‘Top Gear’ Recap: ‘Driving Home for Christmas’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the ‘Top Gear’ Christmas Special.
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One would think that a show about cars, wouldn’t really bother to do a Christmas episode. After all, there’s really nothing festive about a vehicle now is there? Because while we love them so and celebrate all the wonder they can send our way, cars just don’t offer holiday cheer, and they don’t exactly fit in with the season since Santa uses a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer to deliver presents around the world, not a bright red Porsche 911. Although, let’s be honest… that would be pretty awesome. But all pondering aside, a lack of holiday ties isn’t something that would keep Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris from trying to create a holiday celebration grounded in cars, as evidenced by the Top Gear Christmas Special, ‘Driving Home for Christmas’.
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For this trio of creative hosts clearly told everyone at BBC America and the BBC that it was in fact, quite possible to make a show about cars as festive as can be and well… it turns out they were right. And all it takes to make a show about cars as festive and as fun as a traditional holiday special… is to inject the wonder of the season into a special episode. Wherein the lads each gifted one another, the perfect Christmas car to fit its driver and the lads chose well. Since Chris got behind the wheel of a Citroen BX 4x4 GTi, and Paddy finally got a Ford Escort XR3i, and Freddie obtained his beloved Range Rover. All of which were perfect cars for each of them and well… in true Christmas tradition, they were tasked with a road trip home, and some holiday themed tests along the way.

Such as a race to see which car could best fit a Christmas tree and which driver could get it wrapped in the least amount of time. Which sorta turned out to be Freddie and his Range Rover. Because he won the time trial but didn’t finish the challenge with a tree, because of Paddy related reasons (he took two). And that was followed by a race to see which car could complete a generic course the quickest, with a caveat of course. Since a friendly game of Passenger Charades slowed that down, but Freddie still won. And there was also a competition designed to express unity, where the lads delivered a beautiful tree and decorated it and had to work together to make that happen, and the challenges and fun didn’t end there.

Because eventually, the lads made it home and found that the entire office was kicking off a grand holiday party on the old racetrack. Which led to a fun spirited race in dream cars really. The kind that included K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, and there was also a delightful Santa race to be had, which served as the final challenge for the original cars that the lads gifted to one another. Wherein they had to pull a sleigh full of presents in their ride and the car that spilled the least number of presents, was the true winner of the holiday season and the best Christmas car ever and that honor went to Freddie’s Range Rover. Since he managed to keep a handful of gifts in his sleigh. But what mattered more here, was that the evening ended with joy and friendship and the realization that this episode really was a flawless Christmas Special.

For it offered us gift giving and the joy that comes from that, and the importance of doing good deeds for others and the wonder of just enjoying one another’s company during the season. For people are what make it special and whether you’re celebrating the season from your dinner table, or through a microphone in a car, being alongside your friends and family is what matters most. And really it was just amazing to see a show about cars and our of love of them, figure out how to express that message when it seemed impossible. But that too is part of that Christmas magic, since this is the season where the impossible can become a reality, when you believe enough and surround yourself with the greatest gift of all, the people you love. Until next time.   

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