Top Gear series 20

{{Use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox television season | series_number = 20 | bgcolour = #67C8FF | image = Top Gear Series 20 Promo 2013.jpg | image_upright = 1.13 | image_alt = | caption = Promotional poster | starring = {{Plainlist| *[[Jeremy Clarkson]] *[[Richard Hammond]] *[[James May]] *[[The Stig]] }} | num_episodes = 6 | network = [[BBC Two]] | first_aired = {{Start date|2013|06|30|df=y}} | last_aired = {{end date|2013|08|04|df=y}} | episode_list = List of Top Gear (2002 TV series) episodes }}

Series 20 of ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'', a British motoring magazine and [[factual television]] programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on [[BBC Two]] during 2013, consisting of six episodes between 30 June and 4 August.<ref>{{cite web|last=Eames |first=Tom |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a494571/top-gear-returns-for-new-series-with-over-47m-on-bbc-two.html |title='Top Gear' returns for new series with over 4.7m on BBC Two |publisher=Digital Spy |date=2013-07-01 |accessdate=2013-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/top-gear/10143208/Top-Gear-BBC-Two-review.html|title=Top Gear, BBC Two, review|date=30 June 2013|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|accessdate=28 November 2013|last1=Midgley|first1=Neil}}</ref> Following the previous series, the programme replaced the [[Kia Cee'd]] with the [[Vauxhall Astra|Vauxhall Astra Tech Line]] as its "Reasonably Priced Car", effectively wiping the Celebrity Lap Board clean for new times. This series' highlights included a race between a car and a yacht around [[New Zealand]], a budget convertible trip across [[Spain]], the presenters creating a hovercraft out of a van, and a tribute piece to the British motor industry.

==Episodes== {{Main|List of Top Gear (2002 TV series) episodes}} <onlyinclude>{{Episode table |background=#67C8FF |overall=5 |series=5 |aux1=24 |aux2=34 |aux3=11 |airdate=11 |viewers=10 |country=UK |aux1T=Reviews |aux2T=Features/challenges |aux3T=Guest(s) |viewersR=<ref name="BARB10">{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-10?|title=Weekly Top 10 Programmes|publisher=[[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board]]}}</ref> |episodes= {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 155 | EpisodeNumber2 = 1 | Aux1 = Hot hatchbacks: ([[Clio Renault Sport#Clio IV RS|Renaultsport Clio 200]] • [[Peugeot 208|Peugeot 208 GTi]] • [[Ford Fiesta (sixth generation)#Fiesta ST|Ford Fiesta ST]]) | Aux2 = [[America's Cup World Series|AC45 Racing Yacht]] vs [[Toyota Auris#Australia and New Zealand|Toyota Corolla]] • Introduction of the new Reasonably Priced Car: [[Vauxhall Astra]] | Aux3 = [[Brian Johnson]] • [[Charles Dance]] • [[Warwick Davis]] • [[Joss Stone]] • [[Jimmy Carr]] • [[David Haye]] • [[Rachel Riley]] • [[Mike Rutherford]] • [[Sir Ben Ainslie]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|6|30|df=y}} | Viewers = 5.55 | ShortSummary = Clarkson travels to [[New Zealand]] to see if a [[Toyota Auris]] can get from the northern tip of the [[Coromandel Peninsula]] to the northern tip of the [[North Island]] faster than the [[America's Cup]]-winning AC45 sailing boat, crewed by May, Olympic gold medallist [[Ben Ainslie|Sir Ben Ainslie]] and a number of members from [[Oracle Team USA]]. Meanwhile, Hammond reviews three hot hatchbacks on the track – the [[Peugeot 208|Peugeot 208 GTi]], the [[Clio Renault Sport#Clio IV RS|Renaultsport Clio 200]], and the [[Ford Fiesta (sixth generation)#Fiesta ST|Ford Fiesta ST]] – to see which is the best to drive. Finally, the [[Kia Cee'd]] has been retired, and in its place is a [[Vauxhall Astra]] Tech Line, leading Hammond and Clarkson to hosting a party and inviting celebrities to join it and see if they can get a fast time in the Astra. | LineColor = 67C8FF }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 156 | EpisodeNumber2 = 2 | Aux1 = [[Ferrari F12 Berlinetta]] • [[Briggs Automotive Company#BAC Mono|BAC Mono]] | Aux2 = Best taxi • Tribute to BBC Television Centre | Aux3 = [[Ron Howard]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|7|7|df=y}} | Viewers = 5.31 | ShortSummary = Hammond once again sees if motorsport and a handful of touring car drivers can help solve the problem of which taxi in the world is the best. The contenders for this "test" are: the [[Hackney carriage]] from Britain, a [[Volkswagen Beetle]] taxi from Mexico, the [[Ford Crown Victoria]] yellow cab from America, a [[Hindustan Ambassador]] taxi from India, a [[Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W210)|Mercedes-Benz E-Class]] taxi from Germany, a [[Toyota HiAce#Third generation (H50/H60/H70/H80/H90; 1982)|Toyota Hiace]] taxi from South Africa, and a [[Lincoln Town Car]] stretch limo-taxi from Russia. Meanwhile, Clarkson sees how good the [[Briggs Automotive Company#BAC Mono|BAC Mono]] is at the track and assesses the usage of the [[Ferrari F12 Berlinetta]] in [[Pitlochry|Hertfordshire]], May pays tribute to the closed down [[BBC Television Centre]] by staging a race within the building between a duo of [[parkour]] runners and motorcycle champion [[Dougie Lampkin]], and the director of ''[[Rush (2013 film)|Rush]]'', [[Ron Howard]], talks about the background of his film before he finds out how fast he was in the reasonably priced car. | LineColor = 67C8FF }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 157 | EpisodeNumber2 = 3 | Aux1 = None | Aux2 = Spanish road trip in "budget" convertibles: ([[McLaren 12C#Spider|McLaren MP4-12C Spider]] • [[Ferrari 458#458 Spider (2011–2015)|Ferrari 458 Spider]] • [[Audi R8#2012 update (Facelift)|Audi R8 V10 Spyder]]) | Aux3 = [[Benedict Cumberbatch]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|7|14|df=y}} | Viewers = 4.83 | ShortSummary = The trio head for [[Spain]], for a road trip with three new "budget convertibles" – Hammond in the [[Ferrari 458#458 Spider (2011–2015)|Ferrari 458 Spider]], Clarkson in the [[McLaren 12C#Spider|McLaren MP4-12C Spider]], and May in the [[Audi R8#2012 update (Facelift)|Audi R8 V10 Spyder]]. On their trip across the country, the trio test their cars at being inconspicuous, how noisy they are, travel along a mountain road in the [[Sierra Nevada (Spain)|Sierra Nevada]] mountain range, use the disused [[Ciudad Real Central Airport]] for speed test and drag race, before concluding their journey by making a street circuit in an abandoned housing project in [[Madrid]] to beat a lap time by a [[Jaguar XK (X150)#XKR-S|Jaguar XKR-S]]. Elsewhere, [[Benedict Cumberbatch]] sees how he fared in the new reasonably priced car. | LineColor = 67C8FF }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 158 | EpisodeNumber2 = 4 | Aux1 = [[Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG#SLS AMG Black Series (2013–2015)|Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series]] • [[Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG#SLS AMG Electric Drive (2013)|Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive]] | Aux2 = [[Ford Transit]] hovervan | Aux3 = [[Hugh Jackman]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|7|21|df=y}} | Viewers = 5.36 | ShortSummary = The boys decide to create a makeshift [[hovercraft]] out of a [[Ford Transit]] van, to see if a vehicle could be made to adapt to flooding. After their initial design sinks, the presenters redesign it and put their finished creation, the "Hovervan MK II", through the challenge of travelling along the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|River Avon]] in [[Warwickshire]], getting it from [[Stratford-upon-Avon]] to [[Tewkesbury]], with their ambitious idea causing chaos along the way. Elsewhere, at the track, Clarkson compares the petrol-powered [[Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG|Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series]] against the electric-powered [[Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG|Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive]], and actor [[Hugh Jackman]] talks about his film ''[[The Wolverine (film)|The Wolverine]]'' and an embarrassing experience in Japan, while seeing how he fared in the reasonably priced car. | LineColor = 67C8FF }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 159 | EpisodeNumber2 = 5 | Aux1 = [[Porsche 991|Porsche 911 Carrera S]] • [[Singer Vehicle Design|Singer 911]] • [[Lamborghini Aventador#Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster (2013–2016)|Lamborghini Aventador Roadster]] • [[Lamborghini Sesto Elemento]] | Aux2 = Best [[crossover utility vehicle|crossover]]s for [[Travel trailer|caravanner]]s: ([[Mazda CX-5#First generation (KE; 2012)|Mazda CX-5]] • [[Volkswagen Tiguan#Facelift (2012)|Volkswagen Tiguan]]) | Aux3 = [[Steven Tyler]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|7|28|df=y}} | Viewers = 5.29 | ShortSummary = Clarkson and May find themselves forced by the producers to review different [[crossover utility vehicle|CUVs]] to find one that would be best for a [[Travel trailer|caravanner]] – eventually settling on the [[Mazda CX-5#First generation (KE; 2012)|Mazda CX-5]] for Clarkson and the [[Volkswagen Tiguan#Facelift (2012)|Volkswagen Tiguan]] for May. They put them through some "pointless" tests, before seeing who can reach a caravan site first while towing a caravan with their CUV, with the loser forced to spend the night at the site within their caravan. Meanwhile, Hammond tests out the new [[Lamborghini Aventador#Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster (2013–2016)|Lamborghini Aventador Roadster]] and the [[Lamborghini Sesto Elemento]] around the [[Imola Circuit|Imola]] racetrack in [[Italy]], May takes a look at the new [[Porsche 991|Porsche 911 Carrera S]] and looks at a 911 tribute car built by [[California]]n [[Car tuning|tuner]] Singer at the Track, and [[Aerosmith]] lead singer [[Steven Tyler]] takes his turn to drive fast in the Astra. | LineColor = 67C8FF }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 20 | EpisodeNumber = 160 | EpisodeNumber2 = 6 | Aux1 = [[Range Rover Sport#Second generation (L494; 2013–present)|Range Rover Sport]] • [[New Routemaster]] • [[Jaguar F-Type]] | Aux2 = Tribute to British automobile manufacturing | Aux3 = [[Mark Webber (racing driver)|Mark Webber]] | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2013|8|4|df=y}} | Viewers = 5.49 | ShortSummary = Hammond tests out the next generation of [[Range Rover Sport#Second generation|Range Rover Sport]] to see if it's worthy to bear the "Sport" name, while May sees if the [[New Routemaster]] bus can be as good to use as a car. Meanwhile, Clarkson takes a look at the [[Jaguar F-Type]], and [[Formula One|F1]] driver [[Mark Webber (racing driver)|Mark Webber]] sees how fast he is in the Liana around the test track. The episode concludes with the presenters finding out how much contribution Britain has made to motoring, and discovering the country's impact in motor research, motorsport, Formula 1, and British-made equipment exported around the world, before inviting British motor manufacturers to bring their creations for a special meet on [[The Mall, London|The Mall]] in [[London]].

''Note'': The closing credits play out to panning shots of the motoring meet in London, with the programme's theme tune replaced with a musical piece combining Elgar's "Nimrod" and "Pomp and Circumstance" (aka "Land of Hope and Glory"). | LineColor = 67C8FF }} }}</onlyinclude>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:2013 British television seasons]] [[Category:Top Gear (2002 TV series) series]]