Where is Top Gear test track? And can you drive at the BBC filming location? Where is Top Gear test track? And can you drive at the BBC filming location?
Where is Top Gear test track? And can you drive at the BBC filming location?
The latest series of Top Gear will see Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid embark on another automobile adventure.
Along the way, the trio will return home where they will use the Top Gear test track to push a number of vehicles to their limits.
But where is the iconic test track? Here’s all you need to know.
Where is the Top Gear test track?
The Top Gear test track is built on the main runway and taxiways of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The track is designed to test cars to their limits and includes a number of corners including the Willson bend, Chicago, Hammerhead, Bentley Bend and the Gambon.
The layout of the track is approximately 1.75 miles long and was designed by Lotus Cars as a testing facility.
Can I drive on the Top Gear test track?
Track days used to be available where fans of the show could take part in driving with The Stig and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Under 17s off roading was also an option that was on offer. However, in 2016, TGXP, the firm which ran the track days, decided it could no longer do the event following the show’s decline in interest after Jeremy Clarkson’s exit in 2015.
According to The Sun, a statement from the firm explained: “Despite good reviews and early strong sales for the Top Gear Track Experience, there has been a sharp decline in ticket sales and interest since the changes in the television show.
Sadly, it now doesn’t look like Top Gear fans will ever get the chance to have a go on the iconic track as it looks set to be demolished as part of a redevelopment. In December 2016, planning permission was granted to build 1,800 houses on the aerodrome site.
The new series kicks off on Sunday 17 February on BBC Two at 8pm. There will be five one-hour episodes in the series. Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid will travel to Norway, Sri Lanka and Spain where the former Friends actor and co will tackle motorised ricksaws in Sri Lanka and will discover the best family estate car with the help of some Norwegian wingsuiters.
Who is taking over from Matt LeBlanc?
With the 26th series being his last, LeBlanc will be replaced by TV presenter and comedian Paddy McGuinness and former international cricketer Freddie Flintoff. Whilst Harris will stay on the main show, Reid will be transferred back to Top Gear’s sister show, which features behind the scenes footage.