Top Gear

Your guide to the new Top Gear test track

For the new series of the BBC’s Top Gear, the familiar test track has been reimagined. Gone is the Astra that the celebrities used to bash around the track, replaced by a rallycross Mini. As you can see in the image below, the new track starts in the same location as the old, but after the first corner things change dramatically. Instead of turning all the way around to the left and continuing on to Chicago, Stars in a Rallycross car continue straight on and into a the first half of the new rally stage.

newtrackmap

The first stage essentially takes them straight from turn one, through a water crossing and then directly down to Hammerhead, located at the end of the main runway. After negotiating Hammerhead, the second rally stage veers off to the left, through a new hairpin turn, and then over a jump before joining the track again at the Follow Through. From then on, the track is business as usual.

If none of the above makes sense to you, why not check out the new 360° video below, starring Chris Harris.

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6 comments

the guy with no name June 4, 2016 at 4:40 am

Looks pretty boring, like a rushed / half arsed job.

Reply
vancouverbill June 5, 2016 at 6:01 am

I am perplexed…
while I think the ‘dirt’ section has merit ,it will have to be maintained. as you guys know whoopdees and potholes will grow bigger and bigger.which would be a good thing as far as I am concerned but it will not be an equal,level playing field.
and speaking of level… two crude oil tankers passing each other would not look amiss if you were from the oil patch in Alberta…thats how flat it is.
so way narrower and more turns in the dirt.
I included a bit of a plug for the TT Sean…

Reply
MrM3 June 2, 2016 at 8:47 pm

Why did they not do a proper introduction to the track and the car with some special stars and what not like in the old TG Days? That was rather funny to watch Hammond/Clarkson trying to remeber peoples names and fail on bbq etc. I think Chris/Matt could have done the same.

Reply
Sean McKellar June 3, 2016 at 7:03 am

It would have been a great idea. Personally I had no idea how the new track worked until I analysed the video and worked it out.

Reply
amvj June 2, 2016 at 3:37 pm

They just ruined the track. How are they going to test supercars in mud track ?

Reply
Scooby June 3, 2016 at 5:31 am

Fairly sure the power laps are still on the original track however yes they do need to clean off the track if they want a comparable lap board .

Reply

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