15th series, aired on BBC Two and BBC HD, on 27 June 2010, and concluded on 1 August 2010, with the usual presenting team of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig. Prior to the series, the channel advertised the show's return by featuring a home video... , Episode 5. Cool Wall: For the first time in two years, Richard and Jeremy talk about the Cool Wall. BMW's are moved into Sub-Zero while Audis are moved to Uncool and small cars to Cool. The Nissan Juke is placed in Seriously Uncool and the Renault Wind Renault Wind The Renault Wind is a roadster by the French automobile manufacturer, Renault. The Wind was originally a concept car unveiled on September 2004 at the Paris Motor Show as a 2+1 roadster.... in Uncool. The Toyota Yaris Verso is put in Seriously Uncool. The Porsche 911 Carrera C2S is owned by James and Richard so Jeremy gives it to an Irish man to keep. A modern Morgan 3-wheeler is discusssed. Richard and Jeremy almost fight with a chair and a hammer before being interrupted by James. Challenge: Jeremy drives the Jaguar XJ across the width of England, from west to east. He leaves at sunset and has to finish before sunrise, and to make it harder, it's the shortest night of the year. Jeremy calls it a race against God, a race he wins by five minutes. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: John Prescott John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010... comes to the studio but gets a lot of boos. He sets the slowest lap time thus far in the Kia, at 1:56.7 in the wet.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.