The following comments cover both parts one and two of this special This Top Gear special had made the news long before the episode aired
for all the wrong reasons. Argentinian 'war veterans' had decided that one of their car's number plates, H982 FKL, was a reference to the 1982 Falklands War and had run the production crew out of the country. How this would affect the eventual show remained to be seen.
The opening episode began with the boys turning up in their three V-8s which they were to drive the length of Patagonia to Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego; the southernmost city in the world. The three cars are Clarkson's Porsche 928, May's Lotus Esprit and Hammond's 1971 Ford Mustang. Along the way south the visit the house were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once lived, cross the Andes, have an impromptu race on a dry lake bed and drive along the sort of roads that their cars clearly weren't built for.
As it always the case much of what goes wrong is clearly preplanned; most notably crossing a wobbly bridge only to find it is a dead end; driving across the Andes on a track that just disappeared but still making it across and turning up at a river were there was no bridge. Other events such as the run in with the 'protesters' and James May's injury after he fell off a horse obviously weren't. It wouldn't be a Special without their cars breaking down occasionally and the threat of having to use the backup vehicle, in this case a 2CV.
While fans know there are plenty of scripted moments it is still an entertaining show with plenty of laughs, some more than a little childish behaviour and plenty of moments were it looks like one or more of the cars won't make it. There is also some absolutely stunning scenery along the way; one could almost think the tourist board had told them where to film! There are one or two low key references to the Falkland's war but the claim that the number plate was deliberate provocation sees a little far-fetched; subtlety was never the shows strong point and they had driven over a fifteen hundred miles without comment. The local reaction was clearly over the top and presented a real danger to the crew it also provided a sad end to what until that point could have been some great publicity for such a stunning country. Overall if you've enjoyed previous specials you'll probably like this one too.
The opening episode began with the boys turning up in their three V-8s which they were to drive the length of Patagonia to Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego; the southernmost city in the world. The three cars are Clarkson's Porsche 928, May's Lotus Esprit and Hammond's 1971 Ford Mustang. Along the way south the visit the house were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once lived, cross the Andes, have an impromptu race on a dry lake bed and drive along the sort of roads that their cars clearly weren't built for.
As it always the case much of what goes wrong is clearly preplanned; most notably crossing a wobbly bridge only to find it is a dead end; driving across the Andes on a track that just disappeared but still making it across and turning up at a river were there was no bridge. Other events such as the run in with the 'protesters' and James May's injury after he fell off a horse obviously weren't. It wouldn't be a Special without their cars breaking down occasionally and the threat of having to use the backup vehicle, in this case a 2CV.
While fans know there are plenty of scripted moments it is still an entertaining show with plenty of laughs, some more than a little childish behaviour and plenty of moments were it looks like one or more of the cars won't make it. There is also some absolutely stunning scenery along the way; one could almost think the tourist board had told them where to film! There are one or two low key references to the Falkland's war but the claim that the number plate was deliberate provocation sees a little far-fetched; subtlety was never the shows strong point and they had driven over a fifteen hundred miles without comment. The local reaction was clearly over the top and presented a real danger to the crew it also provided a sad end to what until that point could have been some great publicity for such a stunning country. Overall if you've enjoyed previous specials you'll probably like this one too.