Top Gear Test Track

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Top Gear Test Track
Test Track Map
Location Surrey, England
Time zone GMT
Coordinates 51.116428° N 0.541463° WCoordinates: 51.116428° N 0.541463° W
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 0

The Top Gear test track is the test track used by the British automotive television programme Top Gear. Located in Dunsfold Park, it was designed by Lotus engineers and is used to both 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 of 8 layout.

A digital version of the track has been released for the videogame rFactor and is set to appear in the upcoming videogame Gran Turismo 5.

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 this 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 under 2 miles (3.2 km) in length, and the track is considered to be an equaliser for cars, since both 0-60 times and top speed are totally meaningless to the programme according to Richard Hammond.[2]

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 that the corner was henceforth named in his honour by host Jeremy Clarkson. Before this, the corner was known as "Carpenter's 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. Several 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 Renault R24 Formula One car which holds the car lap record, after completing a lap in 59.0.[5]

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, most obviously because the track is often wet (see Lap times loss below).

[edit] The Power Board

  1. 1:17.3 – Ascari A10
  2. 1:17.6 – Koenigsegg CCX (with "Top Gear Spoiler")
  3. 1:18.4 – Pagani Zonda F
  4. 1:18.9 – Maserati MC12
  5. 1:19.0 – Ferrari Enzo
  6. 1:19.5 – Ariel Atom 2 300
  7. 1:19.8 – Porsche Carrera GT
  8. 1:19.8 – Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
  9. 1:20.4 – Koenigsegg CCX [6]
  10. 1:20.7 – Ascari KZ1
  11. 1:20.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
  12. 1:21.2 – Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
  13. 1:21.9 – Ford GT
  14. 1:22.3 – Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
  15. 1:22.3 – Porsche 911 GT3 RS
  16. 1:22.4 – Chevrolet Corvette Z06
  17. 1:22.5 – Noble M15
  18. 1:22.9 – Ferrari F430 F1
  19. 1:23.2 – Ferrari F430 Spider F1
  20. 1:23.7 – Lamborghini Murciélago (retested)
  21. 1:23.8 – Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3
  22. 1:23.9 – Aston Martin DBS
  23. 1:23.9 – Koenigsegg CC8S
  24. 1:24.3 - Prodrive P2 (Active diff. on)
  25. 1:24.4 – Audi R8
  26. 1:24.6 – TVR Sagaris
  27. 1:24.8 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-400
  28. 1:24.8 – TVR Tuscan Mk.II
  29. 1:25.0 – Noble M12 GTO-3R
  30. 1:25.1 – Lotus Exige S
  31. 1:25.2 – Audi RS4[7]
  32. 1:25.7 – Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
  33. 1:25.8 – Lamborghini Gallardo (wet)
  34. 1:25.9 – Morgan Aero 8 GTN
  35. 1:26.0 – BMW Z4 M Roadster
  36. 1:26.0 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ320
  37. 1:26.2 – BMW M5
  38. 1:26.2 – Porsche 911 Carrera S
  39. 1:26.2 – Brabus S Biturbo Roadster
  40. 1:26.4 – Lotus Exige (mildly moist)
  41. 1:26.7 – Porsche Cayman S
  42. 1:26.8 – Chevrolet Corvette
  43. 1:26.8 – Ferrari 575M Maranello HGTC
  44. 1:26.9 – Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG
  1. 1:27.1 – Aston Martin Vanquish S
  2. 1:27.1 – Aston Martin DB9
  3. 1:27.2 – Porsche 911 GT3 (mildly moist)
  4. 1:27.3 – Spyker C8 Spyder
  5. 1:27.5 – TVR T350C
  6. 1:27.9 – Wiesmann MF 3
  7. 1:28.0 – BMW M3 CSL (very wet, near-slick tires)
  8. 1:28.0 – Roush Mustang
  9. 1:28.2 – Marcos TSO GT2
  10. 1:28.5 – Dodge Viper SRT-10 (very wet)
  11. 1:28.6 – MG XPower SV
  12. 1:28.7 – Porsche Boxster S
  13. 1:28.7 – Audi TT MTM Bimoto (cold tyres)
  14. 1:28.9 – Porsche 911 C4S (wet)
  15. 1:28.9 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII FQ300
  16. 1:29.0 – Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
  17. 1:29.0 – Alpina Z8
  18. 1:29.0 – Lamborghini Murciélago (wet)
  19. 1:29.4 – Subaru Impreza WRX STi WR-1
  20. 1:29.4 – AS One (cold tyres)
  21. 1:29.6 - Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650 Concept
  22. 1:30.0 – Autodelta Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 3.7
  23. 1:30.0 – Ford Shelby GT500
  24. 1:30.1 – Subaru Impreza WRX STi
  25. 1:30.1 – Vauxhall Monaro VXR
  26. 1:30.4 – Aston Martin DB7 GT (full tank of petrol)
  27. 1:30.4 – Volkswagen Golf R32
  28. 1:30.9 – Audi S4 quattro 4.2
  29. 1:31.0 – Porsche 911 Turbo (very wet)
  30. 1:31.4 – Audi TT Mark II 2.0T
  31. 1:31.3 – Vauxhall VXR8 (wet and oil)
  32. 1:31.6 – 2003 Honda NSX Type-R (very wet)
  33. 1:31.8 – BMW M3 E46
  34. 1:31.8 – BMW 535d
  35. 1:31.8 – Nissan 350Z
  36. 1:31.8 – Mazda RX-8
  37. 1:31.9 – BMW 130i
  38. 1:32.2 – Ford Focus RS
  39. 1:32.2 – Mazda6 MPS
  40. 1:32.5 – Lotus Esprit V8 (cold tyres)
  41. 1:32.5 – Renault Mégane Renault Sport
  42. 1:32.7 – Audi TT 3.2 quattro
  43. 1:32.8 – Modernized Jaguar E-Type
  44. 1:32.8 – Honda Civic Type-R (EP3-2004 Facelifted)
  45. 1:32.9 – SEAT León Cupra R
  46. 1:32.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLK350
  1. 1:33.0 - Audi RS6 (very wet)
  2. 1:33.0 – Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (mildly moist)
  3. 1:33.0 – Vauxhall Astra VXR
  4. 1:33.1 – Noble M12 GTO (very wet)
  5. 1:33.3 – Volkswagen Golf Mark IV R32
  6. 1:33.4 – Cadillac CTS-V (very wet)
  7. 1:33.5 – Honda Civic Type-R (FN2-2007)
  8. 1:33.7 – MG ZT 260
  9. 1:33.7 – Volkswagen Golf Mark V GTI
  10. 1:33.7 – 2002 Honda NSX-R (wet)
  11. 1:33.8 – Clio Renault Sport 182
  12. 1:33.9 – Holden Monaro (wet)
  13. 1:34.0 – Renault Mégane 225
  14. 1:34.2 – MINI Cooper S Works
  15. 1:34.5 – Ford Mondeo ST220
  16. 1:34.7 – Jaguar XKR (very wet)
  17. 1:34.9 – Ford Focus ST (foggy)
  18. 1:35.0 – Volvo S60 R
  19. 1:35.2 – Ferrari 575M Maranello (very wet)
  20. 1:35.3 – Vauxhall Vectra VXR
  21. 1:35.6 – Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
  22. 1:35.6 – Lotus Elise (very wet)
  23. 1:35.8 – Citroën C4 VTS
  24. 1:36.2 – Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (very wet)[8]
  25. 1:36.2 – Renault Clio V6 Renault Sport (very wet)
  26. 1:36.5 – Honda Civic Type-R (EP3) (wet)
  27. 1:36.9 – Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2
  28. 1:37.0 – Porsche Boxster 2.7 (very wet)
  29. 1:37.3 – BMW Z4 3.0i (very wet)
  30. 1:37.4 – Honda S2000 2.0 (very wet)
  31. 1:37.9 – Saab 9-5 Aero
  32. 1:38.0 – Maserati Coupé Cambiocorsa (very wet)
  33. 1:39.4 – Bowler Wildcat
  34. 1:40.8 – Bentley Arnage T (very wet)
  35. 1:44.0 – Overfinch Range Rover 580 S (very wet)
  36. 1:46.0 – Aston Martin DB5

Notes: The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1001 bhp (746 kW) Bugatti Veyron, has not yet been taken around the track by the Stig. According to Hammond[9] and Clarkson[10], this is because Bugatti has not given Top Gear permission to run the car through a power lap.

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,[11] although Koenigsegg themselves state that the improvement was due to adjustments other than the spoiler.[12] Its lap time was later bettered by the Ascari A10. The Koenigseggs on the board have ther names mocked, where the CC8S is dubbed 'Koenigseggenoeosineoseg-a-Viking' with the 'Viking' section mocking how it comes from Sweden, 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 fully road-legal (lights, indicators, registration, etc.), as well as being street-worthy (i.e. able to negotiate a speed bump).[4][13][14][15][16][17]

  1. 0:31.2 – BAE Sea Harrier
  2. 0:59.0 – Renault R24 Formula One car
  3. 1:08.6 – Aston Martin DBR9
  4. 1:10.6 – Caparo T1
  5. 1:19.1 – Radical SR3
  6. 1:22.6 – Westfield XTR2

[18]

[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.[19]
  2. 1:17.4 - Caterham CSR 260 sponsored by Dunlop - Injection, driven by Rob Jenkinson.[20]

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.[21] 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. The car used is stock, except a roll cage and racing seats have been added as safety measures. Each guest first practices with The Stig and is then allowed a number of attempts to make his or her way around the test track in the fastest time. However, the star doesn't learn of his or her lap time until they are interviewed. 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". When Lionel Richie drove the car, one of the front wheels fell off. Trevor Eve also lost a wheel, invoking Clarkson to coin the term "pulling a Lionel." 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 clutch of two Lianas during his time on the show due to his unfamiliarity with manual cars. 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 an homage to Indian drivers.

In its service, the Liana covered 1600 laps of the circuit, and its tyres and brakes were changed 400 times.[22]

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 – Justin Hawkins
  9. 1:48.0 – Jodie Kidd
  10. 1:48.0 – Paul McKenna
  11. 1:48.0 – Trevor Eve
  12. 1:48.0 – Patrick Kielty
  13. 1:48.3 – Jay Kay[23]
  14. 1:48.6 – Rob Brydon
  15. 1:48.8 – Stephen Ladyman
  16. 1:49.0 – Neil Morrissey
  17. 1:49.6 – Roger Daltrey (Moist)
  18. 1:50.0 – Jeremy Clarkson
  19. 1:50.0 – Patrick Stewart
  20. 1:50.0 – Martin Clunes
  21. 1:50.0 – Jamie Oliver
  1. 1:50.0 – Gordon Ramsay
  2. 1:50.0 – Lionel Richie
  3. 1:50.0 – Sir Cliff Richard
  4. 1:50.7 – David Walliams
  5. 1:51.0 – Ranulph Fiennes
  6. 1:51.1 – Timothy Spall
  7. 1:51.2 – Carol Vorderman (Moist)
  8. 1:51.3 – James Nesbitt
  9. 1:51.4 – Christian Slater
  10. 1:51.5 – Omid Djalili (Wet)
  11. 1:51.5 – Sanjeev Bhaskar (Wet)
  12. 1:51.5 – Joanna Lumley
  13. 1:52.0 – David Dimbleby
  14. 1:52.0 – Eddie Izzard
  15. 1:52.0 – Jordan
  16. 1:52.0 – Rick Parfitt
  17. 1:52.4 – Christopher Eccleston, (Automatic car)
  18. 1:52.7 – Tim Rice
  19. 1:53.0 – Steve Coogan (Wet)
  20. 1:53.0 – Vinnie Jones
  21. 1:53.2 – Johnny Vaughan
  22. 1:53.3 – Fay Ripley (Moist)
  1. 1:53.4 – Bill Bailey (Wet)
  2. 1:53.5 – Jack Dee
  3. 1:54.0 – Alan Davies (Wet)
  4. 1:54.0 – Stephen Fry (Moist)
  5. 1:54.0 – Rich Hall
  6. 1:54.0 – Martin Kemp (Wet)
  7. 1:54.0 – Ross Kemp (Wet)
  8. 1:54.0 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (Wet)
  9. 1:54.0 – David Soul
  10. 1:54.1 – Trinny Woodall (Very Wet)[24]
  11. 1:55.0 – Michael Gambon (Wet)
  12. 1:55.4 – Geri Halliwell
  13. 1:55.7 – Susannah Constantine (Very Wet)
  14. 1:56.0 – Boris Johnson
  15. 1:57.0 – Anne Robinson
  16. 1:57.0 – Jonathan Ross (Very Wet and penalized for cutting a corner)
  17. 1:57.1 – Davina McCall (Very Wet)
  18. 1:58.6 – Johnny Vegas (Provisional licence)
  19. 2:01.0 – Harry Enfield
  20. 2:02.0 – Billy Baxter (credited as Blind Man)
  21. 2:03.4 – Terry Wogan
  22. 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.

Both Stigs, the original black Stig and the current white Stig have done laps around the track in the Suzuki Liana. Topping the list for the Liana was the second Stig (1:44.4), who took the car out for its last run (for celebrities as F1 drivers still use the Liana,) during the Episode 2 of Series 8.

  1. 1:44.4 – The Stig (II)
  2. 1:44.6 – Nigel Mansell
  3. 1:44.7 – Jenson Button
  1. 1:44.7 - Lewis Hamilton (Wet & Oily Track)
  2. 1:46.0 – The Stig (I)
  3. 1:46.3 – Damon Hill
  1. 1:47.1 – Mark Webber (Very wet)
  2. 1:48.0 – The Stig (I)

[edit] Chevrolet Optra/ Daewoo Lacetti

Starting with the eighth series, the Liana was replaced by a Chevrolet Optra, with 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 and called "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 McArthur, 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 Top Gear driver 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, please."

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 David Tennant tried to over turn on the 23 December 2007 show. However, it was revealed that Billie was wearing a see-through top, and Clarkson remarked that if Tennant had done so, he "would have been faster than Simon Cowell"

In the 11 November 2007 episode, Simon Cowell retook his fastest lap with a time of 1:45.90 - the Stig saying he had a natural ability.[25]

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 actors and comedians to post slow times.

[edit] Lacetti leader board
  1. 1:45.9 – Simon Cowell
  2. 1:46.1 – Jennifer Saunders
  3. 1:46.3 – Gordon Ramsay
  4. 1:47.0 – Trevor Eve
  5. 1:47.4 – Lawrence Dallaglio
  6. 1:47.4 – Les Ferdinand
  7. 1:47.6 – James Hewitt
  8. 1:47.7 – Jamie Oliver (Melted snow)
  9. 1:47.7 – Hugh Grant
  10. 1:48.0 – Ewan McGregor
  11. 1:48.3 – James Blunt (Wet)
  12. 1:48.3 – Billie Piper (Cut corner)
  13. 1:48.4 – Justin Hawkins
  14. 1:48.5 – Simon Pegg
  15. 1:48.8 – David Tennant
  16. 1:49.4 – Ronnie Wood
  17. 1:49.9 – Jools Holland
  18. 1:50.3 – Sir Michael Gambon
  19. 1:50.3 – Alan Davies
  20. 1:50.9 – Steve Coogan (HOT)
  21. 1:51.4 – Ray Winstone (HOT)
  22. 1:51.7 – Keith Allen (Very wet)
  23. 1:52.8 – Dame Helen Mirren
  24. 1:54.0 – Kristin Scott Thomas
  25. 1.54.3 – Philip Glenister (Wet)
  26. 1:55.3 – Rick Wakeman
  27. 2:01:0 – Brian Cox
  28. 2:08.9 – Jimmy Carr

[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 time. 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) 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 at Christmas 2008.[26][27] 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.[28]

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ Vijay, Pattni (2007-10-30). Ultima GTR smashes Top Gear lap record. www.autotrader.co.uk. Trader Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  2. ^ a b Top Gear Series 1, Episode 1 2002.10.20
  3. ^ Driving the Top Gear test track feature - Features - Top Gear
  4. ^ a b Top Gear Power Laps. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 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 5, Episode 8 2004.12.19
  6. ^ Top Gear Series 8, Episode 4 2006.05.28 – Jeremy Clarkson: "This, 1:20.4, the old Koenigsegg lap, we don't need it anymore." – Removed from board
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ 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..."
  9. ^ Top Gear Series 8, Episode 2 2006.05.14 – Richard Hammond: "You know, I think the only time that the Zonda F is gonna get knocked off the board is when Bugatti finally let us put a Veyron round our track."
  10. ^ Top Gear Series 9, Episode 2 2007.02.04 - Jeremy Clarkson: "The problem is that Bugatti is happy to have one here, happy for you to do that, but they won't lend The Stig one."
  11. ^ 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."
  12. ^ Svensson, Gunnar. "Koenigsegg får Top Gear-vinge", Bilsport, 2006-06-05. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Top Gear Series 5, Episode 9 2004.12.26 - Ariel Atom review. 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."
  15. ^ 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."
  16. ^ Top Gear Series 10, Episode 5 2007.11.11 - Caparo T1 review. 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"
  17. ^ Top Gear Series 10, Episode 9 2007.12.09 - Ascari A10 review. 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."
  18. ^ Top Gear Series 3, Episode 3 2003.11.09 – 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."
  19. ^ Autotrader ["http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/37372.html"]
  20. ^ Dunlop - Injection, Episode 11 ["http://www.injection.tv/site.php?domain=uk"]
  21. ^ Ultima Sports Ltd
  22. ^ Top Gear Series 8, Episode 1 2006.05.07 - As mentioned by Jeremy Clarkson while introducing the new car.
  23. ^ 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."
  24. ^ 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.)
  25. ^ Top Gear Series 10, Episode 5 2007.11.11
  26. ^ BBC Top Gear goes virtual on PS3. BBC News (24 October 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
  27. ^ Top Gear on GT5. TopGear.com (24 October 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
  28. ^ Top Gear track permission (06 March 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-10.