Top Gear Australia (2008)
Top Gear Australia is an Australian motoring television series based on the BBC series Top Gear. The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes. A second season was announced following the release of ratings figures for the premiere and favourable comments from advertisers, and began airing from 11 May 2009. After acquiring the rights to broadcast the UK version in 2009, the Nine Network started airing their own version of Top Gear Australia in September 2010. Top Gear Australia returned for a fourth season in 2011. The show was after the fourth season due to declining ratings. The show was revived in 2024 and aired on Paramount Plus on 17th of May 2024 with the fifth season consisting of 8 episodes.
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Episode 1 - Long Weekend Traffic Challenge - Lambo Vs Jetski
Release Date: 2009-05-11Top Gear Australia welcomes their new co-Host James Morrison and for his first order of business he test drives the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Evolution X. Steve tries to take him down a peg by racing against him in the BMW 135i. The Long Weekend Challenge takes the Top Gear Team to Melbourne where they will race to Portsea. Steve takes a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 across land where Warren and James take a Supercharged Jet Ski across Port Phillip Bay. Mark Skafie becomes the new leader of the Stars in the bog standard car.
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Episode 2 - Reversing Challenge
Release Date: 2009-05-18Steve takes the Holden HSV Clubsport R8 around the Top Gear test track putting it up against it’s big brother, the Superclubby. Steve and Warren take two cheap petrol cars turning them into Electric cars; Steve takes a Suzuki Mighty Boy gluing in 4 battery powered drills and Warren takes a V8 HZ Holden Kingswood installing 300kgs worth of batteries and an electric motor. Warren teaches Steve how to drive a Ford Model T and Ian Moss is our star in the bog standard car.
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Episode 3 - The Ute Challenge
Release Date: 2009-05-25We celebrate the 75th birthday of the UTE in natural Top Gear style, by taking hammers and an angle grinder to two cars; a Honda Prelude and Toyota Tarago. Warren takes the Maserati GTS around the Top Gear Australia test track, James is sent to Stunt driving school and Ahh Doh is the Star in a bog standard car.
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Episode 4 - Sports Wagons
Release Date: 2009-06-01Steve test drives the AUDI RS6 and the Holden HSV Wagon. Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones is our Star in the Bog Standard car and the team tries to find some un-drift able cars.
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Episode 5 - Aussie Armoured Cars
Release Date: 2009-06-08The Top Gear team attempt to turn three every day cars into Armoured Limousins and Steve test drives the Elfin T5 and its big brother the Streamliner MS8. HG Nelson is the Star in the Bog Standard Car.
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Episode 6 - Lawnmower Challenge
Release Date: 2009-06-15James test drives the new Nissan 370Z and then travels to Los Angeles to drive the Australian built Pontiac G8 GXP. Warren sets out to build a ride on lawnmower from a Toyota Hilux Ute for under $4,000 and Amanda Keller is our Star in the Bog Standard Car.
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Episode 7 - City Cars in the Outback
Release Date: 2009-06-22We find out which cars pull chicks, Steve and Warren challenge the city dwelling Fiat 500 and Smart Fortwo to one of the toughest off-road tracks in the world and a new Nissan Patrol is put up against a 1979 Toyota Landcruiser in a series of tests. Gary Sweet is the Star in the Bog Standard Car.
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Episode 8 - Luxobarges
Release Date: 2009-06-29Warren takes on a horse, Man from Snowy River style, with a Porsche Cayenne Diesel to prove which is better - horse power or a horse. Steve wins the right to review the Ford Falcon GTHO. James and Warren check out the Mercedes S-Class and Lexus LS. Gyton Grantley is the Star in a Bog Standard Car.