Top Gear Season 12 Opens with Porsche 911 GT2 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Jeremy Clarkson takes the Porsche 911 GT2 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 to the Top Gear test track as Season 12 begins in November 2008.
Top Gear returned to BBC Two for its twelfth series on 2 November 2008, opening with Jeremy Clarkson behind the wheel of two of the fastest cars of the year: the Porsche 911 GT2 and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. The episode put both supercars through their paces on the Top Gear test track, with the usual mix of performance figures and on-screen rivalry.
Supercar showdown on the test track
The Porsche 911 GT2, based on the 997 generation, arrived with a 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six producing 523bhp and rear-wheel drive. Lamborghini’s Gallardo LP560-4 brought a new 5.2-litre V10, all-wheel drive and 552bhp. Clarkson compared the two on the circuit, highlighting the 911’s raw power and the Gallardo’s traction advantage.
Stig lap times and on-track antics formed the centrepiece, with both cars setting competitive times. The episode continued Top Gear’s tradition of pitching high-performance models from rival manufacturers against each other in a controlled environment. The GT2’s reputation for challenging handling was a talking point, while the LP560-4’s new engine and revised chassis were put to the test.
Other highlights from the episode
- Porsche 911 GT2 (997): 3.6-litre twin-turbo, 523bhp, rear-wheel drive
- Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4: 5.2-litre V10, 552bhp, all-wheel drive
