Top Gear - Middle East Special Full |top| Episode Jun 2026

The episode concludes with a brilliant piece of satirical television. Arriving in Bethlehem, the three wise men enter a stable to present their gifts. Instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they offer a gold-wrapped Nintendo DS, a bottle of Joop! aftershave, and a car battery.

The full episode can be purchased in HD on platforms like iTunes / Apple TV , Google Play Movies , and YouTube Movies under Top Gear Series 16.

Vehicle selection, preparation and modifications

A detailed look at the faced by the BBC crew. top gear - middle east special full episode

The choice of open-top roadsters added immediate physical peril to the journey. The presenters faced intense heat, choking dust, and zero protection from flying debris. Jeremy Clarkson: Mazda MX-5 (NA)

James May simply pointed to his BMW Z3. "I’ve gone for German engineering. It’s sensible, it’s beige, and unlike yours, Jeremy, the door handles haven't fallen off yet."

Starting in the Kurdish region, they encountered hospitality and military history, including a drag race at an Iraqi air base built by Saddam Hussein. The episode concludes with a brilliant piece of

The route took them through southern Turkey and the deserts of pre-civil war Syria .

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A digital-camo-painted Mazda MX-5 , celebrated for its handling but severely lacking in ruggedness. aftershave, and a car battery

After clearing intense border security checkpoints, the trio entered Israel, drove past the Sea of Galilee, and made their way into the West Bank. The journey concluded at a stable in Bethlehem, where they presented their gifts to a "baby" that turned out to be a miniature version of The Stig. Why the Middle East Special Remains an All-Time Great A Snapshot of History

To protect themselves from potential stray gunfire, Jeremy and James line their car doors with heavy flak jackets. However, they trick Richard into using heavy, useless bulletproof glass windows that ruin his car's alignment.

Early in the journey, the team picks up a police escort. The problem? The officers are armed with AK-47s and are clearly bored. They decide to "entertain" themselves by treating the Top Gear convoy as a high-speed pursuit. One police car overtakes at 100 mph, blocking traffic, while another weaves aggressively behind Hammond’s MX-5. Clarkson’s terrified commentary is comedy gold: “This is not an escort. This is a kidnapping in progress.”

Today, the full episode serves as a time capsule, capturing a specific moment in geopolitical history and representing the absolute golden era of BBC's flagship motoring show. If you'd like, I can help expand this article.

The Top Gear Middle East Special stands as one of the most ambitious, culturally significant, and enduringly popular episodes in the history of the BBC’s hit motoring show. First broadcast in December 2010 as a festive seasonal event, the feature-length episode pushed Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May to their absolute limits. Tracking a grueling journey across deserts, political borders, and treacherous mountain ranges, the special combined automotive chaos with real-world geographical stakes. The Premise: The Three Wise Men Tour