Top Gear in 2002

The following article contains dates of important events, premieres and real-world occurrences concerning Top Gear during the year 2002.

February

• 4th: The very last episode of original format Top Gear airs in the form of the 2002 Awards Special, with Jason Barlow as sole presenter.
• 19th: At 11 AM, Richard Hammond attends his screen test for a new version of Top Gear with Richard Porter.

March

• 22nd: Jeremy Clarkson is officially announced to be returning to host a new series of Top Gear following a 3 and a half year hiatus.

August

• The first pilot for Top Gear is filmed to disastrous results.
• 21st: The BBC release their press pack for upcoming factual programming on BBC Two.
• 23rd: The upcoming programme's first ever road test of the Renault Vel Satis is filmed in Swindon.

September

• 5th: The track test between a Lamborghini Murciélago and Pagani Zonda is filmed at the Top Gear Test Track.
• 9th: The show's first Reasonably-Priced Car, the Suzuki Liana, is registered as GX52 HFN.
• 12th: The speed camera challenge is filmed at the Top Gear Test Track. At 14:46, the Honda Civic Type-R is captured at 128 MPH, and at 15:31 a Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG is captured at 148 MPH. Sometime after this (likely around 16:15), a TVR Tuscan S successfully speeds past the camera at over 170 MPH, where it does not flash.

October

• 20th: Top Gear returns to TV in a brand new format, starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, alongside The Stig.
• 27th: Episode 2 airs.

November

• 3rd: Episode 3 airs.
• 7th: It's reported by journalist Julia Day that sales of the Citroën Berlingo Multispace have significantly risen as a direct result of Jeremy Clarkson's beaming review.
• 10th: Episode 4 airs.
• 11th: No Limits, the 7th home video release by Jeremy Clarkson, comes out on VHS and DVD.
• 17th: Episode 5 airs.
• 24th: Episode 6 airs.

December

• 1st: Episode 7 airs.
• 8th: Episode 8 airs.
• 22nd: Episode 9 airs.
• 29th: Series 1 of relaunched Top Gear concludes with Episode 10.