Top Gear Test Track

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Top Gear Test Track
Test Track Plan
Location Surrey, England
Time zone GMT
Coordinates 51°06′59″N 0°32′29″W / 51.116428°N 0.541463°W / 51.116428; -0.541463Coordinates: 51°06′59″N 0°32′29″W / 51.116428°N 0.541463°W / 51.116428; -0.541463
Major Events N/A
Road Circuit
Circuit Length 2.82 km (1.75 mi)
Turns 9
Lap Record 0:59.0 (The Stig, Renault R24, 2004, F1)
Drag Strip
Circuit Length 1.87 km (1.16 mi)
Turns 1

The Top Gear test track is used by the British automotive television programme Top Gear. Located in Dunsfold Park, it was partly designed by Lotus engineers and is used both to test cars seen on the programme and in two segments of the show (Power Laps and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car). The course is just under 2 miles (3.2 km) in length and is a rough figure 8 layout.

Contents

[edit] Layout

The track is a rough 'figure of 8' layout, and is located in Dunsfold Park in Surrey, England. It was a World War II airbase and British Aerospace manufacturing and test facility. The track has a "road" course, and a drag strip, although the latter is never used for timing purposes. Designed by Lotus[1][2], the layout of the track is designed to put the car through various conditions, ranging from provoking understeer to testing brake balance and tyres. It is about 1.75 miles (2.82 km) in length, and the track is considered to be an equaliser for cars, since both 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) times and top speed are totally meaningless to the programme according to Richard Hammond.[1]

The course starts on the Perimeter Road outside the Top Gear studio. The first bend is a fast left-hander into a short service road with a double apex, named "Crooner Curves", followed quickly by "Chicago", a long right-hand around a tyre wall onto the main runway, at the end of which is the "Hammerhead", a right-hander back on the Perimeter Road which is followed through a left hand curve until "Wilson Bend" turns the course right, back onto the service road and the section called the "Follow Through", which, after the left hand "Bentley Bend", returns to the main runway. The course now comes to "Bacharach Bend", which, after the first series, has been referred to as the "Second to Last Corner" and is often regarded as one of the most challenging on the course. The final turn before the start/finish line, is "Gambon", the only bend named after the track was put to use. In episode 8 of Series 1, actor Michael Gambon almost rolled the Suzuki Liana used in the show's Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment, and did so in such a spectacular fashion (briefly going airborne before navigating the remainder of the corner on two wheels) that the corner was henceforth named in his honour by host Jeremy Clarkson. Before this, the corner was known as "Carpenters Corner".[3]

[edit] Usage

The track has been used for the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car, but also makes appearances in the Power Laps section. The track is also used for testing cars in the programme, and drag races have been held on the runway section of the track. So far, five Formula One drivers have driven the "Reasonably-Priced Car" on the show.

[edit] Power Laps

Power Laps is a segment of the programme in which The Stig completes a lap around the track to compare the performance of various cars. The car tested has usually been reviewed by one of the presenters in the current episode, but sometimes is a carry-over from a previous one.

The qualification for the board is that the vehicle being tested must be a road-legal production car, and must have sufficient ride-height to clear a standard speed-hump,[4] although occasionally vehicles that cannot appear in the list are still timed. Whenever a non-qualifying vehicle is raced, the time is compared to the official Power Laps and then removed from the board. An example is the Sea Harrier jump jet which holds the all time best lap record, after completing a lap in 0.31.2.[4]

All the laps were timed with the car's manufacturer-provided adjustable settings configured for maximum performance. That is to say, all adjustable suspensions were set at their most efficient, all gear shift maps were at their most aggressive, and driving aids such as traction control were deactivated. These lap times do not offer entirely reliable comparisons between the cars, mainly because of wet or otherwise poor weather conditions (see time deductions below).

[edit] The Power Board

Per the rules of the board, in order to qualify, a time must be set by a road-legal car that can pass over a standard sleeping policeman. For this reason, times by an aeroplane, F1 car and various track cars do not appear.[4]

  1. 1:17.1 - Gumpert Apollo
  2. 1:17.3 - Ascari A10
  3. 1:17.6 - Koenigsegg CCX (with The Top Gear Wing)
  4. 1:17.8 - Pagani Zonda F Roadster
  5. 1:17.9 - Caterham Seven R500 (cold tyres)[5]
  6. 1.18:3 - Bugatti Veyron
  7. 1:18.4 - Pagani Zonda F
  8. 1:18.9 - Maserati MC12
  9. 1:19.0 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce
  10. 1:19.0 - Enzo Ferrari
  11. 1:19.5 - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
  12. 1:19.5 - Porsche 997 GT2
  13. 1:19.5 - Ariel Atom 2 300 [6]
  14. 1:19.7 - Nissan GT-R
  15. 1:19.7 - Ferrari 430 Scuderia
  16. 1:19.8 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
  17. 1:19.8 - Porsche Carrera GT
  18. 1:20.4 - Koenigsegg CCX (without Spoiler )[7][8]
  19. 1:20.7 - Ascari KZ1 (damp)
  20. 1:20.9 - Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
  21. 1:21.2 - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
  22. 1:21.9 - Ford GT
  23. 1:22.3 - Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
  24. 1:22.3 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS (996 mk.II)
  25. 1:22.4 - Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
  26. 1:22.5 - Noble M15
  27. 1:22.6 - Westfield XTR
  28. 1:22.9 - Ferrari F430 F1[9]
  29. 1:23.0 - Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
  30. 1:23.2 - Ferrari F430 Spider F1[9]
  31. 1:23.7 - Lamborghini Murciélago (retested)
  32. 1:23.8 - Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3 (partly damp)
  33. 1:23.9 - Aston Martin DBS
  34. 1:23.9 - Koenigsegg CC8S
  35. 1:24.0 - Ariel Atom 1 220[10]
  36. 1:24.2 - Veritas RS III
  37. 1:24.3 - Prodrive P2 (concept)
  38. 1:24.4 - Audi R8 (damp)
  39. 1:24.6 - TVR Sagaris
  40. 1:24.8 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ-400
  41. 1:24.8 - TVR Tuscan Mk.II
  42. 1:25.0 - Noble M12 GTO-3R
  43. 1:25.1 - Lotus Exige S
  44. 1:25.3 - BMW M3 E90 Sedan
  45. 1:25.7 - Lotus Evora
  46. 1:25.7 - Audi RS4[11]
  47. 1:25.7 - Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
  48. 1:25.8 - Lamborghini Gallardo (wet)
  49. 1:25.9 - Morgan Aero 8 GTN[12]
  50. 1:26.0 - BMW Z4M
  51. 1:26.0 - Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black series
  52. 1:26.0 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ320[13]
  53. 1:26.2 - BMW M5[14]
  54. 1:26.2 - Porsche 911 Carrera S (997)
  55. 1:26.2 - Brabus S Biturbo Roadster
  56. 1:26.4 - Lotus Exige (mildly moist)
  57. 1:26.7 - Porsche Cayman S[15]
  58. 1:26.8 - Chevrolet Corvette C6 LS2
  59. 1:26.8 - Ferrari 575M Maranello GTC[16]
  60. 1:26.9 - Lexus IS-F
  61. 1:26.9 - Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG
  1. 1:27:0 - BMW M5 E39
  2. 1:27.1 - Aston Martin Vanquish S
  3. 1:27.1 - Aston Martin DB9
  4. 1:27.2 - Tesla Roadster (mildly moist)
  5. 1:27.2 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS (996) (mildly moist)
  6. 1:27.3 - Spyker C8 Spyder[17]
  7. 1:27.5 - TVR T350C
  8. 1:27.9 - Wiesmann MF 3[18]
  9. 1:28.0 - BMW M3 CSL (DAMP, near-slick tyres)
  10. 1:28.0 - Roush Mustang
  11. 1:28.1 - Renault Mégane R26.R.
  12. 1.28.2 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X FQ-300
  13. 1:28.2 - Marcos TSO GT2[19]
  14. 1:28.2 - Lotus Elise Sport 190
  15. 1.28.2 - Subaru Impreza WRX STI
  16. 1:28.5 - Dodge Viper SRT-10 (very wet)
  17. 1:28.6 - MG XPower SV
  18. 1:28.7 - Porsche Boxster S
  19. 1:28.7 - Audi TT MTM Bimoto (cold tyres)[20]
  20. 1:28.9 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ-300
  21. 1:28.9 - Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) (wet)
  22. 1:29.0 - Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
  23. 1:29.0 - Lamborghini Murciélago (partly damp)[1]
  24. 1:29.0 - Alpina Z8 Roadster
  25. 1:29.3 - Ford Focus RS Mk II
  26. 1:29.4 - Subaru Impreza WRX STI WR1[13]
  27. 1:29.6 - Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650 Concept
  28. 1:30.0 - Autodelta Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 3.7
  29. 1:30.0 - Ford Shelby GT500
  30. 1:30.1 - Subaru Impreza WRX STi
  31. 1:30.1 - Vauxhall Monaro VXR
  32. 1:30.4 - Aston Martin DB7 GT
  33. 1:30.4 - Volkswagen Golf R32 mk.V
  34. 1:30.9 - Audi S4 quattro 4.2
  35. 1:31.0 - Porsche 911 Turbo (996) (very wet)
  36. 1:31.3 - Vauxhall VX220
  37. 1:31.3 - Vauxhall VXR8 (wet)
  38. 1:31.4 - Audi TT Mk.II 2.0T
  39. 1:31.6 - Honda NSX-R[21] ( very wet)
  40. 1:31.8 - BMW M3 E46
  41. 1:31.8 - BMW 535d
  42. 1:31.8 - Nissan 350Z
  43. 1:31.8 - Mazda RX-8
  44. 1:31.9 - BMW 130i
  45. 1:32.2 - Ford Focus RS Mk I
  46. 1:32.2 - Mazda 6 MPS
  47. 1:32.5 - Renaultsport Mégane 225 Cup[14]
  48. 1:32.5 - Lotus Esprit V8 (cold tyres)
  49. 1:32.7 - Audi TT 3.2 quattro
  50. 1:32.8 - Jaguar E-Type (modernised)[22]
  51. 1:32.8 - Honda Civic Type-R (EP3-2004 Facelifted)[23]
  52. 1:32.9 - SEAT León Cupra R[23]
  53. 1:32.9 - Mercedes-Benz SLK350[24]
  54. 1:33.0 - Audi RS6(Wet)[25]
  55. 1:33.0 - Vauxhall Astra VXR[14]
  56. 1:33.0 - Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (very wet)(Jeremy Clarkson's)
  57. 1:33.1 - Noble M12 GTO (wet)
  58. 1:33.3 - Volkswagen Golf Mk.IV R32
  59. 1:33.4 - Cadillac CTS-V (very wet)
  60. 1:33.5 - Honda Civic Type-R (FN2-2007)
  61. 1:33.5 - SEAT Leon Cupra Mk2
  62. 1:33.7 - MG ZT 260[26]
  1. 1:33.7 - Volkswagen Golf Mk.V GTI[23]
  2. 1:33.7 - 2002 Honda NSX (very wet)[27]
  3. 1:33.8 - Clio Renault Sport 182[28]
  4. 1:33.9 - Holden Monaro (wet)
  5. 1:34.0 - Renault Mégane 225[23]
  6. 1:34.2 - MINI Cooper S Works[23]
  7. 1:34.2 - Ford Mondeo ST220
  8. 1:34.7 - Jaguar XKR (melted snow)
  9. 1:34.9 - Ford Focus ST (foggy)
  10. 1:35.0 - Volvo S60 R
  11. 1:35.2 - Ferrari 575M Maranello (very wet)
  12. 1:35.3 - Vauxhall Vectra VXR
  13. 1:35.4 - Renault Avantime (tuned by presenters)
  14. 1:35.5 - Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse SS
  15. 1:35:5 - Mercedes Benz W211 (Mercedes E55 AMG) (Very Wet)
  16. 1:35.6 - Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
  17. 1:35.6 - Lotus Elise (wet)
  18. 1:35.8 - Citroën C4 VTS[23]
  19. 1:36.2 - Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (very wet)[29]
  20. 1:36.2 - Renaultsport Clio V6 (very wet)
  21. 1:36.9 - Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2
  22. 1:37.0 - Mercedes-Benz SL500 (Ronnie O'Sullivan's)(wet)
  23. 1:37.0 - Porsche Boxster (very wet)[30]
  24. 1:37.3 - BMW Z4 3.0i (very wet)[30]
  25. 1:37.4 - Honda S2000 (very wet)[30]
  26. 1:37.9 - Saab 9-5 Aero
  27. 1:38.0 - Maserati 4200 GT (very wet)
  28. 1:38.0 - Honda Civic Type-R (EP3) (wet)
  29. 1:38.2 - Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (very wet)
  30. 1:39:0 - Subaru Impreza WRX (Europe-spec)
  31. 1:39.4 - Bowler Wildcat
  32. 1:40.8 - Bentley Arnage T (wet)
  33. 1:42.5 - Renault Avantime(later modified by presenters, posting a time of 1:35:4)
  34. 1:44.0 - Overfinch 580 S (very wet)
  35. 1:44:0 - Chevrolet Lacetti
  36. 1:44.4 - Suzuki Liana
  37. 1:46.0 - Aston Martin DB5

The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1001 hp Bugatti Veyron, was taken around the track by the Stig on Series 12, Episode 4, after 3 years of waiting. However, it slightly disappointed the team by only managing 5th place on the power board at that time, an unexpectedly low position ultimately attributed to the sheer mass of the car, which has a listed curb weight 750 kg (1,700 lb) higher than any of the cars that posted a faster time.[31]

For the 1:17.6 lap, the Koenigsegg CCX was fitted with an optional rear spoiler to provide downforce, after the Stig spun the original version off the track. The Stig allegedly recommended this modification, correctly predicting that the car would then be the fastest ever round the track,[32] although Koenigsegg themselves state that the improvement was due to adjustments other than the spoiler.[33] Its lap time was later bettered by the Ascari A10. The Koenigseggs on the board have their names mocked; the CC8S is dubbed "Koenegseggggggsegggegggegigioabbaviking CC", with the "abbaviking" section mocking its Swedish origins, and the CCX "Koenigseggegkenegonisogoenekosenoseningoegg".

[edit] Lap times of non-qualifying vehicles

A "non-qualifying" vehicle is one that does not meet the presenters' requirements to remain on the board, that is, one that is not a "road car". This means being available to buy and being fully road-legal (lights, indicators, registration, profile tyres etc.), as well as being street-worthy (i.e. able to negotiate a speed bump).[4][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]

  1. 0:31.2 – BAE Sea Harrier[35]
  2. 0:59.0 – Renault R24 Formula One car (Mildly moist)[34]
  3. 1:08.6 – Aston Martin DBR9[37]
  4. 1:10.6 – Caparo T1[38]
  5. 1.10.7 – Ferrari FXX[40] (driven by Michael Schumacher, Slick Tires)
  6. 1:19.1 – Radical SR3
  7. 1:22.6 – Westfield XTR2

The Caparo, Radical, and Westfield are road-legal in the UK, just not able to clear a "sleeping policeman". The Caparo T1 was subsequently modified to have adjustable ride height with a 'road' setting that can clear speed bumps.

[edit] Non-televised laps

Occasionally attempts at the Power Lap record are made without the support of the BBC. The following laps of Dunsfold were recorded, filmed and promoted independently of the Top Gear television programme.

  1. 1:12.8 - Ultima GTR720 sponsored by Ultima Sports, anonymous driver.[2]
  2. 1:17.4 - Caterham 7 CSR 260 sponsored by Dunlop - Injection, driven by Rob Jenkinson.[41]

Ultima claim that their motive for running a non-televised lap was that they felt that the GTR was being specifically ignored by the producers of Top Gear.[42] Why Dunlop - Injection chose to run a lap of the Dunsfold circuit is not stated.

[edit] Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car

Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car is a recurring segment on Top Gear. During most programmes, a celebrity (usually, but not exclusively of British fame) is interviewed by Jeremy Clarkson. Discussion is normally amusing, and focuses on car-related matters, such as the celebrity's car history. Then Clarkson, the guest and the studio audience watch the guest's fastest lap on the Top Gear test track.

[edit] Suzuki Liana

For the first seven series of its current incarnation, the car driven was a Suzuki Liana. When first introduced, the car was worth £9995.[43] The car used is stock, except a roll cage and racing seats have been added as safety measures. Each guest practices with The Stig before making several attempts to complete the test track in the fastest time. The guest does not learn their time until the interview. Practice laps, crashes and the drivers' facial expressions are also shown for amusement.

The two slowest laps on the Liana celebrity list are held by Terry Wogan and Richard Whiteley, both of whom were beaten by Billy Baxter, a Bosnian war veteran who is completely blind. He wrenched the Liana through the track under directions from Clarkson in the passenger seat in a time of 2 minutes 2 seconds, which was 1.4 seconds quicker than Terry Wogan, and 4 seconds faster than Richard Whiteley.

The fastest non-professional driver was Ellen MacArthur. Unlike most contenders she made no comments to the camera during her lap. She completed the lap in 1 minute 46.7 seconds, beating Jimmy Carr by 0.2 seconds.

The Liana endured considerable abuse from the stars when undertaking their laps. In one incident, actor Michael Gambon clipped the final corner almost rolling the car. It was done in such a spectacular fashion that the corner was henceforth named "Gambon Corner". Michael McIntyre also had a similar experience to Micheal Gambon in the Chevrolet Lacetti, almost rolling the car on the last corner. When Lionel Richie drove the car, one of the front wheels fell off, invoking Clarkson to coin the term "pulling a Lionel.". Trevor Eve also lost a wheel. The former British transport minister Stephen Ladyman added further injury to the Liana by denting the boot when he lost control during practice and slid backwards into a tyre wall. David Soul managed to destroy the gearbox of two Lianas during his time on the show due to his rough driving style. Patrick Kielty broke the Liana's front suspension during season 4 when he drove on the grass. Christopher Eccleston was the only celebrity to use a Liana with an automatic transmission, because a hesitant Eccleston admitted he was "only qualified to drive an automatic." To accommodate his needs, Top Gear succeeded in borrowing an automatic Liana, of which only 40 existed in the UK. As a reference to his role in Doctor Who, the automatic Liana was shown materialising onto the racing track, with a TARDIS materialisation sound effect played over it.

The Liana has also been modified on several occasions. David Soul's Liana featured a red police light and a white stripe in reference to his Starsky and Hutch role. Johnny Vegas was provided with 'L' plates as he hadn't passed his driving test at the time. When Justin Hawkins came on the show, the Liana he drove had flame decals pasted on it. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar had an ornate tissue box placed in the back, as a homage to Indian drivers.

In its service, the Liana covered 1,600 laps of the circuit, its tyres and brakes were changed 100 times, and it required six new clutches, two new hubs, driveshafts, wishbones, struts and gear linkages and a replacement wing mirror.[44]

In July 2005, Formula One driver Damon Hill appeared on the show for the first time as the star. This was kept a surprise to the audience and the viewing public, and when Nigel Mansell came on the show, it was covered up in magazines and on the internet by saying that the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car would be Alan Titchmarsh.

For some of the laps more than one person has been present in the car. This was the case for Clarkson's run when he had both Hammond and Jason Dawe in the car. Trinny and Susannah were both in the car for each other's runs. Denise Van Outen was in Johnny Vaughan's when he did his lap, Van Outen never did a lap driving the car. Clarkson was also present as a navigator for Billy Baxter's laps.

[edit] Liana leader board
  1. 1:46.7 – Dame Ellen MacArthur
  2. 1:46.9 – Jimmy Carr
  3. 1:47.1 – Simon Cowell
  4. 1:47.3 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
  5. 1:47.8 – Ian Wright
  6. 1:47.9 – Chris Evans
  7. 1:47.9 – Rory Bremner
  8. 1:48.0 – Ewan McGregor
  9. 1:48.0 – Justin Hawkins
  10. 1:48.0 – Jodie Kidd
  11. 1:48.0 – Paul McKenna
  12. 1:48.0 – Trevor Eve
  13. 1:48.0 – Patrick Kielty
  14. 1:48.3 – Jay Kay[45]
  15. 1:48.6 – Rob Brydon
  16. 1:48.8 – Stephen Ladyman
  17. 1:49.0 – Neil Morrissey
  18. 1:49.6 – Roger Daltrey (Moist)
  19. 1:50.0 – Jeremy Clarkson (With passengers)
  20. 1:50.0 – Patrick Stewart
  21. 1:50.0 – Martin Clunes
  22. 1:50.0 – Jamie Oliver
  23. 1:50.0 – Gordon Ramsay
  24. 1:50.0 – Lionel Richie
  25. 1:50.0 – Cliff Richard
  1. 1:50.7 – David Walliams
  2. 1:51.0 – Ranulph Fiennes
  3. 1:51.1 – Timothy Spall
  4. 1:51.2 – Carol Vorderman (Mildly moist)
  5. 1:51.3 – James Nesbitt
  6. 1:51.4 – Christian Slater
  7. 1:51.5 – Omid Djalili
  8. 1:51.5 – Sanjeev Bhaskar (Wet)
  9. 1:51.5 – Joanna Lumley
  10. 1:52.0 – David Dimbleby
  11. 1:52.0 – Eddie Izzard
  12. 1:52.0 – Jordan
  13. 1:52.0 – Rick Parfitt
  14. 1:52.4 – Christopher Eccleston, (Automatic car)
  15. 1:52.7 – Sir Tim Rice
  16. 1:53.0 – Steve Coogan (Very wet)
  17. 1:53.0 – Vinnie Jones
  18. 1:53.2 – Johnny Vaughan (With passenger, Originally 1:53.4)
  19. 1:53.3 – Fay Ripley (Moist)
  20. 1:53.4 – Bill Bailey (Wet)
  21. 1:53.5 – Jack Dee
  22. 1:54.0 – Alan Davies (Mildly moist)
  23. 1:54.0 – Stephen Fry (Mildly moist)
  24. 1:54.0 – Rich Hall
  25. 1:54.0 – Martin Kemp (Wet)
  1. 1:54.0 – Ross Kemp (Wet)
  2. 1:54.0 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (Wet)
  3. 1:54.0 – David Soul
  4. 1:54.1 – Trinny Woodall (Very wet/With passenger)[46]
  5. 1:55.0 – Sir Michael Gambon (Wet)
  6. 1:55.4 – Geri Halliwell
  7. 1:55.7 – Susannah Constantine (Very wet/With passenger)
  8. 1:56.0 – Boris Johnson
  9. 1:57.0 – Anne Robinson
  10. 1:57.0 – Jonathan Ross (Very wet and penalised for cutting a corner)
  11. 1:57.1 – Davina McCall (Very wet)
  12. 1:58.6 – Johnny Vegas (Provisionally licensed)
  13. 2:01.0 – Harry Enfield
  14. 2:02.0 – Billy Baxter (Blind; with Stig as passenger guide, then edited with Jeremy, but for the actual run The Stig was guiding Billy Baxter)[citation needed]
  15. 2:03.4 – Sir Terry Wogan
  16. 2:06.0 – Richard Whiteley

[edit] F1 leader board

All Formula One drivers are put into their own list with regard to lap times because of their exceptional skill level. When the Liana was pulled out from retirement to allow Jenson Button to make a time, Clarkson noted that the Liana would be pulled out for use by Formula 1 drivers in the future. The most recent F1 driver to drive the Liana was Lewis Hamilton on the 2 December 2007 show. Michael Schumacher, in retirement on the 21 June 2009, was shown attempting the lap but didn't record a time having stalled, bunny hopped and finally got lost, as a joke.

Both Stigs, the original 'black' Stig and the current 'white' Stig have done laps around the track in the Suzuki Liana. Still topping the all-time list for the Liana is White Stig (1:44.4), who took the car out for its last run (except the subsequent times that it has been brought out for F1 drivers to use).

It should be noted that the identity of the second 'Stig' has not been confirmed by BBC Top Gear (the first was Perry McCarthy, who once test drove for the WilliamsF1 team - However in Series 13 episode 1, the Stig was "revealed" as Michael Schumacher). The second Stig notably takes a different line into the first corner from most of the F1 drivers.

  1. 1:44.4 – The Stig (II)
  2. 1:44.6 – Nigel Mansell
  3. 1:44.7 – Jenson Button (Hot)
  4. 1:44.7 – Lewis Hamilton (Wet & Oily)
  5. 1:46.0 – The Stig (I)
  6. 1:46.3 – Damon Hill
  7. 1:47.1 – Mark Webber (Very wet)
  8. DNF - 'Michael Schumacher' (as The Stig)

[edit] Chevrolet Lacetti

Starting with the eighth series, the Liana was replaced by a Chevrolet Lacetti, and a new blank scoreboard. The format was changed so that each star would have five practice laps, and then a final timed lap, with no allowance being given for mishaps.

As a starter for the new car and format, an open day was held for any celebrity who wanted to take part. Seven stars recorded times that day: James Hewitt, (whom the presenters claimed not to recognise, his name on the board is "Well Spoken Man"), comedians Alan Davies and Jimmy Carr, rock stars Rick Wakeman and Justin Hawkins, footballer Les Ferdinand, and actor Trevor Eve who topped the time at 1 minute 47.0 seconds. Jimmy Carr, who held second place in the Liana behind Ellen MacArthur, spun off while doing his timed lap and got the slowest time ever around the track at 2 minutes, 8.91 seconds.

On 28 January 2007, Jamie Oliver posted a time of 1:47.70 in melted snow and standing water. Given the rivalry Oliver felt towards fellow celebrity chef, and then-lapboard leader, Gordon Ramsay, Oliver asked that the 4-second allowance normally granted for wet laps be used to put him at the top of the leaderboard "just for a day".

Doctor Who star Billie Piper posted a time of 1:48.3 but was deemed by The Stig to have failed to complete a lap properly, as she failed to negotiate some corners. The Stig suggested a three second time penalty, but after Clarkson consulted the audience, it was decided to let the time stand, which her co-star, David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor himself), tried to overturn on the 23 December 2007 show, at the end of the following series. Clarkson remarked that if Tennant had worn a see-through top (like Piper for her interview), he "would have been faster than Simon Cowell".

In the 11 November 2007 episode, Simon Cowell retook his status as the holder of the fastest lap with a time of 1:45.90 - the Stig apparently claimed that the consistency of his lap times, on both appearances, marked him out as someone who had a natural ability.[47] However, Cowell was knocked off the top spot in Series 11 by Jay Kay, who now holds the fastest time in the Lacetti, although Clarkson selected the fastest of Jay Kay's times rather than the last run, which was slower than Cowell's time.

Clarkson has referred to the part of the board with times of 1:51 and over as the 'Thespian Zone' due to the propensity for classically-trained actors to post slow times.

Series 11 featured a slight change to the format, with two 'Stars' per episode instead of the previous one (although there had been a couple of editions in previous series' with more than one guest). Each of the pair are professionally associated with their fellow guest, usually both either act in or present the same TV show. Unlike previous episodes where two stars have appeared, the stars drove individual laps without the other present in the car.

[edit] Lacetti leader board
  1. 1:45.83 – Jay Kay[48]
  2. 1:45.87 – Kevin McCloud[49]
  3. 1:45.9 – Simon Cowell
  4. 1:46.1 – Jennifer Saunders
  5. 1:46.3 – Gordon Ramsay
  6. 1:46.5 - Usain Bolt
  7. 1:46.9 – Peter Jones
  8. 1:47.0 – Trevor Eve
  9. 1:47.1 – Peter Firth
  10. 1:47.4 – Lawrence Dallaglio
  11. 1:47.4 – Les Ferdinand
  12. 1:47.6 – James Hewitt (Well Spoken Man)
  13. 1:47.7 – Jamie Oliver (Melted snow)
  14. 1:47.7 – Hugh Grant
  15. 1:48.0 – Ewan McGregor
  16. 1:48.1 – Rupert Penry-Jones
  17. 1:48.3 – James Blunt (Wet)
  18. 1:48.3 – Billie Piper (Cut corner)
  19. 1:48.4 – Justin Hawkins
  20. 1:48.5 – Simon Pegg
  21. 1:48.5 – Theo Paphitis
  22. 1:48.7 – Michael McIntyre
  23. 1:48.7 – Mark Wahlberg
  24. 1:48.8 – David Tennant
  25. 1:48.9 – Will Young (Damp)
  26. 1:49.4 – Sir Michael Parkinson
  27. 1:49.6 – Ronnie Wood
  1. 1:49.7 – Harry Enfield
  2. 1:49.9 – Jools Holland
  3. 1:50.3 – Sir Michael Gambon
  4. 1:50.3 – Alan Davies
  5. 1:50.9 – Steve Coogan (HOT)
  6. 1:51.0 – Stephen Fry (HOT)
  7. 1:51.2 – Alan Carr
  8. 1:51.4 – Ray Winstone (HOT)
  9. 1:51.7 – Keith Allen (Very wet)
  10. 1:51.7 – Rob Brydon (Wet)
  11. 1:51.8 – Justin Lee Collins
  12. 1:52.2 - Tom Jones
  13. 1:52.8 – Dame Helen Mirren
  14. 1:53.4 – Ricky Gervais
  15. 1:53.6 - James Corden (Wet)
  16. 1:54.0 – Kristin Scott Thomas
  17. 1:54.3 – Philip Glenister (Wet)
  18. 1:54.7 – Kate Silverton (Very wet)
  19. 1:55.3 – Rick Wakeman
  20. 1:57.4 – Boris Johnson (Very wet)
  21. 1:57.4 – Fiona Bruce (Very wet)
  22. 2:01:0 – Brian Cox
  23. 2:08.9 – Jimmy Carr (Spun off on timed lap)

[edit] Time deductions

Sometimes an additional term is written next to the time (such as Hot). This indicates that the Stig and the Top Gear team consider that the prevalent weather conditions have affected the lap time or car's performance. The time on the board is not adapted: e.g. 1:50 MM (Mildly Moist) is deemed to be equivalent to 1:48 on a normal dry track. The following list describes how many seconds it costs a car or gives a car an advantage.

Term Conditions Adjustment
HOT Track surface or car performance affected by high temperature / humidity -2 seconds
Mildly moist (MM) / Damp (D) Track surface slightly damp after light rain or drizzle -2 seconds
Wet (W) / Melted snow (MS) Track surface wet due to light rain / melted snow / -4 seconds
Very wet (VW) Track surface wet (with large puddles) due to heavy rain -6 seconds

[edit] Maps

[edit] Appearance in games

On 24 October 2007 it was announced that players of the forthcoming PlayStation 3 game, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, will be able to download episodes of Top Gear within the game, and that the test track will be one of the included circuits when the full game (Gran Turismo 5) is released.[50][51] A very basic yet driveable version of the track appeared around 2003 for the PC 'hardcore' racing simulation Grand Prix Legends. There's also a version of the test track for the realistic PC racing simulation rFactor, produced with permission from Dunsfold park.[52] Top Gear have also added a basic version of the test track on the games section of their own website, with the title of "Be a star in our reasonably priced car".

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ a b c "Top Gear". Series 1 (BBC 2). 2002-10-20.  Richard Hammond: "Nought to sixty times? Absolutely meaningless. Top speed figures? Totally meaningless. What really matters is how fast a car can lap a test track and fortunately, we've got our own test track for that very purpose. Just under two miles of fast straights and tricky corners, designed by the test drivers at Lotus."
  2. ^ a b Vijay, Pattni (2007-10-30). "Ultima GTR smashes Top Gear lap record". www.autotrader.co.uk. Trader Media Group. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/37372.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-10. 
  3. ^ "Driving the Top Gear test track feature - Features - Top Gear". Top Gear. 2007-10-24. http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2007/10/stories/09/1.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-05. 
  4. ^ a b c d "Top Gear Power Laps". http://www.topgear.com/us/assets/tracktimes.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-16.  In order to qualify for the power laps board, a car must be road legal, and be a car. For this reason the F1 car (0.59.0), Aston Martin DBR9 (1.08.6) and Sea Harrier (0.31.2) do not appear.
  5. ^ "Top Gear". Series 12 (BBC 2). 2008-12-07. No. 6, season 12. 
  6. ^ BBCWorldwide, YouTube. Top Gear - Ariel Atom - BBC (February 09, 2007)
  7. ^ BBCWorldwide, YouTube. Top Gear - Jeremy Clarkson tests Koenigsegg CCX - BBC (February 20, 2008)
  8. ^ "Top Gear". Series 8 (BBC 2). 2006-05-28. No. 4, season 8.  Jeremy Clarkson: "This, 1:20.4, the old Koenigsegg lap, we don't need it anymore."
  9. ^ a b "Top Gear". Series 6 (BBC 2). 2004-07-17. 14:20 minutes in. 
  10. ^ "Top Gear". Series 2 (BBC 2). 2003-06-15. 
  11. ^ Top Gear Series 7, Episode 2 2005.11.20 – Jeremy Clarkson: "You know we put it around the track this morning, with the Stig driving it, OK, 1:25-point-something." – Actual lap not shown. Also Clarkson said that the RS4 is "more than a second quicker than the Cayman [S]", so the RS4 is at least 1:25.7 around the track.
  12. ^ "Top Gear". Series 5 (BBC 2). 2004-11-21. 
  13. ^ a b "Top Gear". Series 4 (BBC 2). 2004-05-30. 
  14. ^ a b c "Top Gear". Series 6 (BBC 2). 2005-07-24.  at 58:00
  15. ^ Time from series 7, episode 2 at 09:26. Current (2008/12/1) Top Gear web site Power Lap Time is incorrect.
  16. ^ "Top Gear". Series 5 (BBC 2). 2004-11-14. 
  17. ^ "Top Gear". Series 4 (BBC 2). 2004-07-11.  at 56:45
  18. ^ "Top Gear". Series 6 (BBC 2). 2005-06-12.  at 28:25
  19. ^ "Top Gear". Series 7 (BBC 2). 2005-12-11. 
  20. ^ "Top Gear". Series 1 (BBC 2). 2002-12-29. 
  21. ^ "Top Gear". Series 3 (BBC 2). 2003-12-28. 
  22. ^ "Top Gear". Series 6 (BBC 2). 2005-06-26. 
  23. ^ a b c d e f "Top Gear". Series 5 (BBC 2). 2004-12-05. 
  24. ^ "Top Gear". Series 5 (BBC 2). 2004-12-12. 
  25. ^ "Top Gear". Series 1 (BBC 2). 2002-12-08. 
  26. ^ "Top Gear". Series 4 (BBC 2). 2004-06-06. 
  27. ^ "Top Gear". Series 1 (BBC 2). 2002-11-24. 
  28. ^ BBCWorldwide, YouTube. Top Gear - Renault Clio 182 - BBC (February 09, 2007)
  29. ^ Top Gear Series 5, Episode 4 2004.11.14 – Richard Hammond: "Where does it compare to the old one?" Jeremy Clarkson: "It's at 1:36.2 but it was the wettest day we've ever had so you can't do anything about that..."
  30. ^ a b c "Top Gear". Series 3 (BBC 2). 2003-11-02. 
  31. ^ Top Gear Series 12, Episode 4 2008.11.23
  32. ^ Top Gear Series 8, Episode 2 2006.05.14 – Jeremy Clarkson: "After the accident, Stig said he reckons this car would be 4 seconds faster than it was if it had a big wing on the back."
  33. ^ Svensson, Gunnar. "Koenigsegg får Top Gear-vinge", Bilsport, 2006.06.05. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.
  34. ^ a b Top Gear Series 5, Episode 8 2004.12.19 - Renault R24 Formula One car. Jeremy Clarkson: The thing is though, this is only for cars with ashtrays and noses that you can get over the... uh, speed bumps, it's only for road cars.
  35. ^ a b Top Gear Series 3, Episode 3 2003.11.09 - BAE Sea Harrier. James May: "The pilot did go a bit wide in some of the corners, didn't he?" Jeremy Clarkson: "He did say, with a Harrier, it would be possible to actually follow the confines of the track and it would still be faster than the car. But we said no no no, go for it."
  36. ^ Top Gear Series 5, Episode 9 2004.12.26 - Ariel Atom. Jeremy Clarkson: You can use it on the road because... the test that we have for our Power Board, 'cause only road cars can go on this, is whether they can get over a speed bump."
  37. ^ a b Top Gear Series 6, Episode 6 2005.07.03 - Aston Martin DBR9. Jeremy Clarkson: "You can't buy this car so it has no place on our board." James May: "But he's right though, those are the rules."
  38. ^ a b Top Gear Series 10, Episode 5 2007.11.11 - Caparo T1. Jeremy Clarkson: "You know the rules James, if a car can't get over a sleeping policeman it can't go on that board. Look at that nose. Never mind a sleeping policeman, you'll rip that off if you run over Gandhi"
  39. ^ Top Gear Series 10, Episode 9 2007.12.09 - Ascari A10. Jeremy Clarkson: "Now because this has a hydraulic lifting nose, which we can see here, it is able to get over speed bumps and that means it is a road car and that means it can go on our board."
  40. ^ a b Top Gear Series 13, Episode 2 2009.06.28 - Ferrari FXX. Jeremy Clarkson: "We subsequently discovered he was doing that on slick tyres. Now we have rules on this Power Board here, ok? You can't use slicks, so this time is coming off."
  41. ^ Agency Republic. "Dunlop - Injection, Episode 11". Injection.tv. http://www.injection.tv/site.php?domain=uk. Retrieved on 2009-06-05. 
  42. ^ "Ultima Sports Ltd". Ultimasports.co.uk. http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/laprecord.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-05. 
  43. ^ "Programme One - Sunday 20th October 2002". BBC. http://web.archive.org/web/20040715213526/www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/prog1/index.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 
  44. ^ Top Gear Series 8, Episode 1 2006.05.07
  45. ^ Top Gear Series 2, Episode 8 2003.07.06 - Original time of 1:48 was prior to recording fractional seconds. Jeremy Clarkson to Jodie Kidd: "We don't have points on this, but actually you were point three of a second faster than Jay Kay."
  46. ^ Top Gear Series 5, Episode 9 2004.12.26 - Jeremy ACTUALLY wrote 1:46.1, but placed her in the right place. (look for it at the 25 minute mark.)
  47. ^ Top Gear Series 10, Episode 5 2007.11.11
  48. ^ "Top Gear Celebrity Laps". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/celebritylaps.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-11-12. 
  49. ^ "Top Gear Series 12". BBC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(series_12). 
  50. ^ "BBC Top Gear goes virtual on PS3". BBC News. 24 October 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7059887.stm. Retrieved on 2007-10-24. 
  51. ^ "Top Gear on GT5". TopGear.com. 24 October 2007. http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/2368/. Retrieved on 2007-10-24. 
  52. ^ "Top Gear track permission". 06 March 2008. http://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=Top%20Gear%20Test%20Track. Retrieved on 2008-03-10. 
v • d • e
Top Gear
Original format
(1977 to 2001)
Presenters
Series
Current format
(2002 to date)
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Specials
US · Polar · Botswana · Vietnam
Presenters
Jeremy Clarkson · Jason Dawe (series 1) · Richard Hammond · James May (series 2 onwards) · The Stig
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Dunsfold Park · Top Gear Test Track
International versions: Australia · Russia · United States
Spin-offs: Rally Report · Top Gear Motorsport · Stars in Fast Cars
See also: Top Gear Magazine · Jon Bentley · Fifth Gear · driven · Top Gear of the Pops · Top Ground Gear Force · Criticism of Top Gear
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