Top Gear Season 7 Episode 4: Zonda F Sets Lap Record, Italian Supercar Challenge Unravels
Pagani’s Zonda F claims the test track spotlight while Clarkson, Hammond and May attempt to run £10,000 Italian exotics from Bristol to Slough, with predictably disastrous results.
Pagani’s Zonda F claimed the fastest lap yet on the Top Gear test track in Series 7, Episode 4, with The Stig clocking a 1:18.4. The episode, first broadcast in December 2005, paired that headline with a now-classic challenge: Clarkson, Hammond and May each bought a used Italian supercar for £10,000 and attempted a reliability run from Bristol to Slough. The result was a showcase of Italian excess and mechanical frailty in equal measure.
Pagani Zonda F: Carbon, Ceramic and a New Benchmark
Richard Hammond reviewed the Pagani Zonda F, a heavily revised version of the original Zonda. The F variant brought a carbon fibre body, magnesium wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes, along with an uprated chassis. These changes cut weight and improved handling, helping the Zonda F to a new Top Gear Power Lap record. The Stig’s 1:18.4 put it ahead of rivals from Ferrari and Porsche, underlining the Zonda’s status as one of the era’s quickest road cars.
£10,000 Italian Supercar Challenge: Bristol to Slough
The presenters’ main challenge was to buy an Italian supercar for under £10,000 and drive it from Bristol to a strip club in Slough, tackling a series of tasks along the way. Clarkson chose a Maserati Merak, believing it to be the more powerful SS model. Hammond opted for a Ferrari 308GT4, while May found a Lamborghini Urraco that had already developed electrical gremlins before the journey started.
- Castle Combe raceway lap, aiming to beat the Stig’s 1:35 in a diesel Vauxhall Astra
- Measuring lost horsepower from each car’s worn engine
- Obtaining insurance quotes for the ageing exotics
- A timed DIY tune-up: oil change and spark plug replacement
- Parking test in Marlborough town square
The horsepower test revealed the Merak’s true identity, delivering just 80 bhp, far below the SS’s claimed output. Hammond’s Ferrari, suffering from severe rust, managed 194 bhp, while May’s Urraco produced 117 bhp but continued to be plagued by electrical faults. The insurance estimates and tune-up attempts further highlighted the practical challenges of running cheap Italian exotica.
Mechanical Failures End the Journey
None of the cars made it to Slough. The Merak’s engine failed dramatically, leaving Clarkson stranded. Hammond’s Ferrari and May’s Lamborghini both succumbed to electrical issues, with the Urraco’s final breakdown causing a traffic jam on the outskirts. The challenge underlined the risks of buying budget Italian supercars, especially those with questionable maintenance histories.
For more on Top Gear’s most memorable supercar challenges, see Top Gear Season 10 Episode 3: Supercars in Africa and the Caparo T1 Tested.
