Top Gear Season 15 Episode 4: Motorhome Mayhem and Supercar Convertibles
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May build homemade motorhomes for a West Country holiday, while the Audi R8 V10 Spyder and Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet face review under open skies.
BBC Two aired Top Gear Season 15 Episode 4 on 18 July 2010, with the presenters setting out to build their own motorhomes before heading for a bank holiday weekend in the West Country. The episode mixes the usual blend of ambitious engineering, questionable practicality and outright farce as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May each attempt to create a better solution for British holiday travel.
Motorhome challenge in the West Country
The main feature sees the trio design and construct their own motorhomes, each taking a very different approach. Clarkson’s enormous, multi-storey contraption quickly proves unwieldy. Hammond opts for a compact, sports-inspired camper, while May pursues comfort with a more traditional but heavily modified design. The group then set off for the West Country to test their creations during a typically unpredictable British bank holiday.
The challenge highlights the difficulties of British motorhome travel: narrow lanes, campsite etiquette and the ever-present threat of rain. Predictably, the vehicles struggle with basic tasks such as parking and manoeuvring, and the presenters’ attempts at domestic life on the road are met with mixed success. The segment is in keeping with previous Top Gear challenges, focusing on entertainment and the presenters’ rivalry as much as the technical merits of their builds.
Supercar convertibles: Audi R8 V10 Spyder and Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
The studio reviews this week focus on two high-profile open-top supercars. Clarkson takes the Audi R8 V10 Spyder for a drive, putting its 5.2-litre, 518bhp engine through its paces. The R8 Spyder’s naturally aspirated V10 and quattro all-wheel drive set it apart from the standard R8, and Clarkson’s review centres on the car’s performance and everyday usability with the roof down. The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet also features, with its 3.8-litre turbocharged flat-six and four-wheel drive, offering a different approach to convertible supercar motoring. Both cars are assessed for their speed, handling and the particular appeal of driving a high-performance cabriolet in British weather.
| Model | Engine | Power | Drivetrain | 0-62 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi R8 V10 Spyder | 5.2-litre V10 | 518 bhp | AWD | 4.1 sec |
| Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet | 3.8-litre Turbo flat-six | 493 bhp | AWD | 3.6 sec |
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Andy Garcia
Hollywood actor Andy Garcia joins the studio for the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment. Garcia takes to the Top Gear test track in the show’s budget hatchback, adding a dose of celebrity competition to the leaderboard. His appearance follows a long tradition of international guests, reflecting the show’s global reach by 2010.
Where to watch and related episodes
Season 15 Episode 4 is available to view on official BBC platforms and through authorised streaming services. For those interested in more Top Gear challenges or supercar features, earlier episodes such asTop Gear Season 14 Episode 4: A Battle of SUVs and a Twingo TestandTop Gear Season 14 Episode 2: Corvette ZR1, Audi R8 V10 and an Electric Car Challengeoffer more of the same mix of car reviews and ambitious stunts.
