Top Gear: Polar Special

The Top Gear: Polar Special is an episode of the famous British car magazine Top Gear, which was broadcast on 25 July 2007 on BBC Two. It was an attempt by the two presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May became the first humans to reach the Arctic a few hundred miles from the geographic North Pole remote northern magnetic pole at all with a car. Richard Hammond, however, should try to reach the Pole on a dog sled faster than the car.

The project was realized by Top Gear in collaboration with Toyota and Arctic Trucks ( a company specializing in the modification of off-road vehicles company ). The vehicles used for the Polar Special were two Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Land Cruiser, where the focus was on the traversed from May and Clarkson Hilux in the film. The event was advertised by Toyota as the Hilux Arctic Challenge.

Overview

The timing of the race was chosen by the BBC, so it overlaps with the annual Polar Challenge, in which participants had a race to the position of the north magnetic pole in 1996, provide means of cross-country skiing and trekking. The experiment would then be shown as a separate Top Gear Special in 2007. As part of this challenge, the car would compete against a dog sled, the traditional means of transportation in the Arctic. James May and Jeremy Clarkson would drive the car and Richard Hammond the dog sled, which Matty McNair would be controlled.

Clarkson and May were in their Hilux then actually the first on the north magnetic pole, thus won the race against Hammond and were in addition to their support team, the first people who reached this pole in a car. The musical episode was mainly backed by Clint Mansell compositions from Requiem for a Dream, Movement 4, and Death is the Road to Awe. This episode was the first Top Gear episode which aired in high definition. Meanwhile, each episode of the TV series will be broadcast in high definition.

Rolling stock

For the expedition two Toyota Hilux (model 3.0 D4 -D) with double cab and a Toyota Land Cruiser 120 were used. In addition, a modified tag was used at 38 "wheels to transport pieces of equipment and extra fuel. Hilux A driven by the two hosts and Clarkson May and was equipped with additional cameras and microphones for this purpose. The other two vehicles are the film crew, two mechanics and a polar experts used. All three vehicles had to undergo the same strong modifications in order to survive the arctic conditions can.

Thus, the standard rims and tires have been replaced with custom-made rims of the company Arctic Trucks and 38 " snow tires with studs. The wheels are capable of with a pressure of only 0.28 bar to drive (4 psi ), so a larger to enable support surface on snow. the wheel arches were raised and widened in order to protect the larger wheels. purpose had to be enlarged and the wheelbase. the normal 3- liter diesel engine has been modified in order to function reliably at the low temperatures can. It heating elements have been added to heat the fuel and the cooling liquid. addition, robust battery is installed, and changes the air intake. a 90 liter auxiliary tank has been installed. the ratio was decreased to 1:4.88. the case that the vehicles put remained could be installed two winches at the rear or the front of all three vehicles. Additionally, a folding toilet seat was on the trailer hitch of the vehicle moderator installed.

The Toyota Hilux has been, inter alia, chosen because he has proven in several Top Gear Challenges to be extremely robust and reliable. A copy was provided in the course of two Top Gear episodes, inter alia, for the duration of a flood into the open sea, set on fire and eventually put on a to busting skyscraper. The Hilux was taken each time after repairs with the tool kit back in operation despite severe damage. Thus, the Hilux was the "obvious" choice for the journey to the Pole.

The expedition

The expedition began on 27 April 2007 at 13.00 clock from Resolute Bay in Nunavut. The goal for the day was the uninhabited Bathurst Island, where the expedition opened up camp for the day. After the departure of Bathurst, the convoy could rely only on satellite navigation.

On the first three days of the expedition was due to the smooth Eisuntergrunds progressing well, but the area was already on 28 April 2007 difficult. Sharp-edged ice and a thick blanket of snow reduced traction and presented a risk to tire dar. scouts were sent ahead to establish a secure route and, if necessary, flatten Eishindernisse using axes. Subsequently, it was necessary to cross a thin ice rink, where there was a danger that the heavy vehicles broke through the ice, so that they were progressing very slowly.

On the morning of May 2, 2007 the team reached the location of the northern magnetic pole 1996 78 ° 35.7 'N, 104 ° 11.9 ' W78.595 - 104.198333333330 (or 78 ° 35 '7 "N, 104 ° 11 '9 " W78.585277777778 104.185833333330 - on display of the entrained GPS system, something more than a kilometer away from the south-southeast ). So they were the first people who had reached the magnetic north with a tolerance of less than a mile in a motor vehicle.

From there, the Top Gear presenters were flown by plane, while the rest of the team made ​​his way to an after Gunnerius Ingvald Isachsen named, disused since 1978 weather station on the Ellef - Ringnes Island, where they set up camp and the state their vehicles with regard to the return trip to Resolute checked.

Richard Hammond did not reach the target, " because it seemed cruel to let him travel the extra distance just so Clarkson could gloat ."