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Season 15  "Why Ayrton Senna Was The Best"  15x5

Aired 14 years ago - Jul 25, 2010

Richard takes the Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 to Sweden for a race against some snowmobilers. James travels to Germany where he attempts to break his personal speed record in a brand-new version of the Bugatti Veyron. Jeremy Clarkson looks at the reasons why Ayrton Senna is considered the best driver of his generation.

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Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 1
Cost, L37,000,
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 2
it can do 130 mph over just about any terrain.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 3
through forests, and across frozen water.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 4
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 5
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 6
'a six-mile dash across the frozen lake. '
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 7
because the belts themselves overheat
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 8
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 9
of your trousers, to see if it sets fire to your gentleman's sausage.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 10
you know Linda Blair in the Exorcist? My head was just...
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 11
No! It did! Did you see thisincident on DVD or pay per view?
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 12
APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 13
So right now it's running on Frosties
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 14
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 15
they've created this...
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 16
The standard Veyron famously has 1,000 horsepower.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 17
And cutting through the fruitcake requires more than just brute force,
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 18
It's one of very few places on earth where you can actually max a Bugatti Veyron.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 19
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 20
Here's a bollard. Change down two.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 21
Slightly twitchy.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 22
Hang on. No, no, wait!
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 23
In a car with windscreen wipers? And a CD player!
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 24
Hammerhead, air brake goes vertical generating 0.7G of braking -
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 25
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 26
Can I just say, what staggers me is, sitting here,
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 27
Yes, some of them REALLY hurt.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 28
It just was a very quick... LAUGHTER
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 29
On your own, your life expectancy is like here.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 30
Could you say a six-barrel carburettor for a '66 Vette?
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 31
There's this great scene where the GTO, the daddy of muscle cars,
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 32
So what have you got? Let's run through them.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 33
Love it.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 34
I had three flights in one day.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 35
OK, let's have a look.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 36
Some of this is broadcastable.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 37
The Formula 1 drivers come out really wide but Stig thinks that's right.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 38
I felt the wind come underneath. I was feathering like a kite.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 39
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 40
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 41
Thank you so much. That was so much fun.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 42
I think I was nine years old and I was racing that weekend
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 43
Ayrton Senna did race in Formula 1
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 44
I sixth sense of where the grip was before he turned into a corner.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 45
In Monaco in 1988, he out qualified his teammate, the great Alain Prost,
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 46
That's why he was fantastic.
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 47
He often used to put us in a position, erm, that you were going to have an accident
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 48
'All over the back, he's having a look and he's inside Mansell. '
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 49
He doesn't even try to break? No, no, no. At that point...
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 50
That's the paradox of Ayrton Senna, isn't it.

Or scroll and see one by one:

Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 2
it can do 130 mph over just about any terrain.
#2
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 3
through forests, and across frozen water.
#3
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 4 #4 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 5 #5 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 6
'a six-mile dash across the frozen lake. '
#6
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 7
because the belts themselves overheat
#7
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 8 #8 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 9
of your trousers, to see if it sets fire to your gentleman's sausage.
#9
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 10
you know Linda Blair in the Exorcist? My head was just...
#10
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 11
No! It did! Did you see thisincident on DVD or pay per view?
#11
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 12
APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH
#12
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 13
So right now it's running on Frosties
#13
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 14 #14 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 15
they've created this...
#15
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 16
The standard Veyron famously has 1,000 horsepower.
#16
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 17
And cutting through the fruitcake requires more than just brute force,
#17
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 18
It's one of very few places on earth where you can actually max a Bugatti Veyron.
#18
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 19 #19 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 20
Here's a bollard. Change down two.
#20
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 21
Slightly twitchy.
#21
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 22
Hang on. No, no, wait!
#22
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 23
In a car with windscreen wipers? And a CD player!
#23
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 24
Hammerhead, air brake goes vertical generating 0.7G of braking -
#24
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 25
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
#25
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 26
Can I just say, what staggers me is, sitting here,
#26
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 27
Yes, some of them REALLY hurt.
#27
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 28
It just was a very quick... LAUGHTER
#28
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 29
On your own, your life expectancy is like here.
#29
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 30
Could you say a six-barrel carburettor for a '66 Vette?
#30
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 31
There's this great scene where the GTO, the daddy of muscle cars,
#31
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 32
So what have you got? Let's run through them.
#32
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 33
Love it.
#33
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 34
I had three flights in one day.
#34
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 35
OK, let's have a look.
#35
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 36
Some of this is broadcastable.
#36
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 37
The Formula 1 drivers come out really wide but Stig thinks that's right.
#37
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 38
I felt the wind come underneath. I was feathering like a kite.
#38
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 39 #39 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 40 #40 Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 41
Thank you so much. That was so much fun.
#41
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 42
I think I was nine years old and I was racing that weekend
#42
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 43
Ayrton Senna did race in Formula 1
#43
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 44
I sixth sense of where the grip was before he turned into a corner.
#44
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 45
In Monaco in 1988, he out qualified his teammate, the great Alain Prost,
#45
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 46
That's why he was fantastic.
#46
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 47
He often used to put us in a position, erm, that you were going to have an accident
#47
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 48
'All over the back, he's having a look and he's inside Mansell. '
#48
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 49
He doesn't even try to break? No, no, no. At that point...
#49
Recap of Top Gear Season 15 Episode 5 (S15E05) - 50
That's the paradox of Ayrton Senna, isn't it.
#50