Top Gear: Series 3, Episode 5

• Jeremy road tests the Mazda RX-8.
• Richard drives the Volkswagen Corrado VR6 & Mercedes 190E Cosworth.
• Jeremy and the Stig find out which hair wig is best.
• James drives the new Fiat Panda.
• Jeremy finds out if the Toyota Hilux really is indestructible.
• Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Simon Cowell.

Episode Guide

Main review: Clarkson tests the 1.3 litre Wankel Mazda RX-8 on the track, saying that despite the mixed styling it performs well and for £22,000 is good value for money. Though appearing to be a coupe, the Mazda retains small rear doors and has some of the practicality of a four-door saloon. The Stig sets a lap time of 1:31.8, being the same as the BMW M3 and the Nissan 350Z, to which Clarkson remarks that the Mazda be the better car in all ways: performance, handling, price, practicality, and comfort.

Documentary/Review: Hammond looks at several cars deemed to be good investments as future ‘classic’ cars. These include the Volkswagen Corrado VR6 and the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth.

Crock or Classic: Hammond and May decide which cars are future classics and which are crock. Lexus LS400 is crock, Ferrari F355, BMW Z1, Citroën XM, BMW 3.0 CSL, Volkswagen Corrado VR6 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth are classic.

Challenge: The team set the challenge of finding the best wig for a fast drive in an open top convertible. They find that the cheaper, synthetic wigs fare better at high speed, and that optional wind deflectors are effective at keeping the wig on your head at high speed.

Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car: Sony BMG executive Pop Idol/X Factor judge Simon Cowell sets a new lap record of 1:47.1.

Cool Wall: Daihatsu Copen is uncool, Mazda RX-8 is cool, Nissan 350Z is uncool, Lamborghini Gallardo is uncool and BMW M3 is Seriously Uncool. Jeremy says, as he will often reiterate, that the M3 is “exclusively driven by cocks.” (A point then taken back eight series later)

Review: May reviews the new Fiat Panda at St Albans and Tewin in Hertfordshire. He expresses astonishment that the Italians have made a car that is durable and well-priced. It is slow, but May considers that unimportant to the character of the car.

Challenge: How tough is a Toyota Hilux pick-up truck? Clarkson performs a number of tests on the robust vehicle including drowning, ramming into buildings and a tree, hitting it with a wrecking ball, dropping a caravan on it and setting it ablaze. The car still works afterward.

Stig Power Laps

Mazda RX-8
1:31.80

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Simon Cowell
1:47.10

Music

Mazda RX-8 Review:
00:33 – 00:48 – BT – The Revolution
00:48 – 01:05 – Req – Worthing Line
01:05 – 01:12 – BT – The Revolution
01:46 – 02:43 – The Sabres of Paradise – Inter-Lergen-Ten-Ko II
02:47 – 02:55 – The Sabres of Paradise – Still Fighting
03:27 – 03:46 – 7 Hurtz – 3 Sisters
03:46 – 04:40 – Elvis Presley – A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix)
04:40 – 04:59 – 7 Hurtz – 3 Sisters
04:59 – 05:24 – Delirium – Terra Firma

VW Corrado VR6:
08:08 – 08:27 – Tim Booth & Angelo Badalamenti – Dance of the Bad Angels
08:27 – 09:13 – Lionrock – Call a Cab
09:19 – 09:45 – Depeche Mode – It’s No Good (Hardfloor Mix)
09:46 – 10:17 – Tim Booth & Angelo Badalamenti – Dance of the Bad Angels
10:23 – 11:28 – Fluke – Atom Bomb
11:30 – 12:27 – The Prodigy – Breathe
12:42 – 13:10 – Tim Booth & Angelo Badalamenti – Dance of the Bad Angels

Toupee Test:
16:31 – 16:42 – Dinah Washington – Mad About the Boy
17:18 – 17:25 – Billie Holiday – That Ole Devil Called Love
18:06 – 18:12 – Louis Armstrong – Hello, Dolly!

Italy’s Fiat Panda:
34:15 – 34:37 – Werner Tautz – Razz My Berries
34:53 – 35:13 – Werner Tautz – Razz My Berries
35:27 – 36:13 – Paul Rothman – Pink Deville
36:45 – 36:51 – George Frideric Handel – Zadok the Priest
36:51 – 37:13 – Marc Antoine – Unity
37:14 – 38:03 – The Notwist – Moron
38:16 – 38:33 – N. Tassone – Twist Me Around Your Fingers
38:39 – 38:55 – Marc Antoine – Unity
39:01 – 39:12 – Paco De Lucia – Entre Dos Aguas

Toyota Pickup Destruction:
41:05 – 41:20 – The Dust Brothers – What is Fight Club?
41:31 – 42:17 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
42:18 – 42:42 – Air – Don’t Be Light
42:59 – 43:25 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
43:25 – 43:40 – Boards of Canada – Sunshine Recorder
43:53 – 44:13 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
44:13 – 44:29 – The Cinematic Orchestra – Melody
44:32 – 44:50 – M83 – On A White Lake, Near A Green Mountain
44:53 – 45:21 – M83 – Cyborg
45:21 – 45:32 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
45:43 – 46:03 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
46:05 – 46:14 – Radiohead – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
46:15 – 46:39 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
47:01 – 47:28 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
47:42 – 47:50 – Air – Don’t Be Light
47:52 – 48:11 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
48:19 – 48:31 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
48:38 – 49:35 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
49:48 – 49:59 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti
50:35 – 50:53 – Ennio Morricone – La Resa Dei Conti

Screenshots