Top Gear Season 13 Episode 2: Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV and Teenage Car Challenge
Richard Hammond takes the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV to Abu Dhabi while the presenters tackle the realities of buying a first car for a 17-year-old.
Top Gear’s second episode of Series 13, broadcast in June 2009, put the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce in the hands of Richard Hammond for a high-speed test in Abu Dhabi. Alongside the supercar feature, the presenters tackled the practicalities of buying, insuring and running a first car for a 17-year-old in the UK.
Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV in Abu Dhabi
Richard Hammond took the Murciélago LP670-4 SV to the Yas Marina Circuit, exploring its 661bhp V12 and four-wheel drive system. The SV, then the most powerful and lightest Murciélago, was presented as the ultimate iteration of Lamborghini’s flagship. The segment focused on the car’s performance credentials and the drama of driving it at speed on a modern F1 circuit and the surrounding desert roads.
First car challenge for 17-year-olds
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May each selected a used car they believed would suit a 17-year-old new driver. The challenge exposed the realities of the UK’s insurance market, where premiums for young drivers often exceed the value of the car itself. The presenters faced the process of negotiating insurance, repairing accident damage and surviving a muddy music festival car park, all typical hurdles for young British motorists.
- Selecting affordable used cars for teenagers
- Negotiating high insurance premiums
- Repairing minor accident damage
- Testing durability in a muddy festival car park
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry was the episode’s celebrity guest, taking on the Suzuki Liana for his lap in the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment. His appearance added a comic touch and drew in viewers from outside the usual motoring audience.
Where this episode sits in Series 13
Episode 2 continued the mix of supercar testing and relatable motoring challenges that defined Top Gear’s format in 2009. Later episodes in the series would include further supercar features and ambitious road trips, such as the Panamera road trip and hot hatch duel in Episode 4.
