- Jeremy tests the Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG.
- James road tests the Honda Element.
- Richard and James play Toyota Aygo Football.
- Jeremy road tests the Range Rover Sport and tries to outrun a Challenger 2 Tank.
- Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: James Nesbitt.
Episode Guide
Main review: Clarkson tests the Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG, a stylish and comfortable four-door coupe with a throaty 500 hp (370 kW) supercharged V8, brakes from the SLR supercar, a luxurious interior, and “fabulous handling.” The Stig does a lap time of 1:26.9, currently the fastest four-door saloon ever tested. Jeremy adores it as a “thug in a silk dressing gown” and says the only thing that would keep him from buying one is fear of the recent reputation for dodgy Mercedes-Benz build quality.
News: The collapse of MG Rover. In response to a protest by environmentalists who broke into the Land Rover factory where Range Rovers are built and chained themselves to the production line, Jeremy, Richard and James staged their own protest at the Hammersmith bus station in London by chaining themselves onto a bus, only to be sent away by police.
Review: May tests the Honda Element, which is not for sale in the UK. He brings it to a community of retirees to see what they make of it; he proclaims it cool after the stereotypical old Honda drivers don’t like it.
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: James Nesbitt discusses guns with Jeremy and what it is like being 40. Lap time of 1:51.3
Challenge: Hammond and May played a football match using the new Toyota Aygo being driven by drivers such as Russ Swift, Paul Smith and (old) White Stig Ben Collins. Richard won 2-1.
Cool Wall: Clarkson is annoyed that Kristin-Scott Thomas likes the Honda Civic and a red Bentley and thinks the DB9 is uncool, so he replaces her with Fiona Bruce as the expectation. Jeremy and Richard fall in love with the Alfa Romeo Brera.
Challenge: Clarkson attempted to see whether a Challenger 2 tank could lock its main cannon onto a Range Rover Sport. The Range Rover was good on the rough stuff, but the tank was better.
Some say…
“Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”
Stig Power Laps
Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG
1:26.90
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car
James Nesbitt
1:51.30
Music
Season Preview:
00:50 – 01:51 – Depeche Mode – Nothing (Headcleaner Rock Mix)
Mercedes CLS AMG Review:
02:03 – 02:56 – Katherine Jenkins – Hymn to the Fallen
02:56 – 03:10 – Hexstatic – Chase Me
03:33 – 03:42 – Colleen – Ritournelle
03:54 – 04:29 – Bodyrockers – The Way You Move
04:44 – 04:56 – Wagon Christ – Loose Loggins
04:58 – 05:28 – Rob Dougan – I’m Not Driving Anymore
05:33 – 05:57 – Agent Blue – Something Else
05:57 – 06:49 – Agent Blue – Silence is Golden
06:55 – 07:15 – Max Graham vs. YES – Owner of a Lonely Heart
07:15 – 08:11 – Rob Dougan – Instrumental
08:38 – 08:55 – Rebelski – The Swarm
‘The Stig’ Lap:
09:52 – 09:59 – Focus – Hocus Pocus
10:18 – 10:25 – Focus – Hocus Pocus
Honda Element Review:
17:39 – 18:11 – Frank MacDonald & Chris Rae – On the South Side
18:15 – 18:32 – Alan Hawkshaw – Holiday Commercial
18:35 – 18:50 – Alan Hawkshaw & Alan Parker – Hot Pants
18:55 – 19:15 – Ray Davies – Making It
19:21 – 19:41 – Ray Davies – Making It
19:41 – 20:11 – Ray Davies – Soul City
20:15 – 21:02 – John Williams – Lumos! (Hedwig’s Theme)
22:05 – 22:52 – John Williams – Aunt Marge’s Waltz
Toyota Aygo Review:
33:00 – 33:15 – Depeche Mode – Are People People (Adrian Sherwood Mix)
33:15 – 33:41 – Depeche Mode – Photographic (Rex the Dog Dubb Mix)
33:53 – 34:05 – Flower Power – Flower Power
34:40 – 35:15 – Flower Power – Flower Power
35:18 – 35:27 – Mylo – Muscle Car
35:37 – 36:52 – The Sabres of Paradise – Tow Truck
36:56 – 37:23 – The Sabres of Paradise – Inter-Lergen-Ten-Ko
37:19 – 38:26 – Bentley Rhythm Ace – Theme from ‘Gutbuster’
38:26 – 39:58 – Badmarsh & Shri – Bang
40:01 – 40:14 – Average White Band – Pick Up the Pieces
Range Rover Sport vs. Challenger 2 Tank:
45:38 – 46:54 – Soulsavers – Cabin Fever
46:54 – 47:18 – Super Numeri – When the Sun Dials
47:27 – 48:13 – Laurent Garnier – Man with the Red Face
49:09 – 49:37 – Hybrid – Blackout
49:37 – 50:13 – Nightmares on Wax – Les Nuits
50:14 – 51:00 – Scanner – RF Radiation
51:00 – 51:27 – John Murphy – The Search for Jim
51:28 – 51:44 – Alan Silvestri – Useless Crucifix
51:44 – 51:48 – Alan Silvestri – Final Battle
51:48 – 52:37 – Laurent Garnier – Forgotten Thoughts
52:41 – 53:18 – City of Prague Philharmonic – Ripley’s Rescue
53:18 – 53:50 – Marco Beltrami – Magnetic Personality
53:50 – 54:46 – City of Prague Philharmonic – Ripley’s Rescue
54:46 – 55:10 – Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers
55:11 – 55:52 – The Stone Roses – I Am the Resurrection
55:56 – 56:36 – Alan Silvestri – Final Battle
56:36 – 56:52 – Alan Silvestri – Useless Crucifix
56:55 – 57:37 – Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake: Enchanted Lake