The sixth series of the BBC motoring show Top Gear, starring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, premiered on the 22nd of May 2005 and concluded on the 7th of August, 2005. It consisted of 11 episodes in total, the most of any series.
Once again, the series followed the pattern set by Series 4 & Series 5, with the third cheap car challenge occurring in Episode 2 and the third epic Race, the Race to Oslo, occurring in Episode 6.
Viewing figures continued to rise, with an average of 4.21 million viewers per episode. The show was renewed for a seventh series, which began airing in November 2005.
Episodes[]
| Episode | Film(s) | Track Test | SIARPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (49) | Jeremy sees how utilitarian the new Range Rover Sport is by trying to outrun a Challenger 2 Tank. James reviews the Honda Element and Richard reviews the Toyota Aygo before having a game of Car Football. | Mercedes CLS55 AMG (Jeremy) | James Nesbitt |
| 2 (50) | The presenters are given a budget of £1500 but told to purchase any cheap coupe that isn't a Porsche before being set a number of gruelling challenges. | Maserati MC12 (Jeremy) | Jack Dee |
| 3 (51) | James has a look at the 1970s Maserati Bora whilst Richard compares the new Aston Martin DB9 Volante to a Puppy. Jeremy attempts to open a swimming pool in his county using a 1970s Rolls Royce. | Wiesmann MF3 vs TVR Tuscan (Jeremy) | Christopher Eccleston |
| 4 (52) | The presenters allow their mothers to review a selection of small city cars to decide which is best. Elsewhere Richard reviews the new BMW 3 Series before seeing if a Stretched Limo can jump a Wedding Party. | Cadillac CTS-V (Jeremy) | Omid Djalili |
| 5 (53) | Jeremy compares the Porsche Boxster S or the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG and pits them against some snipers. Richard reviews the Maserati GranSport in Italy while James road tests the Nissan Murano. | Jaguar E Type vs Aston Martin DB5 (Jeremy) | Damon Hill |
| 6 (54) | Jeremy races Richard and James across Northern Europe to Oslo. Jeremy utilises a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren whilst James and Richard use a luxury ferry. | None | David Dimbleby |
| 7 (55) | Richard celebrates the Ford Transit's 40th Birthday by seeing if Sabine Schmitz can get it round the Nurburgring in less than 10:00. Jeremy races a man across London in morning rush hour in a Fiat Panda. | TVR Sagaris (Jeremy) | Justin Hawkins |
| 8 (56) | The presenters head to Iceland to drive a selection of recently converted convertibles of disliked sports cars. | Ferrari F430 (Jeremy) | Tim Rice |
| 9 (57) | Richard sets a world record for the number of sideways rolls with a Ford Sierra estate before he and James try their hand at Road Test Russian Roulette. Elsewhere Jeremy reviews the BMW M5. | Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Renault Megane 225 vs Vauxhall Astra VXR (Jeremy) | Chris Evans |
| 10 (58) | The presenters have a go in a selection of off-road toys in the English countryside. James heads to Dubai to drive the new Bentley Flying Spur whilst Richard sees if a Snowmobile can cross a lake in Iceland. | BMW 535d (Jeremy) | Davina McCall, Mark Webber (F1) |
| 11 (59) | Richard heads to Spain participating in the Pamplona Bull Run before reviewing the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster. Jeremy reviews the Ford Lightning Pickup seeing if it's any good in the UK whilst James attempts to recreate the Top Gear Theme using engine noises. | Vauxhall Monaro VXR (Richard) | Timothy Spall |
Production[]
The series began filming around March 2005, as many of the new cars tested have the then-current 05-reg number plate, introduced on the 1st of that month. The show continued to be filmed all the way to July, with the Lamborghini Murciélago segment in Spain being among the last segments to be filmed, as that year's Pamplona Bull Run occurred on the 6th of that month.
Reception[]
The show's IMDb page rated this series at an average score of 7.2/10, the same as Series 3, 4, & 5, indicating a positive reception overall.
[]
| Series 6 (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 | Episode 11 |
| 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 |