It seems as though Top Gear may be over for good. Main presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, recently was involved in a “fracas” with another producer of the show and supposedly punched him. Clarkson was suspended indefinitely and has recently written an article for The Sun, describing the extinction of the dinosaur and comparing that to the show, hinting somewhat that Top Gear may be done for.
It will be a sad day when Top Gear is cancelled, but at least we’ll have all of the great car reviews that inspired people to become car enthusiasts or even specific brand enthusiasts. So let’s take a look at all of the best BMW reviews on Top Gear.
BMW M3 Competition Pack vs Audi RS5
One of my personal favorites is when Clarkson tested the E92 M3, which had the Competition Package, against the brand new, at the time, Audi RS5. On paper it seemed as if the RS5 would be the better car. It had more power, more equipment and all-wheel drive. But it was still slower around the track and less fun to drive. Clarkson then went on to say how the M3 was the superior car, but that the competition package wasn’t worth it. He claimed that the only thing it did was make it more uncomfortable, because of the stiffer suspension. At the end he says that the standard M3 is the car to buy, not only over the competition version, but over the RS5 and pretty much anything else.
BMW 1 Series M
Clarkson’s review of the 1M is one of my favorite all time car reviews. It has some funny lines, awesome visuals and an excellent car. In the video he goes on to say that the 1M is almost like the original Golf GTI, in that it is incredibly fun to drive, yet is still a perfectly practical car. He even shows how it’s great value despite having a decently high price tag. He does this by having a drag race with a more expensive Porsche Cayman GTS and an even more expensive Lotus Evora S. Needless to say, the 1M crushes the both of them, despite being by far the cheapest of the three.
Click for video Part 1 and Part 2
F10 BMW M5
In this one, Richard Hammond drives around in the E60 M5 for a bit, describing the madness of the 5.0 liter V10 and just how savage it is, as well as the rest of the car. Then he puts it up against the new F10 M5, which has a smaller V8 engine. Obviously, we know which is faster. The new F10 demolishes the old E60. We knew the F10 would win, of course, but what surprised is the level of demolition the F10 laid on the E60. Hamster then goes on to toss the M5 around the track like a Lotus, and proves that despite being big and heavy, the new M5 can handle with some of the best sports cars in the business.
1980s’ BMW Convertibles
This was a test for all three presenters. They were each given some money to buy cheap convertibles online. Ironically, they each ended up buying E30 325i convertibles. They then put these three through a barrage of tests. Clarkson’s was extremely slow, most likely due to the concrete block he found in the trunk. It also had awful brakes and lost dramatically in the braking test.
Hammond’s was customized a bit and all of the customizations ruined the car, but most of which was the alarm system which rendered it inoperable at one point. All three then took their cars to a forensics lab to have the interiors tested. All of them were pretty disgusting on the inside, but it was the Hamster’s whose was the worst. I won’t spoil what they found for you, but let’s just say Hammond wore a HazMat suit in the car thereafter. By the end the guys had to do some stunt driving in their three BMW’s at a local fair and it didn’t end up so well. Overall, one of the funnier episodes of Top Gear and it featured three bimmers.
Click for video Part 1 and Part 2
BMW M3 CSL
Jeremy Clarkson takes the M3 CSL to the Isle of Man to test out one of BMW’s most hardcore cars in a place with no speed limits. It doesn’t get much better than that. With great scenery and great driving, this review truly shows off how special the M3 CSL really was. The E46 M3 CSL was one of the best BMW’s ever made and watching slice through the beautiful streets of the Isle of Man, while listening to that glorious straight-six engine, is car enthusiast heaven.
Top Gear really is an excellent show if you love cars and these episodes are evident of that. If it does really shut down, I think we’ll all miss it. But at least we’ll be able to watch these over and over again. There are many more Top Gear BMW episodes, and all are great, but these were just my personal favorites. Feel free to let us know which ones you like.
