Top Gear/Season 3 Episode 4

Season 3 Episode 4
Season 3, Episode 4
Airdate	November 16, 2003
Written by
Directed by
← 3x03 Season 3 Episode 3	3x05 → Season 3 Episode 5
Top Gear — Season Three

Episode Four of the third season of Top Gear, and is episode twenty-four overall.

Guest Stars: Jason Kay, Rich Hall

Information

Lamborghini Miura

Richard Hammond reviews the Lamborghini Miura. The Miura first arrived in Britain on June 13, 1967. The Miura was designed by a 22-year-old and the engineers behind it were also in their twenties, all seven of them working on the Miura after hours for the fun of it. The first designs of the Miura had it with three seats like the McLaren F1 and a glass canopy over the engine bay like a Ferrari 360, but those ideas were nixed. The shape of the doors looks like the horns of a bull when fully opened. However, the fuel tank was positioned near the front wheels, resulting in poor handling when running low on fuel. Hammond explains that the Miura is a hard car to drive, but sounds fantastic. Lamborghini continued to improve the car, culminating in the Lamborghini Miura SV in 1971. Jason Kay, of the band Jamiroquai, gives Hammond a ride in his Lamborghini Miura SV. When questioned by Hammond about the lack of a window in the driver's door, Jason Kay explains that it shattered when he shut the door. Hammond says the Miura was a flawed car, but a masterpiece concept car.

In the studio, Jeremy Clarkson lists the three best looking cars: Ford GT40, Aston Martin DB9, and the Lamborghini Miura. When asked about the price, Hammond says a Miura SV could be purchased for around 100,000 GBP (about 180,000 USD).

Lamborghini Countach

James May reviews the Lamborghini Countach. He explains the most pressing problem of the 80's was which was better: the Lamborghini Countach or the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer? The Countach May is driving is a LP400S with a top speed of 180 mph and 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. May explains that the Countach looks and sounds fantastic, and that's what matters when you're 15-years-old and dreaming of supercars. However, when older and actually driving the Countach, it turns out it's more of a nightmare. Changing gears is difficult and it's hard to see out of the car anywhere other than the front windshield. May attempts to parallel park the Countach for a spot of tea, but finds it incredibly difficult to do so and is stared at by a number of pedestrians. May explains that the Lamborghini Countach was a much better car when it was up on a poster on his bedroom wall then actually driving it.

Back in the studio, Jeremy Clarkson claims he can parallel park the Countach and puts down two large traffic cones to simulate the parking space. Hanging half outside the Countach, Clarkson parallel parks the car.

Lamborghini Murcielago

Richard Hammond explains that, in the effort for fairness, they tried to wet the test track to give all the cars equal footing. However, it turned out to be rather impossible to do it. So they decided to scrap that idea and, since they had the old Stig drive the Lamborghini Murcielago around in the wet, let the new Stig give the Murcielago a second try in the dry.

The Stig takes the Lamborghini Murcielago around the test track in 1.23.7.

Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

This week's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car is Rich Hall, an American comedian and writer. Rich Hall takes the Suzuki Liana around the test track in 1.54.0.

Works MINI Cooper S, Hartge Cooper S, Digi-Tec Cooper S

Richard Hammond reviews the 197 bhp Works MINI Cooper S. Top speed of 140 mph and 0-60 in 6.7 seconds at a cost of 18,365 GBP (about 33,800 USD). However, there are other manufacturers knocking on BMW's door with their own tuned MINI Coopers. The Hartge Cooper S has just about the same power as the Works MINI Cooper S, 200 bhp, and costs 16,370 GBP (about 30,200 USD). Then there's the 210 bhp Digi-Tec Cooper S at 16,000 GBP (about 29,500 USD). So which is best? Hammond feels that the Works MINI Cooper S is the best all-around Cooper S. He knows it costs about 2,000 GBP (about 3,700 USD) more than the other two, but it keeps the BMW warranty. But then comes the 275 bhp BBR Cooper S. Hammond says it's slow to respond to changes in direction and worries about how the suspension would hold up. He then takes it off road when attempting to round a corner.

Lamborghini LM002

James May shows off the Lamborghini LM002, an 80's Lamborghini SUV with the V12 engine from a Countach. An LM002 can be purchased today for about 32,000 GBP (about 59,000 USD). However, he urges caution. Jeremy Clarkson explains how he borrowed one when he first started out in the car review business and spent 147 GBP (about 270 USD) at the pump to fill it up. The tires cost 550 GBP (about 1,000 USD) each. Today, filling up its 63-64 gallon tank would set you back about 220 GBP (about 405 USD). Clarkson shows video of the LM002 going around the test track and remarks how the car looks like it's about to tip over whenever it takes a turn. It's so comical he points out that you can hear the camera man laughing at it. Unfortunately, Clarkson doesn't reveal the LM002's lap time, claiming it ran out of fuel.

Lamborghini Gallardo

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the 117,000 GBP (about 216,000 USD) Lamborghini Gallardo. Clarkson remarks about how normal the Gallardo is as its doors open normally instead of like scissors. The normal-ness extends to the interior with actual headroom and legroom, and airconditioning that actually works. It's easier to drive and not even slightly scary. Clarkson exclaims that, for the first time ever in a Lamborghini, he can actually see out the back. It's all thanks to German engineering as Lamborghini's are now made by Audi. 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph. Clarkson says its handling is fantastic and is the only four-wheel drive car that has no understeer at all. But the problem is that, even though the Gallardo has gotten rid of the "Lamborghini idiocy", it has also gotten rid of the X-factor of what makes a car special.

The Stig takes the Lamborghini Gallardo around the test track in 1.25.8 in the wet.

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