Challenges How hard could it be? Top Gear Series 8

Top Gear: Series 8, Episode 6

  • Jeremy tests and compares the Ford Mondeo ST220, Mazda 6 MPS & Vauxhall Vectra VX-R.
  • The boys go on a Caravan holiday to see why everyone else enjoys it.
  • Richard attempts to break the indoor speed record using an F1 car.
  • Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Brian Cox.

Episode Guide

Watch this episode on Amazon Instant Video

Review: Clarkson tests three hot saloons with a “rubbish badges”: the Ford Mondeo ST220, the Mazda 6 MPS and the Vauxhall Vectra VXR. Clarkson calls the Mondeo “one of Britain’s most underrated cars.” Throughout his review, he lavishes compliments upon it, deciding that it’s only weakness is that it seems “common.” However, he points out that the BMW 3 series outsold it last year. Additionally, via a chart, he shows that in the previous year 1,050 Aston Martin DB9’s were sold in Britain while only 903 Mondeo ST220s left dealerships – proving his point that the Mondeo is the more exclusive car. Also somewhat exclusive is the Mazda 6 MPS. He finds that while it is not as practical or pretty as the Ford, it is even better and more fun to drive. Again using a chart, he compares the Mazda to a similarly priced BMW 318i M Sport and finds that the Mazda is better in every way. Finally, he drives the Vauxhall Vectra or as he puts it “one of my least favourite cars in the world!” With another chart, he illustrates his contempt for the car. However, the VXR is more stylish than Vectras of old and it is fast too. Pitted against the other two in a drag race on the Top Gear track it handily wins. In the hands of The Stig, the poised and delicate Mondeo achieves a laptime of 1:34.4, while the energetic and powerful Mazda 6 an even better 1:32.2. Despite being the fastest car with a 161 mph top speed, the Vectra can only manage a time of 1:35.5 due to “catastrophic understeer.”

The News: Clarkson and Hammond bicker about muscle cars. Hammond gushes about the new 2008 Dodge Challenger, while Clarkson complains about his recent trip to the United States to drive a Chrysler 300 and calls both a BMW M6 and a Jaguar XKR muscle cars. May finally shuts them up by announcing Daihatsu is going to make a new Copen. Clarkson spots a celebrity among the audience members (“Jesus is here!”). They ridicule a study that claims people with speed camera detectors are less likely to get speeding tickets. Bus drivers are furious with Clarkson for negative comments he made about them.

Challenge: Clarkson, May and Hammond go on a caravan holiday in Dorset to try and find out more about caravaning. The trio unsuccessfully try to have fun, cause numerous traffic jams, Top Gear Dog becomes ill, May crashes the caravan into a bollard, and then blocks the road (eventually attracting police attention) when trying to correct a wrong turn. On site, May crashes the caravan into a neighbouring site, partially collapsing the neighbour’s gazebo (which will later be destroyed), Hammond and Top Gear Dog are “kidnapped” by an elderly female fan, and Clarkson accidentally set fire to the caravan and its neighbour whilst trying to cook chips.

Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Brian Cox talks with Jeremy about his roles as villains (principally Hannibal Lector), life in America, and his Toyota Prius’s. Despite posting a slow time of 2:01, he says that he enjoyed the track experience tremendously.

Challenge: The Stig has a go at the nonexistent indoor world speed record in one of the ExCeL Exhibition Centre’s halls with a Toyota TF105 F1 car. He sets a world record of 81 mph (130 km/h), although because of the lack of grip afforded by the hall’s polished floor, this was only slightly faster than the 70 mph (112 km/h) he recorded with the Chevrolet Lacetti.

Some say…

“Now some say that he invented Branston Pickle, and that if you insult his mother, he will head-butt you in the chest. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”

Stig Power Laps

Ford Mondeo ST220
1:34.20
Mazda 6 MPS
1:32.20
Vauxhall Vectra VX-R
1:35.30

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Brian Cox
2:01.00

Music

Ford Modeo – Mazda 6 – Vauxhall Vectra Review:
00:45 – 01:05 – Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth
01:05 – 01:25 – Amon Tobin – Ruthless
01:22 – 01:39 – Bloc Party – Helicopter (Whitey Version)
01:41 – 01:48 – Bloc Party – Helicopter (Whitey Version)
01:49 – 02:00 – Coldcut – Aid Dealer (Edit 1)
02:00 – 02:18 – Aphex Twin – Blue Calx
02:32 – 02:58 – Shri – Mela
03:26 – 04:25 – Death in Vegas – Girls
04:58 – 05:17 – Sigur Ros – Gong
05:20 – 05:35 – Manfred Mann – Blinded by the Light
06:28 – 07:02 – Amon Tobin – Ruthless
07:02 – 07:25 – Basil Poledouris – Rock Shop
07:32 – 07:55 – Amon Tobin – Sordid
07:59 – 08:09 – Amon Tobin – Sordid
08:11 – 08:15 – Amon Tobin – Sordid
08:19 – 08:59 – Doves – N.Y.

A Caravan Holiday, Pt. 1:
19:32 – 19:59 – Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Let Us Take You for a Ride
20:17 – 20:43 – Rhian Sheehan – Phobos
21:10 – 21:27 – Laurie Johnson – Animal Magic
21:27 – 22:03 – Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Summer Holiday
22:06 – 22:18 – The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane
22:19 – 22:48 – Laurie Johnson – The Avengers
23:19 – 24:10 – Ron Grainer – Tales of the Unexpected
24:35 – 25:13 – Hexstatic – Chase Me
25:26 – 25:56 – Brandy – Afrodisiac (Instrumental)
26:13 – 26:29 – Brandy – Afrodisiac (Instrumental)
27:47 – 28:11 – Double – Captain of Her Heart

Toyota F1 Car Challenge:
37:38 – 38:03 – Amon Tobin – Natureland
38:05 – 38:08 – Pete Namlook – Sonne
38:08 – 39:05 – Brian Tyler, Klaus Badelt – Meet John Constantine
39:05 – 40:12 – Ramin Djawadi – Blade’s Back

A Caravan Holiday, Pt. 2:
42:09 – 42:46 – Ian Broudie – Smoke Rings
43:05 – 44:05 – Supergrass – St. Petersburg
45:41 – 46:03 – Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
46:04 – 46:40 – Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Theme
46:52 – 47:06 – Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Theme
47:37 – 47:54 – Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Theme
47:54 – 48:36 – City of Prague Philharmonic – The Twilight Zone
48:44 – 49:06 – Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Theme
49:50 – 50:04 – John Barry – Volare
50:23 – 51:08 – Roy Budd – Get Carter
52:00 – 52:08 – Eric Weissberg, Steve Mandell – Dueling Banjos
53:12 – 53:24 – Lou Reed – Perfect Day
53:35 – 53:56 – The Jam – That’s Entertainment
54:24 – 54:38 – John Barry – Volare
55:44 – 56:09 – Gustav Holst – Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
56:17 – 56:26 – Gustav Holst – Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
57:09 – 57:44 – Hans Zimmer – Burn It All
58:23 – 58:31 – John Barry – Volare

Screenshots

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4 comments

MR STEVE April 6, 2019 at 5:07 pm

One of My favorite episodes as only the 3 chaps from chump TV could only do.

Reply
Booze Hounding March 29, 2015 at 8:59 pm

what was the caravan site?

Reply
Sean McKellar January 28, 2015 at 10:16 pm

This one also works for me so it must be something on your machine or with your connection. Sometimes if you force refresh the page (hold shift while pressing the refresh button) it can help.

Reply
Kate January 29, 2015 at 8:20 am

Thank you very much, it was the connection.

Reply

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