Has anyone been to a Top Gear filming???

DEpointfive0

Or is it just me?
I was lucky enough to see Season 17 Episode 2 being filmed in the UK

And it was awesome!!!


And if anyone is IN the UK and wants tickets or an invite, shoot me a PM

cow

About ten minutes ago, I was spacing out whilst driving, wondering how one gets to go to a filming of Top Gear.

Tell me/ us more, please?

DEpointfive0

You're supposed to sign up online and you get chosen by a lottery... Now, there are over 100,000 people on the list at any given time and they choose a MAXIMUM of 1000 people per filming...

That means there is a waiting list for 100 shows, since they film roughly 15 episodes a year, that means their waiting list is about 8 years long, but with the shows growing popularity, and since those who go put their names back on the list, they estimate their wait list, or odds of getting chosen will happen in 15+years...


God bless my parents, they have a family friend from 40 years ago who now works for the BBC...
While I was there last year I thought, hmmmm, they SHOULD be filming right now...... (I am a HUGE FAN, you have no idea, I SENSE these things)
So I called my dad to call his friend to see what was up... I knew they film on Wednesday and it was Tuesday... Got a call Wednesday morning from the family friend and he said they couldn't add me to that day's list, BUT that my name was added to the NEXT Wednesday's list!


I also bought 2 copies of Jeremy Clarkson's book and gave it to the family friend to have signed...


At the show I DID have James May sign a copy of the Top Gear magazine, and I talked to him a bit about his other shows, he was super chill

cow

That's so awesome. I will definitely be in touch when I make it that way!

bigsix

That's way cool you were at a Top Gear filming. I'm curious if Jeremy Clarkson is condescending & mean just like he is on TV ..LoL . . .
Did you get to see the test track where all the stars drive the reasonably-priced car? Any cool/super cars there for the filming?

DEpointfive0

Jeremy Clarkson is a arsehole, but so am I, lol...
No, he was cool, make a lot of jokes, really kept us laughing the whole time, and he doesn't seem 6'5", lol
During the actual filming he talked a lot to the audience and cracked jokes, but during the break he pretty much left and smoked, lol... They all did... LOL!!!
Hammond was amazingly the most useless... James was funnier than him, and he chatted to the audience a lot during the break... I will also say that even though we now get Top Gear in HD, James and Jeremy look REALLY old in person


I was on the episode where they tested the 3 super minis in Italy and had to leave the city that's within a wall... And they also tested the Aston Martin Virage, and in the studio they had 2 of them there, both orange... That was it in respect to the cars...
The Toyota Hilux pickup that they TRIED to destroy was there, and holy crap that thing is REALLY screwed up, but a LOT more paint than I expected was still on the car...
And I did get to sit in Jeremy's OLD captains chair because it was off to the side and when they did the guest interview (Ross Noble) I figured it was a good time to relax... (No chairs anywhere, and standing for like 4 hours sucks)


EDIT:
They don't SHOW you TO the track, but the studio is REALLY close to it, so you do see it... And before they took us, I heard some tires screeching and KNEW it was the star in the reasonable car, so I snuck away and got as much video as I could before being told be security to leave


And it's awesome being an American there. While we were waiting to go into the studio I tried to talk to all the people I could and be friendly and they ALL asked how it is to have a gun and to shoot one, LOL!!! (No guns in England [for the most part])

DEpointfive0

Oh, and if you do go, make sure you have a lot of cash... Since they film in BFE, you have to take a... (I want to say) £30 train round trip and the cab each way to the studio was another £30-50, but on the way back there are a LOT of people willing to split a cab back

And you might want to buy some Top Gear stuff as well as food from the truck

DEpointfive0

Oh, another thing, Range Rover brought the new Evoque out before it was released and I asked the Range Rover guy if it was the one James May tests on episode 3 in Nevada... (don't ask me how I knew, but I blacked out the night before, so I had no idea how I KNEW...) and he tried to tell me it was in the episode they were filming that day, and he was shocked I knew... I wish I had placed a bet, LOL
There were also a lot of Hennessy tuning guys from the US with them... Not sure why

DEpointfive0

I guess its really just me?
No one from the UK???

gurneyeagle

Great posts about a great experience! How about some of those pictures and video?

__________________
Waiting on the Z35! SOLD - 2011 Gun Metallic Touring 7AT w Sports Pkg & Nav, Nismo Bumper and Rims, RC Grille, RC Brake Ducts, H&R Spacers, Painted Door Hdls, GTR Start Button, Nav By-Pass, EVO R Fog Light, CF Ducktail, CF Interior Trim

Erik@RTTuning

I'd LOVE to get an opportunity to get on the show at some point in life. I guess it is time to put into the lottery.

DEpointfive0

I'll post my pictures, I don't THINK I took video, but I know I audio recorded the whole thing

If you ever want to go, I'll pull some strings and I'll see if I can get you on the list, just shoot me a PM whenever you want to go...
They aren't filming yet though

DEpointfive0

Updated with pics!
Sorry about the quality, it was REALLY dark inside

Jeremy's reasonably priced cop car:
IMG_0149.jpg
Cool Wall:
IMG_0151.jpg
The Toyota Hilux that was beaten to hell:
IMG_0153.jpg
IMG_0154.jpg
IMG_0155.jpg
IMG_0157.jpg
Richard and James' cars:
Richard's is the gunmetal one, (he drives his own car in several episodes) and James' is the white one:
IMG_0161.jpg
James taking pics with the audience:
IMG_0162.jpg
End of the filming:
IMG_0164.jpg

DEpointfive0

Crap video of Ross Noble going around the track:

DEpointfive0

Video of right when we were let in: