Fifth Gear

Five's motoring magazine show returns for an action-packed one-off special. Stuntman Steve Truglia prepares to perform a toy-car trick in a life-size vehicle fitted with Dunlop SP30's. He will attempt to defy gravity and neck-breaking G-forces to loop-the-loop.

note: air date is approximate based on info here: http://www.finalgear.com/news/2006/04/02/the-best-of-fifth-gear-supercars/

Tiff Needell Drives 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago. Quentin Wilson Talks about The Classic Car Market. Vikcki Butler-Henderson Drives a Dodge Viper VS a 400BHP Nissan Sunny. Adrian Simpson drives a Citroen C3 Tom Ford drives a BMW 745i Video of a concept car the Toyota Pod.

Vicki Butler-Henderson Test Drives Alfa Romeo GTA. Tiff Needell test drives Range Rover, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Adrian Simpson test Drives Nissan Primera. Vicki Butler-Henderson talks about the Citroen Saxo. Tom Ford Test drives a Mini Copper S

Adrian Simpson test drives Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon in the US). Vicki Butler-Henderson Test Drives BMW F650 Motorcycle while learning to go off-road. Tiff Needell test drives Subaru Impreza STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7. Tom Ford Talks about classic Hot Rods at the Spring nationals. Tiff Needell test drives the VW Phaeton.

Vicki Butler-Henderson, Adrian Simpson, and Tom Ford visit the Paris motor show. They look at many of the new models revealed, including the Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Continental GT.

Tiff Needell travels to California to test Nissan's new 350Z sports car. Is it a worthy successor to the company's 1970s 240Z? And is it as good to drive as it looks? Tiff thinks so.

Adrian Simpson test drives Volvo's new off-roader. He concludes because of their attention to safety, the environment, and the family-size accommodation, Volvo has created a different kind of 4x4.

Tiff and Quentin recreate crash tests you don't typically see, using remote control cars at almost 120mph. Quentin also tests out the Rolls-Royce and Vicki tests out the Ford StreetKA.

Using members of the public and our presenters, we test whether it’s worse to drive drunk or drive tired. Also the highlights from the Geneva Show (Back in 2003) featuring Aston Martin, Lamborghini, the Porsche Carrera GT,the 5-series and X3 BMWs.

We demonstrate how cars explode in the films, we show how they can catch fire then we re-create our own stunt. Tiff road tests the Jaguar XJ and then visit Aston Martin’s Works service Department.

Vicky and Tiff find out what happens when you crash an old model of a car into a new model of a car and which fairs better. Guest presenter Jason Plato (a British touring car champion) drives the new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Tiff finds out which is fastest, the Citroën C2 GT or the Ford Sport Ka.

Adrian reviews the new Audi A6 in Italy. A lookback at past car versus plane races - includes the race of Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari F1 race car versus a Euro Fighter. Vicki goes to the Geneva Auto Show and checks out some cool cars - BMW Concept M5, Honda Sports Concept (new NSX?), Rolls-Royce 100EX, Land Rover concept Range Stormer; Fiat concept Trepiuno and Maserati MC12. Tiff races a Gazelle helicopter around a track in a Porsche GT3.

Tiff talks about some people’s fear of driving and with some help from a car psychologist, helps cure a woman of her fears. Tom reviews the awesome Aston Martin DB9, the best Aston Martin yet. Vicki gets some NOS and makes a diesel Golf compete with a Honda NSX driven by Tiff.

Tiff finds out which is fastest - a car, a motorcycle, or a boat. Jason Plato reviews the new BMW 1 Series. Vicki talks about why she loves the Ford Capri and why it’s such a good car.

Tiff reviews the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and drives it on the test track. Jason Plato drives the new Ford Focus. Vicki examines how private enforcement companies are issuing parking tickets in Britain.

Vicki, Tiff and Jason find which economical - a diesel, a gasoline, or a hybrid powered car. Tiff drives the new Porsche 911 Carrera S. Fifth Gear Shootout: Tiff in a Lamborghini Gallardo vs. Kevin Smith on a Ducati 999 motorcycle. ATV vs. car crash footage.

Tiff drives the new Porsche Boxster and goes against Jason driving his BMW Z4 to compare the two. New presenter, Jon Bentley, looks into GPS based speed camera detectors. Vicki learns how to be a stuntman from a professional.

Jason drives the new BMW 3 series on a 1000 mile, 48 hour road trip through Spain and France. Fifth Gear Shootout: Vicki compares the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG to the Mercedes-Benz SL55. Tiff flys to Northern Sweden to try out some winter driving in a Jaguar and shows how well ABS, traction control, and the electronic stability program (ESP) work.

Vicki drives the new Mercedes-Benz A 200, compares it’s quality to the Mercedes-Benz SL 500, and compares it to the BMW 1 Series. Tiff attends the launch party for Gran Turismo 4, drives the Toyota Supra race car from the game a little, checks out how realistic the game is, and then races head to head with the game’s designer. Jason goes to Dubai to check out A1 Grand Prix and to race one of the cars around the new race track there.

A preview of things to come this season on Fifth Gear. Tiff drives the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage and tests it out on a race track, sideways as usual. Tom goes to an exclusive auction held by Ferrari where tons of rare and expensive Ferrari related items were sold off. Tiff examines the Mazda SASSOU concept car. Fifth Gear Shootout: Vicki races the Porsche 911 Carrera S against the Lotus Exige 240R. Jason finds out if fighter pilots make good drivers and if drivers make good fighter pilots by going flying in a Harrier and by taking a pilot around the track in a Ford GT.

Tiff driving a Williams FW26 Formula 1 Grand Prix car races Vicki in a BMW M5, Jason tests the Pagani Zonda F and Jon Bentley discovers what it's like to hit a newly designed safe sign post. This episode's shootout is between the Mitsubishi Evo IX and the older Mitsubishi Evo VI.

Tom tests the Bentley Flying Spur, Tiff drives the 806bhp Koenigsegg CCR and competes with Vicki in the first 24 hour race at Silverstone. This episode's shootout is between the Westfield XTR4 and the Suzuki GXR1000.

Jason helps a lottery winner choose his dream car, Tiff tests the Jaguar XK and Tom reports from the Geneva Motor Show. This episode's shootout is between the first and latest generation of the Mazda MX-5.

Tiff and Jason compete against each other in 50's style Le Mans racers, Tom tests the Audi Q7 and Paul Dalton shows the clinical precision with which he cleans and polishes a car. This episode's shootout is between the Subaru Impreza STi and the Subaru Forrester STi.

Vicki drives the Ferrari F430 Challenge, Jason drives the BMW Z4M Roadster, Tom experiences what it's like to buy a Maybach and Tiff takes part in the G4 Challenge. This episode's shootout is between the Ford Focus ST and the Vauxhall Astra VXR.

Fifth Gear Jason Plato drives the awesome 500bhp Ford Shelby GT500; Vicki Butler-Henderson races the ultra-exclusive MINI GP against a 90mph radio-controlled car; Tom Ford tests the Skoda Roomster.

Fifth Gear Tom Ford is testing the opulent £225,000 Bentley Azure with some help from film director Michael Winner; Jonny Smith tries to drive coast to coast using chip fat as fuel.

Guy Smith, a Le Mans winner, races in a Volkswagen Transporter Sportline against Tiff in an A-Team GMC van replica (I assume / hope it’s a replica). Superbike racer Shakey Byrne goes to Italy to drive the new Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. Vicki teaches her older sister how to race a Lotus Elise S around a circuit. Tim Lovejoy takes to the streets of London in an electric car called the G Wiz in an effort to find out if it’s practical or not. Tom Ford drives the very odd looking Skoda Roomster. Jon Bentley investigates how safe the ramped ends of motorway crash barriers are by driving a car into one.

Jason takes the £230,000 Brabus Rocket, the fastest four-door car on the planet, to the German Autobahn to see if he can crack 200 MPH. Vicki drives the new Fiat Panda 100HP and sees if it’s actually faster than a Ferrari (mind you, on a very small and tight track). Jonny crashes a perfectly good Ford Focus into another Focus that had been previously crashed and repaired. Tiff heads to Las Vegas to drive the totally awesome Audi R8. Tom tests the new Kia Ceed by using to become a paparazzo.

Tom drives the Alfa Romeo Spider around the Sahara desert. What happens when you remove all of the oil from an engine? Fifth Gear finds out. World Superbike leader James Toseland and Tiff Needell race around a track with a Honda Fireblade CBR 1000RR and the new Honda Civic Type R. Jonny tests the new Mercedes C Class. A motorcycle stunt team performs in the Fifth Gear parking lot. Actor Chris Barrie gets to drive his dream car, an old Jaguar D-Type worth £3 million.

Tom checks out the gadgets on the new Lexus LS460 and then sees if he can get the same gadgets for less on an older Lexus. To test the durability of a windshield, Fifth Gear lobs chickens, rocks, and a road cone at one. Jonny spends 12 hours locked in the new smart fortwo to see how comfortable it is. Virgin Radio Breakfast Show DJ Christian O’Connell gets a stunt driving lesson from Russ Swift. Vicki attempts to replicate the infamous C’était un rendez-vous using a diesel powered Citroën C3. Tiff takes the new Bentley Continental GTC out with two models in the back to see if going faster makes their hair get blown around less.

Shootout: Vicki races the brand new Audi S5 against the BMW 335i. Jason teaches Kyran Bracken how to drive on a track and then lets him have a go in an open-wheeled Formula Palmer Audi race car. Tom drives the new Maserati GranTurismo coupe on some beautiful roads in Italy. Jonny drives the incredibly small, but expensive, 4-door Mitsubishi “i” and then tries to get the same thing for less money by bolting two Smart cars on top of each other which ends in a hilarious result. Tiff heads to the French chateau where the Bugatti Veyron is assembled and gets to drive one on both the streets and the track where he gets it a bit sideways!

Vicki compares the new Peugeot 207 GTi against a classic Peugeot 205 GTi to see if it really does live up to the old car. Jonny road tests the new £350,000, 207mph Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Roadster. Tiff and Jason put the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S head-to-head. Fifth Gear meets up with Paddy McGuinness once again as he prepares for and takes his motorcycle test. Man looks at what happens when a big, 15 year old Volvo 940 estate crashes into a small, light, 3 year old Renault Modus which has a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Australian cricket player Shane Warne gets a track driving lesson from Jason. Fifth Gear Shootout: Vicki races the UK spec Honda Civic Type R against the harder core Japanese version. Tom and Jonny put the new Mini Cooper D (diesel) against the petrol version to see which is better. Tiff races the new Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera head-to-head against British superbike racer Leon Haslam on a Ducati 1098.

Tom heads to an auction of Bernie Ecclestone’s private car collection. Jonny takes a Citroën C-Crosser and a Citroën 2CV to a field to see how the two fair offroad. Jason takes Mercedes-Benz CLK 53 AMG Black Series to Silverstone. Tiff teaches TV chef Heston Blumenthal how to powerslide his BMW M5. Shootout: Vicki puts the Lotus Exige S against the Caterham CSR at Anglesey.

Tom tests the all new Toyota Landcruiser. Jonny drives the new lightweight Mazda 2. Tiff and Jason put the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG head-to-head. Vicki learns how a Hollywood-style car barrel roll is done. Shootout: Renault Clio 197 R27 versus Rage Buggy R180RT.

Tom and Jonny enter a 100 year old gruelling 24 hour off-road driving event called the Exeter Trial in an old Volkswagen Beetle. Tiff tests the all-new Audi A3 Cabriolet to see if it can change his opinion of convertibles. Children under the age of 3 can travel in the back of a taxi with no child seat, so Fifth Gear crashes a taxi to find out just how unsafe this practice really is. The new Maserati GranTurismo is coming to the UK, so Jason takes it out for a spin. Shootout: an eighteen year old Lotus Carlton versus it’s modern day equivalent, the Vauxhall VXR8.

World snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan asked Fifth Gear to help him choose a new car to spend his winnings on, so Vicki takes him out onto the track in a Mercedes C63 AMG and a BMW M3. Tiff and Jason put the Mitsubishi Evo X FQ300 and the Subaru Impreza WRX STi head-to-head on the track. Tom tests Ford’s new SUV, the Kuga, by driving it on snow, road and mud. Jonny investigates if cars are worth more as scrap than as a functioning car. Tiff tries out the world’s first underwater car, the Rinspeed Squba, which was inspired by James Bond’s white Lotus Esprit in “The Spy Who Loved Me”.

Tim investigates why it can cost up to £200 just to change a headlight bulb on a Renault Mégane. Vicki spends a day with Lewis Hamilton at the Brooklands Motoring Festival. Jonny sees what kinda car you can get if you swore off drinking alcohol for 3 years and saved the money instead. Jason goes powersliding in the new Porsche 911 GT2. Tom drives the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, crash tests a second-hand convertible in a rollover crash. Shootout: Tiff puts the latest Mazda RX-8 against the Nissan 350Z.

F1 driver Jarno Trulli tries to get the most out of the hybrid Toyota Prius. Jason Plato pits the Volkswagen Passat R36 against the Audi A4 3.0 TDi in a contest of petrol power and diesel torque. Tim Shaw tests the acceleration claims of a range of performance motors. Tiff Needell competes with world speedway champion Jason Crump in a race of car versus bike.

New series. World champion boxer Joe Calzaghe and his glamour model girlfriend Jo-Emma Larvin take part in an off-road challenge with Tiff Needell, Johnny Smith examines the Volkswagen Golf Mk6, and Vicki Butler-Henderson takes the new Ferrari California for a test-drive in Italy. Plus, Tom Ford reviews the safety of a popular family vehicle and Tim Shaw assesses the effectiveness of automated car washes.

Olympic swimmer and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Mark Foster tests a supercharged Vauxhall VXR8, Jonny Smith watches classic vehicles being raced at the Firecracker Banger meet, and Tim Shaw retakes his driving test in a Nissan Micra. Plus, Vicki Butler-Henderson assesses the Smart MHD city car, Jason Plato compares two Renaults, and Tiff Needell examines the new Porsche 911.

Vicki Butler-Henderson chauffeurs comedian Bill Bailey to one of his West End gigs in a Mercedes that has been converted to run on nothing but chip fat. Tom Ford test-drives the new Kia Soul, while Jonny Smith presents his pick of reasonably priced cabriolets. Tiff Needell takes the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 for a spin and Tim Shaw investigates the savings to be made on new vehicles.

Stuntman Steve Truglia tries to beat a world record by driving round the biggest loop-the-loop ever constructed. Retired Formula One competitor David Coulthard competes against Tiff Needell in an extreme van-driving challenge and Tim Shaw discovers whether buying an old banger results in cheap motoring. Tom Ford examines the Citroen C3 Picasso's suitability for a modern family man and Jonny Smith takes the Audi R8 V10 out on Spanish roads.

Tiff Needell teams up with former racing driver Stirling Moss to test the Ferrari 599 HGTE and Jonny Smith heads to Spain to discover whether the locals prefer the Audi A5 Cabriolet to the rival BMW 3 Series convertible. Jason Plato helps Olympic rowing gold medallist Matthew Pinsent find a sports car that accommodates his 6ft 5in frame, Tom Ford and Tiff Needell compete in the Ilkley Trial in West Yorkshire, and Tim Shaw investigates the accuracy of the combined economy cycle.

Tiff Needell and Jason Plato pit the new BMW Z4 against the Porsche Boxster, and Tim Shaw examines the Government's car-scrappage scheme. Comedian Ross Noble receives a day of trial-bike tuition from motorcyclist Dougie Lampkin, the team celebrates the joint birthday of the original Mini and the film The Italian Job, and Tom Ford gets behind the wheel of the Peugeot 308 CC.

Tiff and Vicki have been challenged to put four of the nippiest hatchbacks on the market to the test. Jonny examines a pair of city cars the Smart ForTwo and the Toyota iQ. Over in Italy, Jason gets behind the wheel of the supercar of the moment the Ferrari 458 Italia. Finally, Tiff talks to 2008 F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton about the British supercar threatening to take Ferrari’s crown.

Tiff and Jason compare the Porsche 911 and Audi R8 V10 convertibles. Vicki examines the Nissan Cube in a new segment called “Need To Know”. Jonny reviews the very economical Volvo S80 DRIVe. Jason goes to the Italian Alps to drive the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera.

Vicki drives the new Maserati GranCabrio from Paris to Monaco. Shootout: Citroën DS3 DSport versus the Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf. Tiff and Jonny sees if electric cars are finally practical using the Mitsubishi i MiEV. Jason tries to break 200 MPH in the Noble M600 supercar.

Tiff and Jason put the sportier versions of BMW M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG head-to-head. Ex-Stig Ben Collins goes drag racing in a mid-level dragster. Vicki drives the Bentley Continental SuperSports Convertible on “one of the best roads in Europe” in Northern Ireland. Jonny attempts to set some small engine speed records using a Skoda Fabia vRS

Jason continues his racing lessons on the track with newbie petrolhead Comedy Dave from BBC Radio 1, using an Aston Martin Vantage N420 Roadster. Jonny gets a ride in Europe's fastest street-legal car. Vicki heads to the glamorous Paris Motor Show and shows us the top five cars of the show. Shootout: Tiff puts the Porsche Cayman head-to-head against the Lotus Evora.

Tiff offers a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse of the final British Touring Car Championship race of the year as Jason attempts to clinch the title. Elsewhere, Vicki reveals everything you need to know about Renault's sexy new convertible the Wind, Jonny heads to the amazing scenery of Europe's highest road in Audi's super hi-tech RS5 and Tiff gets behind the wheel of the amazing Pagani Zonda R hypercar.

Tiff and Jason drive the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, and Vicki zips around the Monaco in a £40,000 hot hatch. Back in Britain, Jonny meets an ingenious car engineer, and in the Team Test, the foursome reviews the BMW X3 four-wheel drive.

Jason takes the new Aston Martin supercar for a spin in Spain, Tiff tries his hand at ice-driving in Lapland, Jonny drives the Atlantic Road in Norway in the new Citroen DS3 Racing and Vicki test-drives the limited edition BMW M3 GTS.

In this episode of Fifth Gear, Tiff tests a new estate car from Ferrari, Vicki puts two luxurious diesels saloons against each other on the track, Jason is in Abu Dhabi trying out the fastest motorsport on earth – drag racing, and the whole team test the newest version of Nissan’s little Micra.