Driving south into Jordan, the trio tested their cars on the smooth tarmac of the desert highways before descending to the Dead Sea—the lowest point on Earth. Here, the production crew staged a classic Top Gear challenge, testing the performance of the battered sports cars against the extreme heat and low altitude. 5. Israel and the West Bank
Clarkson chose a true petrolhead icon, a second-generation Mazda MX-5. Finished in a questionable matte black paint job with digital camouflage accents, it was the only car of the trio that proved to be genuinely reliable. Despite missing a chunk of its exhaust early on, the lightweight Mazda handled the rough terrain surprisingly well. 2. Richard Hammond: Fiat Barchetta
🇬🇧 BBC iPlayer🇺🇸 US: Tubi (Free), The Roku Channel (Free), or Apple TV (Purchase) top gear - middle east special full episode
The special has a running time of . This is an extended length compared to regular Top Gear episodes, which are typically around 60 minutes.
If you want to track down a specific version of this episode, let me know: Your or country Driving south into Jordan, the trio tested their
Overnight, the crew stays in a spectacular abandoned hotel near the Jordanian border. Because they cannot drive, they decide to race mobility scooters stolen from a local supermarket. This subplot has nothing to do with cars or the Middle East, but it is universally considered the funniest five minutes of television that year.
Clarkson, in a rare moment of optimism, bought an Italian "little boat." It was red, pretty, and theoretically fast. Within the first hour of driving, the electric roof jammed half-open, the exhaust fell off, and the air conditioning failed. For the rest of the journey, Clarkson drove wrapped in a wet towel like a sheikh, constantly screaming at the cursed Italian electronics. Israel and the West Bank Clarkson chose a
Select clips and occasionally full-length segments are available on the official BBC Top Gear website .
The Ultimate Guide to Top Gear’s Middle East Special: Three Wise Men and a Roadster
Details on the made to the MX-5, Barchetta, and Z3 A guide on how to visit the filming locations safely today
As with all classic Top Gear specials, the producers imposed strict financial and stylistic rules to maximize the entertainment value and mechanical unpredictability of the trip: Each presenter had a strict budget of £3,500. The vehicles had to be open-top, two-door sports cars.