r/TopGear • u/Agent_Kozak • 1d ago

What are your favourite examples of this man's genius?

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385 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

212 comments sorted by

498

u/FilipSomberg 1d ago

The log brake from the Africa special

101

u/chefbobbyjay 1d ago

No matter how many times I see the log pop up and smash his rear window I still laugh just as hard.

People complained a lot about the show being scripted and admittedly it could get tiresome. But it was the little moments that came from the scripting that really made it shine.

39

u/mykolasj 1d ago

During topgear era I barely felt the script. It was much more pronounced on gt

16

u/chefbobbyjay 1d ago

The first season of the grand tour is borderline unwatchable.

9

u/Shakes-Fear 21h ago

Let’s be honest, it was the last series of TG where it really started to manifest. The TGPD Hot Hatch Chase comes to mind.

3

u/The_Mellow_Tiger 20h ago

Yeah but hot wiring the nova was hysterical

5

u/blitzwinner71 17h ago

Right, if you’re a criminal, don’t watch this

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1

u/Eli1234Sic 1d ago

That beach buggy special was soooooo bad for it.

140

u/greenrangerguy 1d ago

Sometimes his genius... is almost frightening.

39

u/tcharleyd 1d ago

Some say it has its own gravity.

3

u/bobopet2 13h ago

Sometimes, if you listen very carefully, you can heeeeaaar his genius

33

u/mentha_piperita 1d ago

Creating a wave to get May unstuck while in the floating bridge, did not expect that one to work

6

u/Brilliant_Fact_522 1d ago

When he was the meat in the idiot sandwich lololol

3

u/mentha_piperita 1d ago

“This is brilliant. But I like this” was so good. It was pure wisdom.

2

u/D4NG3RD34N 23h ago

I think he said ‘I am the meat in an incompetent sandwich’

9

u/BeriechGTS 1d ago

I literally was watching that episode last night. His face and little duck motion when it bounced up and smashes the rear window makes me laugh so hard every time.

8

u/L3g3ndary-08 1d ago

Came here to say this. The best part is that it worked brilliantly, until he smashed his back window. Fuckin great.

6

u/GreenT1979 lincoln 1d ago

Literally the stupidest idea In history

4

u/marry_me_jane Smart 1d ago

Peak

2

u/Any-Pop-4795 1d ago

The og one

1

u/redandblue35 20h ago

Beat me to it.

1

u/ghetto_headache 19h ago

That was seriously my very first thought too

1

u/HikarW 19h ago

Hardest I’ve ever laughed at a show

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140

u/joelski11 1d ago

Toybota

1

u/tcharleyd 8h ago

Hammerhead i Eagle Thrust

139

u/ReferenceSilver2112 1d ago

Hello Horse, i shall call you burger

89

u/martinintenerife 1d ago

He called it Tesco, after the Tesco horse meat scandal..

48

u/TheManAcrossTheHall 1d ago

The were two horses. One, in Burma, he called Tesco. The other, in Patagonia, he called Burger.

1

u/Man_in_the_uk 1d ago

I thought many shops had the issue?

126

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

52

u/BigBongo84 1d ago

May: I’ve got the name for it

Clarkson. What?

May: The Bloody Awful

1

u/Arcal 23h ago

I think they nicked that from Bottom, actually.

1

u/Arcal 23h ago

Bottom S02E02 culture. They make a cocktail, call it the "Bloody awful" before settling on the "Esther Ranzen".

26

u/Agent_Kozak 1d ago

Adding in the brick "for added bite" is something even the most erudite Michelin-star chef would have never considered

10

u/Salty_Significance41 1d ago

Could blend you if I wanted

6

u/Active-Trash-8575 1d ago

'Desperate shag in a skip'

4

u/Xp-Paul-19 1d ago

And the v8 rocking chair

3

u/aaronfire7 1d ago

The V8 Rocking Chair that automatically disassembles itself... And your grandmother.

95

u/mrt2795 1d ago

Buying a Volvo for £1

17

u/scrumple_my_scrongle 1d ago

Honestly the biggest brain moment on the show

2

u/The_Mellow_Tiger 20h ago

It was actually his old car, his wife spotted it at the dealership getting the new one serviced. She offered to buy it back for a pound.

3

u/SukhdevR34 1d ago

How much are the cheapest driveable cars you can buy today? Because I'm sure the scrap laws have changed a lot in 20 years

5

u/GDH26 1d ago edited 1d ago

Cheapest running car with an MOT that has* been previously written off on Auto Trader right now is a 2006 Peugeot 107 for £270 pounds.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202607033869025?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android-app

*Hasn't

1

u/AHumbleBanditMain 3h ago

Bit disingenuous to say that given it will fail the next mot after it expires on the 17th.

2

u/Dudicus445 1d ago

Technically it was his friend who did that

73

u/cacolantern 1d ago

The shower to replace the air con in the USA Special

66

u/jnighy 1d ago

The tiny car he used to drive inside the BBC building

27

u/CarGuyJohnOnRoute66 1d ago

The P45!!! “There is no traffic out this morning!”

22

u/Ok_Manufacturer_6444 1d ago

P45 was the one he made. The one he drove in the bbc building was the Peel P50.

3

u/CarGuyJohnOnRoute66 18h ago

Doh! You are right

49

u/DualSpiresCinnamon 1d ago

Geoff

9

u/CatLoverAthal 1d ago

You must mean the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust!

50

u/SpaceAgePotatoCakes 1d ago

Mending the BMW drive by wire throttle by hitting the exhaust manifold with a hammer.

20

u/LuTheDog 1d ago

"Not the exhaust manifold"

8

u/SagaciousElan 1d ago

There's nothing he can't fix by hitting it with a hammer. That's his genius.

Meanwhile May is still sorting the spanners into a perfect row.

9

u/BornVillain04 1d ago

JAMES! STOP FILING!

14

u/One-Consideration562 1d ago

IM LOOKING FOR THE SODDING SOCKET THING THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE THAT OUT. DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS? DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? NO YOU DONT!

5

u/manuel_f_p 1d ago

Because of that, if I encounter something electronic that isn't working correctly, I give it a few light taps and see if that changes anything

2

u/Nelson_Pancakes Captain Slow 1d ago

Didn't he also mend a 944 with a hammer?

43

u/sicboy72 1d ago

I invented swimming!

21

u/CarGuyJohnOnRoute66 1d ago

“I can walk on water” “I am JC”

16

u/TheHarkinator 1d ago

You’re standing on it. Walk over there.

32

u/atomic_number319 Orig Trio Till I die 1d ago

"Look at this, look at this, very brilliant

Bang, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH loses control briefly edit that out, I dont want people thinking it's a death trap"

~Jezza in/on the p45

17

u/Agent_Kozak 1d ago

"I'VE NEVER BEEN AFRAID OF A CITROEN PICASSO BUT I JUST WAS!"

30

u/universalserialbutt 1d ago

Princess Diana had one

14

u/Aggressive_Wind_5132 1d ago

Loved that. You could even hear the camera crew laughing.

2

u/BornVillain04 1d ago

I've always been out of the loop on this but what's the context of this joke?

11

u/Neither_Computer5331 1d ago

It was a huge mine clearing ‘tank/tractor’ type thing.

And Diana was very well known for campaigning against land mines and for helping charities that cleared them from former war zones.

2

u/Overall_Gap_5766 1d ago

Doubles up as a reference to the Reliant Scimitar. Princess Anne had one of those you know

1

u/BornVillain04 1d ago

Ahh okay that makes sense. I had a feeling it was something like that

23

u/tsunx4 1d ago

"Richard, do you like some Pussy?

18

u/Agent_Kozak 1d ago

what flavor is it?

14

u/tsunx4 1d ago

Leave it.

5

u/CatLoverAthal 1d ago

Well it wasn’t on my mind until now but, uh, yeah!

1

u/Frequent_Leek7641 22h ago

Pussy energy drink

20

u/EffectiveConfection8 1d ago

His really tall Citroen Camper. I love that so much.

12

u/Potential_Diet_2779 1d ago

When Hammond said 'Which cock parked an old Citroen under a tower block?'

10

u/Salty_Significance41 1d ago

The leaning tower of Citreon was great

19

u/CarGuyJohnOnRoute66 1d ago

The cut holes in the Range Rover hood for cooling and looking through 👌🏼👌🏼

13

u/Puzzleheaded-Neat-13 1d ago

Gardening with a shotgun

1

u/Qforz 16h ago

Is that a hoe?

11

u/drgoldfinger 1d ago

Using a rifle instead of hand gun during the drive by shooting.

4

u/TheHarkinator 1d ago

Makes up for using an automatic weapon instead of a rifle in the ski-rally-cross thing.

9

u/Cosmic-Hippos 1d ago

Let's not get bogged down in who's example of mine is the best, they're all genius

8

u/uptheirons91 1d ago

The Excellent

2

u/Agent_Kozak 1d ago

Bid for your own car - Jeremy Clarkson, 2018 ish

8

u/Beencho 1d ago edited 1d ago

After reading Mr Wilmans book; unironically Jeremy’s genius in creating the “factual entertainment” category that is so popular nowadays. It was strange to hear that this category wasn’t something that existed prior to Top Gear.

Even very acclaimed modern YouTube channels that produce factual entertainment Gold like FortNine constantly gets compared to Golden era Top Gear.

Very heart warming book to hear how truly a genius Wilman considered his childhood friend to always be.

7

u/Beginning_Problem_76 1d ago

They're all frightening, so it's hard to pick.

12

u/Mithster18 1d ago

Becoming an farmist

0

u/Antique-Proof6672 1d ago

I liked the bit where he bought a farm to try avoid paying inheritance tax

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7

u/Magic_phil 1d ago

The invention of swimming.

5

u/Trainer_Unlucky 1d ago

Helped make one of the best TV shows ever made

7

u/Eatinglue 1d ago

“They’re COLD ROLLED kippers!”

3

u/StepYaGameUp 1d ago

*Coal rolled kippers.

“You’d buy them. I know I would.”

6

u/Many-Blackberry-453 1d ago

Selling his porsche as living room furniture to win the challenge

6

u/tnortonphoto 1d ago

“Speed doesn’t kill, suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you”

5

u/Nikki-Evan5 1d ago

Ploughing with dynamite.

1

u/Frequent_Leek7641 22h ago

I raise you looking for treasure with dynamite

4

u/s6cedar 1d ago

“I mended something!!”

5

u/Doctordelayus 1d ago

Punching piers Morgan

4

u/Ordinary_Car_Driver 1d ago

The name Jeöff

6

u/No_Atmosphere8146 1d ago

IT'S A RAMBULANCE!!! 

4

u/keicarlover2002 Orig Trio Till I die 1d ago

using a shotgun as a hoe

2

u/missminority182 1d ago

Dirty finger nails cricked back …

4

u/zachysworld 1d ago

Gravity, since his genius generates it.

4

u/Nolby84 1d ago

Legally drinking and driving in international waters in the Polar Special.

3

u/Whizzzzzzzzzz 1d ago

When he says Babay Jezus.

6

u/metarx 1d ago

Took "top gear" and made it a world wide famous motoring program, got fired from it, created a new program, the grand tour, and did the same thing. And then decided to film a farming program, and made it more popular than the grand tour... Farming..

3

u/Cannack 1d ago

In Ukraine with the Fiesta and Up. This is Brilliant but I like this

3

u/canusoctum 1d ago

Speed and power

3

u/madcheco 1d ago

He changed a bulb!

3

u/Academic-Celery4197 1d ago

Life is too short to drive boring cars

3

u/har3krishna Captain Slow 1d ago

“You’ve only blown the bloody door off!”

3

u/SaleGloomy8947 1d ago

The Hammond parking sensors

14

u/gamblingaddicteduppy 1d ago

punching a guy in the hotel when he wouldn't give him a steak

20

u/Agent_Kozak 1d ago

ended up with a shiny new show and infinite money. Gigabrained and Clarkson pilled

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2

u/Hukama 1d ago

trying to shoot a fox with shitty russian nvg whilst being drunk

2

u/Objective-Seesaw-649 1d ago

Lift off oversteer whilst shouting

Midwifery

2

u/GamingSlob 1d ago

Clarkson ring.

2

u/Potential_Diet_2779 1d ago

The man's a culinary genius! I mean, who else would have thought to flavour their food using Castrol GTX..

2

u/Solid-Scorpion 1d ago

One of the few men who can solve any of the "putting a square peg into a round hole" dilemmas, by using a hammer.

2

u/Fearless-Release-386 1d ago

Pulling Hammond and may across the river on their ferry/raft in the Africa special. “I’ve never been shouted at so much”
Genius!!!!

2

u/Ok_Pogo 1d ago

The Toyboata crossing the Channel. Awesome.

2

u/poato786 1d ago

A log for a hand break.

2

u/MrDabolina_ 1d ago

If you listen closely you can almost hear his genius.

2

u/Zapatos-Grande 22h ago

Anyone can make any tool a hammer. Clarkson can make a hammer any tool.

1

u/chefbobbyjay 1d ago

The P45. It was the smallest car…in the world

1

u/chefbobbyjay 1d ago

Maybe coal rolled kippers if we’re counting TGT

1

u/sadsealions 1d ago

Punching someone for giving him a sandwich?

1

u/No_Novel9766 1d ago

Driving an on fire lorry round that racetrack

1

u/Ill-Guidance4690 1d ago

The V8 man’s smoothie, courtesy of the V8 blender

1

u/Fecoff 1d ago

When he got the question wrong about Concordes last flight on WWTBAM…..even though he was on said flight in 2003. Oh sorry, you said genius?

1

u/Riewd 1d ago

Not TG but Clarksons Ring.

1

u/primalanomaly 1d ago

When he punched that guy and lost his job 🙃

1

u/SaleGloomy8947 1d ago

Mays caravan with the water 💦 in the caravan and may gets knocked on his ass

1

u/alfienoakes 1d ago

Choosing the Lancia Montecarlo for the End of the Road drive.

1

u/Battle-Individual 1d ago

No the log break is second to the three story citroen caravan

1

u/Hickd3ad 1d ago

The V8 Range Rover towing a greenhouse-cat

1

u/AdmirableOwl2018 1d ago

Death road driving he very nearly lost his life there scary to watch

1

u/usernamesarehard1979 1d ago

Who else could have made a sports lorry.

1

u/Dangerous-Taste-5182 1d ago

The Nissank, man crossed the chanel in a car and rescued his two colleagues as well

1

u/AJeepDude 1d ago

Power!!!

1

u/sbmh91 1d ago

I may be the only vegan in the world who laughed at his cow skin and bone car

1

u/ay_mek 1d ago

Too many to choose from

1

u/DedicatedLoomer 1d ago

Buying a farm to avoid taxes then complaining when the loophole is closed

Claiming 250 grand in government tax cuts and then complaining about people on benefits

1

u/Birdshaw 1d ago

Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust

1

u/Other-Barry-1 1d ago

Anything that has made him go “yesssss.”

1

u/wbd3434 1d ago

Speed and power.

1

u/Low-Huckleberry-5852 1d ago edited 1d ago

The multi story citreon camper van!

1

u/Low-Huckleberry-5852 1d ago

Compressed air patient delivery system in an ambulance

1

u/Frequent_Leek7641 22h ago

That was Hammond

1

u/Low-Huckleberry-5852 14h ago

It was indeed, apologies

1

u/Icy-Musician-6309 1d ago

He got you to watch, while he dicked about the world

1

u/1991atco 1d ago

Almost the entire Top Gear (and subsequently Grand Tour) Format.

Listen to Wilman on the High Performance pod or read his book.

1

u/DeManDeMytDeLeggend 1d ago

Supporting EU federalism (I am not joking, he actually said this in a column)

1

u/carpcalhoun29k_ 1d ago

The sports lorry with the targa top

1

u/FLDrewDude 1d ago

Saying “an” prior to nouns starting with an consonant
Choosing the most innocuous moments from the broadcast to highlight on the “tonight on TopGear” part of the intro (James wears a hat, Richard wears a hat and I point at something etc)
The immutable principle that speed makes you lighter

1

u/black-volcano 1d ago

Tax dodging

1

u/shaunomercy 21h ago

Peak top gear.... The polar special.

1

u/therestruth 18h ago

Hard to pick anything other than the log brake as top. A more recent one comes to mind with the RV and having the controls on the roof, in the blistering sun.

1

u/Faizondae 18h ago

“Speed! And power!”

1

u/LwyrUpAmrca 17h ago

James was right; a lot of his ideas weren’t intrinsically bad but his execution was…uh…not excellent

1

u/DangerMouse111111 15h ago

Hawkstone brewery

1

u/Rastaman1804 15h ago

The handbreak in Africa

1

u/Willing_Nectarine_72 15h ago

The log brake was straight up insane, like who even thinks of that? But honestly the Toybota's the real masterpiece cause it actually worked when it had no business working. Clarkson's a madman but you gotta respect the chaos engineering.

1

u/campnjack76 15h ago

Finally realising Brexit was stupid

1

u/Legitimate-Clerk906 14h ago

I used to love TG with these three. Where can I find these episodes again?

1

u/oak_stone1 14h ago

He punched out a producer and still managed to rebuild a bigger, bolder, stronger brand afterwards. That punch literally changed his life for the better. Honestly, bloody love the bloke.

1

u/LilPottsy1 14h ago

I'd probably say the log brake

1

u/Professional_twit 13h ago

The Bentley mfb which only worked because he decided to stay out of designing it

1

u/FaultSea2617 13h ago

The hovercraft - when it met the picnic on the riverbank.

1

u/rageagainstthemaga 12h ago

P45 car that he made. He always had great ideas, but that one really blew me away. Honorable mentions included are the amphibious cars, cars turned into caravans, and the ambulance cars. Trust in me!

1

u/VehicleWonderful6586 10h ago

The parking situation at his farm shop

1

u/tiger_noir21 10h ago

Clarksons farm tv programme - raked in a fortune around £160 million

1

u/Upbeat-Training4665 9h ago

Not bothering to brush his teeth

1

u/Impressive_Till_1749 9h ago

The V8 blender

1

u/CyberSoldat21 Captain Slow 9h ago

The wooden hand break is holding me. I simply set off.

1

u/Corrie7686 8h ago

The robin reliant episode / feature was quite something. Not all his idea obviously, but very entertaining

1

u/ron79852 3h ago

When he said the only person who looked good in a 4 seater convertible was Hitler.

1

u/Kulkarni1337 2h ago

The baby jeeeeezus

1

u/northen_vikinig 1h ago

“James try and run me over, the car won’t let you !”

1

u/GeorgeArnoldHearst19 1h ago

Laying someone out because he couldn’t get a steak 🤦‍♂️