Top Gear Botswana: Cars

Oliver lives on. The Lancia was scrapped. The Mercedes probably still starts on the first turn of the key.

James May, "Captain Slow," opted for a W123 chassis Mercedes-Benz 230E. This was arguably the best car choice on paper. The W123 is legendary for durability, used as taxis across Africa for decades. top gear botswana cars

Top Gear, a popular BBC television show, visited Botswana in 2012 for a special episode featuring exciting cars and breathtaking landscapes. The show's hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, along with The Stig, explored the African country in a variety of high-performance vehicles. In this report, we'll take a look at the cars they drove and the adventures they had in Botswana. Oliver lives on

But Oliver became the star of the episode. Hammond treated him like a beloved pet, talking to him, fixing his failing fuel pump with a rock, and nursing him through floods and heatstroke. Oliver never broke down catastrophically. He just kept going. The little Opel finished the challenge with its dignity intact, and Hammond was so attached that he shipped Oliver back to England, where he still owns it. No other Top Gear car has ever received that honor. James May, "Captain Slow," opted for a W123