- Jeremy tests the Prodrive P2
- James may has racing lessons with Jackie Stewart
- Jeremy reviews the Citroën C6
- Car football II: Toyota Igo vs Volkswagen Fox
- Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Michael Gambon
Review: The Prodrive P2 concept car is put through its paces on the track. Jeremy finds it quick, good-looking, and at a projected price of £40,000, a good value too. Clarkson attempts to explain what active-diff and anti-lag is. A practical demonstration of the former makes Clarkson carsick, having to stop while going round a circle at 60 mph. The Stig achieves a lap in the P2 in 1:24.3 seconds. Prior to that he did a lap with the active-diff turned off and did a much slower time of just over 1:29.
The News: Jeremy Clarkson launches the 2006 Top Gear motor survey while casually panning between cameras as is the trend among news programmes. Suburu is arranging track days at the Prodrive test track. New from Germany is the Audi RS4 cabriolet. Clarkson claims that points should be awarded to unsporting/aggressive F1 drivers. Ford has made a cool new people carrier. James has signed up to present a programme called When Sharks Attack and Jeremy has a picture of James in a wet suit. He also has a picture of Hammond riding a pony.
Challenge: A “Scottish lady” (as Hammond refers to him) called Jackie Stewart claims that he can cut down anyone’s driving time around a circuit (Oulton Park) by 20 seconds. But the Top Gear presenters don’t believe him. So, to prove him wrong, James May (a.k.a. Captain Slow) is sent to take up the challenge. Using a TVR Tuscan convertible, Sir Jackie manages to get May to cut down his original laptime by 20 seconds.
Star In A Reasonably Priced Car: Sir Michael Gambon returns to discuss his first appearance, his role as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, the possibility that he could have been James Bond, and his propensity for lying during interviews. Lap time of 1:50.3.
Review: Afterwards Jeremy Clarkson reviews the new Citroën C6, the heir to a long line of big, innovative French cars, and is disappointed that the car doesn’t seem to be mad enough to be a worthy successor to the Citroën CX. However, the car redeems itself as a mobile camera platform for covering horse races.
The Cool Wall: The Citroën C6 is “Super Cool” because Jean Reno would have one. The Peugeot 207 is “Uncool” unless Kristin Scott Thomas texts Clarkson to tell him otherwise. The Skoda Fabia VRS is “Uncool,” because all Skodas are deeply “Uncool.” The Saab 9-5 is “Uncool” due to its Dame Edna-style headlights.
Challenge: The Toyota Aygo is challenged by the Volkswagen Fox in a game of football. Using national football stereotypes, Hammond points out that the Fox is actually made in Brazil and May contends that the Aygo is actually made in the Czech Republic. In the end, Hammond’s durable Foxes beat the old champion Aygos.
“Some say that the outline of his left nipple is exactly the same shape as the Nurburgring, and if you give him a really important job to do, he’ll skive off and play croquet. All we know is he’s called the Stig.”
Prodrive P2
Michael Gambon
