Clarkson, Hammond, & May in Vietnam
Specials were originally episodes of the original format of Top Gear that focused on one specific motoring topic, such as the 100th anniversary of the land speed record, or car maintenance. Following the show's reboot in 2002, specials became episodes where the presenters went on a road trip through a foreign country and examined its motoring culture.
In 2015, the BBC refused to renew the contract of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson after he punched a producer during filming, causing the departures of Clarkson's fellow presenters James May and Richard Hammond. Clarkson, Hammond and May's new show, The Grand Tour, has continued making specials on Amazon Prime. New Top Gear presenters Chris Harris, Andrew Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness have continued creating specials for Top Gear.
As of 2022, the original Top Gear had 23 specials, while the rebooted Top Gear has 12. The Grand Tour has 10.
Top Gear (original format) - Specials[]
| Title | Season (Episode) | Year of Airing | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Gear Turns Back The Clock | 4 | 1980 | Golden Jubilee of the Veteran Car Club |
| A Ring Around London | 8 (7) | 1982 | The M25 motorway in London |
| Belt Up | 9 (1) | 1983 | Seatbelt legislation |
| Rust | 11 (3) | 1984 | Rust |
| Top Gear On The Grid | 19 (9) | 1988 | Formula First racing |
| Top Gear Car of the Decade | 20 (1) | 1988 | The best car of each decade of the 20th century |
| Reverse Gear | 28 (14) | 1992 | Top Gear highlights from 1992 |
| Rolls Royce Alpine Challenge | 30 | 1993 | 80th anniversary of the 1912 Austrian Alpine Challenge |
| Classic and Sportscar Show | 31 (10) | 1994 | The Classic & Sportscar Show at the NEC |
| Klausen Run | 33 | 1995 | Klausen Hillclimb race |
| The Oh So Beautiful Bugatti | 33 | 1995 | History of Bugatti |
| Classic and Sportscar Show | 33 | 1995 | The Classic & Sportscar Show at the NEC |
| The Search For The Silver Arrow | 35 | 1996 | Attempting to find a missing Mercedes W154 |
| Top Gear Live | 35 | 1996 | Recap of 1996 Top Gear Live motorshow |
| London to Brighton | 36 (15) | 1996 | London to Brighton Veteran Car Run |
| The TVR Story | 38 (17) | 1997 | History of TVR |
| Top Gear Live | 39 (14) | 1998 | Recap of 1998 Top Gear Live motorshow |
| Blood, Salt and Tears – 100 Years of the Land Speed Record | 40 (16) | 1998 | 100th anniversary of the land speed record |
| Motor Show 1999 | 42 | 1999 | 1999 London Motor Show |
| 21 Years of Top Gear | 42 (14) | 1999 | 21st anniversary of Top Gear |
| Top Gear Awards (1999) | 43 (4) | 2000 | Best & Worst Cars of 1999 |
| Top Gear Awards (2000) | 44 (16) | 2001 | Best & Worst Cars of 2000 |
| Value Special | 45 (22) | 2001 | Saving money while motoring |
| Top Gear Awards (2001) | 45 (37) | 2002 | Best & Worst Cars of 2001 |
Top Gear (2002 format) - Specials[]
| Title | Season (Episode) | Year of Airing | Country/Countries Visited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Special | 7 (7) | 2006 | Norway |
| USA Special (US Special) | 9 (3)
Prime 15(7) |
2007 | United States |
| Polar Special | 9 (7) | 2007 | Canada |
| Botswana Special | 10 (4) | 2007 | Botswana |
| Vietnam Special | 12 (8) | 2008 | Vietnam |
| Bolivia Special | 14 (6) | 2009 | Bolivia, Chile |
| Middle East Special | 16 (8)
Prime 16(1) |
2010 | Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine |
| India Special | 18Prime 17(7) | 2011 | India |
| Africa Special | 19 (6 and 7) + Prime | 2013 | Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania |
| Burma Special | 21 (6 and 7) +Prime | 2014 | Myanmar (Burma), Thailand |
| Patagonia Special | 22Prime 21(8+9) | 2014 | Argentina, Chile |
| Nepal Special | 28 | 2019 | Nepal |
| Driving Home For Christmas Special | 31 | 2021 | Wales, England (UK) |
The Grand Tour - Specials[]
| Title | Season (Episode) | Year of Airing | Countries Visited |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beach (Buggy) Boys | 1 (7 and 8) | 2016 | Namibia, Angola |
| Feed the World | 2 (11) | 2018 | Mozambique |
| 3 (2 and 3) | 2019 | Colombia | |
| Survival of the Fattest | 3 (13) | 2019 | Mongolia |
| International Buffoons' Vacation | 3 (8) | 2019 | United States |
| Seamen | 4 (1) | 2019 | Vietnam, Cambodia |
| A Massive Hunt | 4 (2) | 2020 |
Madagascar, France (Reunion Island) |
| Lochdown | 4 (3) | 2021 | Scotland (UK) |
| Carnage A Trois | 4 (4) | 2021 | England, Wales (UK) |
| A Scandi Flick | 5 (1) | 2022 | Norway, Finland, Sweden |
| Eurocrash | 5 (2) | 2023 | Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia |
| Sand Job | 5 (3) | 2024 | Mauritania, Senegal |
| One For The Road | 5 (4) | 2024 | Zimbabwe |
| Untitled/Unfilmed Russia Special [CANCELLED] | Cancelled | Never | Russia |