Top Gear in Africa

This Sunday the Top Gear presenters head out to Africa in what looks like one of the best Top Gear challenges ever. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have to take second hand cars costing no more than £1,500 on a desert safari in Africa and just for fun the Top Gear producers have decided they are not allowed any 4x4 vehicles lol. No doubt they will come across some of the most fearsome creatures known to man, including the rare but deadly African Stig who will no doubt trash whatever cars the Top Gear boys decide to take on the challenge to Africa.

The BBC Top Gear website describes the Africa challenge better than I can "In their most gruelling challenge to date, our three intrepid presenters each have to buy a second-hand car costing no more than £1,500. Crucially, they aren't allowed 4x4s. This is probably a bit cruel on our part, because they then have to negotiate some of the most inhospitable terrain Botswana has to offer. Their route takes them across the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans, treacherous rivers and game reserves filled with animals, many of whom want to eat them. Along the way, they encounter blistering heat, choking dust and the Stig's African cousin."

After last Sundays Top Gear which had the hilarious section of Jeremy Clarkson driving the 1963 Peel P50 microcar which is apparently the worlds smallest production car though the BBC television centre I have high hopes that the Top Gear Africa challenge will be excellent. The last time Top Gear did a similar challenge to this was the American fly drive one last year which again was one of my favourite episodes. Though in Africa the Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are more likely to be eaten by a Lion than be shot at by a Red Neck whose dad and uncle are the same person. I also read that the producers of Top Gear got in trouble with some ecomentalists over this episode because they drove the cars on some old African dirt, sand or something ridiculous!

Top Gear in Africa is on BBC2 this coming Sunday at 8pm and repeated on Wednesdays, if you missed the funny little car being driven by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear you can watch it tomorrow on BBC2 at 7pm. Its a shame the BBC don't let us watch previous videos of Top Gear online (apart from the small poor quality video 'clips' on there site and youtube obviously).

Update 31/10/2007:
Rather than writing a totally new article I thought I might as well update the Top Gear in Africa post and let you know that Top Gear won the Most Popular Factual Television Show at the National TV Awards 2008 (don't ask me why ts 2008 when its obviously not). Also Lewis Hamilton certainly was not the Stig in the African Top Gear either, use your common sense people there are more black racing drivers in the world than just the very talented Lewis Hamilton! Finally I have to say Top Gear in Africa was brilliant last night, Richard Hammons car called Oliver was certainly the star of the Top Gear Africa show for me (Oliver is a 1963 Opel Kadet for those who are wondering). Rock on next week.