Top Gear Specials Ranked: The Ultimate List of Best Adventures

For over 30 years, Top Gear has been a hit for car lovers! This British show features detailed reviews, amazing cars, and the hilarious antics of its presenters. What really makes it special though? The specials, longer episodes that take the trio on amazing adventures!

Top Gear Specials: A Ranking

There have been so many Top Gear specials and some stand out from the crowd. The team of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, especially during their time at the BBC brought so many great moments, including travels all around the globe, and they certainly brought the laughs!

Also Read: Disney VHS Tapes: Rare Treasures Worth Thousands

15. Seamen (Season 4)

Hammond's car sinks in the Botswana Special (Top Gear) Image

The "Seamen" episode launched Top Gear season 4 and was super fun! In this episode the presenters were on a crazy journey that took them to Cambodia and Vietnam using boats! The special gave everyone something new, ditching the cars for a whole different mode of transport, while the team still made viewers laugh! They traveled the Mekong Delta and even had a laugh when the presenter Jeremy said, "We have survived! And on that terrible disappointment, for Top Gear, it's time to say goodbye."

Also Read: Best Amazon Prime Video TV Shows: 30 Shows You Can't Miss

14. Survival of the Fattest (Season 3)

The Top Gear crew in front of cars. Image

Episode 13 of Top Gear season 3 gave fans "Survival of the Fattest"! The guys really did a thing for the audience- a thrilling journey in the Mongolian wilderness! They had to build a vehicle to get back using only limited supplies, flatpack parts, and basic rations!

Also Read: Top 30 Must-See Movies on Amazon Prime Video: Your Definitive Guide

13. Driving Home for Christmas Special (Season 31)

Featured image split Clarkson and Hammond argue and a Reliant Robin rolls over in Top Gear Image

Even though many fans think Top Gear's later seasons are not so good, this 2021 special "Driving Home for Christmas," was a big success!

12. Winter Olympics Special (Season 7)

The electric car (Geoff) in Top Gear Season 14, Episode 2 next to a blue car on the road Image

This Season 7 episode is another great entry that focused less on travelling and was really an expanded episode instead of being a typical, normal Top Gear show!

11. India Special (Season 18)

The trio makes modified trains in Top Gear Season 17 Episode 4 in red car with three cast members Image

Season 18's "India Special" is a bit controversial amongst Top Gear fans because some parts seem pretty scripted and a whole lot of funny stuff, gags, and jokes!

10. Vietnam Special (Season 12)

In Season 12 we have "Vietnam Special." This epic special features no cars at all. They use motorbikes for a 1,000-mile trip. It is even more unique, as they were only able to afford this transport, and their whole adventure becomes one of the greatest stories from Top Gear. They make it through Vietnam in under 10 days!

9. Bolivia Special (Season 14)

Get ready for thrills as Season 14 of Top Gear gave audiences the Bolivia Special, where the team travels across the crazy landscapes, with limited funds to buy a car. They have the nerve to tackle "Death Road" (El Camino de la Muerte), one of the world’s most dangerous roads. Their journey goes from Bolivia's rainforests all the way to Chile's coast!

8. USA Special (Season 9)

Top Gear's Season 9 episode USA Special shows why Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are the best. Their journey showcases their comedic side as they traveled from Miami to New Orleans with a limited budget. This fuels the "Britain is better than America," theme giving viewers a side-splitting and truly fun watch!

7. Botswana Special (Season 10)

The Season 10 special took the Top Gear presenters to Botswana. Their budget was super low and it forced the guys to prove their ingenuity by traveling on terrible roads!

6. Patagonia Special (Season 22)

Top Gear's Season 22 gives you another great, compelling special with the Patagonia Special where the journey was to celebrate a big anniversary of the V8 engine. However, what is particularly special, is what almost kills them in Argentina. Protesters were so upset with a license plate, causing some intense and frightening scenes that truly pushed things over the edge.

5. Polar Special (Season 9)

This Season 9 special took on "The Magnetic North Pole." Clarkson and May attempt to drive a car and beat Hammond, who uses a dogsled. What was really impressive about this team and their vehicle. Was they drove this modified vehicle and beat Hammond.

4. Burma Special (Season 21)

This special, a two-part special, is awesome as the presenters look to recreate that "River Kwai" moment using cheap lorries that gets the Top Gear gang crossing into Thailand from Burma.

3. Africa Special (Season 19)

A two-part Top Gear special from Season 19 gave Clarkson, May and Hammond a mission- Find the Nile's source in East Africa using low-budget vehicles!

2. Nepal Special (Season 27)

In Season 27, there is a new era for Top Gear and with new hosts such as Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff take audiences through Nepal using £5,000 cars. It still captures amazing locations and humor!

1. Middle East Special (Season 16)

This Season 16 Top Gear special recreates the trip that The Three Wise Men took. It gives audiences some history lessons through these journeys. Jeremy Clarkson shows just how humorous Top Gear can be by becoming super cautious and thinking his car needed some added bulletproofing!

Whether you are a superfan or someone new to the Top Gear world, these specials were so diverse that they help emphasize just what made Top Gear such an awesome and long running hit series and will really keep audiences captivated! Even with new presenters, new seasons bring even more unique locations to visit. This is especially true as many newer generations of car lovers get excited about these thrilling adventures, emphasizing how exciting it was to even have these new and unique episodes from Top Gear and what made the special segments stand tall, bringing audiences from around the world on another trip and one of the best BBC series made!