Just in case peeps haven't seen the trailers, the new series kicks off on Sunday night in the usual slot (and on HD). This series seems to include the team racing round the monaco F1 circuit in FIAT 500's, Hammond driving a military vehicle that makes a Hummer look like a mini clubman, Clarkson throwing the McLaren MC12 round the test track and May doing another 'racing a toboggan down an arctic course' race, only this time he's driving the car and the toboggan thing is being piloted by Amy Williams. In a very... snug... lycra uniform. Amy Williams that is, not Captain Slow.

Looks fun.

Thanks for the heads up.

Looking forward to it.

Missed it. So, I caught it on iPlayer.

Amy!

Nuff said.

She is a gift to the programme. She should be on it more.

I thought it was quite a good one overall. Wasn't too bothered about Clarkson and the M1. The thing he banged on about was that the Golf GTI was 'classless', Well I don't think a 2+2 that costs 40K is really a car for the people is it? It's a very nice car but it's a rich man's plaything. Standard Top Gear stuff but well made nevertheless.

Hammond's piece was amusing in places but I think it was held over from last season - I remember seeing the shot where he broke through a wall and there's a guy in the foreground pushing a shopping trolley in the opening trailer last year. I wonder why. It was amusing attempting to sell it as a practical family vehicle, watching him drive it round downtown Johannesburg but I thought the driving over the cars at the supermarket was far too staged and it didn't really add anything.

News was excellent and I so actually want them to do a show where they track down the last example of all the mundane models of cars that have died out like Austin Maxis and Datsun Cherrys. I think it would be an interesting show, meeting the people who have these rare old cars and finding out how they keep them going and why they haven't bought newer ones. Not usual Top Gear and not something you'd want to do regularly, but as a one off I think it has legs.

I kind of enjoyed the chat with Alice Cooper although I'm not really a SIARPC person - I honestly don't care about celebrities, driving far eastern economy hatchbacks or otherwise. But he was an entertaining interviewee.

The e-type sequence was excellent fun and a fitting tribute to a genuinely classic and beautiful piece of design. And oh, how I want an speedster e-type. Yes, It may be half a million quid but it's got more class in a single curve than your Veyrons and Huayras have in their entire existence.

On any other day, that would be the sexiest thing on the show but (politically incorrect warning) oh my lord, how hot is Amy Williams? I remember watching the winter olympics when she won and thinking 'hmm.. she's quite cute given she spends most of her working life with her face an inch away from a cheese grater at 50mph'. But, well, blimey. The actual race itself wasn't as well directed as the original one from a few years ago but I'd say putting two people who are genuine world class at their sport against each other rather than making one side have to deal with having Richard Hammond on board made for a better race overall. And I do like the rally mini, even though it's about as far away from the original mini as it's possible to get. Assuming they'll have to do a road going version, I'd rather have one of them than an Evo or Scooby, both of which are a bit passe imo. Plus.. yknow, Amy.... (drifts off)

This edition's 'You can see why she was shoved to the front' award goes to the woman in the red dress behind James May in the news section.

And good music too. Quite a lot of it was from Daft Punk's 'Tron Legacy' soundtrack but I like that, so good for them.

So a pretty good starter of a series over all. In fact, given recent series, they're going to struggle to match it for the next five. I'm looking forward to the Monaco race but other than that... anyone know what else they've got planned?

Bought that last month, great soundtrack, not quite as good as The Dark Knight OST, but Top Gear have hammered that too.

<pointless pedantry> I think you mean CIARPC, unless you're drawing attention to the fact that most of the celebrities are there because they have something to see, in which case I guess "sellebrity" would be quite apt. </pointless pedantry>

Star...

Thank you!

Ohhhh, I see...

That's the one... I was wondering if anyone would fall for it... guess we'll never know!

Sorry folks, just felt like a bit of pointless, (and inaccurate) sillyness... I'll behave now.

I enjoyed the episode but Clarkson raving about the 1M was daft. All throughout I kept thinking 'but it costs 40 bloody K'. Ok so it out dragged a Lotus and Porsche but that does not make it a successor to the original GTi.

I think they should switch from destroying caravans to hunting down and destroying rare cars that suck.


Ok, as well as destroying caravans

But especially caravans that suck.

Some very nice ladies in the audience I noticed…..

The BMW 1 series has always been a love/hate car, I think.

Top Gear hate it, because despite its size and cost it has about as much interior room as a Matiz (or something small and pokey )

Fifth Gear gave it their best small car award iirc, forgetting to take into account the fact that it cost at least twice as much as its competitors

Yes, the 1M may be fantastic, but it's 40 [LIFTED] GRAND. FFS! Thanks to Hamster for making that clear.

Always hated it. I hate this saloon version even more.