Top Gear (series 7)
Encyclopedia
The seventh series of Top Gear
began on November 13, 2005, and concluded on December 27, 2005. The series contained seven episodes, one of which being the Winter Olympics special. The series was subsequently followed by five "Best Of Top Gear" specials, charting the best moments from past series of the show, including Supercars, Special Guests, British Motoring and The Challenges. The seventh series is currently the longest-running Top Gear series yet.
Specifically, Clarkson noted that the Sat nav "only goes to Poland
," a fan belt that would last for 1,000 years, and made the Nazi salute while speaking about the Mini concept. The German government subsequently criticised the segment, as such behaviour is illegal under the country's constitution.
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...
began on November 13, 2005, and concluded on December 27, 2005. The series contained seven episodes, one of which being the Winter Olympics special. The series was subsequently followed by five "Best Of Top Gear" specials, charting the best moments from past series of the show, including Supercars, Special Guests, British Motoring and The Challenges. The seventh series is currently the longest-running Top Gear series yet.
Episodes
| # | Episode | Airdate | Guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Series 7 Episode 1 | 13 November 2005 | Trevor Eve Trevor Eve Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,... |
Review: 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:... addresses the fictitious complaints of viewers that want a mid-level supercar in the £235,000 bracket. The answer: the Ascari KZ1 Ascari KZ1 -Modifications:The Ascari KZ1 has been adapted for racing, primarily being featured in the new FIA GT3 European Championship as well as other smaller national series which run a similar formula. These cars, known as the KZ1-R,are similar to the KZ1, but vastly improved. The most obvious... , a British supercar (although designed by a Dutchman with an engine from the BMW M5 BMW M5 The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1984. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon , but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from... ). The Stig then takes the car to a 1:20.7, below the Porsche Carrera GT Porsche Carrera GT The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at... . News: The three look at the Mini Cooper MINI (BMW) Mini is a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars.Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of... Estate Concept from the Tokyo Auto Salon Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs... . 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... mocks BMW's attempt to make a "quintessentially British" car by making references to the Hitler Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945... regime and the German invasion of Poland Invasion of Poland (1939) The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe... . This episode also marks the beginning of jokes about a rumour that Richard Hammond had his teeth whitened. Main review: Hammond, May, and Clarkson travel to the Isle of Man Isle of Man The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is... to compare the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005) The Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Aston Martin V12 Vantage are a series of hand built sports cars from the British manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s.... , the BMW M6 BMW M6 The BMW M6, also known as the BMW M635CSi, is a high-performance version of the 6-Series automobile, designed by the motorsport division of BMW... , and Porsche 997 Carrera S Porsche 997 The Porsche Type 997 , also simply called the 997 is the current version of the 911 family sports car built by German manufacturer Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen... and choose which of them they like the best. The 23-minute film includes the presenters fishing, discussing the merits of the cars, and timed runs by The Stig along the A18 road A18 road (Isle of Man) The A18 Snaefell Mountain Road or Mountain Road is 15.30 miles long road in the Isle of Man and is a primary road which connects Douglas with Ramsey. The A18 Mountain Road is part of Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand... commonly used by the Isle of Man TT Isle of Man TT The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world... motorcycle racing competition. James and Richard preferred the Porsche but Jeremy still said he preferred the Aston Martin. So the overall winner was the 997 by a 2 to 1 vote. Star in a reasonably priced car: Trevor Eve Trevor Eve Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,... shows Jeremy sign language he learned while making Children of a Lesser God Children of a Lesser God Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines and written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff. An adaptation of Medoff's Tony Award-winning stage play of the same name, the film stars William Hurt and Marlee Matlin as two employees at a school for the deaf:... , lap of 1:48.0 but the Stig believed he could have gone faster if the wheel hadn't broken off the Liana. Poll: How reliable is your car? According to the poll, 10 of the bottom 13 cars were of French origin. The top 3 were all Japanese: the Lexus RX Lexus RX The Lexus RX is a crossover sport utility vehicle sold since 1998 by Lexus, the luxury division of the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Three generations of the Lexus RX have been produced to date, the first being compact in size, and the latter two classified as mid-size... (3rd), the Lexus IS Lexus IS The Lexus IS is a series of entry-level luxury cars / compact executive cars sold by Lexus since 1998. The IS was introduced as an entry-level sport model slotted below the ES in the Lexus lineup... (2nd), and the Honda S2000 Honda S2000 The Honda S2000 is a roadster that was manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. It was launched in April 1999 and was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car was first shown as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, following which it was launched in... (1st place). |
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| 61 | Series 7 Episode 2 | 20 November 2005 | Ian Wright Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major... |
Main review: Clarkson reviews the Porsche Cayman Porsche Cayman The Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second generation Boxster convertible. Like the Boxster, most Caymans were assembled in Finland for Porsche... , which is cut short by the director's expression of disgust at Clarkson complaining about mostly everything about the car (which he bought as an investment, to Jeremy's own disgust). Clarkson was so sure that it was merely a Boxster Porsche Boxster The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 550 Spyder.... Coupé that he refused to call it anything but a Coxster. The Stig posts a 1:26.7 for the Cayman. News: Hammond shows one viewer's attempt to get directions from Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... to Bideford Bideford Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:... , while avoiding the M5 motorway M5 motorway The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley... via the RAC plc RAC plc RAC Limited is a breakdown company in the United Kingdom supplying products and services for motorists. Initially formed as the "Associate Section" of the Royal Automobile Club, it was incorporated as R.A.C. Motoring Services Ltd. in 1978. It was then sold by the members of the Royal Automobile... website. The route took her into the Atlantic Ocean, into France, and crosses Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... twice. Documentary and Review: Hammond explains the history of British racing green British racing green British racing green or BRG, a colour similar to Brunswick green, hunter green, forest green or moss green , takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of Britain. Although there is still some debate as to an exact hue for BRG, currently the term is used to denote a spectrum of... , with a run in a Bentley Blower Bentley Blower The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British sports car built by Bentley Motors. Replacing the Bentley 3 Litre, it is famous for epitomizing prewar British motor racing and for its popular slogan "there's no replacement for displacement", created by the founder of Bentley, Walter Owen Bentley... , and a 1903 Napier Napier & Son D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War automobile manufacturer and one of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early to mid-20th century... and reviews a recreation of a Vanwall Vanwall Vanwall was a Formula One motor racing team that competed in the 1950s. Founded by Tony Vandervell, the Vanwall name was derived by combining the name of the team owner with that of his Thinwall bearings produced at the Vandervell Products factory at Acton, London... F1 Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which... car. Star in a reasonably priced car: Ian Wright Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major... discusses why footballers like David Beckham David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C... , Wes Brown Wes Brown Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996... and John O'Shea John O'Shea John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea... would buy a Lincoln Navigator Lincoln Navigator The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV built by the Ford Motor Company for its luxury division, Lincoln. Introduced as a 1998 model, production began May 14, 1997 with sales beginning in August. The Navigator was Lincoln's first SUV as well as its first four-wheel drive capable vehicle... . Lap of 1:47.8. Challenge: Hammond and May play with life-size radio control Radio control Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter... cars made from real cars. After each had a turn at the controls and in the passenger seat, one rode in the car while the other attempted to navigate it through a quarry floor course, and keep a caravan Travel trailer A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places... from being crushed by a wrecking ball Wrecking ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball... . The two then raced against the British Under-15 Radio Control Champion on a new course, ending with them trying to jump another caravan, and (of course) failing. Back in the studio Clarkson shows off a full size radio controlled car that flies. He flies it over peoples heads in the studio. Challenge: Clarkson, in an Audi RS4 Audi RS4 The Audi RS4 quattro is the top tier and highest performing version of some specific generations of the Audi A4 range of automobiles. It is a sports-focused compact executive car , produced by Audi's high-performance private subsidiary quattro GmbH, in limited numbers, for German car manufacturer... , competed against the climber Leo Houlding Leo Houlding Leo Houlding is a British rock climber who has climbed the Angel of the North along with more traditional ascents such as some of El Capitan's toughest lines.... to see who could make it to the top of the Verdon Gorge Verdon Gorge The Verdon Gorge , in south-eastern France , is a river canyon that is often considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful. It is about 25 kilometres long and up to 700 metres deep... in France. After he loses the hillclimb Hillclimbing Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course.... challenge he challenges the climber to descend faster than he does, whereupon the climber base-jumps BASE jumping BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects... to the bottom. Clarkson thinks the RS4 is a landmark departure from the usually tepid fast Audis, and hails the lightweight, high-revving V8 as one of the best engines ever made. |
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| 62 | Series 7 Episode 3 | 27 November 2005 | Stephen Ladyman Stephen Ladyman Stephen John Ladyman is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for South Thanet from 1997 until 2010.-Early life:... |
Main review: Clarkson reviews the Ford Focus ST (jokingly referred to as the ASBO Åsbo Åsbo can refer to:*Åsbo Northern Hundred, a hundred in Scania*Åsbo Southern Hundred, a hundred in Scania... ), bringing a modern touch to British motoring. With as much power as the hot Renault Megane from last series, Jeremy lavishes the car with praise. The Stig takes the car to a 1:34.9 time, on a slippery and foggy track. If under normal conditions, it would have been the fastest hatchback yet tested. News: Top Gear announces that they won an International Emmy International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is an organization of global broadcasters, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies... for the Non-Scripted Entertainment category. Clarkson explains that he was unable to go to New York to receive the award since he was too busy writing the script for that episode. Star in a reasonably priced car: British transport minister Stephen Ladyman Stephen Ladyman Stephen John Ladyman is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for South Thanet from 1997 until 2010.-Early life:... injures the Liana when he loses control of the car and goes backward into a tyre wall. Despite this setback, Ladyman posts a time of 1:48.8. Ladyman reveals that he is a petrolhead and owns 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... despite his staunch law-and-order stance on speed cameras. The Cool Wall: Clarkson and Hammond argue about the positioning of the cars presented for the Cool Wall for the whole segment, starting with the positioning of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage in the fridge, and the Vauxhall Astra VXR and Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG in the "Cool" region (Hammond moves the Mercedes-Benz picture in the "Uncool" section). In the end Clarkson and Hammond literally fight over the placement of the BMW M6 BMW M6 The BMW M6, also known as the BMW M635CSi, is a high-performance version of the 6-Series automobile, designed by the motorsport division of BMW... , the fight going into the crowd. Hammond eats the card, which May cites shortly after - "Hamsters eat cardboard!". Road Trip: All three presenters each took a favourite supercar - a 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... , a Ford GT Ford GT The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :... , and a Ferrari F430 Ferrari F430 The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show... - on a trans-France road trip to the recently completed Millau Viaduct Millau Viaduct The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. Designed by the British architect Norman Foster and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux, it is the tallest bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at . It is the... , a similarly fantastic example of engineering skill as explained by Clarkson. Notable events included their creation of a serious traffic jam in the backstreets of Paris attempting to leave a car park Multi-storey car park A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place... ; the problem was that, owing to the angle of the slope onto the road combined with the low bodies of the cars, the fronts were scraping the ground and they could only escape (very slowly) after improvising a shallower ramp and removing front spoilers. Also, May for once defied his "Captain Slow" nickname, driving the Ferrari F430 faster than Hammond in the Pagani Zonda and Clarkson in the Ford GT on a twisting mountain road, describing the car as "Ballerina's point shoe" compared to the others' construction-site boots. Throughout the trip, Clarkson and May continuously talked about Hammond's teeth being whitened (a running joke in the series), to the point when Hammond shouts "I HAVE NOT HAD MY TEETH DONE!" when the trio stopped at a resting area in the French mountains, with Hammond's voice being echoed. |
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| 63 | Series 7 Episode 4 | 4 December 2005 | 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... |
Two fast times highlight this episode of Top Gear. Main review: Hammond reviews the heavily revised 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... F, with a carbon fibre Body, magnesium wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, and an improved structure. The improvements to the car leave him genuinely speechless, and help it garner the fastest power lap time of 1:18.4 by The Stig. News: The presenters mourn the death of World Rally champion Richard Burns Richard Burns Richard Alexander Burns was an English rally driver. He was born in Reading, Berkshire. He was the 2001 World Rally Champion, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002... , who died at the age of 34 two weeks before. He had made two earlier Top Gear appearances, once touting rallying Rallying Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars... as more technologically influential and interesting than Formula One Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which... , and on another occasion test-driving the Peugeot RC Peugeot RC The Peugeot RC is a concept car built by French automaker Peugeot and introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show.-Design:The RC was a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car with the same essential design, but came in two versions. The Spade was painted black and featured a 2.0L naturally... on the Top Gear track. Star in a reasonably priced car: 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... tells what its like sleeping on her around the world sailing trip, and pulls the fastest lap on the power board with a lap of 1:46.7. Challenge: James May drives in a competition to race the new Renault Clio Renault Clio The Renault Clio is a supermini car produced by the French automobile manufacturer Renault. Originally launched in 1990, it is currently in its third generation... through Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... against the downhill mountain biker Gee Atherton. Challenge: Each presenter is told to buy a used Italian Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... supercar Supercar Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"... for £10,000 and drive from Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... to a strip club Strip club A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style.... in Slough Slough Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London... , with challenges along the way, including a lap around Castle Combe raceway trying to beat the Stig's 1:35 laptime in a diesel 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... , the measurement of lost horsepower from their worn engines, an insurance estimate, a DIY tune-up against the clock involving an oil change and replacing spark plugs, and trying to park in a tight space in Marlborough town square. Clarkson buys a misbadged Maserati Merak Maserati Merak The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to... , thinking it is an SS model until the horsepower test (where it delivered a woeful 80 bhp (60 kW)), May buys a broken-down 117 bhp Lamborghini Urraco Lamborghini Urraco The Lamborghini Urraco was a sports car manufactured by Italian automaker Lamborghini in the 1970s. It was introduced at the Turin auto show in 1970 but wasn't available to buyers until 1973.... , and Hammond buys a 194 bhp Ferrari 308GT4 Ferrari GT4 The Ferrari 308 GT4 and 208 GT4 were mid-engined V8-powered 2+2 cars built by Ferrari. The 308 GT4 was introduced in 1973, supplemented by the 208 GT4 in 1975, and replaced by the Mondial 8 in 1980 after a production run of 2,826 vehicles... with severe rust problems. In the end, none of the supercars reach Slough, as the Merak's engine blew up in dramatic fashion whilst on the road, and the electrical systems of the 308GT4 and the Urraco fail (the reason the Urraco was broken down in the first place, and having caused continual difficulty throughout the challenge). In addition, though the Urraco's final breakdown was comparatively close to the intended destination, this led to it causing a traffic jam on the outskirts of Slough. |
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| 64 | Series 7 Episode 5 | 11 December 2005 | Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series... |
Main review: Hammond reviews the Marcos Marcos (automobile) Marcos was a British sports car manufacturer. The name was a combination of founders Jem Marsh and Frank Costin.-History:Marcos was founded in Luton, in Bedfordshire, England, in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin. Frank Costin had earlier worked on the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers and... TSO GT2. Hammond likens it to the much-loved Monaro Holden Monaro The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005... in terms of its way of marrying muscular American power to easily controllable (if not actually nimble) handling, and also the TVR TVR thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller... Sagaris - though when pushed, he admitted this was because it broke down several times. The Stig manages to take it to a time of 1:28.2. During the studio segment of the review, Clarkson "discovers" a tooth-whitening kit in the Marcos, to which Hammond's reply was: "IT'S A PLANT!!!". News: The group reviews stupid automotive accessories. Star in a reasonably priced car: F1 Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which... and IndyCar Champ Car Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race... champion Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series... takes the lead on the F1 lap board with a 1:44.6. Mansell's time proves a theory from 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... that the Liana could garner a 1:44 lap time. Challenge: The Stig compared the drivetrains of RR layout RR layout In automotive design, a RR, or Rear-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper.... vs. 4WD on the Porsche 997 Porsche 997 The Porsche Type 997 , also simply called the 997 is the current version of the 911 family sports car built by German manufacturer Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen... on an indoor exhibition rally track of the World Rally Championship World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13... at Millennium Stadium Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage... to settle a debate by Porsche fans. The Carrera 4 was half a second faster, but according to James May the Stig said the 2WD Carrera was nicer to drive. Main Race: Hammond and May once again attempted to beat Clarkson in a race across Europe using transport other than a car. This time, as May had almost earned himself a fully-fledged pilot's licence, their chosen mode of transport was a Cessna 182 Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area.... (light aircraft General aviation General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights... ), hired from West London Aero Club. After an initial shaky start because of May's insistence on lengthy pre-flight checks and a circuitous route to avoid mountains exceeding the plane's flight ceiling, they made good time on Jeremy, but were forced to make an early landing and travel the remainder of the journey by Eurostar Eurostar Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel.... as May was not licensed to fly after nightfall. Once again, Clarkson won, aided by his 1001 PS (736 kW/987 bhp) Bugatti Veyron Bugatti Veyron The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of... supercar Supercar Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"... , reaching the top of the Natwest Tower before the other two. Clarkson was actually delivering the Veyron to England for Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell. |
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| 65 | Series 7 Episode 6 | 27 December 2005 | David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... and Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.... |
Main review: Volkswagen Golf R32 Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The... and the BMW 130i. After originally conceding that the BMW was more fun and seemed faster on a dry track, Clarkson was amazed to see that the R32 trounced the 130i with a lap time of 1:30.4 over the 130i's 1:31.9. But it fell in line with his other heavy criticisms of the lack of practicality and the price of the BMW. Challenge: Hammond and May argue about the state of modern-day driving, which sparked a time trial showdown at Prescott Hill Climb Prescott Speed Hillclimb Prescott Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Gloucestershire, England. The course used for most events is in length, and as of late 2007 the hill record was held by Scott Moran, who set a time of 36.35 seconds on 2 September 2007 for an average speed of . The track was extended in 1960 to form the... Course, pitting an Austin-Healey Sprite Austin-Healey Sprite The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car which was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, just before that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to... representing a mostly middle-aged classic car owners club, versus a modified Rice burner Rice burner is a pejorative describing Japanese-made—or by extension, Asian-made—motorcycles and automobiles. The term is often defined as offensive or racist stereotyping... Peugeot 306 Peugeot 306 The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 replacing the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many updates and aesthetic changes to keep up the competition but it was replaced by the 307 in 2001. Cabriolet and estate versions continued until 2002... backed by a more youthful group. The Stig takes the two around, with the Sprite, on a serious race-focussed diet, defeating the showy and stereo-laden 306 by one second. Review and Challenge: Hammond tests the 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... , which involves racing the car against a greyhound Greyhound The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed... at a dog-racing dirt track. The dog won. Star in a reasonably priced car: Little Britain Little Britain Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas... star David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... and comedian Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.... appear with Walliams' lap time of 1:50.7 slower than Carr's. Walliams also tells of his love of 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... . 2005 Top Gear Awards:
Challenge: In the final segment, Clarkson travelled to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA.... in Monterey, California Monterey, California The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of... to compare racing a lap in real life versus the video game Gran Turismo 4 Gran Turismo 4 is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong , February 22, 2005 in North America , and March 9, 2005 in Europe , and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line... . Clarkson's time of 1:41.148 for the video game was substantially faster than the 1:57 time that he was able to do on the real course due to the course omitting a few details of the track and Clarkson's inability to replicate digital bravery in real life. This section also featured a farewell to the NSX Honda NSX The Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ... . |
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| Winter Olympics Special | 12 February 2006 | None | |
Biathlon: Clarkson raced a Volvo XC90 Volvo XC90 The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Volvo Cars since it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show 2002. It is based on the P2 platform, shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars... against May in an Audi Q7 Audi Q7 The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009... , cross-country, with 2 shooting rounds mid-course while every missed target gives 5 penalty seconds (the loser had to eat "golden snow Urine Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream... "). May used a standard Biathlon .22 .22 Long Rifle The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have... rifle, while Clarkson opted for a H&K MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar.... machine pistol. Despite the increased firepower, Clarkson missed every target and felled a tree. May missed only 2 targets in the final shooting round. However, near the end, he crashed into a tree and had to dig himself out. Despite this, May re-overtook Clarkson at the end and won the race. Cold Weather Endurance: Hammond was subjected to Arctic temperatures in a Citroën C1 Citroën C1 The Citroën C1 is a city car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since 2005.The C1 was developed as part of the B-Zero project by PSA Peugeot Citroën in a joint-venture with Toyota. The Peugeot 107 is identical to the C1 other than the front bumper and front and rear lights, while the... , in a bid to see who will crack first: man or machine? After being subjected to a temperature of about minus-40 Celsius, Hammond narrowly beat the car, concluding that 'if you're going to drive to the North Pole, buy a Hammond'. (Ironically disproved in later series by his runner-up placing in the Polar Challenge Top Gear: Polar Special Top Gear: Polar Special was an episode of the popular series Top Gear, first broadcast on 25 July 2007 on BBC Two. It was an attempt by the BBC's Top Gear crew to be the first to drive a motor vehicle to the 1996 location of the Magnetic North Pole.... ) Speed Skating: Clarkson ('Torville' with no ability to walk on ice) raced a Jaguar XK Jaguar XK The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible... against a human skater (Introduced by May as Eskil Ervik Eskil Ervik Eskil Ervik is a Norwegian speedskater. Ervik's best distance is traditionally the 5000-m, where he for several years was among the very best of the world, but his top priority for the most part of his career was to perform optimally in the allround championships... ) on the ice course of Vikingskipet Olympic Arena Vikingskipet Olympic Arena Vikingskipet , officially known as Hamar Olympic Hall , is an indoor multi-use sport and event venue in Hamar, Norway. It was built as the speed skating rink for the 1994 Winter Olympics, and has since also hosted events and tournaments in speedway, rally, association football, bandy, ice sledge... . Clarkson was terrible at this event as his Jag had no grip whatsoever, being lapped twice by Ervik. Off-Road Slalom: May and Clarkson raced a four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously... Land Rover Discovery Land Rover Discovery The Discovery was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989. The company code-named the vehicle "Project Jay". The new model was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the more upmarket Range Rover, but with a lower price aimed at a larger market segment and intended to compete with Japanese... and a two-wheel drive Two-wheel drive Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously.-Four wheeled vehicles:... Jaguar XK Jaguar XK The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible... against the clock, on just about five inches of frozen lake. May declared himself the winner as he was the fastest with 2:03.28, but was disputed by Clarkson, who claimed his run to have been more graceful and interesting. Bobsleigh: In a repeated segment from Series 5 Episode 8, Hammond and a bobsleigh team race against May and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral... rally car piloted by Norwegian Henning Solberg, along near-identical courses. Hammond won with 59.68 in the end, May's time was 1:02.24 Ice Hockey: Ten Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift The Suzuki Swift is a subcompact car produced by Suzuki in Japan since 2000. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been applied to the Suzuki Cultus in export markets such as Australasia, Europe, India and North America.- Predecessor :... s played 5-a-side hockey, in teams captained by Hammond and May, and refereed by Clarkson. At one point, Hammond's team were winning 2-0, but a biased Clarkson intervened and successfully helped May to 2-2. In the end Hammond crashed into May's car and was sent to penalty box, so May could score 2 more goals. The result was 5-4 to Hammond's team. Ski Jump: The trio attempt to find out if a rocket-powered Mini Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers... could jump further than a skier from a downhill slope. The challenge was then concluded by a ski jump on a snowmobile Snowmobile A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including... driven by 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... . |
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| The Best of Top Gear 2005 #1 | 13 March 2006 | Davina McCall Davina McCall Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :... & Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra... |
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| 68 | The Best Of Top Gear 2005 #2 - The Special Guests | 13 March 2006 | Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.... , David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... , 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... |
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Feature: To begin, Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.... takes us on a short tour of the 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... studio, including the production office, green room, make up area, and The Stig's secret bedroom. He then heads out to the track to interview David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... and The Stig. Later on, Carr tours the car park, commenting on the cars held therein, and interviewing James May, who relates a tale of being "the other guy". Finally, Carr interviews the studio audience, which annoys The Stig. Challenges:
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| The Best Of Top Gear 2005 #3 – The Challenges | 20 March 2006 | None | |
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| The Best Of Top Gear 2005 #4 - The Supercars | 27 March 2006 | None | |
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| The Best Of Top Gear 2005 #5 - The Best Of British | 4 April 2006 | Several | |
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Series 7, Episode 1
In the news segment, Jeremy Clarkson mocked BMW's attempt to make a "quintessentially British" car (in review of the Mini Cooper Estate Concept from the Tokyo Auto Salon) by making references to Hitler's Third Reich and the German invasion of Poland.Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
Specifically, Clarkson noted that the Sat nav "only goes to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
," a fan belt that would last for 1,000 years, and made the Nazi salute while speaking about the Mini concept. The German government subsequently criticised the segment, as such behaviour is illegal under the country's constitution.