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Top Gear Live (previously known as theMPH Show) was a supercar motor show. Created as a crossover between the recently relaunchedTop Gear andFifth Gear, it was initially hosted by presenters of both programmes. It was held annually atEarls Court beginning in 2003, later expanding to be also held at theBirmingham NEC from 2005 with the two shows being around one week apart. The show took up either one or two halls at both venues, and there were usually two parts to it: the Exhibition and the Main Show. From 2011 the show was rebranded and relaunched as "Top Gear Live", tying together its close links to theTop Gear television series and with a venue change toExCeL London.Top Gear Live was later expanded, being used byBBC Worldwide as a brand of touring stadium show.
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Visitors arrive and have the opportunity to take a look at exhibitors' stands. Many are there to advertise a product that they sell (for example there was a 'Shell' stand at MPH '06 advertising Shell V Power) There are also exhibition stands advertising car lease, whilst showing actual cars that can be leased at the stand. These are the likes of theFerrari Enzo,Lamborghini Murcielago LP640,Ferrari F430 or theAston Martin DBS V12.
There are also a few car manufacturers exhibiting, although not to the scale of the 'Sunday Times Motor Show'. At MPH 2006,Land Rover turned half of the hall into a simulated off-road environment with ramps and severe slopes, on which people could drive the new Land Rover Discovery 3.
There are also VIP enclosures such as 'The Sunday Times' enclosure, or the 'Auto Express' enclosure in which people with VIP tickets can go and enjoy a glass of wine for example. Overall, the exhibition side of the show is verytrade based[clarify] and does not include many car manufacturers.
The main event is a 90-minute show, which takes up an entire hall and has the audience sitting in stadium-like seating. The show features stunt driving and a catwalk-style presentation of new cars. Also included in the show are the usual team antics, well known fromTop Gear andTGT; at MPH 2006 they placed James May in a shopping trolley and pushed him across the hall with aFord Mustang at 40 mph into huge ten-pin bowling skittles.
There were also 3D presentations during the show; for example MPH 2005, included a virtual and life-size 3DApache helicopter shooting at a realLotus Elise as it raced around the arena. Pyrotechnics added live explosions to the display, simulating missile hits and ricochets from gunfire; due to its success, it made a return appearance in 2006. MPH 2006 also included a virtual 3DHummer being dropped out of an aircraft, shot down by a Tornado jet, and landing in pieces in the ocean. A 3D Gatso Camera/Dragon of the future battled it out with the Stig at MPH 2007.
In 2006, the MPH show was presented by Jeremy Clarkson andJames May (Top Gear presenters), andTiff Needell (Fifth Gear presenter) who was drafted in to cover forRichard Hammond who could not make the show due to a crash. At MPH 2007 the presenters were Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond (then theTop Gear presenters).
Exhibited cars in the MPH 2006 show included theCaparo T1,Pagani Zonda F,Jaguar XKR,Lamborghini LP640,Bentley GTC,Koenigsegg CCX,Spyker C8,Spyker D8,Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder,Invicta, and thePorsche Cayenne Magnum black gunsmoke.
| Year | Title | Hosts | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003[1] | MPH '03 | Jeremy Clarkson | England |
| 2004[2] | MPH '04 | England | |
| 2005 | Jeremy Clarkson,Richard Hammond,Tiff Needell | ||
| 2006 | Jeremy Clarkson,James May,Tiff Needell | ||
| 2007 | Jeremy Clarkson, James May,Richard Hammond | ||
| 2008 | England,Ireland | ||
| 2009 | South Africa,Australia,New Zealand,Hong Kong, England, Ireland | ||
| 2010 | Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland | ||
| 2011 | Top Gear Live | Australia, South Africa,Norway,Russia, England, Australia | |
| 2012 | Russia,Sweden,Denmark, South Africa, England,Finland | ||
| 2013 | Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond | Russia, Australia, Netherlands,Belgium, South Africa,Poland | |
| 2014 | Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond | Scotland, Australia, Russia,Barbados, South Africa,Czech Republic,Hungary,Croatia,Italy | |
| 2015 | Clarkson, Hammond & May Live[a] | Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond | England,Northern Ireland, England, South Africa, Norway, Australia, Poland, England |