Challenges Cheap Car Challenges Top Gear Series 6

Top Gear: Series 6, Episode 2

  • Jeremy tests the Maserati MC12.
  • The boys each buy a 2 door coupe for less than £1500 that isn’t a Porsche.
  • Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Jack Dee.

Episode Guide

Watch this episode on Amazon Instant Video

Review: After destroying the disappointing Maserati Biturbo and lauding the Maserati 250F for its performance in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1957 German Grand Prix, Clarkson announces the £412,000 Maserati MC12, saying it is “An Enzo in Drag”. Fastest car of 1:18.9. He is impressed with its speed, but, like the Biturbo, doesn’t consider it to be a proper Maserati.

News: The recently-released Honda FR-V, with its distinctive “3+3” seating arrangement, is discussed. The upcoming Saab 9-3 SportWagon, Hummer H3, third-generation Mazda MX-5, eighth-generation Honda Civic, and Ferrari 575M Superamerica, a convertible version of the 575M Maranello, are discussed. Clarkson disputes Ferrari’s claim that the Superamerica is the “world’s fastest convertible”, naming several other convertible supercars (such as the Porsche Carrera GT) which are faster.

Challenge: The team was asked to buy a 2-door coupé that wasn’t a Porsche for under £1,500, mirroring a competition they had in series five where they each had to spend £1,500 to buy a Porsche. May bought a Jaguar XJS, Hammond a BMW 635CSi, while Clarkson went for a turbocharged Mitsubishi Starion. They were then sent to the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire for a series of challenges to see who had got the best deal, scoring points for each challenge. The challenges included trying to get to 140 mph (225 km/h), having to drive at 30 mph (48 km/h) over Belgian cobbles with a bucket of water on their lap. They then had to drive to Oxford and meet up at the QI Club. Clarkson arrived first, followed 47 minutes later by Hammond. May never made it; his Jag broke down five times en route. Finally, the team were allowed to spend the remainder of their £1,500 on upgrading their cars prior to an endurance race in a farm’s field. The overall winner turned out to be May, followed by Hammond, but with Clarkson out of the running. May, however, offered to give the title to Clarkson if he admitted “I’m a clot and I ruined my car”, because he had installed a highly uprated turbocharger (said to be from Pentti Airikkala’s Group A Rally car), without any change to the cooling system. (and also because Clarkson almost tricked him into saying that the best 2-door coupé for less than £1,500 was “a V12 car made by communists”) The result was that during the endurance race, the engine coolant boiled repeatedly, destroying power and putting Clarkson out of the running. Clarkson instantly said, “I’m a clot and I ruined my car,” then celebrated his “victory”.

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Comedian Jack Dee; Lap time of 1:53.5.

Some say…

“Some say he’s wanted by the CIA and that he sleeps upside down like a Bat. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”

Stig Power Laps

Maserati MC12
1:18.90

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Jack Dee
1:53.50

Music

Maserati MC12 Review:
01:05 – 01:22 – Caesars – (I’m Gonna) Kick You Out
01:41 – 02:16 – Michael Nyman – Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds
02:16 – 02:33 – W.A. Mozart – ‘Lacrimosa’ from Requiem in D Minor
02:33 – 02:48 – Antonio Vivaldi – ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ from Gloria in D Major
04:19 – 05:03 – W.A. Mozart – ‘Lacrimosa’ from Requiem in D Minor
05:04 – 05:21 – Lemon Jelly – ’88 (a.k.a. Come Down On Me)
05:22 – 05:45 – The Mars Volta – Cassandra Geminni (Faminepulse)
05:46 – 06:40 – Guiseppe Verdi – ‘Dies Irae’ from Messa da Requiem
06:49 – 07:20 – The Mars Volta – Cassandra Geminni (Faminepulse)
08:05 – 08:21 – Giacomo Puccini – ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ from Gianni Schicchi

Cheap Coupés Challenge:
15:54 – 16:18 – Geoff Zanelli – Doom Raider
16:18 – 16:47 – Ty – The Willing (Instrumental)
16:48 – 17:21 – Chantz – Grazin’ in the Grass
17:22 – 18:23 – Ty – Inner Love (Samba) (Instrumental)
18:23 – 18:46 – Gwen Stefani – What You Waiting For (Instrumental)
19:01 – 19:15 – Gwen Stefani – What You Waiting For (Instrumental)
19:16 – 20:12 – Alex Gopher – Gordini Mix
20:12 – 20:22 – Kevin Mark Trail – D Thames (Instrumental)
20:22 – 20:40 – Brandy – Afrodisiac (Instrumental)
21:52 – 22:08 – Harry South – The Sweeney
22:36 – 22:58 – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Mission: Impossible
23:19 – 23:47 – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Prisoner
24:28 – 24:41 – Stone Roses – Fools Gold
24:42 – 25:08 – Thin Lizzy – Don’t Believe a Word
25:20 – 25:44 – T. Rex – 20th Century Boy
26:03 – 26:24 – Cream – I Feel Free
27:25 – 28:09 – Dusty Springfield – Spooky
28:10 – 28:26 – Ian Broudie – Smoke Rings
28:40 – 28:56 – The Stranglers – Golden Brown
29:31 – 29:55 – 10cc – Dreadlock Holiday
30:18 – 30:49 – Stretch – Why Did You Do It?
30:54 – 31:57 – Air – Alpha Beta Gaga
32:24 – 32:41 – Sergio Mendes – For What it’s Worth

Cheap Coupés Challenge, Pt. 2:
45:36 – 46:21 – Death in Vegas – All That Glitters
46:22 – 46:35 – Fatboy Slim – Don’t Let the Man Get You Down
46:42 – 47:00 – Keith Mansfield – Big Shot
47:29 – 47:45 – Alan Silvestri – Attacking Brides
47:49 – 48:06 – Alan Silvestri – Final Battle
48:12 – 48:48 – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘n’ Roll
48:50 – 49:21 – Doves – Black and White Town
49:33 – 50:03 – Photek – Ren 2
50:03 – 50:45 – Oasis – Fucking in the Bushes
50:52 – 51:16 – The Dust Brothers – Stealing Fat
51:23 – 51:40 – Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
51:55 – 52:20 – Alan Silvestri – Transylvanian Horses
52:23 – 53:08 – Alan Silvestri – Transylvanian Horses

‘The Stig’ Lap:
57:55 – 58:01 – King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man (including Mirrors)
58:15 – 58:20 – King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man (including Mirrors)

Screenshots

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2 comments

Aussie bloke November 19, 2020 at 9:34 pm

I only like this episode for the amazing girl in the audience standing behind Jeremy when they go thru the challenge scores. She’s very cute, has a white top and jeans on. Most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen

Reply
Sean McKellar January 30, 2015 at 9:17 pm

This is one of my favorite episodes for a few reasons. It was one of the first Top Gear episodes I ever saw and I loved the way they handled the MC12 review – I’d never seen anything like it before. Secondly, the cheap car challenge was excellent with a great set of challenges. For a car fan back in 2005, this ep was pure pornography.

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