| Top Gear | |
|---|---|
| Series 15 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 27 June (2010-06-27) – 1 August 2010 (2010-08-01) |
| Series chronology | |
← Previous Series 14 Next → Series 16 | |
| List of episodes | |
Series 15 ofTop Gear, a British motoring magazine andfactual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom onBBC Two andBBC HD during 2010, consisting of six episodes that were aired between 27 June and 1 August; the new series was promoted with a special trailer that made use of a clip published onYouTube.[1][2] This series saw the replacement of theChevrolet Lacetti by theKia Cee'd as theReasonably Priced Car.
This series' highlights included the creation of home-mademotorhomes, the driving of a modifiedToyota Hilux up to the activeEyjafjallajökull volcano duringone of its eruptions, the testing of budget cars to see if they are suitable for track days, and the production of a tribute to the lateAyrton Senna. Two compilation episodes featuring the best moments from the fifteenth series, titled "Best of Top Gear", were aired on 8 and 15 August 2010.
| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 1 | Bentley Continental Supersports | Toyota Hilux Invincible up an Icelandic volcano • Farewell to the former reasonably priced car, theChevrolet Lacetti • A history of theReliant 3-wheeler:(Reliant Robin) | Nick Robinson •Al Murray •Peter Jones •Peta 23 from Essex •Johnny Vaughan •Bill Bailey •Louie Spence •Amy Williams | 27 June 2010 (2010-06-27) | 5.60 | |
Top Gear is back and the presenters are trying to be sensible. Of course, that's not the case when Clarkson goes to the North to try to drive aReliant Robin from Sheffield to Rotherham, and rolling it over in the process, while on the track he road-tests the heavyBentley Continental Supersports. Elsewhere, May heads toIceland to see if can give glory to theToyota Hilux used by the camera crew during thePolar Special, by modifying it for the task of driving close to theEyjafjallajökull volcano as it erupts and collect a piece of lava, while Hammond retires the old reasonably priced car—theChevrolet Lacetti—with a "Viking burial", before assisting Clarkson with a summer BBQ for the guests they have invited to the test track to set a lap in the new car—aKia Cee'd. | |||||||
| 121 | 2 | Porsche 911 Sport Classic •Porsche Boxster Spyder | Find a £5,000 everyday second-hand sports saloon for track days:(Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth •BMW M3 •Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth) | Alastair Campbell | 4 July 2010 (2010-07-04) | 6.60[nb 1] | |
The trio head to Germany to see which is the best second-hand four-door saloon for track days on a budget of £5,000 – May chooses theMercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth, Hammond buys aBMW M3, and Clarkson purchases aFord Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth. Travelling fromBerlin, the trio attempt to test their cars practicality and speed, before having a personal track day at theEuroSpeedway Lausitz to see who can make the bestYouTube video and achieve the fastest lap with their car. Elsewhere, May tests out thePorsche 911 Sport Classic and thePorsche Boxster Spyder on the track, while former Director of Communications underTony Blair,Alastair Campbell, is the latest star in the Kia Cee'd. Note: Due to time constraints, a segment of film for the episode's main feature was cut but made available online for viewing. | |||||||
| 122 | 3 | Chevrolet Camaro SS •Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG | Find the greatest four-door supercar:(Maserati Quattroporte GTS •Aston Martin Rapide •Porsche Panamera Turbo) | Rupert Grint •Rubens Barrichello | 11 July 2010 (2010-07-11) | 4.58[nb 2] | |
The boys attempt to see what is the best new four-door supercar – the rather good-lookingMaserati Quattroporte GTS despite it being a little fiddly and complicated, the beautifulAston Martin Rapide despite it being too expensive and the rather uglyPorsche Panamera Turbo. Starting in London, the presenters test out the cars, before stopping at a business park and letting the Stig see how fast they are on an improvised course. To fully decide which is best, the trio give them the ultimate test by chauffeuring members of a wedding party to the church and then to the reception, although the boys get a little distracted. Elsewhere, Hammond tests out two new muscles, theMercedes-Benz E63 AMG and the fifth-generationChevrolet Camaro, while British actor,Rupert Grint, is the latest star in the new reasonably priced car. Note: The2010 World Cup final took place on BBC 1 and ITV at the same time as this episode of Top Gear was broadcast, hence the noticeable drop in viewing figures. | |||||||
| 123 | 4 | Audi R8 V10 Spyder •Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet | Building motorhomes:(Lotus Excel •Land Rover 110 •Citroën CX) | Andy García • Lauren McAvoy | 18 July 2010 (2010-07-18) | 7.05[nb 3] | |
The presenters make theircampervan using a different car as the base—Hammond using aLand Rover 110 in his design, Clarkson making one out of aCitroën CX, and May designing his with aLotus Excel—each complete with sleeping accommodations, cooking facilities and a toilet. To see whose is best, the trio take a motoring holiday toCornwall, and soon find many faults with their designs as they engage in a few tests of practicality with each. Meanwhile, Clarkson is on the track to review theAudi R8 V10 Spyder and thePorsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet and puts them through an unusual test, while actorAndy García sees if he can set a fast lap in the Kia. | |||||||
| 124 | 5 | Volkswagen Touareg •Bugatti Veyron Super Sport | Volkswagen Touareg vs Swedish snowmobilers • Reach 258mph (415 km/h) in theBugatti Veyron Super Sport • Commemorating racing driverAyrton Senna,Lewis Hamilton drivesSenna's 1988 F1 racing car. | Tom Cruise •Cameron Diaz | 25 July 2010 (2010-07-25) | 7.48[nb 4] | |
Hammond heads toRiksgränsen to try out the newVolkswagen Touareg, before using a customised one to race against two snowmobile racers. Meanwhile, May returns to theEhra-Lessien test track with theBugatti Veyron Super Sport, to see if it can reclaim the crown of the "Fastest Production Car in the World", while actorsCameron Diaz andTom Cruise see who was faster in the Kia when they did a lap of the Test Track. Finally, Clarkson pays tribute to the lateAyrton Senna,[4] finding out from the people who knew him best—Mika Häkkinen,Lewis Hamilton,Jarno Trulli,Martin Brundle,Fernando Alonso,Felipe Massa,Rubens Barrichello,David Coulthard,Mark Webber,Nigel Mansell, andMichael Schumacher—what he was like on and off the track, before Lewis Hamilton has a go at driving Senna's F1 car. Note: For licensing reasons regarding the use of F1 footage, all re-runs of the episode do not feature the 'Ayrton Senna Tribute' film, but instead they go straight to the closing credits following the 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment. | |||||||
| 125 | 6 | Ferrari 458 Italia | Old British roadsters for £5,000:(TVR S2 •Lotus Elan •Jensen-Healey) | Jeff Goldblum | 1 August 2010 (2010-08-01) | 6.19[nb 5] | |
Clarkson, Hammond and May feel that classic British sports cars are much better than European Hot Hatchbacks, so the producers task them with proving this correct by each buying one and testing them in a series of challenges – Clarkson seeks to prove hisJensen-Healey he bought will be good, May buys aTVR S2 to show the producers they were right, and Hammond purchases aLotus M100 Elan to take on this task. On a journey to the sites of the factories where each car were built, the presenters each try to achieve a fast lap in their car, perform a 'safety test', see how waterproof their cars are, and visit a garden centre inBirmingham to find something to fit in their cars. Elsewhere, Clarkson reviews the newFerrari 458 Italia on the track, while actor,Jeff Goldblum, is on the track to drive fast in the Kia Cee'd. | |||||||
| Total | No. | Title | Feature | Original air date | UK viewers (million)[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S22 | CE–1 | "The Best of Top Gear: 2010 No.1" | Best Moments from Series 15 – Part 1 | 8 August 2010 (2010-08-08) | 3.56 | |
A look back at some of the best moments from Series 15, including the race between aVolkswagen Touareg and some Snowmobilers, and Clarkson's drive to Rotherham in aReliant Robin. | ||||||
| S23 | CE–2 | "The Best of Top Gear: 2010 No.2" | Best Moments from Series 15 – Part 2 | 15 August 2010 (2010-08-15) | 2.55 | |
A second look back at the best moments from Series 15, including the search for the best four-door saloon, and May's attempt to drive close to an erupting volcano inIceland. | ||||||
The fifteenth series faced criticism after the broadcast of the fifth episode, when Clarkson joked during a "News" segment that he had been in cab the other day and truly seen a woman wearing a burka tripping up on a pavement, upon which he could see that under it she was wearing a "red g-string and stockings". Following the broadcast of the episode, the BBC received a number of complaints regarding the joke,[5] with the singerLily Allen writing onTwitter that the joke was "distasteful",[6] while aMediawatch spokesperson said that Clarkson "should learn to keep quiet".[7]
However, in an article written forThe Week, Antonia Bland defended the presenter's joke, saying that Clarkson had done nothing wrong and that Muslim women who wore a burka had the right to "choose to wear gorgeous lingerie in private", adding that the joke proved a good example of the dangers faced by male drivers trying to concentrate on the road during Summer.[8]
The viewing figures shown in the Episode Table above (with the exception of the first episode), are a combination of the figures from the BBC Two broadcast and the BBC HD broadcast.