Top Gear/Season 10 Episode 5

Season 10 Episode 5
Season 10, Episode 5
Airdate	November 11, 2007
Written by
Directed by	Brian Klein
← 10x04 Season 10 Episode 4	10x06 → Season 10 Episode 6
Top Gear — Season Ten

Episode Five of the tenth season of Top Gear, and is episode eighty-six overall.

Guest Stars: Simon Cowell

Information

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster

Richard Hammond reviews the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster. The V8 Vantage Roadster has the same 4.3 L V8 engine producing 380 hp in the V8 Vantage coupé with an asking price of £91,000 (about $188,000). Even though Aston Martin chopped the roof off, the Vantage Roadster's chassis has been stiffened so much they've given it a firmer suspension and it likes to go around corners. Although Aston Martin is now privately owned there are still a few reminders that the car came from the Ford era. The key fob is taken from a £20,000 Volvo, the GPS/information screen looks like it came from 1985 and the voice chosen for the voice commands is awful. But it's still a great car. The V8 Vantage Roadster has a top speed of 175 mph with a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. To demonstrate the cars straight line performance, Hammond pits it against a man on rocket-propelled roller blades and wins.

The News

Jeremy Clarkson reveals that Hammond has decided to bring Oliver, his Opel Kadet from their African safari, back home to England. James May and Clarkson try to tell Hammond that it's just a holiday romance and that it only wants him for a British passport, but Hammond maintains that Oliver loves him and is coming home.

Hammond reminds everyone about their search for the best driving road in the world and says that a viewer decided to do the same thing. He shows off a picture of the viewer's Lamborghini before the trip and then it's crash reminds during the trip.

Caparo T1

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the Caparo T1. With lights, turn signals and space for a passenger, the Caparo T1 is probably the first realistic attempt at making a Formula One-style car that you can use on the road. However, the car has had some problems. At its press launch, a part of the front suspension came loose while a journalist was in it and the car shot off the road. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the throttle jammed wide open and it happened again when Fifth Gear tested it. At 150 mph the car caught fire, burning its driver badly on the arms, neck and face. Now it's Clarkson's turn. Due to its history and the speeds it can reach, the BBC beefed up the medical rescue personnel for the segment. Caparo themselves wouldn't allow Clarkson to drive the T1 unless he wore a full-face crash helmet and fireproof racing gear.

The Caparo T1 was designed by the same people who did the McLaren F1. It has a 3.5 L V8 race engine that produce 575 hp. That's a huge amount of horsepower for a car that weighs so little: it has twice as much horsepower per ton as a Bugatti Veyron. It does 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, 0-100 in 5 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph. It has acceleration of which Clarkson has never experienced before, likening the car to driving in Formula 3000. Unfortunately, Clarkson has to stop as part of the floor of the Caparo T1 comes loose. Caparo fix the problem, but then Clarkson experience a problem with the fuel. It doesn't seem very reliable, yet costs £235,000 (about $487,000). The T1 isn't very good at taking corners, either. The car is designed for the wind flowing over the car at speed to press it down into the pavement for tremendous grip, but when taking corners at slower speeds there isn't enough down force and you have almost no grip at all.

The Stig takes the Caparo T1 around the test track in 1.10.6, topping the Power Laps. However, Clarkson promptly removes the Caparo T1 from the Power Laps board citing the speed bump rule. The T1 wouldn't be able to get over a speed bump and Clarkson illustrates this point by showing how the T1 would have trouble going over the toes of his shoe.

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

This week's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car is Simon Cowell, a British artist and producer. Simon Cowell races the Chevrolet Lacetti around the test track in 1.45.9, topping the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car lap board.

London Race

The boys race across London, attempting to find the quickest way to do it. May is given a Mercedes-Benz GL 500, a full-size luxury crossover SUV to drive in one of the most congested cities in the world. Hammond's ride of choice is a £1,700 (about $3,500) lightweight, carbon fiber bicycle. Public transportation is to be taken by the one and only Stig. Clarkson decides to use a powerboat as his mode of transportation. And they will all be starting out during Monday morning rush hour. Hammond is hampered by traffic lights, Clarkson by having to maintain a low speed for a section of the river and May has to pull over when the camera crew's car is pulled over by the police to check their permit. Clarkson eventually arrives at London City Airport to discover that Hammond is the first to arrive. The Stig is next to arrive with May coming in last. The group realize that the car has lost and they've ruined Top Gear.

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