Top Gear

Freddie Flintoff suffered serious injuries in a crash at the Top Gear test track in late 2022 while filming for the show, an incident that drew significant media attention and public concern. Following the accident, the BBC suspended production of Top Gear to review safety procedures, creating major uncertainty about the programme's future for an extended period.

The BBC terminated Jeremy Clarkson's contract in 2015 after he physically and verbally attacked Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in what the BBC described as an unprovoked assault during a dispute over catering. Co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May then departed alongside him, and the three went on to create The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video, leaving Top Gear to continue under new presenting lineups.

No — Top Gear is the long-running BBC motoring programme that dates back to 1977, while The Grand Tour is a separate Amazon Prime Video series made by former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May after they left the BBC in 2015. Both shows cover performance cars, international road trips, and motorsport stunts, but they are entirely distinct productions from competing broadcasters.

The Stig is Top Gear's iconic in-house racing driver, always appearing in a white helmet and racing suit and never speaking — the mystery of their identity became one of the show's most beloved running jokes. Racing driver Ben Collins was publicly revealed as the Stig in 2010 after he wrote a memoir disclosing the role, though Top Gear has employed different drivers in the suit over the years.

The Top Gear test track was located at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, where the show filmed hot laps, drag races, and car challenges for over two decades. The Dunsfold site has been subject to large-scale housing redevelopment plans, raising questions about the track's long-term availability to the production.

Yes — Top Gear staged a straight-line drag race between the McLaren Speedtail, capable of over 250 mph and one of the fastest road cars ever produced, and an F-35 Lightning II military jet, which became one of the channel's most-watched and talked-about stunts. The Speedtail's aerodynamic, teardrop body was put to the ultimate test in what remains a standout moment in the show's history of outrageous car challenges.

Rally legend and motorsport showman Ken Block filmed a breathtaking drift sequence through the streets of London in his Hoonicorn Mustang for Top Gear, weaving around some of the city's most recognisable landmarks at high speed. The video became one of the most-viewed pieces of content in the channel's history and now stands as a tribute to Block, who died in a snowmobile accident in January 2023.

Yes — Top Gear has expanded its coverage well beyond petrol-powered machinery to include all-electric hypercars such as the Rimac Nevera, one of the fastest-accelerating production vehicles ever built. The show tests electric and hybrid performance cars alongside traditional combustion engines, reflecting how the high-performance car world itself has shifted in recent years.

Top Gear first aired on the BBC in 1977, making it one of the longest-running factual television programmes ever made. The show was relaunched in its modern, entertainment-driven format in 2002 with Jeremy Clarkson leading the presenting team, and it has since grown into one of the most-watched factual TV franchises globally.

Yes — the Top Gear YouTube channel is an official commercial channel operated by BBC Studios, the BBC's commercial production arm, and it hosts what the team describe as the largest depository of Top Gear content on the web. The channel publishes exclusive car reviews, unseen footage, and early access content from the Top Gear editorial team alongside clips from the television series, and has built a following of well over nine million subscribers on YouTube alone.