Cheap Car Challenges

Cheap Car Challenges would usually involve the trio, being given a certain amount of budget to buy a car before  being set a number of challenges in finding out who had the best deal with regards to their purchase, the first being a £100 Car Challenge. Sometimes the challenges would usually involve the trio going against their producers in an attempt to prove that a certain type of car was superior. This segment was passed on, during the transition to The Grand Tour.

The earliest execution of this idea dates back to presenter Jeremy Clarkson's 2000 home video release, At Full Throttle, which he presented with then-current Top Gear presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson. Tasked with modifying an older sports car for less than £5,000, Jeremy would purchase a 1979 Rover SD1 whereas Vicki would purchase a 1986 Vauxhall Nova Sport. They would then be tuned by tuning firms associated with their brands for less than the money the presenters had left, and would be raced against one another at the end of the video.

Top Gear (Clarkson-era)

Statistics

• James: 7 wins
• Jeremy: 6 wins
• Richard: 5 wins
• Shared: 2 wins

The Grand Tour

Top Gear (2016+)

S23

S24-26

S27-Present