The second series of the television series Top Gear began on May 11, 2003, and concluded on July 27, 2003. The series featured 10 episodes. The series was subsequently followed by one "Best Of Top Gear" episode, charting the best moments from Series 1 and 2. The series was the first to be recorded with 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....

, as the first series featured motoring enthusiast, Jason Dawe.

#	Episode	Airdate	Guest
11	Series 2 Episode 1	11 May 2003	Vinnie Jones Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
Review: Jeremy reviewed the Smart Roadster Smart Roadster The Smart Roadster is a two-door sports car first introduced in 2003 by Smart GmbH. Sales of the Roadster and Roadster Coupé met expectations, however warranty claims resulted in a halt of production of both models in November 2005 after 43,091 Roadsters were made...  and said it was good to drive despite poor acceleration and a limited top speed. However, the boot space was described as "similar to a baking tray", and the semi-automatic gearbox was found to be almost unusably slow to respond to gear changes. Also viewed were Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet and the Ford Street Ka, which Clarkson and Hammond agreed were impossible for men to drive with dignity. Cool Wall: Renault Avantime Renault Avantime The Renault Avantime is a grand-touring coupé combining features of a 2+2 coupé and an MPV — marketed by the French manufacturer Renault, designed and manufactured by Matra, between 2001 and 2003...  is removed from the wall because it isn't produced anymore. VW Beetle Cabriolet and Ford Street Ka are Cool, but only for girls, and the Smart Roadster is Subzero. Love/Hate Board: Jeremy introduces the Love/Hate board. "Love" is already full with a photo of 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....  and another one of Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as... . In the "Hate" section are chummy radio opening messages, cyclists, paddle-shift gear boxes and personalised license plates. Richard reveals his top 5 worst cars ever: 5. AMC Pacer AMC Pacer The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980.Its initial design idea was started in 1971. The car's unusual rounded shape with massive glass area greatly contrasted with the three-box architecture with "square,... 4. Peel P50 Peel P50 The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar originally manufactured in 1962 and 1965) by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It retailed for £199 when new , and currently holds the record for the smallest automobile to go into production...  (3 wheel car) 3. Vauxhall Vectra 2. Suzuki X-90 Suzuki X-90 The Suzuki X-90 was a small SUV sold from 1996 through 1998. It was related to the Suzuki Sidekick, but had extremely rounded styling, two doors, seating for two and T-section removable roof. It replaced the Samurai for the United States market.... 1. Nissan Sunny (which he destroys with a jet engine powered drag racer) Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Vinnie Jones Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...  recreates a classic scene from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag... with a melon and a Smart Roadster. He achieved a time of 1:53. Review: New presenter James May reviews his Bentley T2 Bentley T-series The Bentley T-Series is an automobile which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1965 to 1980. It was announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 as a Bentley-badged version of the totally-redesigned chassis-less Rolls-Royce... , which he says ruined his life because of poor fuel economy and he has to rent a garage 7 miles (11.3 km) from his house to keep it in. Clarkson enjoys the Bentley's ludicrously soft suspension, but is confused when May calls his Bentley "so cool that certain people will not understand." The News: The Peugeot 206 GTI and 206 GTI Estate are spotlighted. Jeremy likes the Estate, Richard and James don’t. New cars since the first series wrapped include the Renault Kangoo, Saab 93 Convertible, and the Lamborghini Gallardo. Jeremy predicts that if the Gallardo is anything like its big brother the Murcielago, it will be a “stonking good car.” However, James foresees a problem and reveals a mystery fax that the Top Gear office received consisting of some phone numbers and a drawing of a Lotus Esprit. It turns out when you call the numbers, you reach Lotus and are then asked to identify the picture that’s come through your fax. The reason Lotus is doing this is to try and prove that Esprit shape (supercar wedge) belongs to them so they can copyright it. Richard closes the news by showcasing a Ferrari 355 in studio. He tells the surprised audience that it can be had for a mere £20,000, but then reveals that it is actually a fake built from a Toyota MR2. Continuing the “cheap thrills” theme of this episode, Hammond goes on to explain that once it was completed, the bloke who built it was able to get a lower insurance quote because it was classed as a “kit car.” He further explains that the guy has had to “disappear” into the “midlands underworld” for fear of the wrath of Ferrari. Review: Richard Hammond reviews the Bowler Wildcat Bowler Wildcat The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief... , becomes overwhelmed with emotion during the test drive and exclaims he is "a driving god", much to Clarkson's and May's amusement. The Bowler achieves a time of 1:39.4 on a dry track. Slow for a car, but immensely fast for a high-riding off-roader. Review: Murray Walker Murray Walker Graeme Murray Walker, OBE is a former Formula One motorsport commentator... , the former Formula One Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...  commentator features as a special guest, driving the McLaren F1 McLaren F1 The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car... , the fastest car in the world at that point, Now it is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Concluding the show, Richard returns to the Top Gear test track with a caravan, which is then destroyed by the jet engine powered drag racer.
12	Series 2 Episode 2 ("Luxury")	18 May 2003	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...
The theme of the show is "luxury." Review: Jeremy drives the new Rolls-Royce Phantom in and around Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...  and the Humber Bridge Humber Bridge The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world... . He has to swallow preconditions of the Germanness about it, and realizes that it is a faithful reproduction of the Rolls-Royce marque. Power, from a 6.75 litre V12, is 453 bhp. Clarkson was impressed with other aspects, such as the responsive handling and fuel economy. In the end he found it to be a magnificent car, but lamented the aspects of it that the British were unable to do themselves. May consoles him with the realization that the Germans and British can work together to make fantastic cars. Jeremy also disappoints May by saying, "no-one called James can buy this car" The Cool Wall: The Rolls-Royce Phantom is uncool. So is the Ferrari Enzo. Richard claims the Audi A3 is uncool, but Jeremy disagrees and places it high on the cool wall – out of Richard’s reach. While Jeremy moves a previously cool Alfa Romeo to the subzero section, Richard stands on a box and relocates the Audi to the uncool section. The News: Jeremy leads off with the bus boat – a bus that can both drive in the bus lane as well as the River Thames. Richard introduces a service called motor flirting – a service that allows motorists to contact each other via text messaging. James mentions the new BMW 5-series which touts active steering. Jeremy isn’t impressed at all and moves on to the Lexus RX300 which is advertised as having a driver’s side air kneebag. This impresses no one. Finally, for the first and probably only time, Jeremy is excited by a small, cheap car. He calls the well-equipped Daihatsu Charade "fantastic" and notes that it is priced at £5995. Review: Richard drives the Queen's Rover P5 and recommends secondhand P5s to luxury car enthusiasts, but only the later V8 models. Insider Dealing: BMW is offering deals on the 5-series. This is noteworthy because BMW never deals. Alfa Romeo GTV Spyder can be had for £20,000. Citroen C5 can be had for £16,000. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Chef 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... , who was set a challenge of cooking a salad in the back of his campervan whilst being driven by the Stig (Oliver could not do it). Wanting to beat Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....  in the Suzuki Liana, he achieves the same time of 1:50. Love/Hate Board: People who sit too near the wheel, people who sit too far away from the wheel and horses go into the "Hate" section. Challenge: Richard decides to elect a new government based on which party is the fastest at racing in an MG ZR MG ZR The MG ZR is a high-performance MG-branded "hot hatch" version of the Rover 25 supermini-class car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005... . The results were as follows: 6. Monster Raving Loony Party - 2:13 5. Conservative Party - 1:41.8 4. Green Party - 1:41 3. Labour Party - 1:38.8 2. Legalised Cannabis Alliance - 1:36.5 1. Liberal Democrats - 1:33.9 The Liberal Democrats representative won a "safe seat" (an actual front seat) from a Volvo. Review: A comparison of the Audi S4 and BMW M3. The Stig drives the M3 to a lap time of 1:31.8 but at 1:30.9 the S4 is faster. Clarkson comments that he would have the BMW for one lap of the track, but for everyday life he would go for the Audi to which James concurs.
13	Series 2 Episode 3 (“Bad Cars”)	25 May 2003	David Soul David Soul David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...
This episode marks the first time Jeremy introduces the episode with the simple and direct "Tonight!..." followed by (usually) three things that the viewer will see in the episode. Review: Jeremy was blown away by the torque of the V10 diesel engine in the new Volkswagen Touareg. The torque is so strong it can even pull down trees but found nothing else to like about the car. He complained about two equally intolerable ride settings: sickeningly rolly in comfort mode, bone-shatteringly harsh in sport mode. Handling, trim, rear visibility, ride, and price issues doomed the Touareg. It was priced at £50,000; Clarkson gave his most scathing review yet and said he'd rather eat the money than spend it on a Touareg. Review: Clarkson, May and Hammond ask the audience what they think is a bad car, recommending first the Audi A2 Audi A2 The Audi A2 is a Compact MPV styled five-door four- or five-seat hatchback designed supermini, produced by the German automaker Audi AG from November 1999 to 2005... . Hammond then reviews the presenters choice for the worst car – Lexus SC430. He also reviews the Hyundai Coupé, pointing out how a manufacturer not previously renowned for sports cars has made a much more competent sports coupe than the Lexus for less than half the price. Also mentioned are the Hyundai Sonata (ne Kia Magenta), Daewoo Lanos, and the Vauxhall Vectra. However, one audience member mentions the Vauxhall VX220. Jeremy disagrees and immediately escorts him from the premises. The News: The team discuss the new Citroën Saxo VTR, its appeal among young drivers, and its replacement – the Citroën C2,. Richard introduces the new Porsche 911 GT3, which leads to a discussion about how confusing the 911 range is, and how wonderful the new £330,000 Carrera GT. James is interested in the £230,000, 210 mph, V-10 gull-winged Bristol Fighter but moans that merely knowing Jeremy Clarkson bars him from ever buying a Bristol Bristol Cars Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Patchway, near Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol have always been a low-volume manufacturer; the most recent published official production figures were for 1982, which stated that 104 cars were produced in that year... . Concluding the news, Jeremy shows an image of a Jaguar that has been customized in an unfortunate way. James goes one step further and shows photo of a car with bodykit built from MDF. Insider Dealing: Oversupply has led to some incredible car deals including pre-registered cars that are virtually new, the Mazda MX-5, and the Kia Rio for £1 deposit. Challenge: What country makes the fastest supercar? Last series' stripped down Jaguar XJS goes up against the Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari 360 Modena, Porsche 996 Turbo, Venturi Atlantique Venturi Atlantique The Venturi Atlantique was a mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied French sports car produced by Venturi Automobiles from 1991 to 2000.-Atlantique 260:...  and Honda NSX on a straight line race. In standard trim the Jag manages a poor 18.5 second quarter-mile. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: David Soul David Soul David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...  of Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC... , who was the first American and first guest to break two Suzuki Lianas. He posted a time of 1:54 despite having coasted the last 300 yards (274.3 m) with a broken gearbox. To Soul's disappointment, he was not able to explain that he broke the gearboxes because of his unfamiliarity with driving on the right side of the car and shifting with his left hand. If not for that problem, the Stig believed that he could have beaten Jay Kay, currently at the top of the leaderboard. Challenge (part 2): The Jag is given nitrous injection to bring its power up by 500 bhp to 800 bhp, and it beats all the other supercars despite its bulk. Review: James road tests the Perodua Kelisa Perodua Kelisa The Perodua Kelisa was a city car manufactured by Malaysian automaker Perodua from 2001 to 2007. The car was an unofficial successor to the Perodua Kancil, but was offered by Perodua alongside the Kancil until both models were replaced by the Perodua Viva in 2007.- History :The Kelisa was, in all... . He and Richard agree it is very soft and easy to drive. Jeremy says that no one would want one and that its name sounds like a disease. Review: Jeremy reviews the BMW Z8 Alpina. He says that even though that Alpina have re-engineered it in an attempt to focus it, the Z8 is like a "delinquent child - born bad and will always be bad". He also compares it to a pair of botched trousers he made throughout the episode. It achieved a surprisingly good time of 1:29 on a dry track.
14	Series 2 Episode 4 ("Jaguar")	1 June 2003	Boris Johnson Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
Review: Clarkson briefly looks at a Jaguar R Coupe prototype and says that it looks fabulous (despite similarity to the S-Type, which he hates). May relates the humorous story of Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt at the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...  Jaguar C-Type Jaguar C-Type The Jaguar C-Type is a racing sports car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. The "C" designation stood for "competition"....  and Hammond drives a 1960s Jaguar Mark II Jaguar Mark 2 The Jaguar Mark 2 is a medium sized saloon car built from 1959 to 1967 by the Jaguar company in Coventry, England, as successors to the Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 models, manufactured between 1957 and 1959...  coating it in praise. The News: Next year’s Vauxhall Astra surprises the three with its decent looks. Ferrari offers a stripe on the F360 for a mere £3,643. Rover MG fails to deliver on its promises. The team question the truthfulness of the Reliability Index and James is invited to the opening of a car park. And Richard shows a poorly-conceived Volvo customization. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Boris Johnson Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...  talks about his love of cycling and his car column in GQ magazine. Jeremy tells him he drives in bus lanes and cycle lanes, Johnson challenges the shows director to put that statement in the final cut. Johnson achieved 1:56 in the Liana. Preview: With some assistance from James & Jeremy, Richard previews the new Jaguar XJ in the studio. Challenge: Jeremy sees how far he can drive until he's bored, taking with him a black Jaguar XJR. He managed to get all the way to John O'Groats before saying "Oh dear, I seem to have run out of country". He then proceeded to drive back to England and complete the challenge without beginning to hate driving. Cool Wall: Jaguar XJR is cool in black as Hannibal Lecter owned one, however the rest of the XJ range is deemed uncool. Preview: Transitioning from the Cool Wall to Insider Dealing, Clarkson offers a very brief, in-studio peak at the forthcoming Volkswagen Phaeton Insider Dealing: Cheap old Jaguar XJs. Hammond would like to try it, but he's always dissuaded by the depreciation. Review: Clarkson drives the Jaguar XKR-R, a racing version of the XKR, before looking at the Aston Martin DB7 GT. The Stig drives the Aston Martin DB7 GT to a lap time of 1:30.4. Clarkson says that it's the opposite of the BMW Z8: slow on a track, but fun to drive in the real world. The Jaguar Jaguar The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...  did go onto the test track, but it had to be returned to Jaguar beforehand. Jeremy revealed that the differential had been taken off the car, making it very difficult to drive, as proved by the Stig when he spun several times.
15	Series 2 Episode 5 (“Bloke-ishness”)	8 June 2003	Anne Robinson Anne Robinson Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
Review: Richard explains the difference between understeer and oversteer as a lead in to Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Porsche 911 Turbo. Given forehand knowledge of his hatred for 911s, Clarkson quietly explains that they've managed to engineer their way around the rear-engined problem. Having once claimed that the Ferrari F355 Ferrari F355 The Ferrari F355 is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat coupe...  was the best car ever, he now says that the 911 Turbo is better. The Stig drives the Turbo to a lap time of 1:31.0 on a very wet track. Clarkson also reviews the 911 Carrera 4S and didn't get the point of it. Clarkson ends his review by explaining the differences between the various models in the 911 range by using female models. Feature: Richard meets Britain’s biggest car bore, Robert Lynn - a Lotus engineer and Gumball Rally Gumball 3000 The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...  driver who built a car in his kitchen and had to cut through the wall to get the car out. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Anne Robinson discusses what cars she thinks are cool and why her Mercedes SL is better than Jeremy's. She achieved 1:57 in the Liana. Challenge: Can a Ford's World Rally Championship pit team change dismantle and rebuild a rally car faster than four women can get ready for a night out? They can, a lot faster. Hammond got bored of waiting and left. The News: Ford has a new Mondeo (which looks just like the old Mondeo). Vauxhall offers free, 48-hour test drives of the Vectra. The Volvo XC-90 is a bargain at under £30,000, but the price skyrockets once you start adding extras. Honda offers a personal road-rage defense system and offers ten top tips for avoiding road rage. Peugeot, Renault and Daihatsu offer new cars with folding metal roofs. James makes the case that he is the only bloke of the three AND that a bloke CAN drive a convertible. Review: James extolls the virtues of the Triumph TR6 Triumph TR6 The Triumph TR6 is a British six-cylinder sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended in July 1976. This record was then surpassed by the TR7...  which he says is a proper "bloke's car". Insider Dealing: A good used TR6 starts at around £10,000. BMW offers no deals. However, Jaguar offers the X-type (a BMW 3-series rival) for as low as £18,799 and possibly less if you really bargain. The new Vauxhall VX220 is out, however the original can be had for the list price of £22,995 and all the options will be included at no charge. The one exception is that hard top isn’t officially included in that deal (though some dealers are including it). Review: "Imagine the entire French air force crashing into a fireworks factory- that's how much of a laugh the Clio V6 is!" Jeremy lauded. He reviewed the mid-engined Renault Clio V6, he said that it would be in his "Perfect 10 Garage". The Stig got a time of 1:36.2 on a very very wet track.
16	Series 2 Episode 6	15 June 2003	Richard Whiteley Richard Whiteley John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
Review: Clarkson drives the Subaru Impreza WRX STI against the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII in Scotland but, despite having a lot of fun, is unable to give any reason to choose one over the other. The Stig drives both around the track where the Mitsubishi comes out fastest with a lap time of 1:28.9 (faster than the Lamborghini Murciélago). The Subaru manages a time of 1.30.1, 0.3 seconds faster than the Aston DB7 GT from episode 4. Hammond and Clarkson prefer the Impreza, for no particular reason. Review: Clarkson tests the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo Vauxhall VX220 The Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 is a British-built mid engined, targa-topped, 2-seater sports car introduced in the summer of 2000.It was built in both right-hand drive and left-hand drive versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. It was sold as the Vauxhall VX220 in the UK,... , saying that the poor badge has forced Vauxhall to make it much better than the Lotus on which it was based, to get taken seriously. The Stig posts a time around the track 1:31.3 on a dry and sunny track. Challenge: Richard Hammond goes on a track day in the Peugeot 206 GTi and had a great time. Cool Wall: Jeremy's Mercedes SL is Uncool as is Richard's old left-hand drive Porsche 911. Jeremy gives Richard a Chinese burn for putting the Peugeot 206 GTi in Uncool. Challenge: James tries to set a land-speed record for a caravan. The first attempt involved towing it at high speeds behind a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII, but one of the windows imploded as the caravan's speed approached 100 mph, substantially increasing its drag and forcing the first test to be aborted. The window was then sealed and a second run was made, and hit 120 mph before the stress of towing the caravan at high speeds caused the Mitsubishi to suffer massive engine failure, ruling out any further runs with that car. For his final attempt, James decided to exploit a loophole in the record which didn't state how the caravan had to achieve its final speed, and so dropped it from a high crane. The caravan was totally destroyed on hitting the ground, and while the team weren't actually able to work out what its final velocity was, they enjoyed the caravan's destruction enough to abandon any further efforts. Race: The Stig races five track-day cars to find the fastest one to take to a track day, the results were; 5: Lotus Elise Sport 190 - 1:28.2 4: Caterham Seven R400 Superlight - 1:25.0 3: Ariel Atom 2 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....  - 1:24.0 2: Westfield XTR2 Westfield XTR2 The Westfield XTR2 is an ultralightweight, two-seater sports car manufactured by Westfield Sportscars Limited, of West Midlands, UK. It features a lightweight steel tubular spaceframe chassis, and the , 1299 cc Suzuki Hayabusa 4 cylinder engine, mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox. Performance...  - 1:23.2 1: Radical SR3 - 1:19.8 Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Jeremy plays a game of Countdown Countdown (game show) Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...  with Richard Whitely with words such as IMIN Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers... , SEXUL Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has... , NEVOR LARD Land Rover Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group... , I MUSHI BITS Mitsubishi The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...  and PIANOS SHIAZU Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN... , Whitely achieves the slowest time ever in the Liana (2:06). Insider Dealing: Minor facelifts can cause large price drops in brand-new cars, especially with the Volkswagen Passat. Review: Richard reviews the Peugeot 206 GTI, it is however not as safe in a crash as a Peugeot 205.
17	Series 2 Episode 7	22 June 2003	Neil Morrissey Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey is an English actor, media personality and businessman. He is best known for his role as Tony in Men Behaving Badly....
Review: Clarkson tested the Koenigsegg CC8S Koenigsegg CC8S The Koenigsegg CC8S is a mid-engine sports car, the first produced by Swedish automaker Koenigsegg and the first production car to use dihedral actuation doors, a feature that has become a trademark of the brand...  which, with a top speed of 242 mph (389 km/h) was at the time the world's fastest production car. Clarkson did a speed run on the test track. The record of 170 mph (274 km/h) set by the Pagani Zonda was broken, with the Koenigsegg managing 174 mph (280 km/h). Clarkson later commented how he felt nervous before the run because engineers from Koenigsegg had asked him if they could put gaffer tape around the windscreen; he thought that the tape was to keep the windscreen from flying off. The Stig drives the Koenigsegg to a lap time of 1:23.9, which is just one-tenth of a second slower than the Zonda. Jeremy has frequently referred to the Ford Modular engine Ford Modular engine The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft V8 and V10 engine family, which has been produced in 4.6L, 5.0L , 5.4L, and 6.8L variations. Contrary to popular belief, the Modular engine did not get its name from its design or sharing of certain parts among the engine family...  in the Ford Mustang Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...  as a "terrible engine" but declined to mention that the Koenigsegg's engine was a modified 4.6 L Litre pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...  Modular V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... . Car Safety: Hammond test drives the new Renault Mégane in London and then brings it to the Top Gear test track where they simulate a crash test with a real driver. The car survives its impact very well. Back in the hangar, Richard and Jeremy look at how other cars perform in crashes. Surprisingly, the Ford Fiesta survives better than the Land Rover Freelander. They then proceed to look up crash test ratings for the cars of audience members. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Jeremy has little to talk to Neil Morrissey about, as they were on the same Parkinson Parkinson (TV series) Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:...  episode. Morrisey gets 1:49 —1 second faster than Jeremy. Review: Jeremy reviews the Hummer H1 Hummer H1 The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line... , saying its too big and clumsy for English villages. He then looks at the H2 Hummer H2 The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT that was marketed by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck , while longer, heavier , and taller with room for six passengers , seven passengers in some models. The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2005 H2 SUT...  and says its "immensely good". Though based on a Chevrolet Tahoe platform, it has a manly, chunky interior and tons of space, exciting Jeremy in a way similar to the Range Rover. Neither of the other presenters are impressed. Review: Richard drives a Talon Talon A talon is a sharp claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey, such as the eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, or buzzard. It may also refer to:Places:* Talon, Nièvre, a commune in the Nièvre département in France...  riot control vehicle. He uses a water cannon to put out a fire and then runs over a Portakabin at full speed.
18	Series 2 Episode 8	6 July 2003	Jodie Kidd Jodie Kidd Jodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...
Review: Jeremy Clarkson drives a Nissan 350Z Nissan 350Z The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...  over city and country roads. He gives it a grade of C minus, 3 out of 10, and "could do better." After a day's drive, he declares it to be one of the most exhausting cars he has ever come across. He also criticizes its build quality and engine tone. In series 3, it is announced that the Nissan did a 1:31.8 lap on the track, the same as rival coupe Mazda RX-8. Review: Alfa Romeo 147 GTA Alfa Romeo 147 The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was voted European Car of the Year for 2001, beating the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Prius.... . Jeremy drives it in a drag race against the Volkswagen Golf R32 and the Ford Focus RS. The Alfa wins easily with its superior power. However, the Alfa doesn't have 4WD or a differential, and Clarkson says the chassis is "very, very wobbly and loose." He calls the Alfa "insane" and says "you'd have to be insane to buy one." He recommends one of the other two, probably the Golf, for the real world, but admits he still preferred the Alfa. The Stig then drives the Alfa to a lap time of 1:35.6, which puts it slower than both the Focus and R32. Challenge: A "race for the universe" in a Honda Civic Type R, the results were as follows; 6: Dalek Dalek The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals... s (from Doctor Who) - DNF 5: Ming the Merciless Ming the Merciless Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation.- First appearance :...  (from Flash Gordon Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash... ) - 1:49 4: The Sixth Doctor Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...  (Colin Baker Colin Baker Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to... ) - 1:43 3: Klingon Klingon Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...  (from Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise... ) - 1:42 2: Darth Vader Darth Vader Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....  - 1:37 1: Cyberman (from Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... ) (Time not announced) Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Jodie Kidd Jodie Kidd Jodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...  who talked about her love of horses and the Gumball 3000 rally, she came in at 1:47.7, 0.4 of a second faster than board leader Jay Kay. Review: James and Richard went on a camping holiday in the Lake District and reviewed new cabriolets such as the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz CLK500 convertible, Audi A4 cabriolet, Citroën C3 Pluriel, and Daihatsu Copen Daihatsu Copen The Daihatsu Copen is a 2-door roadster with an aluminium retractable hardtop built by the Japanese car company Daihatsu. It first debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, as the Daihatsu Copen concept... . The Beetle is sloppy to drive, and increasingly unstylish, so none of the presenters like it. James and Richard unite in disapproval with the CLK, The Pluriel is a nice idea poorly executed but in the end they find the Audi to be the best, with only James taking the Copen seriously.
19	Series 2 Episode 9	13 July 2003	Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
Review: Vandenbrink Carver Carver (automobile) The Carver is a tilting three wheeled vehicle using an automatic balancing technology to balance the passenger compartment under all conditions. The first commercial Carver product, the Carver One, was designed to seat two people, and manufactured and distributed by Carver Europe in the Netherlands...  (a three-wheeled bike with tilting tandem cockpit), Hammond and Clarkson try to fit in it at the same time with humorous results. It is not fast or cheap, but the gimmick of a tilting cockpit on a stationary rear subframe is entertaining for both of them. Review: Jeremy reviews the new Volvo S60 R, and says its like "a cheaper version of a Rolls-Royce Phantom" rather than a serious competitor to a BMW M3. Achieved a lap time of 1:35. Review: James reviews the revolutionary GM Hywire General Motors Hy-wire The Hy-wire is a concept car from General Motors originally introduced in January 2002. The car runs on hydrogen fuel cells and uses a drive-by-wire system, meaning that the car is controlled electronically... , which runs on a mixture of hydrogen Hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...  from the tank and oxygen Oxygen Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...  from the air. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...  who talks about his love of Jaguars and what it is like living in Los Angeles, did 1:50 in the Liana. Review: Vauxhall Signum Opel Signum The Opel Signum was a large family car/executive hatchback engineered and manufactured by Opel in Germany between 2003 and 2008. It was almost exclusively sold in Europe. In the United Kingdom it was sold under the Vauxhall Signum nameplate... . Jeremy despises its Vectra-ness and finds it poor to drive, but admits that the rear seating is very clever and comfortable. As a result, he tries to drive it a la Mr. Bean Mr. Bean Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,... , using string tied to the steering wheel and poles to reach the pedals.
20	Series 2 Episode 10	20 July 2003	Alan Davies Alan Davies Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :...
Review: Richard reviews TVR T350C TVR T350 The TVR T350 is a sports car manufactured by TVR from 2002 to 2006. It is based on the TVR Tamora, and is powered by TVR's Speed Six engine in 3.6 litre form, producing . The T350 was available in coupe and targa versions, the coupe version being known as the T350C, and the targa version the T350T...  and races it against a Harrier Jump Jet Harrier Jump Jet The Harrier, informally referred to as the Jump Jet, is a family of British-designed military jet aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations... . He finds that while it can be as mad as past TVRs, it is the most refined and drivable TVR ever. The Stig did a lap of 1:27 in it. It was compared to the Noble M12 Noble M12 The NobleM12 is a two-door, two-seater sports car manufactured by Noble Automotive.- Description :Like the Noble M10, the Noble M12 is a two-door, two-seater model, originally planned both as a coupe and as a convertible. All M12s have been powered by modified bi-turbocharged Ford Duratec V6... , which did a lap of 1:25. The News: The Beetle will cease production, much to James’ delight. The Vauxhall Astra fails to live up to the concept car’s brilliant styling. John Prescott, who is always recommending that people spend less on cars, last year spent £320,000 on taxi fares. Jay Kay turned up at Goodwood Festival Of Speed with his new Ferrari Enzo only to have someone write “Jodi was faster” in the dust on the bonnet (a reference to the Top Gear Power Lap Board and specifically episode 8 in this series). Jeremy was also there and was thrilled that Elle MacPherson (who was also there) waved at him. The Mercedes Mclaren SLR was also there and Clarkson got to ride in it, but was too drunk to enjoy it. Review: Jeremy's Volkswagen Phaeton Volkswagen Phaeton The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, and is described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle...  W12 W12 engine A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder piston internal combustion engine in a W configuration. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four rows of three cylinders merged into two 'cylinder banks' , coupled to a common crankshaft - as in Volkswagen Group W12... , he says it is immensely comfortable, nice to drive and its windows do not steam up when you try to make a cup of tea in it. With the electronic limiter off, it can crack 200 mph (321.9 km/h). He is not verbose in praising it, but reveals that he prefers it to the Jaguar XJ, the BMW 7 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Mercedes-Benz W220 The Mercedes-Benz W220 was a series of flagship sedans which constituted the Mercedes-Benz S-Class during the early-to-mid 2000's. Development for the W220 S-Class started in 1992, with the final design being approved in 1996 spanning a total of 38 months. The completed prototypes were presented in... . Preview: The trio preview the Bentley Continental GT in the studio. The Bentley (part of the VW motor group), draws heavily from the Phaeton. The car in the studio is a concept car and not ready to be driven, but all three are anxious to do the test of it for the next series. Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Alan Davies Alan Davies Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :...  talks about what it is like driving with Steve Coogan Steve Coogan Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...  and an experience he had speeding with Steve Coogan Steve Coogan Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating... , did a lap of 1:54 in "mildly damp" weather, despite puncturing a tyre during a practice lap. Review: James is the only one interested in the fate of Cadillac, so he sets out to see what they've done to reverse their market woes. He finds the astonishing 1000 bhp, naturally aspirated 13.6 litre V16 V16 engine A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder...  Cadillac Sixteen Cadillac Sixteen The Cadillac Sixteen was a prototype of a stylish and high performance automobile first presented by Cadillac in 2003.The vehicle was equipped with a 32-valve V16 concept engine displacing 13.6 liters and was mated to a four-speed, electronically controlled, automatic transmission driving the rear...  concept car. It shuts down cylinders to preserve fuel economy and has a badge carved from crystal in the center of the steering wheel. The interior is too cushy and the clock is too posh- James loves it. Jeremy and James agree that this is the best Cadillac since 1966. Challenge: Britain’s fastest disabled driver. Richard has a group of six wheelchair-bound car enthusiasts take turns around the Top Gear Test Track in a 911. The slowest does it in a time of 2:20. The fastest turns in a time of 1:47. 2003 Top Gear Motoring Survey: James invites viewers to participate in the survey so the results can be shared on the next survey. Reviews: The original theme of this episode was to be “tuned cars.” However, as Clarkson illustrates, circumstances dictated a deviation from that format. His review of the Overfinch 580S is all that remains from that concept. He races it off-road against a Mercedes-Benz SLK320 on road (and wins). While it has been tuned, the suspension and handling remains unchanged. It is fast in a straight line, but in the corners it leans over alarmingly. Despite The Stig cutting a corner rather severely, it achieved the slowest lap to date with a time of 1:44. The Stig says it was the first time he has ever been scared in a car. The Broken Biscuit Section: A compendium of ideas that were intended for the series that they didn’t quite get to. Earlier in the series Clarkson issued a challenge to the CEO of Land Rover: he was to drive a Range Rover Range Rover (L322) The Range Rover is the third-generation Range Rover model from British car maker Land Rover. It was introduced in 2002...  for six months without breakdowns, threatening to kill the CEOs dog upon any kind of failure. Jeremy shows how the Range Rover Range Rover (L322) The Range Rover is the third-generation Range Rover model from British car maker Land Rover. It was introduced in 2002...  has fared with numerous tests: it worked as an off-road car, a pace car and a car for taking children to school in (although it was a mess). However, the lever adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel broke towards the end of the test. Richard and Jeremy agreed the failure was not big enough to warrant a death of a dog, so Jeremy stole the CEOs bonsai Bonsai is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...  tree from his desk and unceremoniously proceeded to cut it in half. Also, Hammond obtains a racing license, participates in a 24-hour race, & makes a lot of excuses for placing second to last. And Jodie Kidd is presented with the fastest celebrity award.
	The Best Of Top Gear 2002-2003	27 July 2003	Vinnie Jones Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...  & Rick Parfitt Rick Parfitt Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
Challenge: Grannies Doing Doughnuts (From Series 1, Episode 7) Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Vinnie Jones Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...  (From Series 2, Episode 1) Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Rick Parfitt Rick Parfitt Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:... (From Series 1, Episode 9) Feature: The Love/Hate Board (From Series 2, Episode 1) Challenge: Race For The Universe (From Series 2, Episode 8) Review: Bowler Wildcat (From Series 2, Episode 1) Challenge: The Fastest Faith (From Series 1, Episodes 7 & 10)