Top Gear (1978)

Presenter Tiff Needell tries to break a British speed record in the McLaren F1, while new recruit James May test-drives the Rover 75.

James May tries out the Jaguar S Type, a new version of the popular sixties model. Quentin Willson goes to Holland as part of the programme’s campaign to expose Britain’s high car prices. Tiff Needell takes to the road in the latest Vauxhall Vectra.

James May and Julia Bradbury road-test the Yaris, Toyota’s new supermini, which contains several surprises — including a digital instrument reading pod in the centre of the dashboard. Plus a new docu-soap feature in which real-life car buyers search for their perfect motor.

Tiff Needell takes a two-seater Jaguar XK sportscar, one of only two in existence, for a trip around Silverstone. In the mould of the classic XK120 and XK140 of the forties and fifties, this car packs a 450 bhp supercharged engine. Quentin Willson presents the annual Top Gear customer satisfaction survey.

A new Japanese contender to be the dream car of young executives has appeared — the Lexus IS200. James May tests out the £21,000, two-litre sports salon from Toyota which has more gadgets than its rival, the BMW 3-series, but will it be more fun? Tiff Needell takes to the track in two four-door supercars that would be equally at home shopping or racing: the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 5 and the Subaru lmpreza 22B.

An average of eight million people a year buy a second-hand car. For many, it will be one of the most fraught purchases they’ll ever make. Quentin Willson continues his series of items offering help and advice to individuals who have the cash, but not the knowledge, to buy a bargain. Plus James May says happy tenth birthday to a little Japanese roadster that sparked a revival in affordable sports cars — the Mazda MX-5.

At an auction selling hundreds of ex-police cars, Quentin Willson reveals that they can make a surprisingly good buy — and they’re cheap too. They only come in white, and most have covered globe-spanning mileages, but they are always well looked after and at giveaway prices. Top Gear’s used-car guru even finds some bargains in discreet metallics from the plain-clothes branch. Meanwhile, in a deserted airfield, Tiff Needell test-drives a new British sports car, the Noble M10. With a 2.5-litre engine mounted behind the driver, the Noble gives near supercar performance.

The Peugeot 205 Gti was in demand a decade ago, but its popularity declined in the face of the recession and soaring car theft. Tonight Tiff Needell tests its successor, the new Peugeot Gti, which is a little larger, heavier and faster — but is it a lot better? Meanwhile Steve Berry reports from the Isle of Man on the progress of motorbike trials champion Dougie Lamkin in the World Outdoor Trials.

Tiff Needell drives Honda’s replacement for the sporty NSX, the S2000, to find out whether it lives up to expectations.

The new Ferrari Modena coupe has all the classic ingredients — mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive and a sumptuous leather interior. Yet it is user-friendly, with a clutchless gearbox controlled by a fingertip lever and plenty of space inside. Tiff Needell is in Italy to test it. The Bugatti Royale is a legend — there are only six in existence and if one comes up for sale it would cost more than £6 million. James May meets racing circuit boss Tom Wheatcroft, who couldn’t live without a Royale and built an exact copy.

Tiff Needell flexes the muscles of the mighty BMW M5, with its 400-brake horsepower, 5-litre V8 engine, and assesses its chances against the opposition of the Jaguar XJR and Mercedes E55. James May is in America to sample some startling concept cars from Chrysler, including the Dodge Charger R/T and the Citadel. Chrysler has a history of making dream cars become reality, as demonstrated by the Viper and the outlandish Plymouth Prowler.