''Fifth Gear'' is a British motoring television magazine series on Discovery+. It is a continuation of the ''Fifth Gear'' format originally broadcast on Channel 5 from 2002 to 2011, afterwards moving to

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

in 2012, and then in 2015 to

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

. Since its return in 2018, it has been broadcast on free-to-air channel

Quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of ev ...

. The show is currently presented by Vicki Butler-Henderson, Rory Reid, Karun Chandhok and

Jason Plato Timothy Jason Plato (born 14 October 1967) is a British racing driver who last competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) for BTC Racing. He has twice been BTCC Champion, in 2001 for Vauxhall and 2010 for Silverline Chevrolet. ...

with Grace Webb and engineer Jimmy de Ville also involved in reports. Its former presenters include Jonny Smith, former racing driver

Tiff Needell Timothy "Tiff" Needell (born 29 October 1951 in Havant, Hampshire) is a British racing driver and television presenter. He is a presenter of '' Lovecars'', and formerly served as co-presenter of '' Top Gear'' and '' Fifth Gear''. Biography ...

and Car SOS host Tim Shaw. It was relaunched as an electric cars format in 2021 as ''Fifth Gear Recharged''. ''Fifth Gear'' was first broadcast on 8 April 2002 as ''5th Gear'', and as a continuation of the original incarnation of the BBC show '' Top Gear'', which was cancelled in 2001. ''Top Gear'' was relaunched later that year; Channel 5 originally wanted to carry on using the ''Top Gear'' name, but the BBC refused as it still operated the ''Top Gear'' magazine. Several of ''Top Gear's'' ex-presenters, including Quentin Willson, Tiff Needell, and Vicki Butler-Henderson, were hired by Channel 5 to present the series. The show's name was restyled as ''Fifth Gear'' in 2005. Needell announced the show's second cancellation on 24 May 2016. On 14 June 2018, Needell announced on his official Twitter account that he had been doing some filming work for a new series of Fifth Gear which aired in September 2018 on

, but by 2019 had left the show to join Lovecars.com and their

ITV4 ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a line-up that consists of sports, cult classi ...

programme ''On the Road''. Repeats of ''Fifth Gear'' also started being broadcast on

UKTV UKTV Media Limited, simply known as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through ...

channel

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

in April 2008 and later on

Discovery Turbo Discovery Turbo (previously known as Discovery Turbo MAX in Australia) is a pay television channel devoted to programming about transport. It is similar to Discovery Velocity and Motor Trend. It was also briefly available as an on-demand service ...

, with early episodes of the show being streamed '24/7' via the British feed of

Pluto TV Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported video streaming service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Co-founded by Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in Los Angeles, California, in the United S ...

in 2019.

Format

The first seven series consisted of a 23-minute programme, not including approximately 7 minutes of adverts. The eighth series returned in the autumn of 2005 in a longer format of 45 minutes, and the ninth series (which went to a 13-week run) was increased to a one-hour airtime slot (approximately 46 minutes excluding adverts). For series 17, the show had reverted to the original format of 23 minutes, which including adverts takes the show to half an hour. In Series 21, the show reverted to the previous one-hour airtime slot.

Locations

At the start of series 10, the show introduced between-feature links filmed at the Ace Cafe in London. In previous series, these links were filmed at the production company offices in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

. Originally produced by

Chrysalis A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

Television, the Birmingham offices were situated on the top floor of the headquarters of 100.7 Heart FM (also, at that time, a Chrysalis Radio company), near Birmingham's Five Ways area. The team moved out when Chrysalis sold its television division to

All3Media All3Media Limited is a British worldwide independent television, film and digital production and distribution company based in London, England. The All3Media group comprises more than 40 production and distribution companies from across the U ...

in September 2003 (the section which later produced Fifth Gear is now known as North One Television, part of the All3Media group). In series 14, a location change from the Ace Cafe meant link sequences were filmed instead at the

Millbrook Proving Ground Millbrook Proving Ground is an English vehicle testing centre located at Millbrook, Bedfordshire. One of the largest vehicle testing centres in Europe, it is near to the M1 motorway, M1 and Bedford. History Modelled on the General Motors Proving G ...

, along with some of the vehicle testing features.

Presenter line-up

(2002–16, 2018) * Vicki Butler-Henderson (2002–16, 2018–present) * Jonny Smith (2006–16, 2018–2019) *

(2004–14, 2018–present) *

Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and dire ...

(2002–09) * Adrian Simpson (2002–06) * Quentin Willson (2002–04) * Rory Reid (2021–present) ;Short-lived stints In 2005, the show's producer, Jon Bentley, also became a part-time presenter for a year before he went back to being solely the producer. Tim Lovejoy was hired in September 2006 for series 9 and 10. In August 2008, Tim Shaw became a presenter on the show for series 14. In October 2010, Ben Collins, formerly ''

The Stig The Stig is a character from the British motoring television show '' Top Gear''. Created by former ''Top Gear'' presenter Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman, the character is a play on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, ...

'' on BBC's '' Top Gear'', came to ''Fifth Gear'' for series 18.

Shoot-outs

''Fifth Gear'' claimed to be 'world renowned' for its 'infamous' shoot-outs, between similarly priced, similarly powerful cars, or, recently, cars versus bikes. These shoot outs took place at the

Anglesey Circuit The Anglesey Circuit ( cy, Trac Môn) is a motor racing circuit located in Ty Croes, Anglesey, Wales. It plays host to a variety of motorsport events including car racing, motorcycle racing, car sprints, stage rallies and drifting. It open ...

on the Isle of

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a Local government in Wales, principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strai ...

close to

Aberffraw Aberffraw is a village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey ( cy, Ynys Môn), in Wales, by the west bank of the Afon Ffraw (Ffraw River). The community includes Soar and Dothan. Located near the A4080 and the nearest ...

. During the refurbishment of Anglesey, shoot-outs were switched to

Castle Combe Circuit Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit is based on the perimeter track of a former World War II airfield, and was opened for racing in 1950. History The Castle Combe a ...

2002 (Series 1 and 2)

* Ford Focus RS vs.

Honda Civic The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Hond ...

Type-R vs.

Seat León The SEAT León (), also spelled Leon in some other languages (named after the city of León, Spain, León, which also means "Lion" in Spanish), is a hatchback compact car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since October 1999.ETKA The fi ...

Cupra R

2003 (Series 3 and 4)

BMW Z4 (E85) The first generation of the BMW Z4 consists of the BMW E85 (roadster version) and BMW E86 (coupe version) sports cars. The E85/E86 generation was produced from 2002 to 2008. The E85/E86 replaced the Z3 and is the third model in the BMW Z Seri ...

3.0i vs. Porsche Boxster * Radical SR3 vs.

Ariel Atom The Ariel Atom is a road-legal high performance open-wheel car made by the British Ariel Motor Company based in Crewkerne, Somerset, England, and under license in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in A ...

Nissan 350Z : The Nissan 350Z (known as Nissan Fairlady Z (Z33) in Japan) is a two-door, two-seater sports car that was manufactured by Nissan Motor Corporation from 2002 until 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered pro ...

vs. Audi TT 3.2 Quattro *

BMW M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial mo ...

CSL vs.

2004 (Series 5 and 6)

Citroën C2 The Citroën C2 is a supermini that was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën, with production starting August 2003. It replaced the Citroën Saxo and was built at the Aulnay plant, on the outskirts of Paris. The Citroën C2 was disconti ...

GT vs.

Ford SportKa The Ford Ka is a small car manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1996 to 2016 as a city car and from 2016 to 2021 as a subcompact car. It entered its second generation in 2008, produced by Fiat in Tychy, Poland. A third generation was introduc ...

Ford Transit The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo i ...

125 T280 vs.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle (van) built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodg ...

213CDI *

Škoda Fabia The Škoda Fabia is a supermini car produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It is the successor of the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001. The Fabia was available in hatchback, estate (named Fabia Combi) and saloon ...

vRS TDi vs.

Mini Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to: *Cars of the original Mini series called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000 *Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced ...

Lotus Elise The Lotus Elise is a two-seat, rear-wheel drive, mid-engined roadster conceived in early 1994 and released in September 1996 by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars. The Elise has a fibreglass body shell atop its bonded extruded aluminium chass ...

111R vs.

Vauxhall VX220 The Opel Speedster is a mid-engined, targa-topped, two-seat sports car sold by German automaker Opel and introduced in July 2000. It was built in both RHD and LHD versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. It was presen ...

Turbo

2005 (Series 7 and 8)

Ducati 999 The Ducati 999 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2003 to 2006. It superseded the Massimo Tamburini designed Ducati 916, Ducati 996 and Ducati 998 range of superbikes. This motorcycle enjoyed great success in World Superbike, and was raced ...

vs.

Lamborghini Gallardo The Lamborghini Gallardo (; ) is a sports car built by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is Lamborghini's second car released under parent company Audi, and List of best-selling automobiles, best-selling model ...

Type-R vs. Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup * Vauxhall Monaro VXR vs. MG ZT260 *

MINI Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to: *Cars of the original Mini series called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000 *Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced ...

S Convertible vs. Smart Brabus Roadster Coupe *

Mosler MT900 The Mosler MT900 is a sports car that was built in the United States and the United Kingdom by Mosler Automotive. Three submodels were produced. The MT900R was a racing version of the MT900. The basic car was updated as the MT900S for 2005, with ...

S vs.

* Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG vs. Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG *

BMW X5 The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second genera ...

4.8is vs.

Porsche Cayenne The Porsche Cayenne is a series of mid-size luxury crossover sport utility vehicles manufactured by the German automaker Porsche since 2002 (Type 9PA or E1), with North American sales beginning in 2003. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built ...

S *

Noble M400 A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Grea ...

vs. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ-400 *

Porsche 911 Carrera The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and orig ...

S vs.

Lotus Exige The Lotus Exige is a British two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars since 2000. Originally a more-hardcore coupé version of the Lotus Elise roadster, since the Series 3 the Exige has been the larger-engined model of the family - us ...

240R *

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versio ...

GSR vs.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official vers ...

FQ-320 * Westfield XTR4 vs.

Suzuki GSXR1000 The Suzuki GSX-R1000 is a supersport motorcycle made by Suzuki. It was introduced in 2001 to replace the GSX-R1100 and is powered by a liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder, four-stroke engine although originally from 2001 to 2004. History 20 ...

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...

ST150 vs.

Mitsubishi Colt The Mitsubishi Colt is a nameplate from Mitsubishi Motors that has been applied to a number of automobiles since 1962. It was first introduced with a series of kei and subcompact cars in the 1960s, and then for the export version of the subcom ...

CZT *

Mazda RX-8 The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda between 2002 and 2012. It was first shown in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show#2001, North American International Auto Show. It is the success ...

vs. Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 V6 *

vs. Audi TT Sport Quattro 240 * Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG vs.

Jaguar XJ The Jaguar XJ is a series of full-size luxury cars produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars (becoming Jaguar Land Rover in 2013) from 1968 to 2019. It was produced across five basic platform generations (debuting in 1968, 1986, ...

R *

Subaru Legacy The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was s ...

3.0 R spec. B Sports Tourer vs. Volvo V50 T5 SE AWD *

Lancia Delta The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia in three generations. The first generation (1979-1994) debuted at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the second generation (1993-1999) debuted at the 1993 Gene ...

Integrale vs.

e30.

2006 (Series 9 and 10)

* 2006

Mazda MX-5 The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger Roadster (automobile), roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout#Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engine, rear-wheel-driv ...

vs.

MkI * Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type-UK vs.

Subaru Forester The is a compact crossover SUV that has been manufactured by Subaru since 1997. The first generation was built on the platform of the Impreza in the style of a taller station wagon, a style that continued to the second generation, while the th ...

STi *

Vauxhall Astra The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car/ small family car ( C-segment) that has been sold by Vauxhall since 1980. It is currently produced at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. For its first two generations, the nameplate was applied to right- ...

VXR vs.

Ford Focus The Ford Focus is a compact car ( C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The ...

ST * Mercedes-Benz A200T vs. Toyota Corolla Verso T180 *

BMW M6 The BMW M6 is a high-performance version of the 6 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand from 1983 to 2018 (with a break from 1990 to 2004). Introduced in the coupe body style, the M6 was also built in convertible and fastback sedan ('Gran ...

vs.

BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a high performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports sedan category. The majority of M5s have been produced in the sedan (saloon) body style, but in s ...

Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an earlier model produced between 1959 and 1971. Four generations of the modern-era Octavia model have ...

vRS vs.

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/ small family car ( C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various namepla ...

GTI *

R32 vs. BMW 130i M Sport *

Nissan Navara The Nissan Navara is a nameplate used for Nissan pickup trucks with D21, D22, D40 and D23 model codes. The nameplate has been used in Australia, New Zealand, Central America, South America, Asia, Europe, and South Africa. In North, Central an ...

vs. Mitsubishi L200 * Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR FQ-360 vs. Stunt Plane

2007 (Series 11 and 12)

* Renaultsport Clio 197 vs. Vauxhall Corsa VXR *

vs.

Suzuki Swift Sport The is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by Suzuki. The vehicle is classified as a B-segment marque in the European single market, a segment referred to as a supermini in the British Isles. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been a ...

* White van Megane shoot-out: Renaultsport Megane 230 F1 Team R26 vs. Ford Transit Connect X-press * Hire car shoot-out: Vauxhall Astra 1.6 vs. Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec * BMW 335i vs. Audi S5 *

Honda Civic Type R The is a series of high-performance hatchback/ sedan models based on the Civic, developed and produced by Honda since September 1997. The first Civic Type R was the third model to receive Honda's Type R badge (after the NSX and Integra). Ty ...

(UK specification) vs. Honda Civic Type R (Japanese specification) * Audi TT 2.0T S-tronic vs. Audi TT 2.0T manual *

Ford Gran Torino The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin (''Torino'', in Italian), consid ...

vs.

Dodge Charger The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over seven generations since 1966. The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version. The Charger ha ...

2008 (Series 13)

* Week 1: Lotus Exige S 240 vs. Caterham CSR 260 Superlight * Week 2: Renaultsport Clio 197 vs. Rage Buggy R180RT * Week 3: Vauxhall VXR8 vs. Lotus Carlton * Week 4: VW Transporter Sportline vs. Mercedes-Benz Vito X * Week 5: Fiat Panda 100HP vs. Renault Twingo GT * Week 6: Mini One vs. Fiat 500 1.4 * Week 7: Ford Fiesta ST vs. Vauxhall Corsa SRi * Week 8: Porsche Cayenne GTS vs. BMW X5 4.8i * Week 9: Volkswagen GTI vs.

Subaru Impreza WRX The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Leone, with the predecessor's EA series engines replaced by the new EJ series. It is now in its sixth gen ...

* Week 10:

Ford Escort RS Cosworth The Ford Escort RS Cosworth is a rally version homologation special of the fifth generation European Ford Escort. It was designed to qualify as a Group A car for the World Rally Championship, in which it competed between 1993 and 1998. It was ...

vs. Ford Focus RS

2009 (Series 14)

* Week 1: Mitsubishi Evo X FQ300 vs Subaru Impreza WRX STi * Week 2:

* Week 3:

Volkswagen Passat R36 The Volkswagen Passat (B6 & B7) is a front-engine D-segment large family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 2005 to 2010 (B6) and from 2010 to 2015 (B7, facelift). Respectively the six and seventh generation Passat, and internally ...

vs Audi A4 3.0 TDI * Week 4: Honda Civic Mugen RR vs

Honda S2000 The Honda S2000 is an open top sports car that was manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda, from 1999 until 2009. First shown as a concept car called the SSM at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, the production version was launched on ...

* Week 5: Vauxhall Astra Nurburgring vs

Ford Focus ST The Ford Focus is a compact car ( C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. T ...

* Week 7:

MCW Metrobus The MCW Metrobus is a two and three-axle double-decker bus manufactured by Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) between 1977 and 1989, with over 4,000 built. The original MkI was superseded by the MkII which had a symmetrical windscreen with an arched ...

2010 (Series 17)

* Week 1: Ford Focus RS vs Renault Mégane Renault Sport vs VW Scirocco R * Week 3: Citroën DS3 DSport vs. Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf * Week 4: Nissan 370Z Roadster vs. BMW Z4 * Week 6: Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (525 hp) vs.

Audi RS6 The Audi RS 6 is a high-performance variant of the Audi A6 range, produced by the high-performance subsidiary company Audi Sport GmbH, for its parent company Audi AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, from 2002 onwards. The first and se ...

* Week 8:

Peugeot RCZ The Peugeot RCZ is a 2+2 sports coupé designed and marketed by PSA Group under the Peugeot marque and assembled by Magna Steyr between 2009 and 2015. It debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009. History The vehicle was showcased as the 30 ...

vs.

Volkswagen Scirocco The Volkswagen Scirocco is a three-door, front-engine, front-wheel-drive, sport compact hatchback manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen in two generations from 1974 to 1992 and a third generation from 2008 until 2017. Production ended without ...

* Week 9:

Volkswagen Golf R The Volkswagen Golf (Mk7) is a small family car ( C-segment) produced by German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, as the seventh generation of the Golf and the successor to the Golf Mk6. It was introduced in Berlin on 4 September 2012, before ...

vs. SEAT León Cupra R

2010 (Series 18)

* Week 1:

Competition Pack vs. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Development Pack * Week 2:

Porsche Cayman Cayman may refer to * Cayman Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom ** Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, or Little Cayman, three islands that are part of the Cayman Islands * , a British frigate in service with the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1 ...

vs.

Lotus Evora The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name ''Project Eagle'', was launched on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Evora S was launched i ...

* Week 4: BMW 320d vs. Alpina D3 BiTurbo * Week 6:

Audi S4 The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s since 1997 have been based on th ...

vs. Vauxhall Insignia VXR * Week 9:

Honda CR-Z The Honda CR-Z is a sport compact hybrid electric automobile manufactured by Honda and marketed as a "sport hybrid coupe." The CR-Z combines a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain with traditional sports car elements, including a 2+2 seating ...

vs. Citroen DS3 HDi

2011 (Series 19)

* Week 1: BMW 535d M Sport vs. Jaguar XF diesel S * Week 2:

Aston Martin Virage The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 199 ...

GTS, Citroen DS3. Tiff tries to break a record in a 911. Jason reviews a Saab 9–5. * Week 3: Ferrari FF, BMW 535D M-Sport, Jaguar XF,

Nissan Micra The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982. The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan J ...

. Jason goes drag racing in Abu Dhabi. * Week 4:

Nissan GTR The Nissan GT-R (Japanese: 日産・GT-R, ''Nissan GT-R''), is a high-performance sports car and grand tourer produced by Nissan, unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Skyline GT-R, a high performance variant of the Nissan Skyline. A ...

vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S * Week 5:

vs. Lotus Evora S * Week 6:

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (C197 / R197) is a front mid-engine, 2-seater, limited production grand tourer developed by the Mercedes-AMG division of German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, with the assistance of David Coulthard. The car is ...

, Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, Lexus CT200h. Tiff and Jason race in hovercraft. * Week 7: BMW 1 M,

Titanium,

Jaguar E-Type The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd between 1961 and 1974. Its combination of beauty, high performance, and competitive pricing established the ...

, Allard J2X * Week 8: McLaren MP4-12C vs.

Ferrari 458 Italia The Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) is a mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari. The F458 is the successor of the F430, and was first officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was succeeded by the 488 GTB (Gran Turismo Ber ...

* Week 9: Lamborghini Gallardo Performante,

Volkswagen Phaeton The Volkswagen Phaeton ( ) (''Typ'' 3D) is a full-size car, full-size luxury car, luxury sedan (automobile), sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. I ...

Porsche Cayman R The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are Mid-engine design, mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater Roadster (automobile), roadster (Boxst ...

, Smart Roadster, Audi A2 TDi,

Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its ...

. Jonny shows us 3 of the cheapest to run cars in existence. * Week 10:

GTS, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Piaggo MP3 Yourban (three wheeled scooter). Highlights from the last 10 years.

2011 (Series 20)

* Week 1: The presenters conduct a crash test. They also compare two of the most powerful Jaguars ever made. They also take a look at the Range Rover Evoque. * Week 2: Tiff chats to British rally driver Mark Higgins. The presenters take a look at a new Mercedes convertible. Vicki races a new

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

around

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

. Jonny begins a journey of a lifetime in a very unlikely car. * Week 3: Tiff test drives the Lamborghini's new Aventador hypercar. Vicki makes her way through Italy's snowy mountain roads in Mini's brand new coupe. Jonny finds out about vehicle wrapping. * Week 4: Vicki makes her way to Italy to drive a new convertible version of the Ferrari 458. Tiff takes part in a shootout between two ultra-powerful coupes. The team test drive the most economical car available. * Week 5: Tiff takes a look at the last ever Porsche 911. Vicki travels to Portugal where she takes on the role of a beach lifeguard in a brand new VW pick-up truck. Jonny attempts to make Renault's battery powered car go as far as possible on one charge. * Week 6: Jonny finds the best driving road in the world. Vicki takes the new VW Amarok pick-up for a test drive on a beach in Portugal. The driving skills of Roy Keane are tested by Tiff at the

Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around the village a ...

. The presenters take a look at the new

Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

. * Week 7: Tiff takes a drive through France's

Champagne region The wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France is best known for the production of champagne, the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the ter ...

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated ...

's newest convertible. Vicki is the umpire in a race between two England cricket stars. Jonny takes a look at two off-road bargains to help see us through the winter. * Week 8: The presenters get the chance to drive the latest version of the Jeep. Cricket legend Jimmy Anderson is put through his paces around the gruelling

race track by Tiff. * Week 9: Vicki drives through the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

in the new

. Jonny travels to

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

to take a look at the

Seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

's new city car. Tiff is joined by rally driver Mark Higgins to test drive Renault's new hatchback. * Week 10: Jonny takes a look at some exciting cars at the

LA Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual auto show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December. The LA Auto Show is an OICA sanctioned international exhibition. It is open to the public for ten days each year, filling of exhibi ...

Ian Botham Ian Terence Botham, Baron Botham, (born 24 November 1955) is an English cricket commentator, member of the House of Lords, a former cricketer who has been chairman of Durham County Cricket Club since 2017 and charity fundraiser. Hailed as on ...

is taught how to drive around the legendary

racing track. Vicki learns some evasive driving techniques from the police who chauffeur the Royal Family.

2012 (Series 21)

* Week 1: Tiff tests the

Porsche 911 Carrera S The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and origi ...

. Jonny Smith gets a high-speed truck rally driving lesson and the team also test a

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...

. Jason invites

Suzi Perry Suzi Perry (born 3 May 1970) is a British television presenter, currently covering MotoGP for BT Sport. She is best known for covering MotoGP for the BBC for 13 years, '' The Gadget Show'' on Channel 5 for 8 years and the BBC's Formula One co ...

to test, if you tweak ECU, change tyres etc. have better time. Vicki is on a mission to refill during driving. * Week 2: Jason and Tiff test Mercedes SLS AMG against an Aston Martin, a Jaguar and a Bentley. Johnny goes to Sweden to drive new Audi A1 quattro with

Stig Blomqvist Stig Lennart Blomqvist (born 29 July 1946) is a retired Swedish rally driver. He made his international breakthrough in 1971. Driving an Audi Quattro for the Audi factory team, Blomqvist won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1984 an ...

. * Week 3: Vicki tests the dynamic performance management system in the Lotus Exige S against ex-Lotus F1 driver

Karun Chandhok Karun Chandhok (born 19 January 1984) is an Indian racing driver and television presenter who last competed in Formula E for Mahindra Racing. Previously, Chandhok has competed for Hispania Racing in Formula One in . Before this, he drove in t ...

. Tiff conducts an investigation into the advantages of electronic stability control (ESC) and Jonny Smith recommends some used cars with ESC fitted as standard. Team test of the

Suzuki Swift The is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by Suzuki. The vehicle is classified as a B-segment marque in the European single market, a segment referred to as a supermini in the British Isles. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been ...

Sport. Jonny tests sat-navs at three price levels. Vicki attends the Monaco Motor Show and drives the

Fisker Karma The Fisker Karma is a luxury vehicle, luxury plug-in Range extender (vehicle), range-extended electric sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive in 2012. The cars were manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland. The United States Environm ...

on the Grand Prix track as well as a Hunton XRS 43 powerboat. * Week 4: Tiff takes to the Italian F1 circuit in the hope of qualifying for the Lamborghini Series, and the team reports whether different types of petrol affect a car's performance. * Week 5: Team test: Mini Cooper convertible. Tiff tries drifting with new

Bentley Continental GT The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the fi ...

. Vicki goes to

Gordon Murray Ian Gordon Murray (born 18 June 1946 in Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in ...

's home to see his history of designing and presents his first electric car, the T27. Jason goes to

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

to drive formula off-road with 2009 champion Hafsteinn Thorvaldsson. Jonny learns how to wash a Rolls-Royce Ghost EWB. * Week 6: Tiff celebrates the

Ferrari F40 The Ferrari F40 (''tipo'' F120) is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car engineered by Nicola Materazzi with styling by Pininfarina. It was built from 1987 until 1992, with the LM and GTE race car versions continuing production until 1994 ...

's 25th birthday, Jason pits the Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series against its BMW rival and Vicki drives a new Land Rover. * Week 7: Jonny takes a behind-the-scenes look at the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing ...

motorcycle race with John McGuinness, and the Subaru BRZ sports car is tested around the circuit. Tiff searches for his top three car racing games, Vicki tests the Renault Twizy, and the team test the

Ecoboost 1.0 to see if it's more powerful than the 1.6 version. * Week 8: Jonny examines the new

Ferrari California The Ferrari California (Type F149) is a grand touring, high performance sports car created by the Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. It is a two-door 2+2 hard top convertible. When originally unveiled in 2008, the California was powered b ...

, while Vicki explores the world of motorbike speedway in Denmark. * Week 9: Jonny heads to Sweden for an American car show, Tiff tests the KTM X-Bow R trackday car, Jason explores affordable ways to upgrade a car stereo for better sound, and Vicki relives her

karting Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...

memories with a race.

2013 (Series 22)

* Week 1: Vicki in the new Porsche Boxster S against a jet plane, Tiff tests the difference between used and new tyres. Jonny goes to

Trollstigen Trollstigen (or trollstigvegen; en, The troll path) is a serpentine mountain road and pass in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of Norwegian County Road 63 that connects the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma and the v ...

to test

ST. Jason tests

Audi S8 The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car of the Audi S models produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. The S8 is the mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted st ...

. * Week 2: Jason tests the brand new Pagani Huayra, Tiff tests the new

Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and ori ...

cabriolet to find out if it's quicker than the Audi R8 Spyder. Vicki tests a super car off roader. Johny reveals the three classic cars that could be a better investment than gold. * Week 3: Vicki in the brand new

Porsche Panamera The Porsche Panamera is a mid/ full-sized luxury car ( E-segment/ F-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across two generations using a front-engine, rear or all-wheel drive configuration. ...

GTS against the all-new Mercedes CLS 63, both cars are tested to the limit. Jason tests a brand new supercar made in the Netherlands. Johny spends a night in the Swiss alps to demonstrate how your car can keep you alive. Tiff tests the Frontline MG LE50. * Week 4: Tiff and rally driver

Kris Meeke Kris Meeke (born 2 July 1979) is a Northern Irish professional rally driver, best known for competing in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). He was the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion. His co-driver is Seb Marshall, also B ...

find the ultimate hot hatch ( VW Golf GTI vs Renault Sport Megane vs Ford Focus ST vs Astra VXR), Vicki is in Germany to test the Audi RS 4, Jonny finds out how the world's most powerful simulator has become F1's secret weapon. Jason reveals the ultimate secondhand sports car you can buy on a budget. * Week 5: Jonny jumps into the world of professional drifting, the team test the Audi S7 to the extreme, Vicki takes part in a world record attempt: the largest parade of Ferraris, Tiff tests filling tyres with nitrogen and Jason tests the new Mercedes SL. * Week 6: Vicki races rally driver

Andreas Mikkelsen Andreas Mikkelsen (born 22 June 1989) is a Norwegian rally driver. He is currently competing in the World Rally Championship-2 for Toksport World Rally Team. He previously drove for the factory teams of Volkswagen, Citroën and Hyundai in the W ...

in three speed challenges, Jason tests the new

, Tiff finds out what the ultimate small car is and Jonny shows the essential DIY skills that will allow you to save money. * Week 7: Vicki tests the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Jonny attempts to become the fastest drag race passenger, Tiff and Jason race each other in a dog fight find to find out which of the latest entry level hot hatches is the greatest, and the team test the latest car safety systems. * Week 8: Vicki visits

Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...

headquarters in Italy and tests the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale, Jonny tests the modern-day Morgan three-wheeler, while Jason looks for the best

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limit ...

gadget to use while driving together with Suzi Perry. * Week 9: Tiff takes on

Sabine Schmitz Sabine Schmitz (; 14 May 1969 – 16 March 2021) was a German professional motor racing driver and television personality. Born in Adenau to a family in the hotel and catering business, and raised in one of the villages nestled within the Nür ...

in a battle between the Porsche 911 and the BMW M6, Jason tests the new Morgan Plus 8, Vicki goes off-road with the latest version of the Range Rover Evoque and Jonny is in the lab to test fuel saving gadgets.

2013 (Series 23)

* Week 1: Tiff and Jason test the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, the

Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...

V10 Spyder and the Maserati GranCabrio to the limit to find out which is the best super cabrio on the market, the team test the new Range Rover Autobiography, Vicki races the BMW M135i against world super bike rider

Chaz Davies Chaz Davies (born 10 February 1987 in Knighton, Powys, Wales), is a former motorcycle racer who announced his retirement from competition in September 2021. For 2022, Davies is to become a rider-coach working with Ducati and Feel Racing, mento ...

on the BMW HP4 and Jonny drives 1000 km in Europe's cheapest car, the Dacia Sandero. * Week 2: Vicki and Tiff go head to head with the Renault Sport Megane 265 vs the Toyota GT86. Jason turns car doctor for the day as he tries to bring a tired engine back to full health. Jonny tests the Jaguar F-Type in Spain. The team test the Mazda6. * Week 3: Tiff tests the McLaren 12C Spider, Jonny investigates the secret world of crash testing, the team test the brand new

, Jason and Finnish double world champion rally driver

Marcus Grönholm Marcus Ulf Johan Grönholm (born February 5, 1968) is a Finnish former rally and rallycross driver, being part of a family of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland lineage. His son, Niclas Grönholm, is an upcoming FIA World Rallycross Ch ...

pitch two brand new Porsche Caymans head-to-head in an automatic vs manual gearbox battle. * Week 4: Tiff is in Los Angeles to reveal the latest petrol head craze: "Restomodding" and tests Magnus Walker's 1972 Porsche 911 STR, an Icon

Toyota Land Cruiser The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...

FJ, and a Singer Porsche 911, Jason tests the new Aston Martin Vanquish with Brazilian racing driver

Bruno Senna Bruno Senna Lalli (, born 15 October 1983) is a Brazilian professional racing driver. He is the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, three-time Formula One world champion. He is also the first man to win a race in every WEC class, and was the 2017 W ...

, Vicki tests the latest safety gadgets: dashboard cameras and the team test the brand new

Mercedes-Benz A-Class The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in ...

. * Week 5: Jason and Tiff test three brand new hot hatches: the Renault Sport Clio 200, the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Ford Fiesta ST, Vicki tests the new Donkervoort D8 GTO, the team test the brand new Jaguar XF Sportbreak, Jonny is at Bentley's HQ and tests the Bentley Mulsanne. * Week 6: Tiff and

test the Caterham 7 Supersport R, the Morgan three-wheeler and the

3.5. Jason tests the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, Vicki competes in a track day with a

Peugeot 205 GTi Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then ...

and the team test the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Team Test

In Series 19, a new segment was introduced, called the Team Test. This is where

Tiff Tag Image File Format, abbreviated TIFF or TIF, is an image file format for storing raster graphics images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and photographers. TIFF is widely supported by scanning, faxing, word processin ...

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek mythology, mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was marri ...

, Jonny and

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria (name), Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901 ...

all did a group test on an important new car. They all scored the car out of 10, and added their scores together to get the score for the car.

2009 cancellation and return

Channel 5 executives had been quoted as saying, "Five is proud of Fifth Gear's contribution to the channel but after 16 series, feels it's time to try something new." On 27 November 2009,

Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes ''Top Gear'' and ''The Grand Tour'' alongside Rich ...

mentioned on ''

The Chris Moyles Show ''The Chris Moyles Show'' is the title given to two differing versions of a radio programme hosted by Chris Moyles, originally broadcast as Radio 1 Breakfast from 5 January 2004 to 14 September 2012 before transferring three years later on 2 ...

'' that it was a shame that ''Fifth Gear'' had been cancelled. In late December 2009, however, presenter Jonny Smith suggested via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that the show could return for another series early in 2010. On 8 January 2010, Smith tweeted: "Fifth Gear IS coming back!", and in his next tweet, he said "Wow, such quick responses! Basically, we all know there's room for two car TV shows. FG will simply be a reviews based visual car magazine."

also tweeted saying "Home to the news that, after much negotiating Fifth Gear looks like it will after all be returning to your screens sometime in the Spring!" and also hinted the show will have a new format in his next tweet "Glad so many of you are delighted by the Fifth Gear news — and, yes the format will be moving away from the stupid ... but still having fun!" On 17 January 2010, Vicki Butler-Henderson and

confirmed at the Autosport International Show that ''Fifth Gear'' will be returning in Spring 2010. The pair featured a car shootout in ''Fifth Gear'' style in the live arena show and said several times to the audience that the show would be back on air in Spring and to ignore the cancellation rumours. The series started on 3 June 2010. The series ran for 10 episodes and the first one had

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...

as a guest. On 1 October 2010, it was announced that Ben Collins (who played the original White Stig on ''Top Gear'') would join the show.

Second cancellation and return

On 14 May 2016, Tiff Needell announced the cancellation of ''Fifth Gear'' following its last episode repeat airing on

. Following a three year hiatus, Needell announced the show's return on 14 June 2018, having started filming for a new series to be aired in September 2018 on the

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discover ...

-operated

TV channel. Fifth Gear is now being broadcast in the United States on the MotorTrend channel. Season 27 started on February 15 (episode 2, but episodes 1 and 3 are scheduled on Feb. 22nd).

''Fifth Gear Recharged''

In 2021, the show was relaunched as an electric car show under the amended title of ''Fifth Gear Recharged''. Former ''Top Gear'' presenter Rory Reid, joined the presenting team of Vicky Butler Henderson, Jason Plato and Karun Chandhok (with the former Formula One driver and Sky F1 pundit now being part of the core presenting team and not a guest), while consumer journalist Grace Webb and engineer Jimmy de Ville will contribute to the show in guest roles (Jonny Smith has left the series to present ''The Late Brake Show'' webshow). As well as testing purely electric cars such as the Cupra Born,

Hyundai Ioniq 5 The Hyundai Ioniq 5 ( ko, 현대 아이오닉 5) is a battery electric compact crossover SUV produced by Hyundai. It is the first product to be marketed under the electric cars-focused Ioniq sub-brand, and the first model developed on the Hyu ...

, Polestar 2 and ATAE Munro Mark 1, the show will also feature hybrids such as the Peugeot 508 PSE.

Episodes

The ''Fifth Gear'' Awards

Each year for a few series, the programme gives out various ''

Car of the Year Car of the Year (COTY) is a common abbreviation for numerous automotive awards. The "Car of the Year" phrase is considered to have been introduced by ''Motor Trend'' magazine in 1949 when the new publication named Cadillac as Motor Trend Car of the ...

'' type awards:

2004

* Best small car –

BMW 1 series The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars ( C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry level model in BMW range of p ...

* Best family car –

* Best fast car –

* Car of the year –

Volkswagen Golf GTI Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...

2005

* Best small car – Ford Fiesta ST * Best family car –

* Best fast car –

* Car of the year – Porsche Boxster

2006

* Best small car – Mini Cooper S * Best family car –

Ford S-Max The Ford S-Max (stylized as Ford S-MAX) was a car produced by Ford Europe for the European market. A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), Ford also describes the S-Max as an SAV (sports activity vehicle). Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the ...

* Best fast car – Chevrolet Corvette Z06 * Car of the year – Audi TT

2007

* Best small car –

Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 ( it, Cinquecento, ) is a rear-engined, four-seat, small city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975 over a single generation in two-door saloon and two-door station wagon bodystyles. La ...

* Best family car –

Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...

* Best fast car –

* Car of the year – Audi R8

Comparison with ''Top Gear''

''Fifth Gear'' is a continuation of the original BBC ''Top Gear''. At its launch, ''Fifth Gear'' had the same format and topics as ''Top Gear'', also with long-time ''Top Gear'' presenters Needell and Willson, as well as Butler-Henderson and Simpson. The '' Top Gear'' reboot however was a drastically different format compared to ''Fifth Gear'' and the old ''Top Gear''. The new ''Top Gear'' has a strong focus on comedy and general entertainment by comparison. ''Fifth Gear'' has been referenced in ''Top Gear'', such as in series 10 after a barn fire damaged ''Top Gear'' property,

satirically claimed that ''Fifth Gear'' "burned our furniture."

Accidents

During recording for Series 12, Episode 7, two accidents took place while on set. * On 27 September 2007,

broke his foot and several toes when he crashed a modified Bedford Rascal van. Tom Ford was recording a piece about

drifting Drifting may refer to: *Drifting (motorsport) *Pipe drift or drifting, measuring a pipe's inner roundness Film * ''Drifting'' (1923 film), a film directed by Tod Browning * ''Drifting'' (1982 film), the first Israeli gay-themed film * ''Drifting'' ...

. He and co-host Jonny Smith were racing each other in a

D1 Grand Prix The , abbreviated as D1GP and subtitled ''Professional Drift'', is a production car drifting series from Japan. After several years of hosting amateur drifting contests, Daijiro Inada, founder of '' Option'' magazine and Tokyo Auto Salon, and d ...

style around a private track. After winning the event, Ford was performing a victory drift that went wrong, put his van (painted to resemble the

A-Team '' The A-Team'' is an NBC television series that aired from 1983 to 1987. The A-Team may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups * The rap/ hip-hop duo, consisting of Aceyalone and Abstract Rude * The Nashville A-Team, a g ...

GMC Van) up on two wheels and into a safety barrier. * On 9 October 2007, BTCC driver

suffered multiple burns when a

Caparo T1 The Caparo T1 is a British mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat automobile that was built by Caparo Vehicle Technologies, founded by design director Ben Scott-Geddes, engineering director Graham Halstead, engineers formerly involved in the d ...

he was driving at Bruntingthorpe proving ground burst into flames.''Plato injured as Caparo T1 bursts into flames''
Crash.net News — Accessed 10 October 2007 The car, capable of , burst into flames at an estimated . Plato said: "There was a slight loss of power, I looked in the mirror and saw some smoke, there was a slight smell of oil and then suddenly there was this intense heat. The car spontaneously erupted into a ball of flames and I was sat in the middle of a fireball." The presenter was initially taken to Market Harborough and District Hospital by former BTCC driver

Phil Bennett Philip Bennett (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanell ...

before being treated at

Kettering General Hospital Kettering General Hospital is an NHS hospital in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is managed by the Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital, which replaced a small local dispensary, was opened after a fun ...

. He later received specialist burns treatment at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The incident was mentioned during ''Top Gear''s discussion of the Caparo T1 the next year. Both accidents were shown on the episode.

International airings

''Fifth Gear'' has been broadcast on the

Speed Channel Speed was an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Fox Sports Media Group division of 21st Century Fox. The network was dedicated to motorsports programming, including auto racing, as well as ...

in the United States for a short period in 2004 to early 2007. It began airing on

Velocity Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity i ...

on Wednesdays after ''

Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers is a British TV series originally produced by Attaboy TV for the Discovery Channel in the UK and for Motor Trend in the U.S. The programme is fronted by car enthusiast and former dealer Mike Brewer with mechanics Edd China (Ser ...

'' as of 3 October 2012. ''Fifth Gear'' began broadcasting in Australia in November 2009, on

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australi ...

free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...

digital channel

7mate 7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010. The channel contains sport and regular programs aimed primarily to a male audience, with programming drawn from a ...

(previously shown on 7Two). ''Fifth Gear'' started Canadian broadcast on

Discovery Channel Canada Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery) is a Canadian specialty television channel owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc. (a joint venture between Bell Media/ ESPN Inc. (80%) and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns the remaini ...

in 2008, beginning with 2006 series. This version ran in half-hour format. ''Fifth Gear'' was also telecasted in Asia-Pacific in Discovery Turbo. It aired the 60 minute version.

References

External links

Fifth Gear
at

* * {{IMDb title, id=0324679, title=Fifth Gear Channel 5 (British TV channel) original programming Speed (TV network) original programming ITV (TV network) original programming Automotive television series 2002 British television series debuts 2010s British television series 2020s British television series Driving in the United Kingdom Television series by All3Media Top Gear English-language television shows Discovery Channel original programming

Format

Locations

Presenter line-up

Shoot-outs

2002 (Series 1 and 2)

2003 (Series 3 and 4)

2004 (Series 5 and 6)

2005 (Series 7 and 8)

2006 (Series 9 and 10)

2007 (Series 11 and 12)

2008 (Series 13)

2009 (Series 14)

2010 (Series 17)

2010 (Series 18)

2011 (Series 19)

2011 (Series 20)

2012 (Series 21)

2013 (Series 22)

2013 (Series 23)

Team Test

2009 cancellation and return

Second cancellation and return

''Fifth Gear Recharged''

Episodes

The ''Fifth Gear'' Awards

2004

2005

2006

2007

Comparison with ''Top Gear''

Accidents

International airings

See also

References

External links