Top Gear has long been a staple of British comedy television, turning Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond into household names. The series saw the three friends complete a number of unusual car-related challenges and, as time went on, sent them around the world on adventures. Traveling everywhere from the war-torn Middle-East to the Australian outback, the series was nothing short of epic in scale.
While the team are now enjoying further adventures with Amazon's The Grand Tour, their journeys with the BBC's Top Gear were some of TV's greatest adventures. Although a British series, Top Gear slowly became a global phenomenon, reaching almost every country with its journeys and antics. Although the series is still on the air, the iconic trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May departed in 2015. By far, theirs were the greatest adventures in the series.
10 Vietnam Put The Three Top Gear Friends On Motorcycles
In the "Vietnam Special," the three Top Gear hosts were left in Vietnam with shoe boxes of cash and told to find a means of transportation. Initially giddy at the sight of all the cash, they soon found out it was only worth $1000 and couldn't buy a car, leaving them with motorcycles.
They then set off across Vietnam, with Clarkson initially struggling to figure out how to ride. In typical fashion, they inconvenience one another with cumbersome gifts, challenging each other to make it to their destination without breaking them. In the final challenge, they must modify their bikes for the water.
9 Patagonia Landed The Top Gear Trio In Hot Water
Although the "Patagonia Special" has gone down as one of the most controversial entries in Top Gear history, it was a fun and touching road trip. With each man behind the wheel of a classic V8, they made their way down to the southernmost town in the world.
The special came to a premature close when Clarkson found himself at the heart of a touchy subject: the Falklands War. As they came to blows with locals, the crew had to plot an exit strategy, leading to an escape in the style of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
8 The Middle East Was A Nativity-Themed Journey
In the "Middle East Special," the Top Gear trio were thrust into an Iraqi airfield in three super cars, immediately having to do some evasive driving. Navigating political divisions in the region, James May getting injured and Hammond getting sick, they make their way through Iraq, Syria and Jordan.
As they make their way through, they have to modify their cars for the desert, transforming their cars to pass through one of the borders undetected. In the second half, the trio draw nearer to Nazareth and, in typical nativity tradition, set about buying gifts to mirror those brought to Jesus.
7 Australia Was A Great Exploration Of The Outback
In the Australian road trip episode, the Top Gear trio were each put in GT cars and sent out on a four-day road trip across the Northern Territory. They race towards their final challenge, a giant cattle drive where they have to use their cars to assist in rounding up the cows.
The trio enjoyed speed tests, drag races and the Australian environment, sure to make stops to enjoy a good evening of fishing together. The episode also featured a fun special guest appearance from 24 star Kiefer Sutherland as the star in a reasonably priced car.
6 The Canadian Mountain Rescue Top Gear Episode Was A Race Of Survival
Seeing Richard Hammond left to his own devices on top of a desolate snowy mountain, and had the episode double as a race and a survival special. While Richard was channeling the energy of a Bear Grylls show, Clarkson and May slugged it out through the Canadian wilderness in their trucks.
The two drivers, mostly indifferent to Richard's situation, decided to make a bet that whoever made it to Hammond first didn't have to rescue him. As they enjoyed the Canadian landscape and mountains, viewers were treated to Gillian Anderson as the star in a reasonably priced car.
5 The North Pole Was One Of Top Gear's Most Daring Adventures
Top Gear's North Pole race channeled the adventurism of the polar expeditions of old, this time pitting the dog sleds against a modern truck. As Hammond navigated the harsh conditions of sledding, Clarkson and May enjoyed the heated comfort of their truck.
The contrasted methods of exploration, the old sled dogs against the new and powerful truck, made this an excellent race to the North Pole. One of the show's first specials, it was a great entry as one of the show's many comparisons of old and new and wheels versus other forms of travel.
4 Bolivia Was A Fun Journey Through The Amazon
Beginning with the three hosts being left by their cars on a boat in the Amazon, the "Bolivia Special" had the Top Gear crew battling the elements, cutting through vines and trees on the way. If the journey itself wasn't entertainment enough, their efforts just to get the cars off the boat was plenty of humor.
As they pushed on through the jungle, they found their way to a main road - which led them to one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Their plucky and robust 4x4s made it to their destination, but in the final minutes one of the guys had an unexpected loss.
3 Botswana Had Some Of The Funniest Moments Of Top Gear
In the "Botswana Special," the trio were given a budget of £1500 and instructed to find the best car possible for the trek ahead. They were tasked with traveling across Botswana in any car other than a 4x4 to prove to viewers back home that driving on roads wasn't as hard as was being made out.
The Botswana episode has a special place in the hearts of many fans for Hammond's impressively durable car, "Oliver." The sequence where the trio pass over the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats, beginning with an unexpected visit by Botswana's vice president, was especially memorable.
2 Burma Sought To Remake Bridge On The River Kwai
Taking inspiration from the acclaimed war drama Bridge on the River Kwai, the team drove through Myanmar using trucks. As they made their way through the nation, they met members of the military fighting in the Burmese Civil War, even enjoying a party together.
In classic Top Gear tradition, viewers got to see and enjoy the gang renovate their trucks into living spaces, though some fared better than others. When they finally reached their destination on what they believed to be the River Kwai, they began the hard task of building their bridge.
1 Africa Was Pure Adventurism For The Top Gear Trio
By far the greatest Top Gear adventure, the "Africa Special" sent the three friends on a quest through Africa in search of the true source of the River Nile. Fancying themselves as the modern equivalent of the Victorian British adventurers, they purchase estate cars and set off.
Modifying their homes for living, they made their way through jungle and muck alike, passing through Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, even passing over Lake Victoria. As they neared their destination, the race heated up and had the trio get out of their car and hunt for the source of the Nile on foot.