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5 unusual facts about Top Gear


Jaguar X-Type

In contrast, Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's Top Gear has repeatedly lauded the car, especially the 4×4 and sport versions.

Kilner jar

In a episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are, Top Gear television presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, found out that he was the great, great, great, great grandson of John Kilner.

Miniatur Wunderland

Miniatur Wunderland has featured on the British Television Series James May's Toy Stories twice, with Sebastian and Gerrit helping BBC Top Gear presenter James May building a 00 scale Hornby model railway along the abandoned railway, The Tarka Trail in Barnstaple to Bideford.

Nissan Hardbody Truck

Jeremy Clarkson used a modified Hardbody Truck in Top Gear and tried to cross the English Channel and made it without sinking in the water.

Opel Kadett A

On the British motoring show Top Gear, Richard Hammond drove a 1963 Kadett A through the middle of Botswana during a 2007 challenge.


Amanda Hamilton

Amanda's first real break as a broadcaster came in the UK when she appeared as a nutritionist on the BBC program Should I Worry About...? in 2006, which was presented by Top Gear and Total Wipeout front-man Richard Hammond.

Autocar

Former Autocar writers have included Russell Bulgin, Chris Harris and Top Gear presenter James May, who was fired from the magazine in 1992, for putting a hidden message in a supplement, hinting at the tedium he had experienced, whilst compiling it.

British Rail Class 31

The same individual purchased three more of the class from EWS, but they acquired new owners; 31107 (scrapped by C F Booth at Rotherham in May 2009, following a crash with a Renault Espace on a level crossing during Top Gear Series 9, Episode 5 in 2006), 31289 (preserved at the Northampton & Lamport Railway), and 31301 (in store).

Caerleon Endowed Junior School

Top Gear presenter James May attended the school in his childhood, during the 1970s.

Cnoc an Fhreiceadain

In 2004 as part of the BBC's Top Gear motoring programme, Jeremy Clarkson drove a Land Rover Discovery 3 from sea level to the top of Cnoc an Fhreiceadain.

Colin Goodwin

Colin is married and has one daughter and is also a friend of Top Gear presenter and ex-Autocar staff member James May.

Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza

Following a broadcast of the television programme Top Gear on 30 January 2011, during which the presenters made several derogatory slurs depicting a stereotypical portrayal of Mexican culture and people, Medina-Mora wrote to the BBC about comments made by Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May about himself and Mexico, demanding a public apology from the BBC.

Eskil Ervik

In "Top Gear Winter Olympics Special" Jeremy Clarkson raced with Jaguar XK8 against Ervik in a 1500m (three lap) race around a speed-skating track.

Ferrari 641

Tiff Needell drove the 641 on Top Gear in 1995 in a segment where his co-host Jeremy Clarkson tested a Ferrari F50 and did a drag race against Needell in the 641 and some comparisons as well.

Festival Place

The centre was used by BBC's Top Gear (Series 12, Episode 6) by Jeremy Clarkson who was road testing a Ford Fiesta 2008 whilst being chased by "Baddies" in a Chevrolet Corvette.

Fife Constabulary

Traffic Officers from the Force made an appearance on the UK motoring show Top Gear, during the Caterham Challenge, pulling over the show's test driver, The Stig, and arresting him for speeding.

Forza Motorsport 5

It features Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond from Top Gear for the game's commentary when choosing a new event, championship, or league.

FV433 Abbot SPG

The comedian Ross Noble revealed on the 3 July 2011 edition of BBC motoring show Top Gear that he owns and operates an FV433.

Howling Laud Hope

In 2003 Hope appeared on Top Gear during the second episode of series 2, in its feature/challenge searching for 'Britain's fastest Political Party' — he came last.

Hybrid rocket

In the February 18, 2007 episode of Top Gear, a Reliant Robin was used by Richard Hammond and James May in an attempt to modify a normal K-reg Robin into a reusable space shuttle.

Jet car

In 2006, while filming an episode for the series Top Gear, presenter and driver Richard Hammond was critically injured in a crash with the jet dragster, Vampire, that he was piloting.

Keiichi Tsuchiya

He also made an appearance opposite Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson in a Motorworld in Japan special showing drifting competition in the late 1980s in Japan.

Leeds General Infirmary

Between 20 September 2006 and 28 September 2006 the Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was treated at the hospital after suffering critical injuries as a result of a jet power car crash whilst filming at the airfield at ex-RAF Elvington near York.

Mercedes-Benz W201

This was demonstrated in a Top Gear episode (S15E02) where James May took a 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth and repeatedly confused reverse and first gear.

Owning an Electric Car

Owning an Electric Car (ISBN 978-1-907670-01-5) is a yearbook by eco-technology author Michael Boxwell, with foreword written by British motoring journalist and former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson.

RAF Cosford

RAF Cosford was the location for James May's Toy Stories, where the BBC's Top Gear presenter constructed a 1:1 scale Supermarine Spitfire completely out of Airfix with the help of students from the Thomas Telford school and Air Cadets from the ATC.

Renault Avantime

In 2008, the Avantime was featured on the British motoring show Top Gear, where the presenters modified the performance of a used Avantime, attempting to lap the test track faster than an Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Renault R25

In Episode 8 of Series 10 of the BBC show Top Gear, presenter Richard Hammond drove the R25 around Stowe Circuit at Silverstone, completing two laps.

REVA

On the British motoring show Top Gear, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond on BBC, the G-Wiz (as REVAi is known in the UK) has been the object of much ridicule.

Sean McMorrow

He appeared on season 14 episode 4 of Top Gear as a Belfast ice hockey player supposedly being hit by Jeremy Clarkson in a Renault Twingo as the presenter was driving it around the Belfast Odyssey ice during a scrimmage.

Simpson Performance Products

The similarly designed "Diamondback" is notably worn by The Stig from the BBC TV Top Gear series.

Slapp Happy

However, on June 25 Slapp Happy recorded a Top Gear session for the BBC, enlisting the help of former or current Cow members Geoff Leigh, Fred Frith and Lindsay Cooper, plus Robert Wyatt, who contributed guest vocals and percussion to a version of Blegvad's "A Little Something" from Casablanca Moon.

Steve Pizzati

In February 2009, Pizzati joined Top Gear UK hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond for ten performances of the Top Gear Live stadium show held at Acer Arena in Sydney.

Swear box

An episode of the Australian sitcom Hey Dad..! also featured a swear box and the concept was used in relation to a review of a car in Series 10, Episode 6 of Top Gear in 2007.

Taylor Auerbach

Auerbach also broke Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson's now infamous tirade at a group of Sydney paparazzi, in which he compared Australians to convicts.

Tim Schrick

From September 2006 until end of 2008, along with Sabine Schmitz and Carsten van Ryssen, he has hosted a motoring program on German television channel DMAX known as D Motor, similar to the BBC's Top Gear.

TVN Turbo

It broadcasts original programming as well as foreign series such as popular BBC series Top Gear and Motorvision.

Volvo B8444S engine

As revealed in BBC's Top Gear show (Series 14 Episode 5) this basic engine is also used in the Noble M600, albeit longitudinally mounted, developing some 650 horsepower with the addition of 2 turbochargers.

Waters of Nazareth

It was played in episode 5 of series 13 of Top Gear, when Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May drove three cheap rear wheel drive cars in an ice race in France.

Yasuyuki Kazama

Kazama is also known in the United Kingdom for his only mainstream TV appearance outside Japan in the BBC2 show, Top Gear which he teaches Richard Hammond drifting in a stock Vauxhall Monaro VX-R.


see also

Amateur rocketry

During Series 9, Episode 4 of the BBC's Top Gear, presenters Richard Hammond and James May were given 12 days to convert a Reliant Robin into a re-usable space shuttle.

Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil

Daniel Wildenstein – Gopal (1969), Top Gear (1977), Paiute (1979, 1980), World Citizen (1982), Vaporetto (1999)

Grinnall Scorpion III

Roger Cook, who is a Grinnall III owner, was annoyed when Top Gear magazine showed the car cornering on two wheels.

Henning Solberg

With Top Gear presenter James May as his "co-driver," Solberg made it 1:02:24 in the Evo while the bobsled (with presenter Richard Hammond in it) beat Solberg with a time of 59:68.

MPH Show

The Mph '06, the show was presented by Jeremy Clarkson and James May (Top Gear Presenters) and Tiff Needell (Fifth Gear Presenter) who was drafted in to cover for Richard Hammond who could not make the show due to his crash.

Portofino

Portofino also featured on Top Gear in Episode 5, Series 12 where Richard Hammond, in a Ferrari Daytona raced James May in a carbon fibre powerboat from Portofino to St Tropez.

Shelbourne Park

Shelbourne Park appeared in the British motoring programme, Top Gear where Richard Hammond using a Mazda MX5 raced against a greyhound around the track.

Top Gear Australia: Ashes Special

Other challenges include a drag race between a Holden VE Commodore ute and a standard looking Ford Transit van customised (unknowingly to the Australian presenters) with a Jaguar XJ220 engine, and the double car race seen in Series 11 of Top Gear UK.

Top Gear Rally

The electronic XM music was composed by Barry Leitch, who also worked on Super Nintendo Top Gear releases.

Triumph Mayflower

Although it has many admirers, others share the opinion of Top Gear presenter James May, who called it the ugliest car of all time.

Weston under Penyard

On the edge of the village is Bollitree Castle, which is currently owned by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.