History TopGearUK / TropesRToZ

** May owns a [[http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1133855/ Champion 8KCAB Decathlon light airplane]] with the registration number G-[[CatchPhrase OCOK]], though it has not appeared in the show

** In the series 16 "USA Road Trip" special, one the challenges is for the hosts to perform a mock drive-by shooting in their chosen supercars. While getting weapons training, Jeremy is seen playing with his pistol as if it was a toy. In an overlap with ArtisticLicenceGunSafety, none of the trainers intervene.

* SilentCredits: "The Big Send Off Special" (series 22, episode 8) ends this way; a fitting send-off had it not been for the continuity announcement (for the UK première of ''[[Series/AmericanOdyssey Odyssey]]'') during it.

** In series 18's 2nd episode, Richard Hammond was in America for NASCAR. With NASCAR races taking hundreds of laps and several hours long, a montage ensued after the race started, featuring various scenes including Hammond bringing tyres to the pit stop. All with [[Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice an appropriate "montage" song]].

* WeaponizedCar: The '[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUe_7-j4qpI Turn A Car Into A Bond Car]]' segment in 01.05, as well as the Cheap Cop Car Challenge in series 11.

** Explored earlier in series 12: Did the Communists ever make a good car? Answer: [[spoiler:No.]]

** During the Alabama challenge, all the presenters, as well as the camera crew fled from a gas station after their car decorations pissed off the locals.

* ShootingGallery: In the East Coast America special, the guys learn to do a drive-by shooting at one. Amusingly all the targets are shaped like the Stig, since it was shortly after the second Stig (Ben Collins) had published a book revealing he had been the Stig, in violation of his working contract.

** Only mildly subverted when James May, in a display of extreme irritation, checks to see if the show has gone beyond the watershed before proceeding to [[spoiler:call Jeremy a fucking idiot]], complete with a concerned Richard interrupting in case the timing's off.

-->'''Clarkson:''' [[BlewUpTheRatingsScale Oh, he's broken the machine!!]]

'''Clarkson:''' Look. Do you want to go out there with a hippopotamus or do you want to stay in here with a horse's head?\\
'''Hammond:''' That's not a question that's ever been asked.
** In the ''Top Gear vs. D Motor Competition'', the two teams are racing each other with double-decker cars. The top half of Clarkson's car is driven by TG sound man Kiff McManus, who has a prosthetic arm. During the race:

*** The Kia "Cee-apostrophe-D".

** Jeremy Clarkson, in every sense. During one episode the studio audience actually booed his success at a task, a reaction which Hammond ''loved''.

''' James:''' [[Funny/TopGear Hello.]]

\\

\\
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods#Personal_life while he has been known to leave his house in a bit of a hurry, he's never once hit a fire hydrant.]]
\\
-- [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Morgan if he worked for CNN, he wouldn't have got such ''pitifully'' low ratings that his show got cancelled!]] [[note]] This one was motivated by a longstanding feud that Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan held against each other for years (see TakeThatCritics below). [[/note]]

'''Will Smith:''' Yeah, what's wrong with Argentina? What happened?\\

* TeamPet: Top Gear Dog, a female Labradoodle owned by Hammond.

** Whenever Clarkson sets his jaw, looks into the camera, and says, "How hard can it be?" Inevitably, Hilarity Ensues. For a while now they've been [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] this by having Richard Hammond shout "Don't say that!" (or similar) when Clarkson says his CatchPhrase.
--->'''May:''' With the score at 2-1 to the ''Grosser'', we were given the easiest challenge in the history of Top Gear.

* TestosteronePoisoning: Clarkson's V8 Engine powered blender. And the "Manly V8 Smoothie" he concocted with it, which contains beef (with bones in it), peppers, bovril, Tabasco, and (for extra bite) a ''brick''.

* ThrowTheDogABone: On occasion ''Top Gear'' allows humble vehicles to have a moment to shine. When James May travelled to Iceland to see the volcano erupting, he used the Toyota Hilux driven by the camera crew in the Polar Special, arguing that it too had been to the north pole but hadn't received the glory of its counterpart, which Clarkson and May drove.

* UnconventionalSmoothie: The "Man's V8" from the V8 blender, which out of among other ingredients, also had bits of brick. Dubbed by May "The Bloody Awful"

*** When something dangerous is about to happen, Clarkson saying "[[Film/MontyPythonAndTheSearchForTheHolyGrail run away, run away!]]"

* ASimplePlan: Usually subverted -- it always seems the team can devise an easy solution to the seemingly impossible task they are given, but with each of the three hosts vying to get his idea in first it never is. A source of several [[RunningGag running gags]]. Exemplified by Clarkson's catchphrase: "How hard can it be?" Generally followed by Hammond shouting "Don't say that!"

--->'''May:''' I think that man is a danger, frankly. If there is one thing I can't stand it's beardy, sanctimonious, patronising Americans in tartan trousers coming to England and trying to persuade us to turn into a museum. He wants the East End for the cheeky Cockney chaps pushing wheelbarrows full of eels and he wants northernists to be industrialists with big braces and blokes dying of consumption -- Good morning Bill, I've got the consumption, it's tradition alright. I say Bill, if you're watching -- OK, now you won't be watching because we're not talking about steam engines or longboats or bear-baiting -- but IF you've happened to tune in by mistake: We're not interested in your views of stupid Americans who come over here with their big video cameras saying Gee, I love your history, it's just so old. SOD OFF!

--->that he'd been getting divorced from Music/PaulMcCartney he'd keep his stupid whining mouth shut.\\

that if he wrote you a letter of condolence he would at least get your name right.\\

while he has been known to leave his house in a bit of a hurry, he's never once hit a fire hydrant.

*** Any time May's car on a budget car trip has working Air Conditioning, and the others don't, will end up destroyed by the other two out of childish spite to bring him down. He cannot even hide it.
*** May's repeated claims that Monkeys are the most dangerous animal in the world.
** One gag that is a consistent favourite is one of the presenters asking, "How hard can it be?" about the current challenge/crisis. The answer, as Hammond has confessed to outright, is usually, "Very", but it hasn't seemed to have stopped them. The only one that hasn't done it is the Stig, for obvious reasons.

*** When something dangerous is about to happen, Clarkson saying "run away, run away!"

*** Series 11: Comedy updates from May on the forthcoming Dacia Sandero, and Clarkson saying "I went on {{the Internet|IsForPorn}} and I found ''[[TakeOurWordForIt this]]''..." The later would be an image that shocked and amused the studio audience, usually implied to be something from a shock site, but was unseen on TV. After the furore died down, the real image would be shown, with Clarkson saying, "but I also found this..."

** The radio DJ challenge saw them getting angry calls from listeners, which lead to them putting on "[=MacArthur=]'s Park" and then high-tailing it out of the studio.

'''Clarkson:''' Maybe we can [[LeftItIn edit that out]]

* SerendipitousSymphony: In an episode of Season 10 where the hosts attempt to produce a tribute to [[TheAllegedCar British Leyland]], the various squeaks, rattles, clunks and other noises given off by their cars are cut together into a small musical number

** Another example with Hammond in Season 22. He heard that the Land Rover Discovery was going to be discontinued, so he wanted to pay tribute by recreating the famous dam climbing advert...with him in the Discovery. Scared out of his wits, he made it to the top only to discover that with the way it was hooked it could not drive onto the "summit" which forced him to go ''back down the same way he came up''. And to rub salt on the wound, May tells him later on that the Discovery actually wasn't being discontinued at all, making the entire stunt completely pointless.

** Whenever someone is having troubles with the vehicle they had bought or built, chances are one of the other two is in a bigger pickle, preceded with the first saying the phrase, "Still, could be worse."

** Both of the "Perfect Road Trip" specials are cut short right before the climactic leg of the trip. [[spoiler: The first one ends with them losing their money and driving licenses after being pulled over by the Police and are banned from driving in France before even getting the cars they were planning to drive to Pau, forcing them to hitchhike back to England. In the second, they manage to drive their final cars in Capri... for a few hundred yards before being pulled over yet again and sent to prison after Jeremy [[ForeignCussWord "spoke to the officers in Italian."]]]]

** Both of the "Perfect Road Trip" specials are cut short right before the climactic leg of the tip. [[spoiler: The first one ends with them losing their money and driving licenses after being pulled over by the Police and are banned from driving in France before even getting the cars they were planning to drive to Pau, forcing them to hitchhike back to England. In the second, they manage to drive their final cars in Capri... for a few hundred yards before being pulled over yet again and sent to prison after Jeremy [[ForeignCussWord "spoke to the officers in Italian."]]]]

** Both of the "Perfect Road Trip" specials end with the trip being cut short. [[spoiler: The first one ends with them losing their money and driving licenses after being pulled over by the Police and are banned from driving in France before even getting the cars they were planning to drive to Pau, forcing them to hitchhike back to England. In the second, they manage to drive their final cars in Capri... for a few hundred yards before being pulled over yet again and sent to prison after Jeremy [[ForeignCussWord "spoke to the officers in Italian."]]]]

** Both of the "Perfect Road Trip" specials end with the trip being cut short. [[spoiler: The first one ends with them losing their money and driving licenses after being pulled over by the Police and are banned from driving in France before even getting the cars they were planning to drive to Pau, forcing them to hitchhike back to England. In the second, they manage to drive their final cars in Capri... for a few hundred yards before being pulled over yet again and sent to prison after Jeremy [[ForeignCussWord "spoke to the officers in Italian.]]]]

** During the second "Perfect Road Trip" special, Clarkson asks "[[Film/TheRock How in the name of Zeus' BUTTHOLE]] have I ended up doing this?" while he and Hammond were racing two Pontiac Fiero kit cars made to look like a Ferarri 355 and Testarossa respectively in an abandoned village in Tuscany.

* ThemeTuneCameo:
** Happens "accidentally" in the San Francisco to Bonneville Salt Flats episode: the Allman Brothers Band song "Jessica" (the ''Top Gear'' main theme song) comes on the radio while they're filming a 'factual' review of American muscle cars in America.
--->'''May:''' ''[points at radio in complete bewilderment]'' I wasn't expecting to hear ''that''.\\
'''Clarkson:''' On tonight's programme... ''[chuckles]''
** In the £1000 Police Car Challenge, Jeremy and James sing a "diddly-dee-dee" version of the ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'' theme after wondering what it would be like to see a police officer bringing you bad news arrive in a Suzuki Vitara.

* UnreliableVoiceover: The presenters' narration (especially Clarkson's) frequently contradicts events as seen on-screen. [[RuleOfFunny Played for humor]].

** Played straight in the Bonneville Salt Flats special. Claiming they have visas to visit America to film a factual review but not to do an entertainment program, Clarkson censors several scenes because they're getting dangerously entertaining.

* RenaissanceMan: James May, between his music degree, pilot's licence, and shows about toys, the Apollo program, technology and alcoholic drink, not to mention his knowledge of cars. His programme ''Series/JamesMaysManLab'' and book ''How To Land An A330 Airbus, And Other Vital Skills for the Modern Man'' are further examples of his diverse areas of interest and expertise.

'''Clarkson:''' On tonight's program... ''[chuckles]''

** In the series 16 "USA Road Trip" special, one the challenges is for the hosts to perform a mock drive-by shooting in their chosen supercars. While getting weapons training, Jeremy is seen playing with his pistol as if it was a toy. In an overlap with ArtisticLicenseGunSafety, none of the trainers intervene.

* RecycledSoundtrack: Having access to the BBC's library of licensed music means that a lot of film score tracks get thrown in. This results in the occasional change being required for re-runs and international airings.

* RenaissanceMan: James May, between his music degree, pilot's license, and shows about toys, the Apollo program, technology and alcoholic drink, not to mention his knowledge of cars. His programme ''Series/JamesMaysManLab'' and book ''How To Land An A330 Airbus, And Other Vital Skills for the Modern Man'' are further examples of his diverse areas of interest and expertise.

** They do it again during the Patagonia special at the end when angry residents of Tierra Del Fuego who objected to Jeremy's license plate chase the crew out of town.

* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Vietnamese]]: In the Vietnam special, Clarkson actually learned enough Vietnamese to understand the oral driver's exam, and answer the question directed at him; the legal age required to get a full motorcycle license (the answer being 18). Predictably, Hammond and May were shocked.

* UniversalDriversLicense:

** Played for laughs in the Vietnam Special when Clarkson is hopeless on a Vespa. Later, it turns out that all three presenters have to take a motorcycle license exam when they crossed into North Vietnam, as their original licenses are invalid. Surprisingly, Clarkson was the only one who managed to get through the verbal portion of the exam in one try (he was the only one who took the time to learn basic Vietnamese).

* VanityLicensePlate:

** Jeremy is accused of having one in the Patagonia special, reading [[UsefulNotes/TheFalklandsWar H982 FKL]], though it was actually the original license plate.

** During '''"The Perfect Road Trip"''' Hammond/Clarkson get a little carried away driving their Porsche 911/Aston Martin Vanquish respectively and end up leaving the more sensible speed-limit following production team behind. When they catch up, the two presenters are talking to several police over their speeding (Clarkson's newspaper column showed they were doing 87mph in a 56mph zone). The response? They had all the physical cash on them removed as well as their driving licenses THEN banned from driving in France for 3 months, cutting the intended end race of the show short. What's more, Clarkson has been fined for speeding in France before on the show.

--->'''Clarkson: Let me put it this way, [the Dodge Challenger] is like a bodybuilder, right? Hugely impressive, but when you take its trunks down, its "Hello Mr. Sq-"\\