List_of_Top_Gear_test_track_Power_Lap_times

List of <i>Top Gear</i> test track Power Lap times

List of Top Gear test track Power Lap times

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This is the full list of "official" Power Lap times on the Top Gear test track.[1]

Qualifying vehicles

Top Gear define a qualifying vehicle as a road-legal production car on road-legal tires that has sufficient ride height to clear a standard speed bump. For these reasons the F1 car (Renault R24) (0:59.0), Aston Martin DBR9 (1:08.6) and Sea Harrier (0:31.2) do not appear.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Whenever a non-qualifying vehicle is raced, the time is compared to the official power laps but then removed from the board. For example, the Ferrari FXX owned by Michael Schumacher (1:10.7) was taken off the board because it both failed to meet road legal standards and used slick tyres, and the Caparo T1 (1:10.6) was removed because its front wing was too low to drive over a Speed bump.

More information Time, Vehicle ...

Non-qualifying vehicles

Tested, but subsequently removed from board

  1. 0:31.2 – BAE Sea Harrier[18] (Piloted by Lieutenant Nick Arkle RN.[19] Raced against the Saab 9-5 Aero. Took off then flew around track, ended in the air) – Series 3, Episode 3
  2. 0:59.0 – Renault R24 Formula One car[4] (Wet) – Series 5, Episode 8
  3. 1:03.1 – Volkswagen I.D. R – N/A
  4. 1:03.8 – Lotus T125 single seater – Series 17, Episode 6
  5. 1:07.2 – McLaren 720S GT3X – N/A
  6. 1:08.1 – Ferrari FXX-K – Series 24, Episode 1
  7. 1:08.5 – Pagani Zonda R[20] – Series 16, Episode 4
  8. 1:08.6 – Aston Martin DBR9[6] – Series 6, Episode 6
  9. 1:10.6 – Caparo T1[7] – Series 10, Episode 5
  10. 1:10.7 – Ferrari FXX[9] (Driven by Michael Schumacher on slick tyres) – Series 13, Episode 1
  11. 1:13.2 – McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (driven by Stig) on slick tyres – N/A
  12. 1:14.0 – Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – Series 20, Episode 5
  13. 1:14.3 – McLaren 570S GT4 – Driven by Bono Huis – N/A
  14. 1:15.2 – Aston Martin Vulcan (Damp) – Series 23, Episode 4
  15. 1:1?.? – CAP 232 Aerobatic Plane[3] (Piloted by British Aerobatic Champion, Tom Cassells.[21] Raced against the Radical SR3 and was shown crossing the finish line in front, however the time was not shown.) – Series 1, Episode 9
  16. 1:19.1 – Radical SR3 – Series 01, Episode 09
  17. 1:19.8 – Radical SR3 – Series 02, Episode 06
  18. 1:22.6 – Westfield XTR2 – Series 01, Episode 03
  19. 1:23.4 – Ford GT40 – Series 05, Episode 08
  20. 1:27.5 – Audi Quattro A2 B2 (Typ 85Q) – Series 05, Episode 08
  21. 1:28.7 – Audi TT MTM Bimoto (cold tyres) – Series 01, Episode 10
  22. 1:29.4 – AS One – Series 01, Episode 10
  23. 1:30.0 – James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 – Series 30, Episode 02
  24. 1:35.2 – Ford Escort RS1600 – Series 05, Episode 08

Driven to establish times in challenges

  1. 1:35.9 – 2010 BMW 325i (E93) (Driven as modern-day equivalent to set target time for the late '80s BMW 325i (E30)s in the '4-seat convertibles for under £2,000' challenge.) (wet, top open)
  2. 1:42.0 – Rover 416 GTI (Hammond's car in the '£100 car' challenge.)
  3. 1:43.0 – Porsche 944 (May's car in the '£1500 Porsche' Challenge.)
  4. 1:44.0 – Porsche 924 (Hammond's car in '£1500 Porsche' Challenge, time not stated, but they did say it was slower than May's 944. Hammond's score on the board stated he scored -9 points in the challenge, meaning he finished 9 seconds over the target time of 1:35.0.)
  5. 1:45.0 – Porsche 928 (Clarkson's car in '£1500 Porsche' Challenge.)
  6. 1:46.0 – Audi 80 1.8E (May's car in '£100 car' challenge.)
  7. 1:48.0 – Volvo 760 GLE V6 (Clarkson's car in '£100 car' challenge.)
  8. 1:48.0 – Vauxhall Astra Diesel Police car (Driven as modern-day equivalent to set target time in 'Budget Police Car' challenge.)
  9. 1:48.0 – 1988 BMW 325i (E30) convertible (Clarkson's car in '4-seat convertibles for under £2,000' challenge, automatic and paving slab in boot. Driven by Clarkson. The engine was severely damaged by the run.)
  10. 1:55.3 – 1987 BMW 325i (E30) convertible (Hammond's car in '4-seat convertibles for under £2,000' challenge, lowered suspension. Driven by Hammond.)
  11. 1:55.4 – 1989 BMW 325i (E30) convertible (May's car in '4-seat convertibles for under £2,000' challenge, standard specification. Driven by May.)
  12. 2:03.0 – Lexus LS400 (May's police car in 'Budget Police Car' Challenge, driven by May.)
  13. 2:08.0 – Fiat Coupé 2.0 20v Turbo (Clarkson's police car in 'Budget Police Car' Challenge, driven by Clarkson.)
  14. 2:15.82 – Volkswagen Tiguan whilst Towing a Caravan (Caravanner's Challenge)
  15. 2:17.0 – Chevy G20 V8 Van (Hammond's ambulance in 'Ambulance Challenge', driven by the Stig. Track was fitted with 3 speed bumps, which the Chevy was able to clear at speed.).
  16. 2:24.0 – Porsche 944 Turbo (Clarkson's ambulance in 'Ambulance Challenge' driven by the Stig. The speed bumps mentioned above slowed down the low-slung Porsche greatly.).
  17. 2:57.0 – JCB Fastrac 8250 (Clarkson's tractor in the 'Tractor' Challenge.)
  18. 3:14.0 – Suzuki Vitara 1.6 JLX (Hammond's police car in 'Budget Police Car' Challenge, driven by Hammond. Hammond left the track to drive through piled cardboard boxes, and increase his "style points". Car broke down after crossing line.)
  19. 3:28.4 – Fendt 930 Vario (May's tractor in the 'Tractor' Challenge.)
  20. 4:49.0 – Case STX Steiger (Hammond's tractor in the 'Tractor' Challenge.)
  21. 12:28.0 – Ford Scorpio Cardinal (May's ambulance in 'Ambulance Challenge' driven by the Stig, includes time for raising and mending powered tailgate).
  22. DNF – Mazda CX-5 whilst towing a caravan (Caravanner's Challenge, Caravan Fell onto its side on the second to last corner, lifting rear wheels of car in the air)

Unofficial laps

See also: Top Gear test track § Non-Top Gear laps

Independently reported lap times, not in connection with Top Gear series:

  1. 1:05.3 – Nissan ZEOD RC hybrid mode (internal combustion engine and electric motors).[22]
  2. 1:12.6 – McLaren 720S - Series 25
  3. 1:12.8 – Ultima GTR. After Top Gear allegedly refused to drive it because "they thought it couldn't clear a speed bump", Ultima Sports, Ltd. drove the car from Surrey to the track and set the time, verified by Plans Motorsport.[23]
  4. 1:13.2 – McLaren P1 tested by Motor Trend 2014
  5. 1:13.6 – Nissan ZEOD RC pure-electric vehicle mode.[22]
  6. 1:14.2 – Ferrari LaFerrari. Set on 12 June 2015 in damp conditions by Jason Plato as part of television programme TFI Friday's twentieth-anniversary show
  7. 1:32.0 – Fiat Multipla - Set in 2019 by Stig (according to the video) driving the modified and engine-tuned Fiat Multipla "Multipla AMG" (151.8 hp - 336Nm - 1236 kg) from Vilebrequin's YouTube Channel (French).[24]

Time adjustments

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 lap time or car's performance. The time on the board is not changed: 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. These adjustments are also not applicable to Formula 1 drivers.

More information Term, Conditions ...

References

  1. [1]
    "BBC - Top Gear - Power Laps". Archived from the original on 2 February 2007.
  2. [2]
    "Series 1 episode 3". Top Gear. Series 1. Episode 3. 3 November 2002. BBC Two. Jeremy Clarkson: "We said you could only take a car on that track if it's road legal."
  3. [3]
    "Series 1 episode 9". Top Gear. Series 1. Episode 9. 22 December 2002. BBC Two. Richard Hammond: "We specify everything that goes on our board here has to be road legal."
  4. [4]
    "Series 5 episode 1". Top Gear. Series 5. Episode 8. 19 December 2004. BBC Two. 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."
  5. [5]
    "Series 5 episode 9". Top Gear. Series 5. Episode 9. 26 December 2004. BBC Two. 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."
  6. [6]
    "Series 6 episode 1". Top Gear. Series 6. Episode 6. 3 July 2005. BBC Two. 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."
  7. [7]
    "Series 10 Episode 5". Top Gear. Series 10. Episode 5. 11 November 2007. 16:52 minutes in. BBC Two. You know the rules, James. If a car can't get over a sleeping policeman it can't go on that board. We've always said that and look at the nose on this, I mean never mind a sleeping policeman, you'd rip that off if you ran over Gandhi.
  8. [8]
    "Series 10 episode 9". Top Gear. Series 10. Episode 9. 9 December 2007. BBC Two. 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."
  9. [9]
    "Series 13 episode 2". Top Gear. Series 13. Episode 2. 28 June 2009. BBC Two. Jeremy Clarkson: "We subsequently discovered he was doing that on slick tyres. Now we have rules on this Power Board here, ok? You can't use slicks, so this time is coming off."
  10. [10]
    "Series 16 episode 3". Top Gear. Series 16. Episode 3. 6 February 2011. BBC Two. Jeremy Clarkson: "Not the Volvo obviously because this board is for production cars only."
  11. [11]
    "Top Gear". Series 8. Episode 4. 28 May 2006. BBC 2. Jeremy Clarkson: "This, 1:20.4, the old Koenigsegg lap, we don't need it anymore."
  12. [12]
    "Top Gear". Series 14. Episode 7. 3 January 2010. BBC 2. Richard Hammond: "Critically, I want to write on there it's wet, very wet." Top Gear website lists conditions as "w" (wet).
  13. [13]
    The latter half of original video shown on TV was replaced by a "car football" match clip, as to parody the incident of ITV1 HD during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
  14. [14]
    "Top Gear". Series 7. Episode 2. 20 November 2005. BBC 2. 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. Also Clarkson said that the RS4 is "more than a second quicker than the Cayman [S]", so the RS4 is at least 1:25.7 around the track.
  15. [15]
    "Top Gear". Series 7. Episode 2. 20 November 2005. BBC 2. Jeremy Clarkson: "He did it in 1:26.7". Current (2008/12/1) Top Gear web site Power Lap Time is incorrect.
  16. [16]
    Top Gear Magazine, September 2009 Issue
  17. [17]
    "Top Gear". Series 3. Episode 2. 2 November 2003. BBC 2. Jeremy Clarkson: "Bear in mind Stig did that on the CSLs ludicrous tyres, near slicks, in the damp, so we'll call that a wet lap."
  18. [18]
    "Top Gear". Series 3. Episode 3. 9 November 2003. BBC 2. BAE Sea Harrier. 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. [19]
    The Man In The White Suit, Harper-Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-732796-6
  20. [20]
    "Top Gear". Series 16. Episode 4. 13 February 2011. BBC 2. Jeremy Clarkson: "It's not a road car. It has no place on our board."
  21. [21]
    "Tom Cassells". Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  22. [22]
    "Top Gear Time Attack – Nissan ZEOD". YouTube. NISMO TV. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  23. [23]
    Siler, Wes. "$50,000 Ultima GTR Shatters $1.6 Million Ferrari FXX Top Gear Track Record". Jalopnik. Jalopnik. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  24. [24]
    Vilebrequin (24 November 2019). "Le Multipla AMG claque un temps futuriste sur le circuit de TOP GEAR ft.Le Stig". Youtube (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
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