Jeremy Clarkson

Clarkson’s in the USA to find out if the country that gave us Fast Food and the Fast Buck make a decent Fast Car? In fact, can they make any decent cars at all? He pitches the best of the West against Europe’s finest. The Stig’s along for the ride too as he puts the BMW Z4M head to head with the mighty Dodge Viper SRT 10. And the little Lotus Exige against a tuned Mustang. He also puts the 200mph Corvette Z06 through its paces alongside the Cadillac XLRV, the Ford GT and its topless cousin, the GT X1. He finds out what would happen in a car chase if a big American police cruiser were to set off in pursuit of an Ariel Atom. (This bit’s quite short!) And he floods an old Jaguar and a Lincoln with water, tears two Buicks into pieces... races a Mustang horse against a Mustang car… and uses high explosives to make his very own Star Spangled Banger.

Clarkson travels from Spain via Strasbourg to Swindon – for the Supercar Showdown to beat them al! His aim is simple - find the ultimate Supercar. He starts a fight between a prancing horse and a raging bull as topless versions of the Ferrari 430 and Lamborghini Gallardo slug it out. The Gallardo’s big cousin, the Murcielago, weighs in too. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano struts its stuff and Audi’s R8 faces up to the Porsche GT3 as his special guest, Nurburgring-know-all Sabine Schmitz takes on The Stig. He turns into a Formula 1 hero thanks to a Radical SR3. And he has a fantastic time in the Aston Martin Vantage V8 Roadster. Plus there’s a new kid on the block in the shape of the stunning Ascari A10. And the line-up would not be complete without the 1000 horsepower, 252 miles per hour Bugatti Veyron. So he blasts off in one of those too. Meanwhile, everything else explodes.

This is all about thrills at the wheel. Aston Martin’s gentleman thug, the DBS, takes on its rivals from Italy. The lightweight Lamborghini Superleggera battles it out on the track with Ferrari’s 430 Scuderia and Clarkson’s test of the best takes him to the breathtaking roads of the Swiss Alps, the no limits German autobahn – and,er, Norfolk. He joins the Marines at the controls of an all-terrain Viking before using its machinegun to shoot a Lexus. The 200 mph Porsche 911 turbo struts its stuff in its natural habitat – the autobahn. And Clarkson gets a lungful of turbocharged fresh air from the 240 mph Pagani Zonda Roadster F. Then there’s the rocket science – Clarkson-style – as he fits a Porsche 944 with rocket launchers and also blasts fireworks at a speed camera. And he’s joined by tame racing driver The Stig who gets a big surprise. And everything else explodes.

It’s all about challenges and some big questions. Which car makes the most smoke while going sideways – a Lamborghini Murcielago SuperVeloce or a Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S? What is best at drifting? – the Jaguar XKR, the Lotus Evora, Audi’s R8 V10 or BMW’s M3? To find out, Clarkson globe-trots from sun-drenched Spain to Silverstone via Oxfordshire…and Swindon. There is serious science too. Can The Stig drift a car while wearing wellies? Can Clarkson corner in flippers? Can Formula One ace Anthony Davidson slide a car – in ice skates? Who is the best at off road driving? – Newswoman Kate Silverton, rugby’s Matt Dawson, singer Ronan Keating – or Clarkson? Which is fastest – a car or a man? Find out as the Aston Martin v12 Vantage sprints against rugby winger Tom Varndell in a 100 metre drag race. And Clarkson and The Stig join forces against Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tiff Needell. Meanwhile everything else explodes.

It’s The Italian Job, so obviously I head to Kent in England for the race of a lifetime. But first I have to get ready. So, it’s to the Ferrari test track in Italy where I spend a while not getting ready at all. I try the gym but it’s all rubbish so instead, I decide to compare Ferrari’s 458 Italia and the limited edition 599 GTO. On paper that doesn’t seem fair. But in reality… Next stop is the infamous Imola race circuit where I take the Porsche GT3 to the limit. Also present are the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera and the jaw-dropping Mercedes SLS AMG. My face gets a workout too, thanks to an Ariel Atom. With a V8 engine. My final Italian shake-down comes from the £1.3 million, Nurburgring lap record holder – the Zonda R with its 750 horsepower V12 and slick tyres. Finally, I’m ready. So it’s back to England for my first ever Classic Touring Car Race...I don’t know the car, I don’t know the circuit and I’m up against 20 experienced rivals...What could possibly go wrong?

Jeremy Clarkson is in the South of France. His base? - The high-tech testing ground for Formula One - Circuit Paul Ricard. The mission? - To find his favorite car of the year. The candidates? - For starters there's a pair of Ferraris... the V12, 6.3 litre FF and the 458. There's the UK challenger to the 458... McLaren's MP4-12C. Joining the action are the latest gizmo-laden Nissan GTR, Porsche's GT2 RS, the 570-horsepower Lamborghini Performante and the built-for-fun BMW 1M.