The fourth series of the BBC motoring show Top Gear, starring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, premiered on the 9th of May, 2004 and concluded on the 1st of August, 2004.
Following the prior season's running out of the show's allocated funds, it is clear that Series 4 of Top Gear had a higher budget, with more elaborate segments being filmed alongside the very first major challenges of the series, such as the Race to Monte Carlo in Episode 1 and the £100 Car Challenge in Episode 3.
Viewing figures were down compared to its immediate predecessor, although still markedly higher than both Series 1 and Series 2 at 3.48 million viewers per episode on average. As a result the show was renewed for a fifth season, which began airing in October 2004.
Episodes[]
| Episode Number | Synopsis | Track Test | SIARPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (30) | Jeremy races Richard and James across Europe to Monte Carlo. Jeremy uses an Aston Martin DB9 with Richard and James on board a selection of European Trains. Elsewhere James looks at the Rover CityRover. | Lotus Exige (Jeremy) | Fay Ripley |
| 2 (31) | Jeremy takes a drive in the Alfa Romeo 166. Richard reviews the new Cadillac Escalade before allowing a Nun to Drive a Monster Truck. James has a look at the new Fab-1. | Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (Jeremy) | Paul McKenna |
| 3 (32) | The Presenters are each given £100 and told to buy a car before they are given a number of challenges. Richard considers buying a 1960s Dodge Charger. | Porsche 911 GT3 RS vs Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale (Jeremy) | Jordan (Katie Price) |
| 4 (33) | Jeremy attempts to drive the Audi A8 V8 TDi from London to Edinburgh and then back again on one tank. James races the Ford SportKa against a pigeon. Richard and James compete in a game of Car Darts. | Porsche Carrera GT (Jeremy) | Ronnie O'Sullivan |
| 5 (34) | The presenters head to Pendine Sands to test three RWD Sports Cars against each other. Richard looks at three new hatchbacks before putting the Golf under high electric voltage. | MG ZT 260 (Jeremy) | Johnny Vaughan & Denise van Outen |
| 6 (35) | Jeremy takes a look at the Nissan Cube. James looks at a modernised version of the Jaguar XJ-S. Richard reviews the Cadillac CTS before seeing If a car can run on poo. | Renault Clio 182 (Jeremy) | Sir Terry Wogan |
| 7 (36) | Jeremy reviews the Mercedes CL65 AMG while James and Richard compare the new MPVs from Renault and Ford by posing as Mini-Cab Drivers. | Spyker C8 (Jeremy) | Lionel Richie |
| 8 (37) | James heads to Italy to review the Maserati Quattroporte. Richard makes a tribute to the Rover V8 before testing how powerful a Jet Engine is. | Ford GT (Jeremy) | Martin Clunes |
| 9 (38) | Richard has a look at two seater roadsters before him and James have a go in more expensive convertibles. Later, James sees if a parachutist can land in a car while Jeremy reviews the Jaguar X Type. | None | Sir Ranulph Fiennes |
| 10 (39) | Jeremy has a look at the new BMW X3, while Richard has a go in the new Peugeot 407 and James attempts an antique sale in a Volvo V50. | Chevrolet Corvette C6 (Richard) | Patrick Kielty |
Production[]
The series began filming in January - February 2004, with the X-Type estate review in Episode 9 being filmed not long after the country-wide snowstorms on the 28th January that year. The first segment to air in the series was filmed in April 2004, as the date of the 14th is shown on Hammond & May's laptop display during the Race to Monte Carlo. Richard Hammond attended the fourth leg of the 2004 Dunlop Radical Enduro Championship at the beginning of May, using the then-new Peugeot 407 as a safety car. On the 3rd of April 2004, the trio would be spotted on Pendine Sands.
Reception[]
The show's IMDb page rated this series at an average score of 7.2/10, the same as Series 3, indicating a positive reception overall.
DVD Release[]
No DVD Release for before series 9 technically exists, but a compilation DVD exists Titled, "Top Gear - The Best of Series 3 and 4" Produced for Top Gear Magazine in 2004 (Date Unknown As of This Time). It is 33 Minutes Long and contains 5 segments
- The Fastest and the Best Test to the limit
- Lotus Exige Vs The Apache
- Crashing
- 747 Blow-Out
- Trying to kill Lionel Ritchie
[]
| Series 4 (2002 format) | |
|---|---|
| Presenters | Jeremy Clarkson | Richard Hammond | James May | The Stig (Ben Collins) |
| Episodes | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 Episode 9 | Episode 10 |
| Series (2002 format) | |
|---|---|
| 2016+ | Series 23 | Series 24 | Series 25 | Series 26 | Series 27 |
| 2002 - 2015 | Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Series 5 | Series 6 | Series 7 | Series 8 | Series 9 | Series 10 | Series 11 Series 12 | Series 13 | Series 14 | Series 15 | Series 16 | Series 17 | Series 18 | Series 19 | Series 20 | Series 21 | Series 22 |