Top Gear (series 9)
Encyclopedia
The ninth series of Top Gear began on January 28th, 2007 and concluded on March 4th, 2007. The series featured six episodes, with a further two specials ("Top Gear of the Pops
" and "Top Gear: Polar Special
"), broadcast afterwards. The series also included one "Best Of Top Gear" special, charting the best moments from Series 8 and 9.
and the UK media regulator Ofcom
received complaints about the cow tied to Clarkson's Camaro. However, the BBC defended the programme against the complaints received. The cow had died several days previously.
only 2 days earlier, even though it was not caused by a track incursion. The reconstruction, which was organised by Network Rail
as part of its Don't Run The Risk campaign, was criticised by several people, including Anthony Smith, chief executive of the rail watchdog Passenger Focus who said: "We need to raise awareness of the issue, but now is not the right time." However, this item had already been delayed several weeks because of an earlier fatal level crossing crash, and with only one programme remaining in the series and the frequency of level crossing accidents, it may have been considered that there was no "appropriate" time to show the film without "offending" somebody. A repeat of the episode was due to be aired on the 1 March 2007 was not broadcast after another death on a level crossing earlier that morning. The episode was replaced with a "Best of Top Gear" episode.
Top Gear of the Pops
Top Gear of the Pops was a one-off special of Top Gear, broadcast in the evening on 16 March 2007. It was shown as part of the Comic Relief 2007 appeal, mixing the usual elements of Top Gear with Top of the Pops, the music chart show that was cancelled in 2006...
" and "Top Gear: Polar Special
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....
"), broadcast afterwards. The series also included one "Best Of Top Gear" special, charting the best moments from Series 8 and 9.
Episode list
| # | Episode | Airdate | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Series 9 Episode 1 | 2007 January 28 | Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools... |
Intro: Clarkson and May welcome Hammond back after his crash in the Vampire. They use an aeroplane entry staircase from EasyJet EasyJet EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports... and dancing girls because Clarkson says quality steps cost over £300. Clarkson inquires if he (Hammond) “is a mental.” Hammond responds that he is completely fixed and that despite the brain damage, the only personality difference he has noticed is, ”I like celery now and I didn’t before.” Richard thanks everyone for giving him support while he was hospitalised. Challenge: The presenters decide that the duration of road repairs is appalling, especially since you never see roadworkers actually working. So they decide to take matters into their own hands and resurface a stretch of the D5481 (sic) near Bidford-on-Avon Bidford-on-Avon Bidford-on-Avon is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire. In the 2001 census it had a population of 4,830.-Location:... themselves, to prove that work which normally takes up a week can be done in 24 hours. It falls apart quickly, as May's sense of direction causes traffic mishaps, Nineteen Eighty-Four Nineteen Eighty-Four Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party... -like speeches from Clarkson, tarmac Tarmac Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901... supply issues (which include a cameraman accidentally pressing the emergency stop at the quarry), bad weather, and Mrs. Thatcher Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990... speeches blaring out in the late-night/early-morning period cause problems, but the road gets finished by the 9:07 a.m. deadline. Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools... talks about his campaign for healthier lunches for schoolchildren, his passion for organic food, and his quest to beat Gordan Ramsay’s power lap time. Jamie sets a time of 1:47.7 during wet conditions (although he insists it was snowy). Upon hearing that the slush Slush (snow) Slush, also called slush ice, is a slurry mixture of small ice crystals and liquid water. In the natural environment, slush forms as ice or snow melts. This often mixes with dirt and other materials, resulting in a gray or muddy brown color... would garner him a 4 second handicap, Oliver moved his time magnet to the top of the board (above fellow chef and rival Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars.... ). Review: Jeremy reviews the Jaguar XKR Jaguar X150 The Jaguar XK is the second generation of the Jaguar XK grand tourer from Jaguar Cars. The vehicle was unveiled in 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show with the first generation's 4.2 V8 engine. The XK convertible was unveiled in 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit... against the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Although the Aston is better in some parts (better looking, louder, more aggressive, higher pedigree), Clarkson notes that the Jaguar is able to keep up with the Aston around the Top Gear track. The Jag also more powerful, better equipped, more practical, and less expensive than the Aston. As Clarkson puts it, “It is quite simply spectacular.” The Stig turns in a Power Lap time of 1:34.7 in "very, very, very" wet conditions. This episode’s Stig intro (by Clarkson): “Some say he once threw a microwave oven at a tramp and that long before anyone else, he realized that Jade Goody was a racist, pig-faced, waste of blood and organs. All we know is, he’s called The Stig!” The News: No news this episode. Instead, Hammond takes the Richard and Jeremy (and the studio and broadcast audience) through the events leading up to and including his crash in the Vampire dragster. After some good-natured ribbing at Richard’s expense, Jeremy admits that Hammond was very brave for attempting to drive the Vampire in the first place. Hammond responds with a simple request that they not talk about it ever again – to which they agree. Despite this, the occasional oblique reference pops up from time to time in future shows (almost always in a comedic way). |
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| 75 | Series 9 Episode 2 | 2007 February 4 | Hugh Grant Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's... |
Challenge: May takes the Bugatti Veyron Bugatti Veyron The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of... to its top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph) on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien Ehra-Lessien Ehra-Lessien is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Volkswagen Group test track:Volkswagen Group owns a test track facility in Ehra-Lessien... test track. He described how smoothly the car behaved at those speeds and how disorienting the speed can be. He remarked that as he was coming to a stop at the end of his run, he wanted to open the door, but "fortunately I looked at the speedometer and I was still doing 70." The News: Clarkson, Hammond and May discuss Porsche's new Cayenne as well as its official press release photo. A party, called the “Thunderball,” is going to be held for workers laid off from TVR’s factory in Blackpool – complete with a buffet and band. Clarkson shares an unflattering (or very flattering, depending on your point of view) photo of Renault’s F1 racing drivers standing next to a Clio R27. Jeremy also shares a list of ridiculous driving offenses that can get you jail time in the U.K. The boys discuss their best and worst drives of the last six months: Clarkson was impressed with the Lexus GS Lexus GS The Lexus GS is a series of mid-size luxury sports sedans / executive cars sold by Lexus since 1993. Designed to fill the gap between the ES and LS, and to provide Lexus with a performance sedan to compete in the mid-luxury class, three generations of the GS have been produced to date... hybrid and disappointed with the Volkswagen Golf 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... GT (1.4 litre supercharged and turbocharged), calling it "as smooth as falling down stairs while wearing leg calipers." Hammond was impressed with the Volvo C30 Volvo C30 The Volvo C30 is a small family car produced by Volvo Cars. The C30 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback powered by straight-4 and straight-5 engines. The car is a hatchback version of the S40/V50/C70 range, and uses the same Ford C1 platform. It is being marketed as a premium hatchback or a... T5 and disappointed with the ugly Subaru B9 Tribeca. May was impressed with Suzuki Swift Sport and disappointed with the sporty Bentley Arnage T Bentley Arnage The Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break... . Finally, Jaguar has produced a concept car that is claims will be the next S-type. Review: The guys were set the challenge of finding the best stylish coupés: Clarkson chose the revised Audi TT Audi TT The Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi since 1998.The Audi TT has been produced in two generations. Both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster... , Hammond chose the old Mazda RX-8 Mazda RX-8 The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Mazda Motor Corporation. It first appeared in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the successor to the RX-7 and, like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a Wankel engine. The RX-8 began North American sales in the... , and May chose the new Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo Brera The Alfa Romeo Brera is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2010. The Spider roadster was produced between 2006 to 2010. Both cars were manufactured by Pininfarina. Only 12,488 units of Spider and 21,786 units of Brera were built. Production of both models... . After taking them to a golf course in Scotland (they were asked to leave after the 3rd hole because they were too slow), they took them to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, holds the national collection of modern art. When opened in 1960, the collection was held in Inverleith House, at the Royal Botanic Gardens... to get expert opinions. Each of the presenters had two minutes to persuade a panel of three art professors that their car deserved a place in the museum. The professors opted for the Brera Alfa Romeo Brera The Alfa Romeo Brera is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2010. The Spider roadster was produced between 2006 to 2010. Both cars were manufactured by Pininfarina. Only 12,488 units of Spider and 21,786 units of Brera were built. Production of both models... . Hammond decided that they were wrong and that the argument would be settled by determining which one was the fastest. After the Stig drove them round the track, the Audi TT came in at 1.31.4, the Mazda RX-8 in 1.32.0 and the Brera in 1.36.9. When Clarkson noticed that he had won, he said that he preferred the Brera all along, and the others concurred. But, as it is an Alfa, none of the three could recommend it. Clarkson closed by saying, "The best car here, is the worst!" This episode’s Stig intro (by Clarkson): “Some say that he once had a vicious knife fight with Anthony Turner and that he is in no way implicated in the cash for honor scandal. All we know is, he’s called Lord Stig!” Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Hugh Grant Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's... stops by to talk about his car history, “Golf ball,” road rage, and getting old. His lap time: 1.47.7. |
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| 76 | Series 9 Episode 3 | 2007 February 11 | No Guest |
The trio point out the hassle of renting out a car Car rental A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee... , ranging from ignorant rental agents to not being able to find their car once it's pointed out to them. Their premise was to see if it could be cheaper to buy a car rather than rent so, as a result, on their trip to the United States, the three were given $1000 to find a used car. Clarkson bought a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS; Hammond a Dodge Ram Dodge Ram The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks... 150 pickup truck; and May a 1989 Cadillac Brougham Cadillac Brougham Originally an enclosed carriage, drawn by a single horse, for 2-4 persons, “Brougham” owes its name to a British statesman, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, whose second claim to fame is having given to the sea-front drive, in Nice in the South of France, the nick-name of Promenade des... that was the only car that had air conditioning. The trio had radios in their cars, so they pretended to be like truckers while communicating with the local truck drivers, and use codenames during their journey. Clarkson's codename was "Murderer," Hammond's was "Brokeback," and May's, being rather obvious, was "Captain." The goal was then to get from Miami to New Orleans, with challenges along the way.
Final results: Clarkson declared himself the winner and declared May the loser, although no points were given. They concluded that it was viable to buy, rather than rent, a car. Clarkson summed up the trip with his long-held opinion: "Don't go to America!" Similar to the credits of the 2007 Polar Challenge Special and Series 10 Episode 4, other than the four main presenters (who are credited as Cletus Cletus Spuckler Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was... Clarkson, Earl My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States... Hammond Jr., Ellie May May, and Roscoe P. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane On the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, Rosco Purvis Coltrane is the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County and right-hand man of its corrupt county commissioner, Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg .... Stig), each crew member name is listed with the words "Billy Bob" attached to the start, a reference to the American redneck Redneck Redneck is a historically derogatory slang term used in reference to poor, uneducated white farmers, especially from the southern United States... stereotype. |
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| 77 | Series 9 Episode 4 | 2007 February 18 | 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... |
Review: Clarkson was given the task of reviewing the Porsche 997 Turbo 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... , to see if it could convert him from being a lifelong Ferrari fan. He found the Porsche to be less expensive and more practical than its closest Ferrari competitor (the 430). He also liked the turbos, traction control, the phenomenal grip, and the boot space. He even felt that the Porsche would be faster than the Ferrari in real world, every day driving conditions. However, while he had great respect for the car, he claimed his passion for Ferraris was still greater. The News: Hammond and Clarkson argue over the merits of Porsches vs. Ferraris until May demands that they get on to the news, which begins (much to May’s chagrin) with the Porsche 997 GT3 RS. Clarkson rants against average speed cameras. 1.5 million people have signed a petition against road pricing. Clarkson provides the website to visit to add ones name to the list and (being the BBC) the website for those who agree with road pricing (www.iamaclot.com). The new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is loaded with technology. The Melling Hellcat Melling Hellcat The Melling Hellcat is a concept sports car designed by engine expert Al Melling explicitly to be the fastest street legal car in the world. It was introduced in February 2007 and is scheduled to come out in 2012. It claims to reach top speeds of up to... claims to have a potential top speed of 270 mph. Clarkson reveals a trick that could have got himself and Hammond out of trouble in that Alabama gas station in the previous week’s episode. The BBC is requiring its employees who drive for the company to take a driving class. Challenge: Hammond and May, preposterously, try to convert a Reliant Robin Reliant Robin thumb|right|250px|1975 Greek advertisement for Mebea Robin The Reliant Robin is a small three wheeled car formerly manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England... into a space shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... , on the orders of 'John F. Clarkson'. They were given 12 days to build it and help from the British Amateur Rocket Society. Eight tonnes of thrust were required to launch the Robin — the largest non-commercial rocket launch undertaken in Europe. It was not intended to put a payload into any meaningful orbit, but merely to gain a few thousand feet of height and then land on a runway. Hammond & May reacted with genuine surprise and elation as the Reliant Robin Reliant Robin thumb|right|250px|1975 Greek advertisement for Mebea Robin The Reliant Robin is a small three wheeled car formerly manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England... took off and everything seemed to be working until a release bolt attaching the Robin to the fuel tank failed to detach. As a result, it spiraled out of control and crashed in a massive explosion on a nearby hillside as they watched with expressions of shock and disappointment. Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Simon Pegg stops by to talk about his latest film (Hot Fuzz) and his affection for Star Wars. He turns in a lap time of 1:48.5. Review: Clarkson looks at the already monstrous 6.0L twin-turbo V12 SL 65 AMG Mercedes-Benz R230 Changes include new engines for SL 350 and SL 500, with improved performance on SL 55 AMG and SL 600, as well as a new top-of-the-line SL 65 AMG. ABC was improved to reduce body movements in dynamic driving by up to 60%.... and then sees what a modifying company has been able to do with it. The result is the Brabus BRABUS Brabus, founded 1977 in Bottrop , Germany , is a high-performance aftermarket tuning company which specializes in Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach vehicles.... S Biturbo roadster, with 730 bhp, 811 ft.lbf of torque, and an electronically limited top speed of 219 mi/h. Clarkson finds massive speed and power, but little in terms of control for it and in the end concludes that the car was at its best in its original, Mercedes form. The Stig takes it around the track in 1:27.2. This episode’s Stig intro (by Clarkson): “Some say that if you lick his chest, it tastes exactly the same as piccalilli and that at this week’s Brit Awards, he was arrested for goosing Russell Brand. All we know is, he’s called The Stig!” The Cool Wall: Clarkson starts by moving all the 4x4 cars down the board to “Seriously Uncool.” The Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is also “Seriously Uncool,” as Clarkson has just bought one. However, he got rid of his Ford GT to do so and gleefully moves that car into “Sub Zero.” The Porsche 997 GT3 RS is “Seriously Uncool” due to its roll cage and fire extinguisher. The Kia Cee’d is “Uncool,” despite the claims from a Kia employee in the audience. Closing the segment, Hammond adds a Ducati 1098 Ducati 1098 The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike manufactured by the Italian motorcycle company Ducati since 2007. There were three different versions, called the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R... motorcycle to the “Cool” section of the wall. Clarkson walks off and returns with a chainsaw, which he uses to cut the Ducati off/out of The Cool Wall. This scene has been removed in recent repeats on the BBC. |
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| 78 | Series 9 Episode 5 | 2007 February 25 | Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient.... |
Public Service Video: Clarkson produced a service video about Level Crossings. He showed CCTV footage of an old man jumping the light at a level crossing and put a Renault Espace Renault Espace The Renault Espace is a large MPV from French car-maker Renault. Generations 1-3 were sold under the Renault brand but manufactured by Matra. The current fourth generation model, which seats seven passengers, is an all-Renault product; the Renault Grand Espace is a long-wheelbase version with... on railway level crossing Level crossing A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion... . The car was then destroyed by a railway locomotive British Rail Class 31 The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :... crashing into it. The News: They begin with the Mazerati Gran Turismo – which Clarkson and May agree is a thing of beauty. Hammond prefers its sister car, the Alfa Romeo Competicione. Hammond and May ridicule Clarkson for getting a haircut and wearing a suit on the day that his crush, Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient.... , is in the studio. Volkswagon has revealed a sporty Passat – the very notion of which Clarkson finds “ludicrous!” Clarkson shares a photo he took on the drive in to the studio of a Peugeot 1007 – revealing that someone has actually bought one. Both Hammond and May take extra delight in pointing out that Jeremy took the photo while driving a Rolls Royce Phantom – another obvious way of impressing Kristin. The results of the Top Gear Survey are revealed. The Honda S2000 is the most satisfying car. The bottom six are all French cars. Challenge: Clarkson, Hammond and May plant their own rapeseed biofuel after acquiring three tractors to test, with a number of challenges to start:
They then cleared a field of sheep (with the help of Top Gear Dog), crossed a weak bridge (which Clarkson broke) and ploughed, with the aid of judges. Then after lunch (with chaos in the local village Ashwell, Hertfordshire Ashwell is a village and civil parish situated about four miles north of Baldock in Hertfordshire.It has a wealth of architecture spanning several centuries. The dates almost entirely from the 14th century and is renowned for its ornate church tower which stands at , and is crowned by an... ) (when Hammond turned up in his tractor) they had to plant their crop seeds, with May volunteering to use his tractor for it. Due to his incorrectly operating the seed spreader however, all the seeds ended up dumped in a small pile near where he had started, and he had to spend the rest of the day carefully replanting the crop (which was revealed as diesel used in the Britcar 24 Hour race Top Gear (series 10) Top Gear returned for a tenth series, containing 10 episodes, broadcast between 7 October 2007 and 23 December 2007. It was claimed that between the filming of the ninth and tenth series, rival motoring magazine Fifth Gear broke into the Top Gear premises and burnt down the Cool Wall... ). Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Actress (and Cool Wall muse) Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient.... . Clarkson took the opportunity to get her opinion on some cars to put on The Cool Wall. She said Clarkson's new Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder was "pathetic," but she also approved of the G-wiz and the Bentley Continental – both of which Clarkson had gone out of his way to bash in the past. They also discussed her role in Chekov’s play The Seagull, which was running in London at the time. Throughout the interview, Hammond & May occasionally “contributed” from the audience – this was the only Star In A Reasonably Car segment to feature them in any capacity. Kristin completed her lap in 1:54. Review: Standing next to a Ferrari in the studio, Hammond describes it as a super-car before moving on to two Lamborghinis (a Diablo and a Countach), which he describes as hyper-cars. Clarkson appears and clarifies that “Super-cars are designed to mess with g-forces, hyper cars are designed to mess with g-strings.” So begins his review of the new Lamborghini Murciélago LP640. He is at first disappointed by the lack of lunacy in the Murciélago as compared with its older brothers (the Diablo, Countach, & Miura) – a fault he bestows on Audi, which now owns Lamborghini. However, he also finds that the car works better than any previous Lamborghini and discovers that it is “properly, savagely fast” as he takes it to 207 mph on the Top Gear track (a new record for the show). To better illustrate the speed, he organizes a drag race between a fast car (a VW Golf GTI) and the Murciélago. Predictably, the Murciélago leads from the start and quickly disappears toward the horizon. Reading over the options list does reveal a bit of lunacy with things like “that little bit of carbon fiber there on the center console” costing several thousand pounds. Despite this, the base car still costs under $200,000 – roughly half the price of another hyper-car: the Pagani Zonda. He concluded his review by stating that it is sort of halfway between a super-car and a hyper-car. It lacks the over-the-top aesthetics that would definitively place it in hyper-car territory, but it lacks the confident handling that would give it super-car status. The Stig took it round the track in 1:19.8, sixth place overall. This episode’s Stig intro (by Clarkson): “Some say that he sucks the moisture from ducks and that his crash helmet is modeled on Britney Spears’ head. All we know is, he’s called The Stig!” |
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| The Best Of Top Gear 2006 | 2007 March 1 | None | |
Notes: This episode was due to be broadcast before the start of the series, but due to Richard's severe crash, the episode was postponed indefinitely. After complaints from the first airing of Series 9, Episode 5, this episode was finally shown in place of the planned episode 5 repeat. |
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| 79 | Series 9 Episode 6 | 2007 March 4 | Billie Piper Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine... |
Challenge: Clarkson, Hammond and May build stretch limos to drive celebrities to the Brit Awards Brit Awards The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust... . Clarkson buys a Fiat Panda Fiat Panda The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 2003 with only a few changes. It is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "New Panda"... to chauffeur BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... 's Chris Moyles Chris Moyles Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4.... , hindered by its length making it nearly impossible to manoeuvre around the city, and it splitting in half where Clarkson had shortened the car to make it road-legal. Hammond buys a MG F MG F The MG F and later the MG TF are mid-engined, rear wheel drive roadster cars produced from 1995 onwards. The MG F was the first all-new car to bear the MG marque since the MG MGB, produced from 1962 to 1980... and, after it is stretched into a limo, has to take Jamelia Jamelia Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre... to the BRIT Awards. May buys a Saab 9000 Saab 9000 The Saab 9000 is an automobile that was produced by the Swedish company Saab from 1984 to 1997. The 9000 was replaced by the 9-5 in the late 1997.... and an Alfa Romeo 164 Alfa Romeo 164 The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164... , the two of which are conjoined into a limo, his case being a choice between "Sensible Swedish," and "Fiery Italian" (a Salfa Romeaab). He has to take Lemar Lemar Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia... to the BRIT Awards in the "Alfaab." Hammond arrived first and largely without incident, although the open-top nature of his limo meant that Jamelia attracted more attention than she wanted. Clarkson arrived shortly afterwards, despite the entire rear half of his car being missing. May got lost and Lemar stormed out of May's car after being an hour late to the start of the ceremony. The ultimate winner of the task was whoever got the most photos of their car printed in newspapers or magazines, and Clarkson earned that honour, by virtue of having a picture printed in his own column in The Sun. The News: Richard met with the Prime Minister about road pricing. A new Ford Mondeo is coming and will be “brilliant.” Booster seat laws can’t be enforced because Police don’t have the legal right to measure children (May has difficulty presenting this story without breaking into fits of laughter). Aston Martin is for sale by Ford. Preview: Jeremy & Richard present the new Vauxhall Monaro VXR in the studio. It has been restyled and given four doors (instead of two), while retaining the same powerful engine as before – with an option for a supercharger. Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Actress Billie Piper Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine... posted a 1:48.3 around the track, until it was revealed that she had actually cut out Hammerhead during the lap and was on the wrong side of Chicago's line. However, since she was wearing a see-through top, Jeremy couldn't bring himself to actually apply the three-second penalty. Review: Richard Hammond test-drives the latest Shelby Mustang GT500. Hammond suggests that the 500 hp rating of the car as indicated in its name is exaggerated. He has it tested on a portable wheel dynamometer which yields 447 hp. He also put his own classic Mustang GT390 on the dyno and it had 250 RWHP. The biggest problem with the newer car, however, is the unaltered suspension with a live axle Live axle A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit.... . As Clarkson later explains, “You can’t put that much power in a car without changing the suspension.” The Stig takes the Shelby around the track in a wobbly fashion in 1:30 – beating the time of a Vauxhall Monaro VXR by .1 second. In response, Clarkson presents another Mustang altered by tuning house Roush. The Roush Mustang is less powerful than the Shelby (415 bhp), but it has upgraded braking, more sophisticated suspension, and a limited slip differential. The Stig takes the Roush around the track in a much more controlled time of 1:28. This episode’s Stig intro (by Hammond): “Some say he isn’t machine washable and all his potted plants are called Steve. All we know is, he’s called The Stig!” |
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| Top Gear of the Pops | 2007 March 16 | Travis, Mcfly, Supergrass, Lethal Bizzle, Justin Hawkins | |
Performance: Lethal Bizzle Lethal Bizzle Lethal Bizzle, also known as Lethal B , is a Ghanaian British rapper. His songs are known to satirise modern Gangsta rap; much of the humour comes from the adoption of hip-hop style and language... began by performing his new single, but during the performance, Clarkson dubbed him "Jizzy Tissue" and disabled the speakers, before proclaiming that "music like that killed off Top of the Pops Top of the Pops Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn... in the first place." Challenge: The trio challenge boyband McFly McFly McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records... to write and perform a song before the end of the show. The song was not allowed to include the words "love", "baby," or "heart", but did have to include the words "sofa," "Hyundai," and "administration" (which became the overall title of the song). The News: Jeremy doesn’t understand why all car makers don’t include iPod connectivity with their cars. He also pleads with Apple to make tangle-proof headphones. James can’t comprehend a review for the latest Coldplay album. Hammond presents the line-ups for forthcoming music festivals. Clarkson shares a quick story about his father reacting to a Billy Idol TV appearance. Phil Spector is on trial for murdering someone called Clarkson. Hammond makes a connection between Spector’s wig and Jeremy’s own hair. The trio discuss songs that can’t be played on hospital radio. The latest video from Snow Patrol using footage created by French artist Rondezvous. Genesis, The Police, and Van Halen are reforming. This prompts Clarkson to declare that Genesis is better than any current band – which in turn causes Hammond to disagree vehemently. Performance: Travis Travis (band) Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose... performed their new single, "Closer." Feature: James presented the current top five songs in the singles chart; before he could announce the top spot, Clarkson unplugged the monitor. He went on to proclaim that, "The only thing people care about nowadays is how quick the song is over," before presenting a rundown of the top three shortest songs in the chart at the moment. Performance: Supergrass Supergrass Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey .... performed a fan favourite, with guest Adrian Edmondson Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was... on guitar. During the performance, the presenters were given the job of special effects, with Clarkson on a dry ice machine, Hammond on a wind machine, and May throwing birds onto the stage. This prompted complaints from viewers. Performance: The show concluded with a cover of the Billy Ocean Billy Ocean Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s... song "Red Light Spells Danger," with Justin Hawkins Justin Hawkins Justin David Hawkins is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Darkness, alongside his brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins... as lead singer, Hammond on the bass, James on the keyboard, and Jeremy on the drums. |
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| Polar Challenge Special | 25 July 2007 | Sir Ranulph Fiennes | |
In April 2007, Clarkson and May teamed up to race Hammond from Resolute, Nunavut Resolute, Nunavut Resolute or Resolute Bay is a small Inuit hamlet on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada. It is situated at the northern end of Resolute Bay and the Northwest Passage and is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region.... to the Magnetic North Pole, taking the route set out in the Polar Challenge Polar Challenge The Polar Challenge is a competitive, 350 nautical mile team race taking place in the Arctic, to the 1996 location of the Magnetic North Pole. The race runs between mid-April and mid-May each year, taking teams approximately 4 weeks to complete, including the training time... . The terrain in between is some of the toughest in the world – a mix of mountainous land masses and jagged sea ice where temperatures can drop to minus 65 degrees Celsius (minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit). Jeremy and James used a specially adapted Toyota Hilux Toyota Hilux The Toyota Hilux is a series of compact pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Most countries used the Hilux name for the entire life of the series but in North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck... pick-up truck, while Richard used a sled pulled by a team of ten Canadian Inuit dogs Canadian Eskimo Dog The Canadian Eskimo Dog is an Arctic breed of dog , which is often considered to be North America’s oldest and rarest remaining purebred indigenous domestic canine. Other names include Qimmiq... , driven by American explorer Matty McNair Matty McNair Matty L McNair is an American explorer. She now lives in the Canadian Arctic in Iqaluit, Nunavut, on Baffin Island, where she runs her company NorthWinds... . In the end the truck won, although the sled overtook them at one point while they were crossing the first of two fields of ice boulders. In the show's credits, each crew member had their first name replaced with "Sir Ranulph" in homage to Sir Ranulph Fiennes (e.g. Sir Ranulph Clarkson). This was the first episode of Top Gear to be shown in high-definition High-definition television High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD... . |
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Series 9, Episode 1
The BBC apologized to a number of Top Gear viewers after Clarkson asked Hammond the question "Are you now a mental?" May also offered a tissue in case he "dribbled" during the first episode of series 9. The comments were meant as a joke, but an apology was made after several viewers complained.Series 9, Episode 3
Both the BBCBBC
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...
and the UK media regulator Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
received complaints about the cow tied to Clarkson's Camaro. However, the BBC defended the programme against the complaints received. The cow had died several days previously.
Series 9, Episode 5
In the episode, Clarkson did a public service video about Level Crossings. The segment was criticised due to the Cumbria train crashGrayrigg derailment
The Grayrigg derailment was a fatal railway accident that occurred at approximately 20:15 GMT on 23 February 2007, just to the south of Grayrigg, Cumbria, in North West England. The initial conclusion of the accident investigation is that the derailment was caused by a faulty set of points ,...
only 2 days earlier, even though it was not caused by a track incursion. The reconstruction, which was organised by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
as part of its Don't Run The Risk campaign, was criticised by several people, including Anthony Smith, chief executive of the rail watchdog Passenger Focus who said: "We need to raise awareness of the issue, but now is not the right time." However, this item had already been delayed several weeks because of an earlier fatal level crossing crash, and with only one programme remaining in the series and the frequency of level crossing accidents, it may have been considered that there was no "appropriate" time to show the film without "offending" somebody. A repeat of the episode was due to be aired on the 1 March 2007 was not broadcast after another death on a level crossing earlier that morning. The episode was replaced with a "Best of Top Gear" episode.