Challenges Cheap Car Challenges Top Gear Series 11

Top Gear: Series 11, Episode 3

  • Jeremy tests the Bentley Brooklands.
  • Alfa Romeos for under £1000.
  • Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Rob Brydon & James Corden.

Episode Guide

Watch this episode on Amazon Instant Video

Challenge: The Top Gear presenters attempted to prove to the show’s producers that to be a true “petrolhead”, you need to have owned an Alfa Romeo. Each presenter was told to buy any Alfa Romeo they wanted with their own money. Clarkson bought an Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6 (for £450), Hammond bought an Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0i (for £1000), and May bought an Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 Twin Spark (for £995). They first had to attend a track day at Rockingham Raceway Circuit. They would lose a point if overtaken and gain a point for overtaking other vehicles; all of their Alfas broke down due to mechanical failures and broken parts. Their competitors were mostly much faster track cars, primarily Porsche 911s, and each presenter was overtaken about two hundred times.

They then had to make a calendar featuring their car and sell them in a newsagent; each presenter made a poor effort and none were sold. Finally, they had to decorate and restore their cars to enter an Alfa Romeo Concours competition. Richard had to be towed as his engine overheated when his hand-cranked water pump broke. Jeremy and Richard got the two lowest scores ever recorded at the competition (out of 150, 23.5 and 9 respectively). James’ GTV had been carefully polished and he earned 74 points, his score let down by the presence of reeking cheese gratings added to the engine bay by Jeremy and Richard from spite. However, Jeremy won the overall challenge because his car’s initial price was so cheap.

Review: Clarkson reviews the Bentley Brooklands, a hand-made car billed as the roomiest two-door vehicle in the world and yet with a top speed of 185 mph (298 km/h). During a power slide he blows out one of the tyres due to the car’s torque. It did not set a lap time as Jeremy said “The Stig might as well drive this studio around the track”.

News: Clarkson predicts that the British Grand Prix was won by a man, as the field only consists of male drivers. This spurs into a discussion about the lack of female racing drivers. He shows a poll of the top 10 sexiest female racing drivers, in which May (despite being male) was among one of the contestants.

Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car: ‘Gavin & Stacey’ stars James Corden and Rob Brydon. In wet conditions, Rob managed a 1:51.7, which was slower than his friend Steve Coogan in hot conditions, whom he had beaten in the Suzuki Liana. Corden (who, up until appearing on the show, had only driven an automatic car) managed a 1:53.4.

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Rob Brydon
1:51.70 (wet)
James Corden
1:53.40 (wet)

Music

Bentley Brooklands Coupe Review:
01:06 – 01:24 – Jonny Greenwood – Open Spaces
01:23 – 01:59 – Marc Streitenfeld – Frank Lucas
02:00 – 03:12 – Philip Glass – The Secret Plot
03:12 – 03:23 – Henning Lohner – Trouble Jeopardy
03:24 – 03:55 – Dario Marianelli – Knives And Bullets (And Cannons Too)
04:11 – 04:36 – Dario Marianelli – Evey Reborn
04:57 – 05:43 – Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up
05:44 – 05:53 – Hans Zimmer – Let the Dead Get In
05:53 – 06:27 – M83 – * (Asterick)
06:29 – 06:42 – Hans Zimmer – Spectres in the Fog
06:42 – 07:33 – Hans Zimmer – Red Warrior

£1000 Alfa Challenge, Pt. 1:
15:53 – 16:01 – Tito & Tarantula – After Dark
16:40 – 16:50 – Tito & Tarantula – Angry Cockroaches
17:40 – 17:52 – Jimmie Vaughan – Dengue Woman Blues
19:13 – 19:45 – Tito & Tarantula – After Dark
20:00 – 20:16 – Tito & Tarantula – After Dark
20:23 – 21:02 – John Powell – Bim Bam Smash
22:06 – 22:35 – Trevor Rabin – Preparation Montage
22:39 – 23:22 – Trevor Rabin – National Treasure Suite
23:41 – 23:56 – Hugo Montenegro – The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
24:24 – 24:46 – Patti Jo – Make Me Believe in You
24:54 – 25:05 – Patti Jo – Make Me Believe in You
25:06 – 25:35 – Lalo Schifrin – The School Bus
25:50 – 26:24 – John Powell – Do or Die
26:46 – 27:03 – Primal Scream – Little Death (Instrumental)
27:17 – 27:29 – Primal Scream – Little Death (Instrumental)
27:46 – 28:39 – Ron Goodwin & His Orchestra – Colonel Bogey and the River Kwai March
28:42 – 28:56 – Brian Tyler – Rooftop Pursuit
29:03 – 29:37 – Brian Tyler – Rooftop Pursuit

£1000 Alfa Challenge, Pt. 2:
45:36 – 46:32 – Jerry Goldsmith – Barnaby Jones
46:46 – 47:15 – Lalo Schifrin – On The Way To San Mateo
47:19 – 47:48 – Jerry Goldsmith – Barnaby Jones
47:55 – 48:23 – Bonobo – Wayward Bob
48:42 – 48:59 – Alan Parker – Punch Bowl
49:09 – 49:27 – Alan Parker – Punch Bowl
49:41 – 50:04 – Jay Flood – Creep Petit
50:09 – 50:54 – Quincy Jones – On Days Like These (Reprise)
51:17 – 51:31 – Quincy Jones – On Days Like These (Reprise)
51:38 – 52:03 – Bobby Womack – Across 110th Street
53:35 – 53:42 – (same as above)
53:45 – 54:01 – Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
54:02 – 54:29 – Röyksopp – Triumphant
54:48 – 55:08 – Franz Schubert – Marche Militaire in D Major, D733, Op. 51, No. 1
55:11 – 55:33 – Beastie Boys – 14th St. Break
55:55 – 56:52 – Hans Zimmer – Fighting 17th
57:59 – 58:40 – Hans Zimmer – Leave No Man Behind

Screenshots

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