Top Gear - Middle East Special Full Episode ((install)) – Recommended

The answer is yes, but for different reasons. The Grand Tour on Amazon had a Hollywood budget. The Middle East Special had a pub-crawl budget. The former is a blockbuster; the latter is a documentary about three men having a nervous breakdown in a desert. The Middle East Special captures a moment in time (post-Iraq War, pre-Arab Spring) that cannot be remade. The genuine fear in their eyes when they see a military checkpoint is not acting.

The climax of the special takes place in Jerusalem. The challenge: find a parking space near the Damascus Gate during Friday prayers. It is impossible. May attempts to park the Z3 in a spot six inches too small. Hammond gets lost in a one-way system designed by Romans. Clarkson tries to bribe a policeman with a Fiat. It is a masterclass in comedic editing. top gear - middle east special full episode

This segment is now a poignant historical record, featuring high-definition footage of the ancient city of Palmyra and the bustling streets of Damascus before the Syrian Civil War. The answer is yes, but for different reasons

The trio was tasked with completing the 1,200-mile journey in second-hand, two-seater convertible sports cars bought for under . Jeremy Clarkson: Mazda MX-5 (painted with a "Technicolour Dreamcoat" scheme) . Richard Hammond: Fiat Barchetta Riviera (later fitted with a collapsing Bedouin tent) . James May: BMW Z3 (camouflaged in the style of the Afrika Korps) . A "Time Capsule" of Syria The former is a blockbuster; the latter is

What are your memories of the Middle East Special? Was James May's BMW the true hero, or did Hammond's Fiat deserve more credit? Let us know in the comments.

Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, after arriving via a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane .