Question of the Night: Which Top Gear Used Car Challenge choice would you pick to use in all the Used Car Challenges?

"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
10/07/2015 at 23:00 • Filed to: None

Clarkson, Hammond, and May seem to have one heck of a show coming for us, thanks to Amazon. Let’s take a thorough look through their various used car challenges, including Africa with finding the source of the Nile and traveling the spine of the continent; India; South America twice; southeastern US; the Middle East; Vietnam; Germany in Porsches; and all over the British Isles.

The TG Trio have a wide variety of vehicles they’ve picked for the various challenges, from a venerable Toyota Hi-Lux for the amphibious vehicle challenges, to used Porsches, Range Rovers, and Rolls-Royces. If you could pick just one - regardless of brand, nationality, or driven-wheel restrictions, and in the form it was before the trio got their hands on it - to use in all the challenges they had, which would it be?

For me, it’d have to be the Land Rover Range Rover. It’d be reasonably comfortable on both the smooth roads and the rougher ones, and the 4X4 is almost certainly necessary to get through the South American jungles, and could have been very useful in the Africa specials, and the Middle East. It may not do well on the track - or as badly, like Hammond’s Dodge Ram pickup - but points could be made up elsewhere. And, arguably most-importantly, it survived Clarkson’s abuse.

DISCUSSION (24)

flyingmetalbird > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:06

Kinja'd!!!

I know it’s probably the worst choice and would NOT have done Africa for sure, or pretty much anything else.

But I like it! It would be fun to see how it would tackle one like Africa

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:06

Kinja'd!!!

The Suzuki. I love how it’s like a mini Wrangler.

Patrick Nichols > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:07

Maybe the Merc from the first Africa special or the WRX

marshknute > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:08

Kinja'd!!!

Hammond’s Subaru WRX wagon. World Rally Blue, bulletproof drivetrain, and a ridiculous personality that’s impossible not to love.

Of course, I may be a bit biased:

Kinja'd!!!

not for canada - australian in disguise > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:11

Kinja'd!!!

The Hilux used for the Polar Special, tough enough to endure the frozen tundra of the Canadian Arctic, therefore it should be able to take on basically whatever can be thrown at it.

boxrocket > not for canada - australian in disguise
10/07/2015 at 23:12

Has to be one of the ones from a used-car special. Perhaps you’d like one of the Hi-Lux amphibious trucks?

Viggen > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:13

Kinja'd!!!

thatguy1 > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:14

Kinja'd!!!

The obvious answer is Oliver, however I am going to say the Maserati Merak from the “Supercar for less than a secondhand Mondeo” Challenge for one reason: in true Top Gear fashion, if you are going to fail, fail spectacularly.

not for canada - australian in disguise > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:16

Damn, if so, the Minsk Hammond had in the Vietnam special, technically not a car, but was part of one of their “cheap car” specials.

Kinja'd!!!

Berang > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:23

Kinja'd!!!

The Bentley.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Patrick Nichols
10/07/2015 at 23:26

I second the Old Merc choice.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:31

Kinja'd!!!

Trollolol

Kinja'd!!!

Samurai or FJ

Kinja'd!!!

maybe dodge

Master Cylinder > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
10/07/2015 at 23:42

That would be my choice too. Since we have to be able to complete all of the trips with the same vehicle, basically all non-4x4s are out. I think the jungle trip was probably the toughest, so it makes sense to pick one of the vehicles that completed it, and out of those, I like the Samurai the best. Especially after May got a chance to so some repairs on it. If it’s in decent mechanical shape, there aren’t too many places a Samurai couldn’t go... eventually.

Amoore100 > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:42

How could you go wrong?

Kinja'd!!!

boxrocket > not for canada - australian in disguise
10/07/2015 at 23:42

Works for me, I mentioned Vietnam in the OP

boxrocket > Amoore100
10/07/2015 at 23:44

The gold wagon was my second choice (though that 850R is sexy). Having taken my own (now formerly-owned) Volvo 760 Turbo Wagon on some mild off-roading, it was surprisingly capable and has good suspension articulation. I’d demand some beefy tires though. And a winch.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Master Cylinder
10/07/2015 at 23:45

And it has a tiny wheelbase so that has to be good for something. The Miata has a small wheelbase so they have to be basically the same right? I honestly wouldn’t mind dailying a Samurai.

Master Cylinder > boxrocket
10/07/2015 at 23:49

None of the road cars are gonna make it through the jungle, so if you’ve gotta do it with one vehicle, it’s gonna have to be a 4x4 truck. I was originally thinking the Samurai would be my choice, but then I remembered another one of the challenge vehicles that would be just as good off-road and much more capable on-road:

Kinja'd!!!