The second series of the BBC motoring show Top Gear, starring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and new presenter James May, replacing Jason Dawe from the first series, premiered on the 11th of May, 2003 and concluded on the 20th of July, 2003.
As the rebooted show proved its worth, James May decided to return to the show, making his first appearance since Series 41 of Original format Top Gear back in 1999, though this necessitated the departure of at least one host. Despite Jason Dawe's role being axed, Richard Hammond's was almost in a similar level of jeopardy due to what was informally referred to as the 'Meddling Department' within the BBC. Eventually, the trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May was settled on and production of the second series could commence.
Viewing figures were slightly down over Series 1, attracting just 3.16 million viewers per episode on average, but the show continued regardless, and Series 3 began airing in October 2003.
A Best Of DVD was Released For Series 1 and 2 - Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane
Episodes[]
| Episode Number | Synopsis | Track Test | SIARPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (11) | Jeremy performs a road test of the Smart Roadster, whist Richard reviews the Bowler Wildcat. New presenter James May shows off his "bargain" Bentley T2. The new segment Greatest Car Ever is introduced with Murray Walker advocating the McLaren F1 on the first week. | None | Vinnie Jones |
| 2 (12) | Jeremy drives the new Rolls-Royce Phantom. Richard drives the cheap, old yet luxurious Rover P5. Chris Barry shows why he thinks the E-Type is the Greatest Car Ever. Richard tries to find the fastest political party in Britain. | BMW M3 vs Audi S4 (Jeremy) | Jamie Oliver |
| 3 (13) | Jeremy reviews the Volkswagen Touareg and makes a case as to why the Ford Mustang is the Greatest Car Ever. James reviews the Perodua Kelisa. Richard reviews the Lexus SC430 and the Hyundai Coupé before pitting the stripped Jaguar against some supercars and adding nitrous to it. | Alpina Z8 (Jeremy) | David Soul |
| 4 (14) | Jeremy sees how far he can drive in a Jaguar XJR, Richard reviews the classic Jaguar MkII and James has a look at the 1950s C-Type Jaguar. Chef A.A Gill makes a case as to why the London Black Cab is the Greatest Car Ever. | Jaguar XKR-R vs Aston Martin DB7 GT (Jeremy) | Boris Johnson |
| 5 (15) | Jeremy takes a look at two Porsche 911s - the Turbo and the C4S. James reviews the Triumph TR6 and Richard sees if the Ford World Rally Team can build a rally car faster than women can get ready for a night out. Richard makes his case as to why the Land Rover was the Greatest Car Ever. | Renault Clio V6 (Jeremy) | Anne Robinson |
| 6 (16) | Jeremy heads to Scotland to compare the Mitsubishi Evo VIII to the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Richard reviews the Peugeot 206 GTI while James attempts to make caravans faster. Nick Mason of Pink Floyd makes a case as to why the Fiat 500 was the Greatest Car Ever. | Vauxhall VX220 (Jeremy) | Richard Whiteley |
| 7 (17) | Jeremy reviews the Hummer H2 while Richard drives the new Renault Mégane before putting it through a crash test. Broadcaster Stuart Hall makes his case for the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud being Greatest Car Ever. | Koenigsegg CC8S (Jeremy) | Neil Morrissey |
| 8 (18) | Jeremy reviews the Nissan 350Z. James and Richard head to the north to drive a selection of convertibles. The fastest master of the universe is put to the test. James makes a case as to why the Citroen DS is the Greatest Car Ever. | Alfa Romeo 147 GTA (Jeremy) | Jodie Kidd |
| 9 (19) | Jeremy reviews the new Vauxhall Signum before joining Richard to drive the Vandenbrink Carver. James tests out the GM Hywire. Footballer Graeme Le Saux argues why the Audi Quattro is the Greatest Car Ever. | Volvo S60 R (Jeremy) | Patrick Stewart |
| 10 (20) | Jeremy drives the Volkswagen Phaeton while James test the Cadillac Sixteen. The fastest disabled driver is also determined. | TVR T350C (Richard) | Alan Davies |
Production[]
After the minor success the first series of post-relaunch Top Gear had had on the British populace, various changes were made over the Christmas period, the most obvious of which being the removal of Jason Dawe from the show in favour of James May. The studio design was finalised, with various set pieces such as the Cool Wall receiving an upgrade.
Production of Series 2 commenced after the Christmas period, and filming began in early 2003, as a magazine read by a woman used for the Smart Roadster segment in the first episode is Marie Claire issue #177, featuring Justin Timberlake on the cover, and was released on the 5th of January that year. Similarly, in James May's first segment for that same episode, he is reading the May 2003 issue of Classic Cars, which would have been released in April that year.
Top Gear arguably mired itself in its first controversy of the show's modern era; when a test drive of the Jaguar C-Type for Episode 4 resulted in the car returning with worn tyres and a damaged clutch, the show's presenters were branded as "yobs", a reputation the trio were keen to uphold in the following episode by reading newspaper headlines to the audience.
Reception[]
The show's IMDb page rated this series at an average score of 7.1/10, indicating a positive reception overall.
[]
| Series 2 (2002 format) | |
|---|---|
| Presenters | Jeremy Clarkson | Richard Hammond | James May | The Stig (Perry McCarthy) |
| 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 |