Top Gear (series 1)

He also compared the Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3 and Lamborghini Murciélago. He loved the Zonda and called it the king of supercars. Clarkson then introduces The Stig, whose sole purpose is to post lap times. The Zonda achieved a 1:23.8 around the track while the Murciélago had a 1:29.0.

Hammond reviewed a Mazda 6, Mazda's attempt at a sports sedan. Hammond and Clarkson agreed the handling was fantastic for a Mazda, but a lack of power and prestige makes it meat for posh German executive cars.

Noble M12 GTO. Despite the car's wide turning radius, wonky brake lights, and windows that do not completely go down Clarkson loves the car for its amazing handling, great power and most notably its complete lack of understeer. The Stig puts the Noble around a very wet Top Gear track in 1:32.9.

Jeremy states his belief that all good RS Fords bring "power to the people." Hammond agrees, but he doesn't like all RSs. He takes a look back on his childhood dream car, the 1977 Ford Escort RS1800.

A general discussion of the "Best Looking Car of all Time." Influential designer Peter Horbury backed the Porsche 928. Hammond backed the Citroën DS, which Clarkson thought was too uptight and stately. He mentioned the Lamborghini Miura SV but chose the Aston Martin DB7 and brought in its designer, Ian Callum.

Dawe reviewed the Nissan Skyline, showing stock footage of racing-modified Skylines. Dawe calls the car a PlayStation on wheels, noting the extensive electronic monitoring and feedback systems that are displayed on a computer screen inside the car. According to Dawe, the Skylines were so dominant in racing circuits that the rules were eventually changed in order to outlaw the car. He presents the R32, R33, and R34 models for comparison, underlining the fact that Skyline production has ended and that the only source for them now is the secondary market. He concludes that the R34 is the best of the breed but recommends the R33 as the best overall value.

The Vanquish and Jaguar XK from Die Another Day were featured in the studio. In order to make room for under-bonnet gadgets, the original engines were removed and replaced with Mustang V8s.

Dawe looks at used Peugeot 206s. He lauds the car for having character and classlessness, and though he acknowledges that the prices are inflated by too much demand, he still recommends buying them because they will hold this value until again up for sale. Clarkson and Dawe agree that it's the best used car buy of the time.

Hammond goes to Germany to "test drive" a Maybach 62 and gushes over the numerous features of the car. He says that it is better than a Rolls-Royce, but it is the sort of thing that can only be appreciated by those who can afford it.

Clarkson then test drives a Bentley Arnage and thrashes the car on the Top Gear track. The Stig takes the luxury car to a time of 1:40.8 (Wet track).

Hammond drives the BMW Z4 in Portugal. He admits to not liking the wet BMW Z3, but finds the Z4 to be excellent. Clarkson disagrees, but allows it to be put onto the Cool Wall as a cool car.

Dawe looks at used Volkswagen Golfs. He laments briefly at the poor performance of petrol Golfs in the past two generations, and recommends the torque of the diesel versions to those who want performance. Dawe then looks at a metallic pea-green Golf with a beige interior and black dashboard, remarking that a poor choice of color and trim can make a secondhand Golf worth £500 less than if it was in a proper color scheme.

Clarkson drives his personal Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG around the track very carefully. Hammond notes to Clarkson that, according to a UK gay-oriented website, the SL55 AMG is considered to be the 4th gayest car. The car is then stolen by Hammond and given to the Stig for a lap. The Stig posts a time of 1:33.0 (Very Wet Track)

Jason Dawe takes a number of cars to a primary school to get the kids' verdict on coolness. Among them were the Ferrari 360, the Pagani Zonda, the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, the TVR Tuscan. Their favourite was the Lamborghini Countach, the oldest, dirtiest, least comfortable, and least safe of the cars.

Clarkson drives a Lotus Elise badly, and then gets a lesson in how to do it properly. The Stig drives it round the track and achieves a time of 1.35.6 (Wet track)

Jeremy tests the Maserati 3200GT on the track. He finds it to be a confused and unsatisfying alternative, somewhere between the performance of a Ferrari and the comfort of a Jaguar. The Stig achieves an underwhelming time of 1.38.0 (Very wet track)

Hammond looks at superminis, choosing the midrange 1.4 litre of each type. He finds the Ford Fiesta to be rather good to drive and quite practical, but extremely boring both inside and out. The Citroën C3 is interesting, but slow and forgettable to drive. The Honda Jazz is easily the most practical and spacious, quite like a mini MPV, as well as intelligently proportioned inside. But the Jazz has all the downsides of an MPV, such as noise reverberation and poor drive feel. The Nissan Micra is less practical, but offers a huge amount of technology and options for its price. Hammond is finally satisfied by the MG ZR, which feels special to drive even in the midrange non-hot version.

A Lada Riva is modified by Lotus. After driving it on the track, the Lotus test driver calls it "easily the worst car I've ever driven." They take out the shoddy Russian 35-bhp engine and replace it with an identical type and size of engine, but tuned to deliver 180 bhp. The gearbox, suspension, and bodywork are replaced or substantially tuned. With a modified exterior (debadged of any Lada markings), a refreshingly updated interior, and a much-improved suspension, Lotus spent a total of 1000 hours and £100,000 to deliver a Lada that is actually good to drive and be seen in.

If you stripped the body panels and all non-essential equipment off a car, how much faster could you make it go? A stripped-down Jaguar XJS cut its lap time by 7 seconds.

• Car of the Year: Range Rover
• Most Pointless Car - Ford Fusion
• Weirdest Renault: Nissan Micra
• Surely you don't need the money! Award: Eddie Irvine for promoting a power washer
• Fastest Car: Radical SR3

Jay Kay appears to accept an award for being the fastest guest of the series.

Clarkson looks back at the Lotus Esprit fondly, after almost a quarter-century of production. Clarkson's only gripe is the awkward gearbox, which is gotten from an old Renault 25, and the limited quantities of which will eventually kill the Esprit off.

Dawe looks at a number of used car bargains, including a Citroën AX, a Nissan Primera, and a £100 Nissan 300C. In his final presented segment, Dawe recommends to be brave and go for old, essentally disposable cars with potential reliability issues to save money.