Top Gear Tonight: BMW M5, Kimi Raikkonen, Cheap Motor Racing, Ferrari 250 GT California & Slash is SIARPC

Kimi Raikkonen is Top Gear's F1 SIARPC tonight

Top Gear Series 18 Episode 7 is the last in the current series with the new BMW M5, Kimi Raikkonen, Cheap Motor Racing, Ferrari 250 GT California & Slash is SIARPC.

Top Gear Series 18 ends tonight with the final episode – episode 7.

On track this week is the new BMW M5 with the twin turbo V8. Richard Hammond gets to go and play, but will he find the new V8 more accomplished than the old V10, or will the appeal of the V10 mean the V8 getting the thumbs down? Whichever it is, expect tyre-shredding track fun in the M5.

The feature piece on this final Top Gear is another motor racing outing where Jeremy, Richard and James see if it’s possible to go motor racing more cheaply than taking up golf (or becoming a golfist, in TG-speak). It looks like you can, and it looks a bunch of fun too.

This week we get a couple of stars in reasonably priced cars. Formula One returnee Kimi Raikkonen comes along to play in the old reasonably priced car to see if he still has what it takes ahead of the new F1 season (what better test than the TG F1 SIARPC?) and claim a place on the F1 drivers’ SIARPC board.

The regular SIARPC this week is Slash, lead guitarist from American rock band Guns N’ Roses (who actually hails from  Hampstead, which isn’t very rock ‘n’ roll) who gets to play at Dunsfold with the Kia cee’d (the last outing for the current cee’d?).

We don’t know a huge amount about Mr Slash’s car history except that he recently sold his mint ’66 Corvette Stingray and now drives Aston Martins. But he does have a bit of a dicky ticker, so we hope the Stig doesn’t push him too hard.

Finally, James gets to go and play in a Ferrari 250 GT California  - a childhood dream – and judging by the number plate – FER 1 – this isn’t just any old 250 GT California but the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB once owned by James Coburn and bought a couple of years ago by Ginger Ferrarista Chris Evans. Maybe Jezza’s appearance on Chris’s Radio 2 morning show last week was payback for the loan?

And that’s it, Series 18 all done and done dusted with the final episode – episode 7 – at the usual time in the usual place – BBC2 8pm Sunday.

(22 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK