Top Gear (series 17) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The seventeenth series of British motoring program Top Gear began on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

and BBC HD

BBC HD

BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...

, on June 26, 2011, with the usual presenting team of Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson

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

, Richard Hammond

Richard Hammond

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

, James May

James May

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

and The Stig

The Stig

The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...

Episodes

#	Episode	Airdate	Guest
134	Series 17, Episode 1	26 June 2011	Alice Cooper Alice Cooper Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
Feature: Richard is given the task of road testing the Marauder, a South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... n military vehicle. He attempts to find similarities and differences between it and the Hummer Hummer Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were... before subjecting it to a series of tests, including how to maneuver out of a supermarket parking space, how to drive it through a crowded town, and what would happen to it if seven pounds of Semtex Semtex Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am... were to be detonated under the car. After the Hummer is completely destroyed by the explosives, Richard performs the same test to the Marauder, only to have the car survive and drive away from the explosion. Review: Jeremy reviews the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, comparing it to the original Volkswagen Golf GTI Volkswagen Golf Mk1 In May 1974, Volkswagen presented the first-generation Golf as a modern front-wheel-drive, hatchback replacement for the Volkswagen Beetle.-History:... , the Porsche Cayman R Porsche Cayman The Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second generation Boxster convertible. Like the Boxster, most Caymans were assembled in Finland for Porsche... and the Lotus Evora S Lotus Evora The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name Project Eagle, was launched as the Evora on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show.- Development :... . By the end of the review, he is very pleased with everything about it, even though Hammond can't justify the £40,000 price tag. It sets a lap time of 1:25.00, about 0.3 seconds faster than a 4-door BMW M3 BMW M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles... , despite the damp track condition. News: The trio talk about the new MG 6 MG 6 The MG6 is a mid-size car built by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, derived from the Roewe 550 and hence distantly related to the Rover 75, sharing its front subframe... , criticizing its looks and it being a rebadging of the Roewe 550 Roewe 550 The Roewe 550 is a car produced by Roewe in the People's Republic of China launched at the April 2008 Beijing Motor Show. The 550 is reported to be derived from the MG Rover RDX60 project which was under development when MG Rover failed.The car, codenamed W261 during development, is the work of a... . Clarkson then goes on to discuss a website he has found, which informs people how many models of a particular type of car are still on the road in the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... . He reports that there are hardly any old MGs, but there are plenty of classic Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... s. James also discusses the new MINI coupé, which the trio strongly criticize because of the claim that it would be "styled to look like a baseball cap used backwards". Feature: Clarkson pays homage to the Jaguar E-type Jaguar E-type The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... on its 50th birthday, driving an E-Type Speedster to a hilltop convention where over 100 E-Types have gathered in celebration. He claims that every model was fantastic, and it was possibly the best-looking car ever. He also unveils a new model, which has been updated for the 21st century, but he is startled by its £500,000 price tag. Feature: James returns to Lillehammer Lillehammer is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was... in Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... in a bid to clear up some unfinished business. He gathers a MINI John Cooper Works WRC, MINI test driver Kris Meeke Kris Meeke Kris Meeke is a professional rally driver. He was the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion. His current co-driver is Paul Nagle... and skeleton Skeleton (sport) Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding... sled racer Amy Williams Amy Williams Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath... in an attempt to prove that a car can be faster than a bobsleigh. May was beaten on his previous attempt by Hammond's bobsleigh team, but this time he manages to beat Amy Williams by a matter of seconds. Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Rock legend Alice Cooper Alice Cooper Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades... sets a time of 1:56.3, becoming the second slowest star to drive around the track in the Kia Cee'd Kia cee'd The Kia Cee'd is a front wheel drive small family car released in the European market by the Korean manufacturer Kia Motors in December 2006—superseding the Kia Spectra—and available as a five-door hatchback, three-door hatchback , and five-door estate with a choice of up to four... .
135	Series 17, Episode 2	3 July 2011	Ross Noble Ross Noble Ross Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
Review: James rants about almost all Aston Martins, claiming that they all ride too hard because Aston develops all of their cars at the Nürburgring Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... . He then reviews the Aston Martin Virage Aston Martin Virage The Virage was Aston Martin's replacement for the decades-old V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and the name of the standard car was changed to V8 in 1996.... , at first praising the build quality and its handling, saying that it's sharper than Aston Martin DB9 Aston Martin DB9 -DB9 Volante:The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupe. It is built by hand in limited numbers and has enhanced styling. It is powered by the same 6.0 litre, DOHC 48 valve V12 as the DB9 and is completed with 470 bhp and a top speed of 186 mph... , but not as hardcore as the DBS Aston Martin DBS The Aston Martin DBS is a GT car produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Limited. Originally produced from 1967–72, it featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service... . However, when he took the Virage for a ride around the Top Gear test facility, he was very cross about the uncomfortable ride. In the hands of The Stig, the Virage sets a lap time of 1:24.4 News: The hosts talk about the new Aston Martin V12 Zagato Aston Martin V12 Zagato The Aston Martin V12 Zagato is an endurance racing concept car made by Aston Martin in collaboration with Zagato to celebrate a 50 year partnership since the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato... , which prompts James to complain about the number of new cars being developed at the Nürburgring. Clarkson Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May... introduces the Citroën DS5 Citroën DS5 The Citroën DS5 is a compact executive car by French automaker Citroën that will go on sale across Europe in late 2011. It will be the third model in the new premium sub-brand DS and will run alongside its mainstream cars. The DS5 was revealed at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in April.The DS5 mixes... , and then discusses the faces of new Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion... and Kia Optima Kia Optima The Kia Optima is a mid-size four-door sedan manufactured by Kia Motors since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was used in Europe and Canada when sales began there in 2002... , and positive camber on the rear wheels of the Vauxhall Insignia. Clarkson then brings up the topic of modern Jaguar E-Type Jaguar E-type The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... s, with a Jaguar XK Jaguar XK The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible... redesigned by a Swiss company named "Growler", which Hammond states is "the welcome mat of a lady from the 1970s Pubic hair Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region.... ". The trio then trade off various quips, with Clarkson commenting on how there will be a "trimmed down version", and May suggesting how awkward it will sound when a bloke says "I'm going to the garage to wax the Growler" as well as Clarkson imitating the horror of the car's Swiss designers, who had never heard what "Growler" actually meant. Challenge: The team attempt to compare three of the latest hot hatchbacks by subjecting them to a series of challenges during a journey across the Italian Riviera. Clarkson believes he has found the perfect machine in the Citroën DS3 Racing, while May attempts to prove the sincerity of the Renaultsport Clio Cup. Hammond is mocked, however, when he arrives in an Abarth 500C, which is not really a hot hatchback. The team begin by attempting to find out which of them can reach the edge of Lucca Lucca Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca... the quickest, by traversing a series of extremely skinny and complicated roads. Clarkson manages to get out first, followed by Hammond, however, May gets lost and ends up stuck on top of the city wall. The team must then complete a scavenger hunt in less than six hours, retrieving items from the road-side and shops, without any money being allowed to change hands. Clarkson and May manage to find all of the required items, however, Hammond fails to collect three items: a vine, an ice cube and a dog. The team then take part in one final challenge, in which they must attempt to set a their fastest lap round the Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in... . James is guided by Flavio Briatore Flavio Briatore Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. During the 1980s, he was convicted for multiple counts of fraud, receiving two prison sentences, only one of which he served. As a fugitive from Italy, he set up restaurants and then a number of successful Benneton franchises in the Virgin Islands and the... , Richard by Christian Horner Christian Horner Christian Horner is the team manager of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, a position he has held since 2005... and Jeremy by Bernie Ecclestone Bernie Ecclestone Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary... . Jeremy manages to complete the fastest lap. In the studio, Clarkson is declared the winner, compared to Hammond who scored only 5 points due to abandoning his car during the Lucca challenge, failing to collect all of the items during the scavenger hunt, although he did post a faster time than May on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit (But was given a 5 point penalty due to bringing a convertible) . Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Comedian Ross Noble Ross Noble Ross Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You... sets a time of 1:43.5, becoming the second fastest man on the leaderboard.
136	Series 17, Episode 3	10 July 2011	Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
Review: Jeremy reviews the McLaren MP4-12C McLaren MP4-12C The McLaren MP4-12C is a sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It is the first production car wholly designed and built by McLaren since the McLaren F1. The car's final design was unveiled on 8 September 2009, and it is set to be launched in 2011... and its main supercar rival, the Ferrari 458 Italia. He praised the comfort, the handling, and the build quality of the Mclaren, but dislikes the lack of joy when he drove it. On the track, it managed to set a blistering lap time of 1:16.2, only 1.1 seconds slower than Ariel Atom 500 Ariel Atom The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England and under licence in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.... and 0.6 seconds faster than a 1,184bhp Bugatti Veyron Super Sport 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... . News: The trio discuss the effects that the London 2012 Olympics will have on motoring, suggesting that new cars will need to be built in time for the games in order to make the British public safe from 'Foreign Tourists'. They also ask the point of being in a car owner's club, with Clarkson claiming that standing in car parks admiring other people's cars is simply sad and a waste of time. Feature: James travels to the American state of Nevada to test the sustainability of the Range Rover Evoque. He attempts to drive the car through Death Valley Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below... , testing aspects such as the car's suspension, on-board equipment and ability to sustain a soft ride on all terrain. He also attempts to reach an appointment to chauffeur megastar Cher Cher Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in... across Las Vegas, however, is disappointed when it turns out to be a male Cher impersonator, named Steve. Challenge: Jeremy and Richard attempt to find the best second-hand bargains for the same price as Britain's cheapest new car, the £6,995 Nissan Pixo. Clarkson finds a nine-year-old Mercedes CL 600, whereas Hammond opts for a seventeen-year-old BMW 850Ci. The duo ponder the fact that both have V12 engine V12 engine A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.... s, many equipment features, and luxurious interiors. The pair decide to road test both vehicles, to see which one has the better handling. They then compete in a drag race, before placing both cars on a rolling road to see how much power they have lost. They then have the cars forensically examined, to find traces of what happened in the car before they owned it. F1 Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Reigning Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and .... sets a time of 1:44.0 in the old Suzuki Liana, becoming not only the fastest ever Formula 1 driver but also the fastest person to ever do a lap.
137	Series 17, Episode 4	17 July 2011	Rowan Atkinson Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
Review: Jeremy reviews the Jaguar XKR-S. He likes the speed, the handling, and especially the noise it made, but dislikes the styling, the hard ride, and its £97,000 price tag, saying that Jag had sacrificed all of its core value for the pursuit of speed. He then reviewed the 2012 Nissan GT-R Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R is a sports car produced by Nissan released in Japan on December 6, 2007, the United States on July 4, 2008, and the rest of the world in March 2009.-History:... , praising the speed and the handling of it, and the fact that it costs £69,000 and more practical than the Jag. On the test track the XKR-S sets a lap time of 1:23.3, while the revised GT-R managed to set 1:17.8, just as fast as Pagani Zonda Roadster F Clubsport Pagani Zonda The Pagani Zonda is a sports car built by the Italian manufacturer Pagani. It debuted in 1999, and production ended in 2011. As of June 2009, 206 Zondas had been built, including test mules. Both 2-seat coupe and convertible versions have been produced. Construction is mainly of carbon... and 2 seconds faster than the old GT-R. News: Before the news proper, James takes a moment to tout the virtues of the Nissan GT-R’s launch control. This prompts Jeremy to declare launch control to be the stupidest thing to have on a car today. After some debate it is revealed that of the three, James is the only one who has a car with the feature. Jeremy goes on to declare night vision a worthless feature – as it doesn’t work when you turn the car’s headlights off. Segueing into the main body of the news, there is a new Range Rover Sport with a “Say what you see” function (also worthless in Jeremy’s opinion). There is a new version of the Abarth Punto Esseesse – essentially a hot hatchback that comes with the SS kit in a wooden box that the buyer can keep. This raises Jeremy’s hackles, but Richard confesses that he struggles throwing boxes away because of their potential. Finally, James asks Jeremy and Richard if the used cars they bought in the previous episode have broken down or not. Richard says his BMW 850Ci has not broken down but, after some evasion, Jeremy admits that the ignition coil Ignition coil An ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system which transforms the battery's 12 volts to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel... of his Mercedes CL 600 needs replacing, and with labour costs, will end up costing him £1,200. Challenge: Clarkson, Hammond and May try to find a cheaper alternative to expensive carriage trains. To begin, the trio buy a classic 1980s Jaguar XJ-S convertible, and take it to the Top Gear Technology Centre, where they fit it with special train-track wheels. They also build carriages out of caravans, with each one represent a different carriage of a regular train - First Class, The Buffet Car, Second Class, and "Scum Class". They test the train, only to find that the Jaguar does not generate enough traction to pull the carriages. While arguing over the solution, Clarkson suggests that they instead build a "Sports Train", with only one carriage, while May and Hammond suggest they buy a new carrier vehicle. The team split, and May and Hammond return with 4WD Audi S8 Audi S8 The Audi S8 quattro is a high-performance version of the German luxury automaker Audi's flagship car, the full-size Audi A8. The S8 is produced at Audi's Neckarsulm 'aluminium plant', and it was introduced in September 1994... , and secure the already built caravan carriages to the car. Meanwhile, Clarkson has instead built a new four-man carriage to fit to the back of the Jaguar. With both trains ready, the trio decide to race each other's trains to Loughborough Loughborough Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University... train station. Both teams encounter problems, however, when Clarkson finds himself stuck behind Hammond & May, and after a faux pas with the Buffet Car, Hammond & May find their train burning down. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Comedian Rowan Atkinson Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line... sets a time of 1:42.2, becoming the fastest man to lap the circuit in the Kia Cee'd.
138	Series 17, Episode 5	24 July 2011	Bob Geldof Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
Feature: Jeremy tests a new and updated version of the classic Jensen Interceptor Jensen Interceptor The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957... , only to discover himself driving back into a time characterised by leather driving gloves and droopy moustaches. He decides that the Interceptor has never been given enough TV recognition, and in light of his recent discovery, enlists the help of Hammond and May to create a title sequence for a new classic cop show, "The Interceptors", which is styled like a 1970s parody of Starsky & Hutch. In the title sequence, the three are shown driving various interceptors, and are credited as "James Steed", "Roger St. Hammond" and "Jason Clarkson". Review: Jeremy reviews Lotus' new purpose-built Formula 1-inspired track car, the T125. Jean Alesi Jean Alesi Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi... coached him on driving the T125 effectively, however Clarkson lacked the reaction time to drive the Lotus to its fullest extent. He demonstrated the difference between the reactions needed to drive the T125 compared with a street-legal vehicle, his own Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black, saying that in order to enter the Hammerhead corner he would have to start breaking at 140 meters out, but braking at the same distance with the T125, it would stop about 60 meters before the entry point of the corner. The T125 was unable to set a lap time due to inclement weather. News: The team discuss the fact that they will be cut short for live coverage of the Moto GP race at 10:00pm. Clarkson purposely extends conversations, and rabbits on to May about things unrelated to the show, saying "Top Gear is more important than bike racing. Nobody likes it, anyway." Clarkson mocked the new £43,000 Mini Inspired by Goodwood, then comparing it to a £43,000 Aston Martin Cygnet & Colette Aston Martin Cygnet The Aston Martin Cygnet is a 2+2 marketed by Aston Martin beginning with model year 2011 as a rebadged variant of the Toyota iQ. The Cygnet enables Aston Martin to comply with the European Union-imposed fleet average emissions regulations taking effect in 2012.The Aston Martin Cygnet is a 2+2... , which the team also mocks. Towards the end of the news, Clarkson reviews more 'bird dirt' incidents, reflecting on pictures sent to him by the public. Challenge: The boys are challenged by a group of professional demolishers to knock down a row of derelict houses zoned for demolition, in less time than it would take them to do the same. In preparation, the team travel to Albania to have a practice run, however, their demolition machinery fails to really have much impact. Upon their return to England, the trio travel to a military surplus yard to buy heavy-duty machinery to complete the job. Hammond purchases an FV434 armoured recovery vehicle FV432 The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield... that has been retro-fitted for combat engineers, James an FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor The FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor or C.E.T. is an amphibious specialist armoured vehicle of the British Army and has been in general service since 1976... (CET) that can be used as a battering-ram, and Jeremy an Armtrac 400 mine-clearing vehicle Mine flail A mine flail is a vehicle-mounted device that makes a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating land mines in front of the vehicle that carries it. They were first used by the British during World War II.... . As the team begin the challenge, things do not go well. Hammond's attempts to tear the roofs from the houses with a harpoon cannon only succeeds in dragging a portable toilet over the houses, while May's efforts to batter the houses in submission ends up trapping Hammond and his tank inside a collapsed house. Meanwhile, Clarkson is using the remote-control feature of his mine-clearing vehicle and loses control, mangling a car and rupturing a buried water main. In an attempt to catch up to the professionals, Clarkson plants explosives inside the chimney breasts of the houses. However, he fails to use enough explosives, and only manages to "blow the bloody door off". Finally, the trio resort to using their vehicles as battering rams, but they only tear two and a half houses down before the professional demolition crew finish. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Rock star and charity ambassador Bob Geldof Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his... sets a time of 1:48.1 in the wet.
139	Series 17, Episode 6	31 July 2011	Louis Walsh Louis Walsh Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
Review: Richard reviews the Lamborghini Aventador Lamborghini Aventador The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is a two-door, two-seater sports car publicly unveiled by Lamborghini at the Geneva Motor Show on 28 February 2011, five months after its initial unveiling in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Internally codenamed LB834, the Aventador was designed to replace the ten-year-old... , the long-awaited successor of Murcielago Lamborghini Murciélago The Lamborghini Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car... . He was initially impressed by the performance, styling, and handling, but later declared it to be 'too serious', because it lacked the drama and the thrill from all the previous V12 Lamborghini. After the review, Jeremy points out Hammond's mistake of saying Helsinki syndrome (by which he means Stockholm Syndrome Stockholm syndrome In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them... ), while disagreeing with Hammond and May's opinion about the Aventador. It sets a lap time of 1:16.5, only 0.3 seconds slower than the McLaren MP4-12C McLaren MP4-12C The McLaren MP4-12C is a sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It is the first production car wholly designed and built by McLaren since the McLaren F1. The car's final design was unveiled on 8 September 2009, and it is set to be launched in 2011... . News: The team discuss the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series. Richard mocks Jeremy about owning a Black series (CLK63 AMG) and calls the C63 a 'stupid' car. Jeremy shows an advertisement for leathers featured on the back of a 1976 motorcycling magazine, which featured a model resembling James May (even though he was 12 at the time). They also discuss Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire... 's complaint that the British National Anthem is too short. They compare it to other countries' national anthems. James shares his idea for a shortened 'national anthem'. Jeremy discusses his CLK63 AMG automatic service warning system. The Lotus T125 was brought back to the Test Track to set a lap time. It was driven by The Stig who, according to Clarkson, requested a softer suspension and softer tyres for his lap. The V8 T125 made it around the circuit in 1:03.8, just 4.8 seconds slower than the V10 Renault R24 Renault R24 The Renault R24 is a Formula One car that competed in the 2004 Formula One season. It was clearly one of the fastest, most-reliable cars of the season, managing to outpace both the Williams and McLaren, as well as proving to be a consistent challenger to the equally-fast BAR Hondas of Jenson Button... driven in series 5 Top Gear (series 5) The fifth series of Top Gear began in the United Kingdom on October 24th and concluded on December 26th 2004. The series contained nine episodes. The series was subsequently followed by one "Best Of Top Gear" special, which aired January 2nd, 2005, charting the best moments from Series 4 and 5.... , episode 8. Challenge: Jeremy and James are given the task of taking two new electrically powered cars, the Nissan Leaf Nissan Leaf Nissan introduced its first battery electric vehicle, the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. The Altra EV was produced between 1998 and 2002, only about 200 vehicles were ever produced, and it was mainly used as a fleet vehicle for companies such as... and Peugeot iOn Citroën C-ZERO The Citroën C-Zero is a electric supermini/city car produced by Citroën. It was developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Its sister will be marketed by Peugeot as the Peugeot iOn... , on a trip to the seaside. They test the length of time it takes before each car runs out of juice, and find out how easy (or hard) it is to find a place to recharge. While waiting for them to recharge in Lincoln, they take guided tours of several historic attractions around the city, where they discover the electric car was a concept that was thought about much longer ago than they first imagined. Feature: Richard meets the world's most extraordinary rally Rallying Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars... team, which is made up entirely of war amputees. He watches them prepare for a race at Silverstone, before becoming part of the team for a race at Snetterton Park in Norfolk Norfolk Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county... . He questions members of the team on the problems they encounter due to their disabilities, and asks what inspired them to become part of a rally team. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Louis Walsh Louis Walsh Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:... makes his first appearance in the reasonably priced car, and went round the circuit in a time of 1:47.7.

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