Challenges How hard could it be? Top Gear Series 8

Top Gear: Series 8, Episode 5

  • Jeremy tests the Prodrive P2.
  • James may has racing lessons with Jackie Stewart.
  • Jeremy reviews the Citroën C6.
  • Car football II: Toyota Igo vs Volkswagen Fox.
  • Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Michael Gambon.

Episode Guide

Watch this episode on Amazon Instant Video

Review: The Prodrive P2 concept car is put through its paces on the track. Jeremy finds it quick, good-looking, and at a projected price of £40,000, a good value too. Clarkson attempts to explain what active-diff and anti-lag is. A practical demonstration of the former makes Clarkson carsick, having to stop while going round a circle at 60 mph. The Stig achieves a lap in the P2 in 1:24.3 seconds. Prior to that he did a lap with the active-diff turned off and did a much slower time of just over 1:29.

The News: Jeremy Clarkson launches the 2006 Top Gear motor survey while casually panning between cameras as is the trend among news programmes. Suburu is arranging track days at the Prodrive test track. New from Germany is the Audi RS4 cabriolet. Clarkson claims that points should be awarded to unsporting/aggressive F1 drivers. Ford has made a cool new people carrier. James has signed up to present a programme called When Sharks Attack and Jeremy has a picture of James in a wet suit. He also has a picture of Hammond riding a pony.

Challenge: A “Scottish lady” (as Hammond refers to him) called Jackie Stewart claims that he can cut down anyone’s driving time around a circuit (Oulton Park) by 20 seconds. But the Top Gear presenters don’t believe him. So, to prove him wrong, James May (a.k.a. Captain Slow) is sent to take up the challenge. Using a TVR Tuscan convertible, Sir Jackie manages to get May to cut down his original laptime by 20 seconds.

Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Sir Michael Gambon returns to discuss his first appearance, his role as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, the possibility that he could have been James Bond, and his propensity for lying during interviews. Lap time of 1:50.3.

Review: Afterwards Jeremy Clarkson reviews the new Citroën C6, the heir to a long line of big, innovative French cars, and is disappointed that the car doesn’t seem to be mad enough to be a worthy successor to the Citroën CX. However, the car redeems itself as a mobile camera platform for covering horse races.

The Cool Wall: The Citroën C6 is “Super Cool” because Jean Reno would have one. The Peugeot 207 is “Uncool” unless Kristin Scott Thomas texts Clarkson to tell him otherwise. The Skoda Fabia VRS is “Uncool,” because all Skodas are deeply “Uncool.” The Saab 9-5 is “Uncool” due to its Dame Edna-style headlights.

Challenge: The Toyota Aygo is challenged by the Volkswagen Fox in a game of football. Using national football stereotypes, Hammond points out that the Fox is actually made in Brazil and May contends that the Aygo is actually made in the Czech Republic. In the end, Hammond’s durable Foxes beat the old champion Aygos.

Some say…

“Some say that the outline of his left nipple is exactly the same shape as the Nurburgring, and if you give him a really important job to do, he’ll skive off and play croquet. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”

Stig Power Laps

Prodrive P2
1:24.30

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Michael Gambon
1:50.30

Music

Subaru P2 Review:
00:51 – 01:08 – Rob Dougan – Chateau
01:32 – 01:35 – Amon Tobin – Switch
01:35 – 01:46 – Stanton Warriors – Pop Ya Cork
01:46 – 01:48 – Craig Armstrong – Inhaler
01:48 – 02:06 – Faultline – Partyline Honey
02:06 – 02:28 – Massive Attack – Simple Rules
02:52 – 03:07 – Death From Above 1979 – Cold War
03:23 – 03:36 – Air – Alone in Kyoto
03:36 – 03:57 – Jackson And His Computer Band – Arpeggio
04:01 – 04:14 – Death in Vegas – Dirt
04:50 – 05:14 – Missy Elliott – Work It (Instrumental)
05:14 – 05:45 – David Arnold – Stargate Overture
05:53 – 06:11 – Sigur Ros – Gong

Jackie Stewart Challenge:
17:58 – 18:18 – Faultline – Salt
18:19 – 18:42 – Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
19:06 – 19:13 – The Sabres of Paradise – Flight Path Estate
19:13 – 19:32 – Leo Badgerbasher – Beatz & Pieces
19:32 – 19:34 – The Sabres of Paradise – Flight Path Estate
19:43 – 20:21 – Arctic Monkeys – A Certain Romance
20:31 – 21:05 – Kasabian – Reason is Treason
21:05 – 21:14 – Layo & Bushwacka! – Feels Closer
21:44 – 22:15 – The Prodigy – Hot Ride
22:16 – 22:47 – Nina Simone – Sinnerman
22:49 – 23:27 – Timmy Thomas – Why Can’t We Live Together
23:27 – 24:14 – Michael Giacchino – Mission: Impossible Theme
25:08 – 25:58 – Hans Zimmer – Red Warrior
25:58 – 26:15 – Hans Zimmer – The Way of the Sword

Citroen C6 Review:
37:11 – 37:43 – Orbital – Halycon (7″ mix)
37:44 – 38:07 – Gotan Project – Domingo
38:07 – 38:39 – Craig Armstrong – Will You Come Back To Me
38:40 – 39:01 – Antonio Pinto – Car Crash
39:03 – 39:29 – Layo & Bushwacka! – Me and You
39:29 – 40:07 – Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard – Myotis
40:14 – 40:47 – Air – Dirty Trip
41:12 – 41:42 – Air – Playground Love
41:45 – 41:53 – Gavin Greenaway – After Dark
41:53 – 42:09 – Don Harper – World of Sport Theme
42:09 – 42:21 – Murcof – Memoria
42:34 – 43:07 – Craig Armstrong – Business

VW Football Game:
49:49 – 50:38 – Badmarsh & Shri – Bang
50:40 – 51:02 – Amon Tobin – Searchers
51:02 – 51:08 – Alan Silvestri – Judge Dredd
51:11 – 51:46 – Alan Silvestri – Judge Dredd
51:39 – 51:48 – Alan Silvestri – Judge Dredd
51:48 – 52:05 – Cabaret Voltaire – Brutal But Clean
52:26 – 52:58 – Alan Silvestri – Judge Dredd
52:58 – 53:41 – Stone Roses – I Am the Resurrection
53:43 – 54:36 – Faithless – Donny X
54:38 – 54:46 – Autechre – Nuane
55:22 – 56:35 – Orbital – P.E.T.R.O.L.
56:37 – 57:16 – Alan Silvestri – Transylvanian Horses
57:20 – 58:08 – Alan Silvestri – Transylvanian Horses

Screenshots

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6 comments

kia May 15, 2015 at 11:44 am

what is the name of the song being played at the beginning of c6 testing???

Reply
Jay February 28, 2016 at 8:09 pm

Orbital – Halcyon

Reply
m hunt December 22, 2016 at 2:09 am

Timmy Thomas “why cant we live together “

Reply
Kate January 28, 2015 at 9:58 pm

Hello! Unfortunately the stream doesn’t work. Is there a chance that you can correct that? That would be great! Thank you!

Reply
Sean McKellar January 28, 2015 at 10:11 pm

You may need to investigate things on your side, as this and the other one you reported both work fine for me.

Reply
Kate January 28, 2015 at 10:36 pm

Thanks, works again, think my connection was too poor ^-^’

Reply

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