Top Gear
Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.
Season 38
1. Episode 1
0.0Sep 4, 1997The motoring series returns for a 17-week run with Jeremy Clarkson test-driving Ford’s new Puma — a tiny coupe based on the Fiesta-through the Yorkshire Dales. Quentin Willson travels to Long Beach, California, to try out the latest Chevrolet Corvette. Now with right-hand drive, is it ready to be taken seriously in Britain?
2. Episode 2
0.0Sep 11, 1997Tiff Needell plays rough on tonight’s edition of the motoring magazine with the tough guy’s off-roader. The armour-plated Hummer was developed for the US Army, costs £70,000, and, with celebrity owners such as film star Bruce Willis, claims to be the ultimate 4x4. Jeremy Clarkson tests the new Toyota Corolla. Will it convince him that one of the most reliable cars in the world isn’t also one of the dullest?
3. Episode 3
0.0Sep 18, 1997In tonight’s edition of the motoring magazine, Jeremy Clarkson compares the new midsize coupe from Mercedes, the CLK, with Peugeot’s new 406. The programme also reports from the Frankfurt Show, featuring the debut of the new Porsche 911 and the launch of the Freelander from Land Rover.
4. Episode 4
0.0Sep 25, 1997Jaguar are 75 years old but show no sign of slowing down. Jeremy Clarkson drives the fastest version of the new V8 XJ series, the new XJR, and races it against some full-blooded sports cars in the shape of the Aston Martin Vantage, the Mercedes SLK and the Porsche Boxster.
5. Episode 5
0.0Oct 2, 1997For those who cannot wait six months for the brand new BMW 5 Series or who feel that buying a German car is just following the executive herd, the Saab 9-5 could be just the answer. The 9-5 replaces the ageing 9000, a model that failed to make a big impact against tough German opposition. Jeremy Clarkson goes for a test drive to see if this new Saab has got what it takes.
6. Episode 6
0.0Oct 9, 1997Jeremy Clarkson takes delivery of the Range Rover Autobiography, the latest gadget-laden luxury off-roader from Land Rover. While he decides on the colour scheme and tries out its satellite navigation system, Michelle Newman investigates the latest four-wheel-drive models from Honda. Toyota and Subaru.
7. Episode 7
0.0Oct 16, 1997Jeremy Clarkson and Quentin Willson are at Earls Court for this year’s London Motor Show. They look at the new Porsche 911, Land Rover’s Freelander, the new Vauxhall Astra and the latest version of the Volkswagen Golf.
8. Episode 8
0.0Oct 23, 1997Since its first appearance in the sixties, the Porsche 911 has become a design classic and a motoring legend. Now aged 34, it has had a major makeover. Tiff Needell test drives the new 911 for the nineties.
9. Episode 9
0.0Oct 30, 1997The A Class is Mercedes’s first entry into the crowded small car market. Flouting conventional ideas of small-car design by enlarging the cabin space, it looks to set new standards for the supermini. Jeremy Clarkson tests what could be the most important car for a generation.
10. Episode 10
0.0Nov 6, 1997Steve Berry visits the International Bike Show in Birmingham, where he looks at the latest models including BMW’s new cruiser, the R1200C. Meanwhile Michele Newman tests the Xsara, the new family hatchback from Citroën.
11. Episode 11
0.0Nov 13, 1997Land Rover hope to overturn their rural image with the launch of the long-awaited new utility vehicle — the Freelander. It has sporty looks and claims not to have lost any of Land Rover’s rustic ruggedness. But can it cope with the likes of Toyota’s Rav4 in this very competitive market? Jeremy Clarkson reports.
12. Episode 12
0.0Nov 20, 1997Quentin Willson looks at a BMW 7 Series that has been round the clock twice, and argues that buying high-mileage cars can represent value for money. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their RAC Rally victory, Tony Mason and Roger Clark are reunited with their newly restored Ford Escort for a final thrash through the forest.
13. Episode 13
0.0Nov 27, 1997The Lotus 49 changed the face of motor racing. Driven by Jim Clark and powered by the V8 engine, it gave Ford their first Grand Prix victory, back in 1967. Thirty years on, Tiff Needell revs up the famous Cosworth. Meanwhile, Andy Wilman discovers Cold War cars from eastern Europe, such as the Wartburg and the Moskvitch, that are still up and running thanks to dedicated British enthusiasts.
14. Episode 14
0.0Dec 4, 1997When the stock market trembles, the effects on the classic-car market are never very far behind. With auction prices falling, there are bargains to be snapped up. Quentin Willson looks at highly desirable models available at knockdown prices.
15. Episode 15
0.0Dec 11, 1997With two new models on the British market, Lexus is trying to change the ways of top people who prefer a more prestigious badge. Quentin Willson tests Japanese claims to a place in the executive car park.
16. Episode 16
0.0Dec 18, 1997Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needell and Quentin Willson select their favourite cars of 1997. Among the contenders for top car are the Porsche 911, the new Corvette, the Ford Puma and the Land Rover Freelander.