Episode
Top Gear: Episode 12
Overview
Quentin Willson takes a chauffeur-driven ride in a Mercedes 600 stretch limousine once owned by John Lennon, and discovers that the car still has the touch of class which made it an essential item for the rich and famous. Tony Mason goes to the country to test the new Subaru Legacy, and asks whether the countryman appeal which made it popular with farmers has been lost in the pursuit of urban style.
Details
- Series
- Top Gear
- Season
- Season 37
- Episode
- Episode 12
- Air date
- 1997-03-20
Episode context
Episode 12 is Episode 12 in Season 37 of Top Gear. It aired on 1997-03-20.
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Episode 11
Jeremy Clarkson and Michele Newman report from Geneva on the highlights of this year’s International Show, including new coupés from Mercedes and Ford, and they try out the Seat Arosa. Tiff Needell tests the Italian-sounding Ascari, in fact a high performance kit car manufactured in Wiltshire.
Episode 13
Jeremy Clarkson asks whether the new A6 will be another overnight success for Audi. Will the combination of cutting edge design and class-leading performance eclipse their greatest rival, BMW? Plus six cars that fall into Quentin Willson’s no-hoper category.
More episodes from this season
Episode 10
Jeremy Clarkson gets behind the wheel of the latest juggernauts. One of the vehicles he tries out is the 1997 Truck of the Year the Mercedes Actros, which is reputed to make trucking up and down the motorways feel as relaxing as a jaunt in the country. Plus Chris Goffey drives the vintage car Ace of Spades, manufactured by Lea Francis. One of the great names of British motoring, it is now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Episode 14
Michele Newman checks out the latest in a tradition of cars bent on stealing tiny parking spaces — the Seat Arosa and weighs up how it competes with the likes of the Fiat Cinquecento. Steve Berry rides with the veterans from Epsom to Brighton on the 60th annual Pioneer Run for motorbikes built before 1915.
Episode 9
For thousands of sales reps travelling up and down the country a company car can often feel like a second home. Tiff Needell tests the comfort of the Mondeo and the Vectra and discovers how it feels to spend hours in a fleet car every day. Quentin Willson reports on the startling statistic that over a million people are driving without insurance.
Episode 15
Eighty-seven different cars come under scrutiny in the fourth annual survey into customer satisfaction. Quentin Willson reports on the M-registration cars that did well and badly when the public were asked to rate performance, reliability, economy and customer care. Plus Steve Berry nips neatly around the big city in a Japanese people mover — the Daihatsu Move.
Episode 8
Jeremy Clarkson assesses the flood of sports cars that have recently appeared on the market and decides which one should be top of an enthusiast’s shopping list. Quentin Willson provides a guide to the second-hand BMW market for those wanting to get the most value from the 3-series.
Episode 16
In the Swinging Sixties Roger Moore cruised the streets of London as The Saint in his white Volvo P1800. Will the new C70 coupé turn heads in the nineties in the same way? Quentin Wilson visits America to find out. Plus, Jeremy Clarkson drives a limited edition Vauxhall Vectra, a £27,000 road-going version of the British Touring Car Championship model.
Episode 7
Jeremy Clarkson tests the Honda Legend and Toyota Camry, and asks whether these cars have sufficient pulling power to become alternatives to the vehicles traditionally chosen by high-flying executives, such as BMWs or Mercedes. Steve Berry rides the Triumph 595, the long-awaited British bike that is expected to take on Ducatis and Honda Fireblades.
Episode 17
There’s a new star in Hollywood — the Spectre EV1, which is the first electric car to make it to the showrooms. Although the vehicle is in great demand. General Motors provide a spare for Quentin Willson to test-drive through downtown Burbank. Plus Steve Berry takes a ride on a monkey bike — the diminutive Honda from the sixties that is still thriving.
Episode 6
Jeremy Clarkson chooses the best of the latest small hatchbacks. Plus Quentin Willson offers some tips for picking up a bargain at a classic car auction, and reveals the troubles that the unsuspecting could be lumbered with once the hammer comes down.
Episode 18
Despite his aversion to driving diesels, Jeremy Clarkson tries out the Mercedes E-Class Elegance Estate and the BMW touring version of the successful 5-series.