Best Episodes Top Gear

10 early Top Gear episodes which all fans should watch

As someone who has been watching Top Gear from the very beginning, I can’t help but feel disappointed when I see fans of the show posting comments online saying things like “everything before Series 9 is shit”, or advising newcomers that “Top Gear is only good from Series 15 onwards.” What a load of rubbish!

While there’s no denying that Series 1 to 8 of Top Gear did contain less humour, scripted sequences and general goofing around, to say that they don’t contain any episodes worth watching is a complete and utter lie.

I’ve always been one to say that any true Top Gear fan should watch the show all the way through from Series 1, as it helps you appreciate where Top Gear has come from and how it grew to become the most popular TV show in the world. But if you simply haven’t got the time or patience to do this, we’re here to help.

What we’ve done here is hand-pick 10 Top Gear episodes from Series 8 or earlier which are definitely worthy of your time.

If you’re a true Top Gear fan, at the very least you have to watch these!

 

jeremy-clarkson-toyota-hilux

Jeremy finds out if the Toyota Hilux really is indestructible

Series 3, Episode 5.

This is perhaps one of the most famous Top Gear episodes of all time. Jeremy Clarkson purchases a 13-year old Toyota Hilux diesel which has 190,000 miles on the clock for just £1,000. He then takes it to Bristol and subjects it to a series of tests to find out just how tough it still is. This includes driving down stairs, grazing it against buildings, ramming it into a tree, drowning it in the ocean, hitting it with a wrecking ball, dropping a caravan on it and then finally setting it on fire. Did it still drive after all that? Watch and find out!

[View Episode Guide]

 

top-gear-100-cars

Top Gear’s first ever Cheap Car Challenge – £100 cars

Series 4, Episode 3.

This episode contains Top Gear’s first ever Cheap Car Challenge. Jeremy, Richard and James are asked to buy road-legal cars for less than £100 and see just how much car they can get for their money. Jeremy bought a Volvo 760 with 141,000 miles on the clock, James opted for an Audi 80 1.8E with a suspected crash history, while Richard went for a Rover 416GTi. The cars are then subjected to a number of challenges to find out who got the best deal.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Top Gear hits Pendine Sands in 3 high performance cars

Series 4, Episode 5.

Jeremy, Richard and James test a BMW 645Ci, Jaguar XK-R and Porsche 996 Carrera 2 on Pendine Sands in the rain, enjoying some spectacular but wild handling due to the low grip levels, and high rear-wheel drive power.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Jeremy tries to lap the Nurburgring in under 10 minutes

Series 5, Episode 5.

In this episode, we’re introduced to Sabine Schmitz for the first time, as she attempts to help Jeremy lap the Nurburgring in a diesel Jaguar S-Type in under 10 minutes.

[View Episode Guide]

 

How much Porsche can you get for £1500?

Series 5, Episode 6.

This is one of Top Gear’s most influential Cheap Car Challenges, where the presenters find out how much Porsche you can get for £1500. Richard buys a Volkswagen van-engined 924, James chooses a 2.5L 4-cylinder 944, and Jeremy turns up in a slightly broken 928. What follows can be described as a series of rather hilarious breakdowns and shenanigans.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Jeremy races a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren to Oslo, Norway

Series 6, Episode 6.

This episode contains one of Top Gear’s most epic early races – from Heathrow Airport in London to Oslo in Norway. For the tiring 1,320-mile (2,120 km) drive, Jeremy selects the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren because it is both extremely fast and completely comfortable. Meanwhile, Richard and James race against him by flying to Newcastle upon Tyne, catching a 17-hour long ferry ride to Kristiansand, and then travelling via speedboat for the remainder of the journey.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Top Gear take 3 supercars on a roadtrip to France

Series 7, Episode 3.

Jeremy, Richard and James try to explain the point of supercars. They each pick their favourite supercar – a Pagani Zonda, a Ford GT, and a Ferrari F430 – and then embark on a trans-France road trip to the recently completed Millau Viaduct.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Mid-engined Italian supercars for under £10,000

Series 7, Episode 4.

Should you buy a used supercar for less than £10,000? Jeremy, Richard and James find out by purchasing used Italian supercar for less than £10,000 and drive from Bristol to a strip club in Slough, with challenges along the way – including a lap around Castle Combe raceway trying to beat the Stig’s 1:35 laptime in a diesel Vauxhall Astra. They also measure the horsepower lost from their worn engines, an insurance estimate, a DIY tune-up against the clock involving an oil change and replacing spark plugs, and trying to park in a tight space in Marlborough town square.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Jeremy, Richard and James attempt to build amphibious vehicles

Series 8, Episode 3.

Top Gear’s original amphibious car challenge! Jeremy, Richard and James each buy a car and are then tasked with the job of turning it into an amphibious vehicles that would work on land and water. Each presenter would make their amphibious vehicles separately, not knowing what vehicle the other presenters had or what challenge the vehicles would be tested in.

[View Episode Guide]

 

Are there any other Top Gear episodes from Series 1 to 8 which you think should be added to the list? Let us know below!

Related posts

Top Gear Series 26 returns Sunday February 17th

Sean McKellar

New Trailer for Top Gear Series 26

Sean McKellar

Chris Harris crashes his Porsche GT3 Touring

Sean McKellar

Two random guys are joining Top Gear next year

Sean McKellar

The RC Toybota returns – will it sink?

Sean McKellar

Top Gear’s future in doubt after Matt LeBlanc quits

Sean McKellar

3 comments

POWEERRRRRRRR! May 6, 2016 at 7:52 pm

Series 4, Episode 1 – TGV vs DB9 to Monte Carlo – awesome race!

Reply
the guy with no name April 23, 2016 at 3:21 am

I think TG was in it’s prime between Series 5 and 13

Also, S6 E2 deserves a mention (the one where they get non-Porsche coupes). Oh and so do the winter Olympics

Reply
Suzanne April 22, 2016 at 1:42 pm

Whenever I’m feeling in need of a pick-me-up I always bring out the amphibious vehicles ep. Even though I know it off by heart, it makes me laugh and laugh. Cap’n Pugwash, the dampervan, gay magazines, ‘Powerrrrrrr’… Richard’s hysterical laughter as the credits roll just finish it off perfectly.

The second amphibious vehicles show is just as good. Driving across the channel and being buzzed by the coast guard. ‘Sky, sea, sky, sea…’ Superb.

Reply

Leave a Comment