The Best Top Gear Special

[fatbaldbloke]

In another post we've more or less agreed the Indian TG Special wasn't the best.  

Which was?

To broaden the scope, let's include the challenges as well as the full specials.

I'll start the ball rolling with my personal favourite from many years ago, which was the Italian supercar for Mondeo money challenge.

[Rob Navin]

The Britcar 24hr race.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I can never split my two favourite episodes, the Itallian Supercars ep that FBB mentions and the Toyabota/Dampervan/Herald ep around Rudyard.

Of the specials, has to be Bolivia for me; spectacular, some good cocking about, and a few good glimpses of the men behind the cocking about.

Even poor/average episodes have had some good moments, scripted or not. Stig falling out of the driver seat while lapping in the tractor always raises a laugh.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

The Britcar 24hr race.

I make an appearance but after you do tnat typeofra

I think the spell checker just exploded  

[jeff oakley]

I would go with Bolivia or Vietnam, both of these were proper adventurs with plenty of scope for danger and humour.

[jerryhzx12]

Vietnam gets my vote, although one of my favourite all time TG bits was the reliant space shuttle - just for the audacity of trying it !

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I like the Vietnam episode, but the whole Clarkson on a scooter bit just irritates me. (he did Vietnam on a scooter years ago on one of his Motorworld(?) programs without the cocking about)

[frag68]

I havent seen the Indian one yet. I plan on watching it on the iplayer later, if I get a spare hour or so.

That said the TG team have had ome excellent challenges over the years. There was the one with the Aston to the skiing resort (Ithink) against the train, the Daytona and the speed boat from Portofino to St Tropez, the one with James May piloting the plane back from the south of France, the Britcars, even the Porsche for under £1500 was good. There was the Alfas, and even building the Cateringvan. The list is endless.

Yes, most of these were scripted and Clarkson is a buffoon, but the show is popular TV throughout the world and is probably a good earner for the Beeb.

I will watch Top Gear as it is a magazine programme rather than an out and out car review programme.

However my favourite challenge has to be the Vietnam one, very closely followed by the Bolivian one.  

On a lighter note, what if VBH had to join TG. Would that change your opinion of the show.

[Rob Navin]

The Britcar 24hr race.

I make an appearance but after you do tnat typeofra

I think the spell checker just exploded  

Wot ever.

[markcoopers]

Bolivia by a long way

[rocket_rabbit]

I think the race to Verbier was a classic just to see May's face of utter horror as Clarkson wafts up in the 612 with about 200 yards left!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I think the race to Verbier was a classic just to see May's face of utter horror as Clarkson wafts up in the 612 with about 200 yards left!

Very true        

There's loads of little moments like that when you start to look beyond the set ups and "planned" cocking about. For me it's the very fact that they aren't actors that really shows up the difference between the playing to the camera and the "genuine" bits.

In the same vein, James May's face when he's being showered with the contents of Clarkson's crankcase in the Italian Supercars episode always makes me chuckle.  

[Captain Colonial]

I think the race to Verbier was a classic just to see May's face of utter horror as Clarkson wafts up in the 612 with about 200 yards left!

And in the same vein, Clarkson arriving covered in soot at the hotel in Edinburgh to find May already there enjoying a pint was very satisfying to me.  

Watched the Indian one now, only good bits for me were the dual carriageway and the six-cylinder cricket larking about, otherwise thought it was very patronising towards their hosts.  Yes, I know there are set-piece gags, but this was not their finest special by a long way.  I enjoyed the South American one (apart from the contrived writing off of the Land Cruiser), and the African one too for that matter.

[GreigM]

The Polar special by a long way - it at least gave the impression of being a less-scripted genuine adventure - you could see hammond go through some real hardship, and so many classic moments like James breaking out the G&T and the "bumper dumper" etc.....

[Guest]

Top gear the Ashes special !!! i am not sure if it was shown here ,sure it was

a couple of clips are here , though them sending the aussies into a safari park in electric peel's was just side splitting(couldn't find the lion encloseure bit , but its totally mouth openingly dangerous )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXx973SkMV0&feature=related