Top Gear/Season 1 Episode 1

Season 1 Episode 1
Season 1, Episode 1
Airdate	October 20, 2002
Written by
Directed by
← 1x01 Season 1 Episode 1	1x02 → Season 1 Episode 2
Top Gear — Season One

Episode One of the first season of Top Gear, and is episode one overall.

Guest Stars: Harry Enfield

Information

Citroën Berlingo Multispace

Jeremy Clarkson shows off the Ford Focus and VW Golf. Both have five doors, both have 1.6 L engines, and both cost around 12,000 GBP (about 21,800 USD). However, he's found a family hatchback you can buy in Britain, brand new, for less than 9,000 GBP (about 16,400 USD) — the Citroën Berlingo Multispace. It started off as a van, and Citroën simply added windows in the rear, sliding doors, and seats where the cement used to go. You can even get a diesel version for 8,995 GBP (about 16,400 USD). But are you getting what you pay for?

Clarkson takes the Citroën Berlingo Multispace out for a drive in Calais, France. His first impression is that it drives like a van, but it has astonishing value for your money. It's not very sporty and there's quite a bit of road noise, but it's very comfortable and rides like a Jaguar. There's storage space up above the driver and passenger, the back has two extra glove boxes above the rear passenger seats, there's cubby holes underneath the floor by the rear passenger seats, and the rear seats can be folded down to give even more space to the trunk. In addition, there's another storage compartment attached to the ceiling by the rear tailgate. Clarkson likes it.

Ford GT Concept

It's 1962 and Ford is poised to buy Ferrari. At the very last minute the deal turns sour. Henry Ford II is furious and orders his engineers to build a racing car that will smash the Italians. The result is the GT40. It humiliates Ferrari by winning Le Mans in 1966... and 1967... and 1968... and 1969.

Richard Hammond shows off the Ford GT Concept in the studio. It's four inches higher and eighteen inches longer than the original GT40, but it is a GT40. They just photocopied the original plans at 110%, but added a few clever bits. Using a key fob, the engine covering can be automatically opened and closed, as can the covering for putting fuel into the gas tank. The engine is a supercharged 5.5 L V8. Of course, this particular car is just a concept and he has no idea what the real one will be like when Ford makes it. Hammond says the Ford GT should go on sale in America for about 150,000 USD.

Pagani Zonda, Lamborghini Murcielago

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the Pagani Zonda, Italy's newest supercar from Italy's newest supercar manufacturer. Deciding to show off the Zonda's engine, Clarkson asks for help to undo the leather buckles and then pushing a button to lift the engine cover. The engine is a Mercedes-Benz 7.3 L V12 built specially for Pagani that produces 555 bhp. Thanks to the engine and the Zonda's all carbon fiber body, the Zonda can reach 200 mph in fifth gear and 220 mph in sixth gear. Clarkson exclaims that the Zonda is an immense achievement and astonishing to behold. It only has one problem — the Lamborghini Murcielago.

The Lamborghini Murcielago is the latest in a long line of raging bulls from Italy's maddest supercar manufacturer, Lamborghini. However, Clarkson is worried that, ever since Audi bought Lamborghini, they may have tried to bring a little order to the chaos that is Lamborghini. It's the first Lamborghini where the clutch, steering and changing gears is easy to do. But it still has some of Lamborghini's quirks, namely the scissor doors and, when the engine gets hot, air intakes pop out at the back. The engine is a 6.2 L V12, but it's more powerful that the Zonda's 7.3 L V12, producing 571 bhp.

The Murcielago has more power, but the Zonda is lighter. So which is faster? In a drag race, the Zonda absolutely destroys the Murcielago. But Clarkson states the Murcielago is far and away the best supercar Lamborghini has produced. But the Pagani Zonda is the current king of supercars.

Back in the studio, Clarkson says the Lamborghini Murcielago costs around 160,000 GBP (about 290,800 USD), whereas the Pagani Zonda costs 310,000 USD (about 563,500 USD). But, in the Zonda's defense, you get a free pair of shoes made by the Pope's cobbler and 12-months free membership to the Royal Automobile Club.

The Stig takes the Lamborghini Murcielago around a mildly moist test track in 1.29.0. The Stig takes the Pagani Zonda around a midly moist test track in 1.23.7.

The Test Track and The Stig

Seeing as how 0-60 times and top speed figures are totally meaningless when how fast a car laps a test track is what truly matters, Richard Hammond introduces the test track. It's just under 2 miles of fast straights and tricky corners designed by the test drivers at Lotus. Chicago Bend is a steady-state corner that loads up the outside tires. Hammerhead is a tricky left-right designed to promote understeer. The Follow-through is a flat-out corner. Bacharach is a tricky corner designed to test brake balance. Carpenter's Corner is a corner in which a badly setup front-wheel drive car will have trouble putting down its power.

Jeremy Clarkson introduces their racing driver who can tame the test track and post consistently fast lap times. They call him The Stig.

Car vs. Speed Camera

Richard Hammond claims there's a story that, if a car is going fast enough, the car can leave the camera shot entirely before it can take a second picture to verify its speed. So Hammond decides to find out if the story is true are not by pitting The Stig, in a car, against a speed camera on the test track.

The first car is the Honda Civic Type R can go from 0-60 in 7.2 seconds and has a top speed of 146 mph. The Stig does 129 mph past the speed camera, but it isn't fast enough. The next car is the 89,000 GBP (about 162,000 USD) Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG. 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The Stig does 148 mph past the speed camera, but it still isn't fast enough. The last car is the TVR Tuscan S. The Tuscan S go past the speed camera at over 170 mph, and the speed camera never saw it.

You'll need two miles of straight track and a car that can do over 170 mph, but it's possible.

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

This week's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car is Harry Enfield, a British comedian. Before letting Harry Enfield out in the Suzuki Liana, Jeremy Clarkson had to give it a go first, with Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe in the back. Jeremy Clarkson races the Suzuki Liana round the test track in 1.50.0. Harry Enfield races the Suzuki Liana around the test track in 2.01.0.

Running a Car on Vegetable Oil

Jeremy Clarkson is shown by a guest how to prepare used vegetable oil for use in a diesel engine. The guest claims that performance would be about the same, or better, as diesel and requires no modification to the engine. To test it, Clarkson puts prepared vegetable oil into a diesel-powered Volvo 740. The Volvo is able to run just fine.

Insider Dealing

Jason Dawe explains that the MINI One, the basic model, was about 10,000 GBP (about 18,200 USD) new. But, as a used car, the MINI One is worth about 10,500 GBP (about 19,100 USD), allowing you to actually make a profit.

The Subaru Impreza WRX has been out for about three years, but has been doing so badly that Subaru is introducing a facelift. So to get ride of the Impreza WRX, Subaru has taken 3,000 GBP (5,500 USD) off, lowering the price to about 19,000 GBP (about 34,500 USD).

Dawe explains that Volvo made an error with their popular XC90 in that they're only making 3,500 of them for the UK for the entire year.

Mazda6

Richard Hammond reviews the Mazda6. The interior and exterior are fantastic. Hammond's particular model has a 2.3 L I4 with about 166 bhp and 0-60 in about 9 seconds. Even though it's not that interesting, Hammond explains that the engine has been tuned for constant power delivery and it feels like a bigger engine than it really is. The handling is really, really good and the car is exciting to drive. However, there is quite a bit of road rumble and wind noise. A fully-loaded Mazda6 will only cost you around 18,000 GBP (about 32,700 USD).

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