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Top Gear (2002 TV series)

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Top Gear is an Emmy Award winning BBC television series about cars. The programme is estimated to have over 350 million viewers worldwide, 5 million of whom watch the programme each week in the UK.[1] Top Gear is currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. It also features The Stig, an anonymous test driver. It is provocative, humorous and light-hearted in tone. The eighth series of Top Gear completed its run on 30 July 2006 with each episode available to view via the BBC website after its first broadcast. The ninth series was due to start airing on 8 October 2006, however this was delayed due to Richard Hammond's accident in September 2006.[2] According to a BBC interview with Clarkson, the ninth series of the show is expected to start airing January 2007.

Top Gear
File:TopGearLogo.jpg
The Top Gear logo
StarringJeremy Clarkson
Richard Hammond
James May
The Stig
Top Gear Dog
Country of originUK
Production
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release1978 –
present
Related
Fifth Gear
This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Top Gear (2002 TV series) (disambiguation).

A half hour version of the show is also aired on BBC World. Top Gear magazine is a publication produced by BBC Magazines which shares some contributors, editors and features with the TV show.

History

1977 to 2001

Main article: Top Gear (original format)

Top Gear started in 1977 and was presented by BBC newsreader Angela Rippon, although the show was initially not shown throughout Britain. Early presenters included Noel Edmonds, William Woollard, Peter Burgess and Chris Goffey. The programme was 30 minutes long.

Originally, Top Gear was a fairly conventional magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as road safety, but it saw a massive boost in its audience in the early 1990s when it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly petrolhead-oriented programme, fronted by Jeremy Clarkson. Among Clarkson's contemporary presenters were Quentin Willson, a former used car salesman, and racing drivers Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson.

Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour, and ignored the environment, it became hugely influential with the motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the Top Gear team could have a severe negative effect on sales. One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra about which Clarkson said: "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels". However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla, and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610.

Following Jeremy Clarkson's departure in 1999 the Top Gear audience fell from six million to under three million, resulting in the BBC's cancellation of the programme in 2001. One of the presenters brought in following Clarkson's departure was James May who would later become one of the three presenters of the present format. Channel Five bought the rights to Top Gear in 2002, so the show was moved over there, but the BBC refused to sell the rights to the name, Top Gear, so Five's show became Fifth Gear. After Top Gear's huge success in the mid-1990s, a number of similar programmes were also produced including Channel 4's Driven, ITV's Pulling Power and BBC World India's Wheels.[3]

2002 to present

File:TopGearNews.jpg
James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson during a news segment

After a period of recording other programmes, Clarkson, along with producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format for Top Gear to the BBC, and a new series began airing in 2002.

The new format incorporated a number of major changes. The show was lengthened to one hour and two new presenters were introduced: Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe. James May replaced Dawe after the first series. The Stig, an anonymous masked racing driver, was introduced as test driver. New segments were also added, including "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car", the "Cool Wall", "Car News", "Power Laps" as well as numerous one-off features such as races, competitions and the frequent destruction of caravans in imaginative ways. The programme is filmed at Dunsfold Park, an active airfield in Surrey, where a custom race circuit was built and a large hangar is used for inside filming. A standing studio audience with whom the presenters interact was also included. With the start of the eighth series in 2006 a new 'presenter' joined the cast, a labradoodle dog named "Top Gear Dog". A regular joke on the program is that the presenter's aren't exactly sure what to do with her, as she gets sick in a moving car, and doesn't like May (Clarkson joked that Top Gear Dog vomited on May before the studio filming of the first episode she appeared in). The dog, a female genuinely called Top Gear or "TG" for short, belongs to Hammond, although, interestingly, Clarkson on the October 13th aired episode of QI also claimed to own a labradoodle. Series 9 was scheduled to air on BBC Two from 8 October and end "sometime in November". However, on 20 September 2006 Richard Hammond was seriously injured while driving a jet-propelled drag-racing car at 280+ mph for a feature for the show. On Sunday 24 September the BBC said: "It also confirmed the final part of the Best of Top Gear had been postponed indefinitely and the new series, due to begin on 8 October, will be delayed", and is not due to air until Richard Hammond is well enough to participate fully. Both the BBC and the Health and Safety Executive are carrying out their own internal enquiries. On 5 October, filming resumed on features for the new series that Richard was not involved with.[4]

Production

The programme is filmed at the Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. The studio is inside a hangar. The audience of up to 400 enthusiasts, who have applied to the BBC for free tickets, stand next to the presenters during the filming, allowing many opportunities for interaction. For the eighth series, the studio was remodelled, with more car-based props on display. The grounds of the airfield is used as the infamous Top Gear Test Track. Details of the layout can be found in the "6.4 Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car" section of this article.

The show is noted for its striking cinematography and high production values.[5]

Theme music

Top Gear has used The Allman Brothers Band's instrumental hit "Jessica" as its theme song for many years. Initially the show used part of the Allmans' recording of the song, but later series of Top Gear use updated cover versions.

As part of a segment in the August 7, 2005 episode, James May recorded a version of "Jessica" using engine sounds from cars including a classic Bugatti, Mazda RX-8, Honda S2000, Fiat Nuova Panda, a single-cylinder dumper truck and an Enzo Ferrari. May's recording was played over the closing credits for that episode. When the song was played for the first time, Richard and Jeremy wasted no time in lampooning James's effort. One particular point of criticism (or bashing) was the Bugatti's note, which Jeremy likened to a fat shop assistant farting. In James's defence, though, the car was apparently running flat that day.

Nominations and awards

In November 2005, Top Gear won an International Emmy in the Non-Scripted Entertainment category.[6] In the episode where the presenters showed the award to the studio audience, Clarkson joked that he was unable to go to New York to receive the award since he was too busy writing the script for that episode.

Top Gear has also been nominated three consecutive years, 2004-2006, for the British Academy Television Awards in the Best Feature category. Host Jeremy Clarkson was also nominated in the best "Entertainment Performance" category in 2006.[7] In 2004 and 2005, Top Gear was also nominated for a National Television Award in the Most Popular Factual Programme category.[8]

Criticism

Top Gear has come under fire on many occasions for promoting irresponsible driving,[9] causing ecological damage, and favouring performance over fuel efficiency and conservation.

Jeremy Clarkson has spurred several controversies in his capacity as a presenter for Top Gear. During the November 13, 2005 episode a news segment featuring BMW's MINI Concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased what Richard Hammond quoted as a "quintessentially British" integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking that they should build a car that is "quintessentially German." He suggested turn signals that displayed Hitler salutes, "a sat-nav that only goes to Poland" in reference to the Nazi invasion of Poland that ultimately started World War II, "und ein fanbelt that will last a thousand years," a reference to Adolf Hitler's propaganda slogan of "the thousand-year Reich". These statements gained negative attention in the British and German news media, such as the UK Daily Mail article which noted that the BBC would follow a formal investigation of any complaints made on the matter.

The BBC compensated a Bristol local parish in 2004 after Clarkson rammed a Toyota Hilux into a landmark tree[10] during a segment on proving the sturdiness and reliability of the truck through a series of torture tests. The parish had no idea the damage had been caused by a BBC television show until the item was aired, believing that it had been an accident or the work of vandals.

The road safety group Transport 2000 has asked the BBC to replace Top Gear[11] with a tamer, more environmentally-friendly "Third Gear." The group's reasons for this demand include claims of "substantial ecological damage" to a peat bog during an off-roading segment and disregard for speed limits in another segment where Clarkson was cited by police. As noted by them: "It is irresponsible, outdated television designed to give comfort to boy-racers."[12]

Top Gear was in negotiations to move to Enstone in northwest Oxfordshire, close to Clarkson's home in Chipping Norton, but has so far been unable to negotiate a deal after their initial application blocked due to opposition by local citizens because of fears that Top Gear would create pollution and noise.[13]

Clarkson has been critical of the BBC. In the February 2006 issue of Top Gear Magazine, Clarkson voiced his opinion that the BBC did not take Top Gear seriously. He also appears to be annoyed with BBC bosses for often replacing the show with snooker, despite Top Gear having considerably higher viewer ratings, and the show's shortening series runs.[14]

In July 2006 the BBC rejected a variety of complaints about issues Top Gear chooses and the way they are covered by Clarkson, Hammond and May. The BBC argued that their "provocative comments are an integral part of the programme and are not intended to be taken seriously." Regarding offensive remarks traded between presenters and members of the audience, the BBC said "this is part of the appeal of the show [and] we trust most viewers are familiar enough with the style and tone of the show not to take offence." The BBC pointed out that they would act if such statements and actions were carried out with any degree of seriousness or if the programme breached legal and safety requirements.[15]

Segments

Races

The show has featured a number of races where Clarkson drives a car against other forms of transport, typically involving Hammond and May taking the same journey by combinations of plane, train, ferry or bus:

In all the above cases Clarkson in the car has won, albeit very marginally on some occasions.

Top Gear regularly reaffirms that the races do take place for real, and that many of the shots used in the film are then recorded over a few days by retracing the journey. In the case of the Bugatti Veyron race, the Stig drove the car back to Italy, although these shots are filmed so that it is not apparent that Clarkson is not driving.[16] High production values meant that this 32-minute feature took 33 16-hour days to edit.[17]

Other races have involved one of the presenters in a car against an athlete:

  • Fiat Nuova Panda with Clarkson driving against a runner AC Muir on a modified London Marathon route on a weekday morning rush hour.
  • Audi RS 4 with Clarkson driving up a mountain road against rock climbers (Leo Houlding and Tim Emmet) climbing the same distance vertically, then racing back down (with the climbers BASE jumping).
  • Renault Clio III with May driving down the narrow streets of Castle of São Jorge's district in Lisbon against Gee Atherton, a downhill bike racer.
  • Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with Hammond racing down a 2-mile long rally course in Cyprus against an army parachutist starting and finishing at the exact same ___location in the air as Hammond was on the ground.
  • A Tomcat, a very powerful Land Rover based 4x4, driven by Hammond, against a jet powered kayak 'driven' by Shaun Baker along an icy stretch of water in Iceland.
  • Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution driven by Norwegian rally champion Henning Solberg with May co-piloting, against Hammond and the Norwegian Olympic Bobsled team, each taking similar routes down a mountain in Lillehammer, Norway.
  • Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Group N rally car and a Bowler Wildcat driven against an all-terrain skateboarder down the "Green mile" an all-terrain boarding course. While the Mitsubishi lost, the Bowler managed to defeat the skateboarder.
  • Ford Transit Anniversary driven by Sabine Schmitz in an attempt to beat Jeremy's time around the Nürburgring Race track in a diesel powered Jaguar S-type. Despite stripping the van and some aerodynamic modifications Sabine still lost by 8 seconds.
  • Peugeot 207 with May driving a six mile course through the streets of Liverpool from a car park to the Liver Building against two traceurs (Daniel Ilabaca and Kerbie). The traceurs won the race, despite James thinking initially he had won, by revealing that they had not only arrived first, but had climbed to the top of the building.
  • Ford SportKa driven by James May against a messenger pigeon. The race was won by the pigeon despite the car being fitted with satnav.

All of these races have been lost by the car, except where noted.

The team have also taken part in a race where Caterham Super Seven driven by the Stig leaves the factory in Caterham, Surrey and has to drive to Scotland's Knockhill Racing Circuit and cross the start/finish line before Clarkson, Hammond and May can build one from scratch in a pit garage at the side of the circuit and get it to the line. Clarkson, Hammond and May won because the Stig was arrested by the Fife police for speeding.

Presenter mocking

As well as amusing banter, argument and mockery with the studio audience, there is much between the presenters themselves. Each host's persona is paid almost as much attention as the cars they review.

Hammond is ribbed for being short and supposedly having had his teeth whitened, and was dubbed by Clarkson as Top Gear's "resident hamster". His work on daytime television following the launch of Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show on ITV1 has brought on allegations of an interest in oddly-shaped vegetables along with subtle ribbing from Clarkson by dubbing him "Phillip Schofield" during the Top Gear Winter Olympic Special, and referring to a Hammond versus May competition as "daytime versus primetime."

May earned the nickname "Captain Slow" because of a comparatively slow driving style, his refusal to run on camera, and a tendency to lose any competition where speed is the measure of victory. Before transmission of May's documentary about sharks aired on Sky One, Clarkson presented a photograph of May in a wetsuit mocking his hair and the size of his penis.

Clarkson is noted for his inconsistent yet strong opinions and ego, as well as his terrible dress sense. The other presenters also made fun of his Ford GT, which he bought for £126,000 and which has continually broken down. He returned the car to Ford Motor Company for a refund,[18] then later repurchased the car, and it appeared in the 27 November, 2005 episode of the show. In May 2006, Clarkson admitted he had never completed a single round-trip journey in the car without breaking down. In the October 2006 issue of Top Gear magazine, James May alludes that Clarkson may be selling the GT for a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. The other presenters also alude to Clarkson's apparent need for 'power'.[19]

Reviews

Top Gear normally reviews one new car, or group of cars, each week. They often take place in dramatic or interesting locations. Group tests normally involve the three presenters debating the merits and weaknesses of each car.

Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car

File:TopGearDamonHill.jpg
Damon Hill appearing as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car

During most programmes, a celebrity – usually of British fame – is interviewed by Clarkson. Discussion is normally amusing, and focuses on car-related matters, such as the celebrity's car history. Then Clarkson, the guest and the studio audience watch the guest's fastest lap on the Top Gear test track. For the first seven series of its current incarnation, the car driven was a Suzuki Liana. The car used is stock, except a roll cage and racing seats have been added as safety measures. Each guest first practices with the Stig and is then allowed a number of attempts to make his or her way around the test track in the fastest time. However, the star doesn't learn of his or her lap time until they are interviewed, and guests are often visibly anxious awaiting their results while in the studio. Practice laps, crashes and the drivers' facial expressions are also shown for amusement.

File:Top Gear Test Track.jpg
Map of the Top Gear Test Track

The two slowest laps on the Liana celebrity list are held by Terry Wogan and the late Richard Whiteley, both of whom were beaten by completely blind Bosnia war veteran Billy Baxter, who wrenched the Liana through the track under directions from Clarkson in the passenger seat.

The Liana endured considerable abuse from the stars when undertaking their laps, often to the delight and amusement of the hosts and the audience. In one famous incident actor Michael Gambon clipped the final corner almost rolling the car. It was done in such a spectacular fashion that the corner was henceforth named "Gambon Corner". When Lionel Richie drove the car, one of the front wheels fell off. Trevor Eve also lost a wheel, invoking Clarkson to coin the term "pulling a Lionel." British transport minister Stephen Ladyman added further injury to the Liana by denting the boot when he lost control during practice and slid backwards into a tyre wall. David Soul managed to destroy the clutch of two Lianas during his time on the show due to his unfamiliarity with manual cars. Christopher Eccleston was the only celebrity to use a Liana with an automatic transmission, because a hesitant Eccleston admitted he was "only qualified to drive an automatic." To accommodate his needs, Top Gear succeeded in borrowing an automatic Liana, of which only 40 existed in the UK. As a reference to his role in Doctor Who, the automatic Liana was shown materialising onto the racing track, with a TARDIS materialisation sound effect played over it.

The Liana has also been modified on several occasions. David Soul's Lianas featured a red police light and a white stripe in reference to his Starsky and Hutch days. Johnny Vegas was provided with 'L' plates as he hadn't passed his driving test at the time. When Justin Hawkins came on the show, the Liana he drove had flame decals pasted on it. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar had an ornate tissue box placed in the back, as a homage to Asian drivers.

In its service, the Liana covered 1600 laps of the circuit, and its tyres and brakes were changed 400 times.

In July 2005, a Formula One driver appeared on the show for the first time as the star. All Formula One drivers are put into their own list with regard to lap times because of their exceptional skill level. In addition, the Liana was pulled out from retirement to allow Jenson Button to make a time, and Clarkson noted that the Liana would be pulled out for use by Formula 1 drivers in the future.

Both Stigs, the original black Stig and the current white Stig had done laps around the track in the Suzuki Liana. Topping the list for the Liana was the white Stig (1:44.4) who took the car out during the 2nd episode of series 8.

Liana leader board:

  1. 1:44.4 – The Stig (Current White Stig)
  2. 1:44.6 – Nigel Mansell5
  3. 1:44.7 – Jenson Button5
  4. 1:46.0 – The Stig (Original Black Stig)
  5. 1:46.3 – Damon Hill5
  6. 1:46.7 – Ellen MacArthur
  7. 1:46.9 – Jimmy Carr
  8. 1:47.1 – Simon Cowell
  9. 1:47.3 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
  10. 1:47.5 – Mark Webber3,5
  11. 1:47.8 – Ian Wright
  12. 1:47.9 – Chris Evans
  13. 1:47.9 – Rory Bremner
  14. 1:48.0 – Justin Hawkins
  15. 1:48.0 – Jodie Kidd
  16. 1:48.0 – Jason Kay
  17. 1:48.0 – Paul McKenna
  18. 1:48.0 – Trevor Eve
  19. 1:48.0 – Patrick Kielty
  20. 1:48.6 – Rob Brydon
  21. 1:48.8 – Stephen Ladyman
  22. 1:49.0 – Neil Morrissey
  23. 1:49.6 – Roger Daltrey1
  24. 1:50.0 – Jeremy Clarkson

1 Moist track 2 Wet track 3 Very wet track 4 Blind 5 Formula one driver 6Unlicenced

Starting with the eighth series, the Liana replaced by a Chevrolet Lacetti, with a new blank scoreboard. The format was changed so that each star would have five practice laps, and then a final timed lap, with no allowance being given for mishaps.

As a starter for the new car and format, an open day was held for any celebrity who wanted to take part. Seven stars recorded times that day: James Hewitt (who the presenters failed to recognise and called "well spoken man") comedians Alan Davies and Jimmy Carr, rock stars Rick Wakeman and Justin Hawkins, footballer Les Ferdinand, and actor Trevor Eve who topped the time at 1 minute 47.0 seconds. Jimmy Carr, who had held the record in the Liana until beaten by Ellen McArthur, spun out while doing his timed lap and got the slowest time ever around the track at 2 minute 8.91 seconds.

Lacetti leader board:

  1. 1:46.38 – Gordon Ramsay
  2. 1:47.09 – Trevor Eve
  3. 1:47.41 – Les Ferdinand
  4. 1:47.69 – James Hewitt
  5. 1:48.00 – Ewan McGregor
  6. 1:48.44 – Justin Hawkins
  7. 1:50.30 – Michael Gambon
  8. 1:50.53 – Alan Davies
  9. 1:50.90 – Steve Coogan4
  10. 1:51.40 – Ray Winstone4
  11. 1.54.35 – Philip Glenister2
  12. 1:55.26 – Rick Wakeman
  13. 2:01:00 – Brian Cox
  14. 2:08.91 – Jimmy Carr

1 Moist track 2 Wet track 3 Very wet track 4 Hot weather

Note: Aside from driver ability, the Top Gear hosts estimate a wet track as yielding an average time four seconds slower than a dry track surface. "Moist" and "very wet" can be estimated accordingly. Most drivers drive the car alone. However, Clarkson carried his co-hosts, Hammond and Dawe during his timed run. Trinny and Susannah were both present in the car for the other's lap, as were Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen. Clarkson also rode along with Billy Baxter, navigating for him.

Power Laps

File:TopGearStig.jpg
The Stig driving a Pagani Zonda F

In the Power Laps segment, the Stig completes a lap around the Top Gear test track to gauge the performance of various cars.

The car raced by the Stig is usually a car that was reviewed by one of the presenters that episode, but sometimes it is a car reviewed from a previous programme. There are two separate lists, one for production cars and one for non-production cars.

There is a separate unofficial board of times for non-production car times. The qualifications for the normal Power Lap Board is that the car being tested must be a road-worthy car.[20][need quotation to verify] For example, the Ariel Atom managed to squeak by onto the Power Lap board only because it could get over a speed bump.[21] The four times include:

  1. 0:31.2 – BAE Sea Harrier
  2. 0:59.0 – Renault R24 Formula 1 Car
  3. 1:08.6 – Aston Martin DBR9
  4. 1.19.0 – Radical

Note: The following laps were clocked with the tested vehicle configured for maximum performance. That is to say, all adjustable suspensions were set at their most efficient, all gear shift maps were at their most aggressive, and driving aids such as traction control were deactivated. These lap times do not offer entirely reliable comparisons between the cars - the conditions are far from controlled.

  1. 1:17.6 – Koenigsegg CCX (w/TG wing)
  2. 1:18.4 – Pagani Zonda F
  3. 1:18.9 – Maserati MC12
  4. 1.19.0 – Ferrari Enzo Ferrari
  5. 1:19.5 – Ariel Atom 2 300
  6. 1:19.8 – Porsche Carrera GT
  7. 1:20.4 – Koenigsegg CCX (Original)5
  8. 1:20.7 – Ascari KZ1
  9. 1:20.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
  10. 1:21.9 – Ford GT
  11. 1:22.3 – Ferrari 360 CS
  12. 1:22.3 – Porsche 911 GT3 RS
  13. 1:22.4 – Chevrolet Corvette Z06
  14. 1:22.5 – Noble M15
  15. 1:22.6 – Westfield XTR25
  16. 1:22.9 – Ferrari F430 F1
  17. 1:23.2 – Ferrari F430 Spider F1
  18. 1:23.7 – Lamborghini Murciélago
  19. 1:23.8 – Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.31
  20. 1:23.9 – Koenigsegg CC8S
  21. 1:24.3 – Prodrive P2
  22. 1:24.6 – TVR Sagaris
  23. 1:24.8 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-400
  24. 1:24.8 – TVR Tuscan Mk.II
  25. 1:25.0 – Noble M12 GTO-3R
  26. 1:25.1 – Lotus Exige S
  27. 1:25.7 – Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
  28. 1:25.8 – Lamborghini Gallardo2
  29. 1:25.9 – Morgan Aero 8 GTN
  30. 1:26.0 – BMW Z4 M Roadster
  31. 1:26.0 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-320
  32. 1:26.2 – BMW M5
  33. 1:26.4 – Lotus Exige1
  34. 1:26.7 – Porsche Cayman S
  35. 1:26.8 – Chevrolet Corvette
  36. 1:26.8 – Ferrari 575M Maranello HGTC

1 (Mildly) moist track (the presenters claim this negatively affects track times by around 2 seconds

2 Wet track (the presenters claim this negatively affects track times by around 4 seconds)

3 Very wet track (the presenters claim this negatively affects track times by around 6 seconds)

4 Foggy conditions

5 Removed from board.[22][23] [24][need quotation to verify][25]

Note: The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1001 bhp (746 kW) Bugatti Veyron, has not yet been taken around the track by the Stig. According to Hammond, this is because Bugatti has not given Top Gear permission to run the car through a power lap (yet).[26]

The presenters joke about Koenigsegg being too difficult to spell and pronounce, so they used extra long magnetic strips to write the times for these cars on. Koenigsegg was intentionally misspelt in an exaggerated fashion as Koenignogseggseggseggggabbaseggviking. Both Koenigseggs on the power board have long strips, with slightly different spelling on each.

The Cool Wall

The Cool Wall is a board where Clarkson and Hammond decide which cars are cool, and which aren't, and has nothing to do with how good or bad a car is. The categories are Sub Zero, Cool, Uncool, and Seriously Uncool. Initially, part of that coolness factor rested on the extent to which the presenters believed each car would impress English actress Kristin Scott Thomas. More recently, BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce has replaced Scott Thomas as their notional judge, after Kristin Scott Thomas said in a conversation with Clarkson that she owned a Honda Civic, which was deemed uncool, and preferred a red Bentley Continental GT over the Aston Martin DB9.

The Aston Martin DB9 was judged too cool for the whole wall: it was put in a little fridge called the DB9 Section. Since then, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage joined the DB9 (at least, until a footballer buys one). Another unusual judgment was the 2005 BMW 3 Series (E90): the presenters considered it was so ugly and just a "lump of car", so they decided they couldn't be bothered to put it on the wall.

There are some rules to the cool wall, although all seem to be flexible:

  • Supercars are automatically uncool or seriously uncool, as there are few cool people who could actually afford one. An exception is the Koenigsegg CCX which is cool on account of its scariness.
  • Diesel-powered cars are never cool.
  • Cars owned by any of the Top Gear presenters aren't cool. This applies for uncool celebrities and footballers, as well.
  • Small European cars, particularly French cars, are cool.
  • People carriers are never cool, because it's not a car people want to have; it's a car people need to have.
  • Hybrids are seriously uncool (the Toyota Prius is hanging off the edge)
  • Everything with a Skoda badge on it is considered to be seriously uncool, the picture of the Skoda Fabia represents all Skodas.

Clarkson often puts the cars at the top of the wall if Hammond disagrees with him, so that the much shorter Hammond cannot reach to change it. For the first time, on the November 27, 2005 programme, the presenters came to blows over the placement of a car on the Cool Wall (the BMW M6) and it led to Hammond eating part of the picture. The situation was reversed after Clarkson slipped two discs in his back, and was unable to bend low enough to reach Hammond's low-lying pictures. Hammond has been known to stand on a box to move an offending picture. Another occasion resulted in an actual fight between Clarkson and Hammond that lead into the audience.

After Clarkson placed an order for a new Ford GT, all the Ford vehicles on the board gradually progressed up towards 'Sub-Zero' after it was announced that Ford would be carefully selecting who received the small number of GTs sold in the UK. Clarkson's tactics worked, and he eventually purchased a Ford GT, which of course ended up as Uncool, on the grounds that Clarkson owns one.

Clarkson is also particularly fond of Alfa Romeo, once making the statement "You cannot be a true petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa. Until you've experienced that rollercoaster of pain, disappointment, and agony for that brief moment when everything works and you're on a nice road". As a result of this, a large number of the Alfas on the wall are grouped towards the "Cool" end. In 2005, The Alfa Romeo Brera's time came to the cool wall, and all three of the presenters agreed that it was not only the best looking car that money could buy, but Jeremy went as far as saying "I only have to imagine this in black, in tan leather, and I'm nursing a semi".

1Never actually posted on the wall, deemed so uncool that the presenters couldn't be bothered.
2Deemed so cool that it was placed in its own fridge past the sub-zero section. The V8 Vantage was also subsequently added to the fridge.
3Removed From Wall[27]

Caravan destruction

Top Gear has a running joke about their hatred of caravans. Various stunts have seen caravans destroyed by:

  • Dropping one onto a Toyota Hilux to prove the truck's indestructibility.
  • Towing one to the point of aerodynamically-induced structural failure using a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in an attempt to set a world speed record for towing a caravan.
  • Dropping one from a crane after it failed to set the world speed record for towing a caravan
  • Clarkson towing one at full speed, upside down, along a runway with a Birds-Hartge performance-enhanced V8 Range Rover.
  • Using a caravan as the bullseye on a giant car throwing dart board.
  • Having a Volvo jump over them.
  • Jumping a Lincoln Town Car Stretched Limo over a wedding party consisting of chairs, altar, cake, the guests' cars and their caravans - the limo didn't quite make it and smashed into the caravans.
  • Burning one with the exhaust of a jet powered drag racing car.
  • Going on a caravanning holiday, in Dorset. Damage to the caravan was inflicted by hitting a bollard at a petrol station, and partially demolishing a neighbouring caravan's awning while trying to park. The trip ends with Clarkson "accidentally" causing a chip pan fire inside the caravan. The presenters' attempts to extinguish the fire cause the previously damaged awning to be destroyed. The caravan itself was reduced to a burnt-out shell which was towed away at the end of the show.
  • Smashing one with a weight dropped from a crane while towing it past the crane, using lifesize radio-controlled cars.
  • Attempting to jump the above radio controlled cars over one, but failing and crashing in to it.
  • May and Hammond played "caravan conkers" with a selection of caravans painted to look like horse chestnuts. The caravans were suspended from cranes and swung at each other, as in the game of conkers, until each player's selection of three caravans was destroyed. May and Hammond pretended to take the game very seriously, taking great care to select which caravans to play against each other on the basis of weight, chassis strength, bodywork construction and interior design.
  • Using a gas powered cannon which fires cars to shoot an assortment of used cars at a caravan parked on a large dart board on the floor of a quarry. it took 4 attempts but on the finale attempt Richard Hammond managed to land a volvo on the caravan.

Car of the Year

Each year, the show presents a "Car of the Year" for the best new car in that year. Winners have included:

Top Gear Survey

Every year, Top Gear conducts a survey which consults thousands of UK residents on their car-ownership satisfaction. While for legal reasons, the survey is now conducted via the magazine, the results are still used on the show. The survey which used to be done in conjunction with J.D. Power, is now conducted by Experian.

Criteria

The survey asks respondents to score cars on the following criteria:

  • Build quality (22%)
  • Craftsmanship (22%)
  • Driving experience (19%)
  • Ownership costs (17%)
  • Customer care (20%)

Rankings

Based on the above criteria, here are best and worst ranked cars from the survey.


References

  1. ^ "Ellen on BBC TWO’S Top Gear." Team Ellen. 2 December 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
  2. ^ "BBC indefinitely postpones Top Gear". Reuters. 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  3. ^ "Road shows." Jason Deans. 24 November 2004. Accessed 1 January 2006
  4. ^ "BBC News - Filming resumes on Top Gear show." 5 October 2006
  5. ^ IMDb user comments for "Top Gear" retrieved September 21, 2006
  6. ^ "BBC picks up two International Emmy Awards." BBC. 23 November 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
  7. ^ "This year's nominations." BAFTA. Accessed 18 April 2006.
  8. ^ "Awards for "Top Gear"." IMDb. Accessed 1 January 2006.
  9. ^ "'Petrolheads' under attack." BBC. 12 April 2005. Accessed 28 December 2005.
  10. ^ "BBC stumps up for tree stunt." BBC. 21 February 2004. Accessed 9 January 2006.
  11. ^ "Campaigners say scrap Top Gear and replace it with ‘Third Gear’ version promoting sensible driving." Transport 2000. 11 April2005. Accessed 9 January2006.
  12. ^ Top Gear's chequered past BBC News Thursday, 21 September 2006
  13. ^ "Villagers put the brake on Top Gear." Telegraph. 20 February 2006. Accessed 20 February 2006.
  14. ^ "Clarkson's right on cue." Top Gear Magazine. 1 February 2006. Accessed 6 March 2006.
  15. ^ BBC. ""Top Gear - General approach taken by the programme"". Retrieved 2006-08-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |month=, |accessmonthday=, and |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ Top Gear TV: Bugatti vs. Plane Top Gear|Galleries
  17. ^ Clarkson's right on cue Top Gear Website
  18. ^ Clarkson asks for money back The Times Online
  19. ^ Top Gear Season 7, Episode 5 2005.12.11 James May: Now normally when we have these races, Jeremy goes into the car and says Poowweerrr!! alot,....
  20. ^ Top Gear Season 5, Episode 8 2004.12.19
  21. ^ Top Gear Season 5, Episode 9 2004.12.26 Jeremy Clarkson: ...the test we have for the power board where only road cars can go on is that whether they can go over a speed bump, that you can use them on the road.
  22. ^ Top Gear Season 4, Episode 4 2004.05.30. Jeremy Clarkson: "It's only a bit faster than the old one, at 1:30.0. It's actually slower than the OLD Evo VIII FQ...b..300...MR" *Throws the old time magnets away*
  23. ^ Top Gear Season 5, Episode 4 2004.11.14. Richard Hammond: "Where does it compare to the old one?" Jeremy Clarkson: "It's at 1:32 but it was the wettest day we've ever had so you can't do anything about that..." *Throws the old time magnets away*
  24. ^ Top Gear Season 3, Episode 4 2003.11.16
  25. ^ Top Gear Season 8, Episode 4 2006.05.28. Jeremy Clarkson: "This, 1:24.0, the old Koenigsegg lap, we don't need it anymore." *Throws the time magnet away*
  26. ^ Top Gear Season 8, Episode 2 2006.05.14 Richard Hammond: You know, I think the only time that the Zonda F is gonna get knocked off the board is when Bugatti finally let us put a Veyron on our track.
  27. ^ Top Gear Season 2, Episode 1 2003.05.11. Jeremy Clarkson threw the card away after learning from Hammond that Renault ceased production of the Avantime after selling only "260"
  28. ^ Top Gear Season 5, Episode 7 2004.12.11. Clarkson: But... but... that is not the end of proceedings. Because while the Golf is a very worthy car, it wasn't our favourite car from 2004. Hammond: That's why we decided to have a new award, for the car which we would most like to own.[...]Clarkson: But... there can only be one winner. And it is... THE ASTON MARTIN DB9!!! That's our favourite car! Earlier this year, the (Land Rover) Discovery beat a mountain, but in our race from Guildford to Monte Carlo, the Aston beat a 200mph train. It is utterly fabulous, in every way.
 
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