And rumors have it that that’s the end of the story too for channel Five’s Fifth Gear. The show is said to have gotten the axe after not even attracting more than a million viewers for its last series. And we saw why. We provided recaps of that series and it took us quite the effort to make it look interesting.

However, host Jonny Smith is saying that Fifth Gear isnt “officially” dead. In a tweet, Jonny said, “Thanks to everyone for your compliments and words of encouragement. Remember, FG isn’t OFFICIALLY finished. Don’t (ever?) believe The Mail”

If the rumors are untrue then good for the team but if it’s true. Not really a big loss, methinks. Just give me more Top Gear!!!

Source: The Mail

First segment as always is the shootout in which they create a tribute to the 80s. The cars features – a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E Cosworth and 1986 Ford Sierra Cosworth. With Jason at the driver’s seat, the cars are subjected to – fast lap test. Merc: 47.15 seconds, Ford: 46.02.

Next up, Tim explores car sharing clubs. Car sharing clubs have become quite popular especially to people who only use cars once in a while. Letting a car sit in your garage would cost you £2000 in insurance and depreciation so paying for a car only when you use it is the appeal of car sharing clubs. Tim tries out three car sharing companies. His verdict: If you travel less than 6,000 miles a year and live in a city like London, it can save you money.

Jonny’s up next in the Is It New But Is It Any Good segment. The car – the new Toyota Prius. Three tests as usual. Test 1 – short trips. Jonny tries out if the Prius can do 2 miles while running on electrical power. It did 1.7 miles. Test 2 – green. Jonny goes at length explaining the minimal carbon footprint of the production and driving of a Prius. Test 3 – performance and agility. Quick and nippy with the Power mode, the car gets a passing mark. Jonny’s mark: 7/10.

Tom’s next with a challenge. He has to transfer the engine of a Ford Focus to a Formula Four car in just a day. Since Tom’s not really qualified, he gets help from mechanics. Tom just blabbers on and be an annoyance mostly. They get to beat the 5 PM deadline and Tom gets his lap around the track in the Formula Four.

Next, they set out to find a decent small hothatch. Two conditions, the car must be less than £14,000 and 120 bhp. The contenders – the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart, the Suzuki Swift Sport, the Renault Sport Twingo, and the Fiat 500 Abarth. 1st Test – drag race. The finish: Colt, Abarth, Swift and then the Twingo. 2nd Test –
slalom run to test the handling. Swift: 33.53 seconds, Abarth: 34.38 seconds, and the Colt: 34.59 seconds. 3rd Test – fast lap. Abarth: 1:40 seconds and the Swift: 1:41.90. Winner: Abarth.

Jonny’s cheapskate alternative’s next. His alternative for the Fiat 500 Abarth – the Volkswagen Lupo GTI. 1st point to check – get the six-speed gearbox. 2nd – check the tires and breaks since most owners get to drive the cars a lot. 3rd – check the clutch since, same case as the previous point, sudden start and stops give the clutch a lot of wear.

Next up – the Tramontana R edition supercar. It’s a £333,000 supercar that looks like it came from a sci-fi flick (might as well be the new Batmobile). It packs a V12, made of carbon fiber, and it dishes out a wicked 720 hp. It supposedly mixes Formula One with a fighter jet and it sure looks that way. Can’t wait to see that car around the Top Gear test track.

Finally, they place a chef in a Formula One car. James Martin gets to drive an old Benetton Formula One car. Jason gets to train him. But before the big moment, Jason gets him around a Formula Silverstone car. After doing quite okay, he’s set to go on the F1. A bet first, Jason did a lap for 30 seconds, if James does a 40-second lap, Jason buys lunch. At the end of James’ go, Jason’s buying.

And that’s it for the Fifth Gear series.

First up – a (non-standard) dogfight between Tiff and Jason. Instead of the typical fast car shootout, the two get to drive double-decker buses across three challenges. The first challenge is a straight-up drag race won by Tiff. The second is an obstacle run around a carpark. Tiff’s aggressive style proves to be slower than Jason’s composed run. As the score stands one apiece, the show cuts to another segment.

The next segment has Tim testing a new freeware ecoRoute for Garmin satnavs. What makes the Ecoroute unique is its eco setting where the program figures out the most economical route for you to take after factoring in your car’s efficiency. It even has a score system that monitors your driving style. Tim does two trips – one via the fastest and another via the ecoRoute. Results show that the ecoRoute does figure out the most fuel efficient (albeit slower) way, but time can always be a worthy trade-off.

In the It’s New But is It Any Good segment, Johnny tests the new cheapest Nissan in the Pixo. For starters, it’s not really a Nissan since it’s just a re-badged Indian-made Suzuki Alto. Johnny does three tests to see if the car’s worth it.

First test – a race between the Pixo with capacity-filling 6 bags of shopping versus a man carrying eight bags of shopping goods for 100 meters. The car was faster but Johnny was able to get there with 2 more bags. The next test – a feel test of the trim versus the Nissan Micra. The Micra’s interior felt definitely better but similar in the bits of plastic. Third test’s one of zippiness – the number of carpark slots Johnny can park in within 90 seconds. He scores – 9 slots. Final score for the Pixo – 5.5/10.

Tom then tests the SEAT Exeo which shares a lot of tech from the Audi A4. Tom argues that the car’s basically an A4 in different clothes. As a test, Tom takes it out raiding charity stores for clothes to try and sell his purchases for a higher price. He failed on the clothes but liked the Exeo dubbing it, “the thinking man’s A4.” Annoying pot shot on Top Gear with that “second-hand book no one wants to buy” quip.

Next up, Jason tests the Audi TT RS by driving through five countries to catch a jet. The trip is 330 miles through Germany, Luxembourg, France, Beligium, and The Netherlands. The route consists of stretches of the Autoban, A roads and B roads for a great mix of driving. Too bad low fuel and traffic jams forced him to do a minor rerouting and skip The Netherlands entirely to catch the plane. And he did. Jason’s verdict: Best small sports car in the planet.

Johnny’s back for the Cheapskate’s Alternative to the Audi TT RS. His pick – the Vauxhall Calibra V6. Buying tips for this £1000-car. 1) Check the bulkhead for any chipping or corrosion. 2) Check for corrosion on the body particularly the wheel arches and the seal lines. 3) Check the lights when you turn the key and check if they go out after starting the car.

Back to Jason and Tiff’s doubledecker bus shootout. The final test – drifting. Yes, the two have seriously gone mental trying to drift buses (or a pathetic attempt to match Top Gear bollocks). Jason goes first managing to barely flick the bus’ end. Tiff, being the Sultan of Slide that he is, manages to go a more dramatic drift. Tiff wins the shootout.

For the weekly contest, they’re giving away an Audi TT RS.

The final segment features Tiff and John Barrowman in a rallying spree. The Torchwood star wants to try out rallying and Fifth Gear gives him a chance. John’s test mule – the Subaru Impreza. Tiff takes John for a whirl first to show him what can be done. John’s turn, and he was okay at best. Tiff then takes him through drills like braking and jumping. Back on the main course. John was doing pretty okay until he crashed and rolled down the countryside.

The Impreza’s pretty whanged and John looks obviously disappointed.

First up, they forgo the usual fast-car shootout between Tiff and Jason. Instead, they feature the new Renault Clio 197 Sport which they pit against a 2005 Sport Clio 182 Cup in the hands of Jason. A quick lap with the 182 clocks at 45.27 second. The newer 197 zips past the line by 44.12 seconds.

Next up, Tim explores the effects of neglecting engine oil to cars. Apparently, half of the car in Britain is running low on oil. To show the catastrophic effects of neglecting engine oil in cars, Tim drains all the oil in a Proton and drives it around until the engine conked out. To see how many cars might suffer the same fate. He goes around in a parking lot offering oil check-ups and top-ups to random people. 8/10 people needed top-ups.

Next segment’s Is It New But is It Any Good with Jonny with the new Mercedes E-Class. First test is technology and Jonny explores three – 1) the pedestrian cash safety feature, 2) the active parking assist, and 3) attention assist. Merc has more tech over closest rival – the BMW 5-Series . Second test is comfort. Jonny attaches a heart-rate monitor after pumping himself up to see how fast he gets his heart rate down. Merc is more comfortable. Third test is subtle and suave look. Close one on votes. Jonny’s grade: 7/10 for the Merc.

Tiff is next with the Caterham Roadsport 175 SV. The 175 is Caterham’s sort-of compromise for those looking for a track-day car that can be driven around a bit. Tiff’s test for the car – being a medical courier for a day. The 175’s relatively comfortable compared to other Caterhams but still forces what a Caterham isn’t – practical.

The next segment features Jason with the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV. The Super Veloce is the fastest Lamborghini ever built. Instead of driving it around the track, Jason takes the car around the Welsh countryside to test it out on real-world roads. All in all, Jason had quite the fun time with the car.

Jonny is back with the cheapskate alternative to the Lambo. Jonny picks the good old Nissan 300ZX. First, check the specs as the twin-turbo manual Japan import is best. Second, check the turbo trouble. On full throttle, the boost needle should go all the way round. Third, check engine and be sure the ignition has a light ticking.

To wrap up the show, Tom explores the effect of the lowering of the speed limit from 60 mph to 50 mph. So to check it out, Tom crashes a car at 50 mph into a tractor to see if fatalities can be avoided. A bit of fact checking reveals that on country roads, people are most likely to crash into trees particularly because of poorly designed roads and lack of crash barriers. And for the crash – 50 mph still produces nasty accidents but does 10 mph matter? Yes. Physics has it that danger can actually help trim down the risk by 50 percent.

And that’s it for the show.

But first up, the dogfight which they claim as the most explosive piece of Tiff versus Jason. Instead of the typical supercars, Tiff and Jason get to drive around tanks! Now that’s original. Right out of a page from Jezza’s playbook, I’d have to say. Anyway, three challenges for this dogfight.

First challenge – a time challenge navigating an amphibious through a bit of field with water obstacles. Tiff: 8:04 and Jason: 1:17. Second challenge – a head-to-head race between more agile personnel carriers. Winner: Tiff. Split segment with the rest made available later in the show.

In the next segment – some excellent citizen/consumer advice as Tim goes potholing. Roads in Britain have a pothole for every 120 yards. So Tim explores what can be done as these potholes are costing motorist money as they damage suspensions and tires. He drives his Proton and busts a tire. He then sets about filing a claim. First he takes measurements, checks for witnesses, and takes a photo of the pothole, calls the local council, and files . For more info visit this site. (Sidenote: Why wasn’t Tim wearing a high visibility jacket while standing in the middle of the road?)

Their next segment – It’s New But is It Any Good segment. Tom tries out the new Mazda 3 compared to the Ford Focus. First test – build quality. Overall, the Mazda 3 is better. Second test – handling. Both cars have the same chassis so expectedly, it’s a draw. Third test – efficiency. The Mazda has a better drag coefficient which should give it better mileage. The Focus gets 42.2 mpg. The Mazda gets 44.8 mpg. Result: Mazda 3 wins.

Jonny’s next with the Volkswagen Golf GTI. While other hatches (like the Renault Megane and the Ford Focus ST) have gone from hot to blazing, the Volkswagen gets a tempered tweaking. It only gets 10 more horses, 10 less grams of emission, and 10% better fuel-efficiency. Jonny’s test – driving the GTI from Epping Forrest to York. His verdict: While not blazingly redefined, the GTI remains to be the best all-around hatch.

In the next segment, Tom drives Judge Jules to a gig in the new Aston Martin DBS Volante. The 6L 510-hp car is still as stunning as its hardtop counterpart and definitely is a flash magnet of a thing. First trip is to drop by Radio 1 in London for Judge Jules’ shows. Next is a show in Bournemouth 100 miles away. Tom thinks that the Volante has softened up a bit after losing its roof but it’s still a gorgeous piece of machine with the power and roar to match.

Jonny’s back with the Cheapskate Alternative to the Golf GTI. His pick for a cheaper car, a Peugeot 306 GTI6. Three buying tips. 1) Check the cam belts since they only last for 30,000 miles. 2) Check the first and second gears if they shift smoothly and the clutch if it runs smoothly. 3) Aircon tends to be weak, check the hoses at the bottom of the radiator for any corrosion.

Next, Tiff tests the new Lotus Evora supercar. Tiff loves the handling but feels the car needs a bit more grunt. The added weight is due to the comforts slapped on the car. It’s got two back seats in which only a couple of contortionists can fit. Tiff, being the child that he is, then poweslides the car around the track with the two girls in the back seat.

So we’ve been skipping the contest details but they’ve been nice enough to announce the winners of the contests for the first two episodes. Martin Woolley from Chippenham won the Focus RS. John Pearce from Oxfordshire won a Porsche Cayman S. This week, a classic 1991 Mark II Golf GTI in mint condition.

To wrap up the show, back to Tiff and Jason’s tank dogfight. The last challenge – a slalom around a minefield. Winner gets to crush the Tim’s Proton Sport. Jason’s time: 1:23.91 plus a 15 second penalty for setting off mines. Tiff’s time: 1:22.09 plus 20 second penalty so Jason wins. Jason runs the Proton with a Chieftain tank and the cherry on top – blowing it up with a well-placed shot.

First up, a shootout between the Mini Cooper S and the Mazda MX-5. Jason pits the nimble soft-top Mini against the metal-roofed rear-wheel MX-5. Jason tries the Mini first and he observes the heaviness caused by chopping the roof off. Its quick lap time around the track: 45.3 seconds. As for the Mazda, Jason likes the lighter and nimbler feel of the Mazda. Its lap time: 45.9 seconds. Trumped by the Minis turbo.

Next up, Tim tries out self-servicing his car, comparing the cost of going to a self-service garage compared to bringing a car to a mechanic’s garage against the cost and clock. First he takes a car to a mechanic for a brake discs and pad change. Then Tim tries to do it his own. Mechanic: 1:20 (200 quid). Tim: 1:40 (130 quid)

Tom takes out the new Toyota Urban Cruiser in the It’s-New-But-Is-It-Any-Good segment. First, Tom tests the 4×4 trying to climb a (fake) snowy hill. Result: Fail. Second test is if the car’s green. Result: It’s the greenest 4×4 you can buy. Third test, the cool factor. Result: Fail. Tom’s rating: 3/10.

Jonny tries out the Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters movies. Dereck Acorah (yup, that same medium in the Most Haunted series whose credibility took a beating) joins Jonny in trying the Ecto-1 out. They took the car out for the drive and retire in the haunted Hartfield Manor. A bit of ghost hunting for Jonny. But come on, with Derek “Faker”?

For the next segment, Tiff goes out and tries the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. What Aston Martin did was to get their biggest engine (from the DBS) and place it inside their smallest, most agile chassis. The car goes up to 190 mph and Tiff plows it around the track. Jeremy might have really rubbed off some childishness on Tiff as Tiff jumped the Vantage off the track’s hill testing several times.

Jonny’s back with the Cheapskate’s Alternative segment. For the V12 Vantage, Jonny picks the Jaguar XJS V12 which can be had for only £4,000. Buying Tip 1: Check for rust. Look for any signs of bubbling and rippling paint. Next the front suspension: Check for uneven wear in the tires, steering clunkiness, and if the car pulls to the side when braking on a straight road. Third: Check for overheating, particularly if the coolant’s gunked up.

In the next segment Jonny and Tom try their hands out making wheelie cars. They flip a coin and Tom gets a Toyota MR2 and Jonny gets a Smart. They get cracking with the help of their crack mechanics (or mechanics on crack?). The plan is to use the back wheels as pivot and attaching another set of back wheels for the wheelie.

First challenge is to check if they can wheelie and both cars can. The next is to check who can do it the longest and Jonny won. Finally, a head-to-head drag race and Tom flipped Jonny’s Smart. (Oh, and a scoop. Jonny might yet be The Stig. Just check out his overalls!)

And that’s it for the show.

First up, the shootout. Tiff and Jason take out the new BMW Z4 and the Porsche Boxster S on the track as a tribute to their first shootout segment featuring older versions of these same cars. The first challenge is to powerslide between two boxes. Score: 2-2 for both Jason in the Z4 and Tiff in the Boxster. Next is a one-lap race. The Z4 had advantages pulling up/away on the exits with its torque while the Boxster pulled away in the straights. All-around the Boxster S proves to be the superior car.

The next segment features the government’s scrapping scheme where Brits can trade in their old clunkers for 2000 pounds off the cost of a new car. This effort both helps boost car sales and get old guzzlers and belchers off the road. The requirements are: 1) car is taxed, 2) MOT test, 3) registered on your name, and 4) own the car at least a year. Tim accompanies a regular person to try to trade-in deal which only took away 200 pounds off. Tim then tries to phone dealers and even got more off the car with a bit of negotiations.

Tom’s next with the Peugeot 308 CC and the Volkswagen Eos cabrio in the It’s-New-But-is-It-Any-Good segment. The car goes through 3 tests. First: space. Tom tries to sit all over the the 308. The front’s nice but is a bit cramped at the back. Next: boot space. The VW is okay all over. As for the boot space, the VW gets beating by a pack of water bottles. Finally: comfort. The 308 gets a bit less ambient noise from the outside. Tom’s verdict: Eos is much better as a car in aspects outside the tests.

Next up, Tiff takes out the 370Z which doesn’t have his peeves (crossbeam in the trunk and plasticky console) with the car’s predecessor – 350Z. The car’s limited to 155 mph but the car packs 326 hp enabling 0-100 kph in only 5.4 seconds. Handling-wise Tiff deems the car more refined than the 350Z. Tiff loves the rev-synchro mode that auto-blips the revs on downshifts eliminating the need for heel-and-toe.

The next segment features Ross Noble meets Dougie Lampkin playing around with motorbikes. Dougie tries to whip Ross into a bike daredevil. Ross takes four lessons and wrapping the whole session out with a timed obstacle course. Amazingly, Ross nailed it. On a side note, it’s weird that Fifth Gear can feature one of the world’s top comics and still be boring.

Jonny’s up next with the cheap alternative to the Porsche Boxster. His choice – the Toyota MR2 targa. Three tips: 1) Check the targa lining for leaks. 2) Rust especially in the rear wheel well. 3) Finally, the gearbox, especially 5th gear. Take it out, take it to 5th gear and check if the shifter pops out.

Finally, the show wraps things up with a tribute to the Italian Job – a movie that featured the original Mini Cooper chase scenes. Jason, Vicki, and Tiff were up. Challenge 1: chicken-picking handbrake turn. Vicki cheats by getting Russ as her muscle to pull the lever. Winner: Vicki. Challenge 2: Driving the Minis into a transporter. Outcome: They all made it.

And that’s it for the show.