Top Gear series 25 is here. The first episode of the new season premiered in South Africa on Wednesday 28th February 2018 via BBC Brit (DSTV channel 120).

Although I personally miss the days of the original cast and crew (who can now be found on Amazon), I will say that the changes have not been all bad (it is about the cars, after all). Naturally, new series regulars Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, Rory Reid and The Stig, are all back. This time they are taking viewers to locations such as Japan, Portugal, Italy and the USA to “witness the best there is in motoring”.

The first episode in Top Gear series 25 saw the crew driving around America’s Wild West, where they did their very best to “evade the law” by using three beautiful V8 powerhouses to transport some “moonshine”. Yes, it is just as ridiculous and fun to watch as it sounds.

Since 2018 is the 116th anniversary of the V8 engine, the Top Gear crew took to the Wild West in the McLaren 570GT, Jaguar F-Type SVR and a powerful Ford Mustang. In addition to doing their best to lose the coppers whilst driving across the state of Utah, they also tried their hand at NASCAR and visited Bonneville – the fastest racetrack in the USA.

Speaking of Utah, there are some pretty nifty fun facts about this premiere episode. For starters, the very first dirt track that they drove up at the beginning of the episode was made by the US government to look for uranium. You know, to make nuclear bombs. Also, the area where all the canyons are at the start of the episode is known as “Canyonlands”. This is an area that Hollywood has used multiple times and is most famous for that ‘driving off the cliff scene’ in Thelma and Louis (1991).

After having a very small taste of what it is like to drive a supercharged V8, I can definitely say that the Top Gear trio must have had an absolute blast filming this episode. From the undulating roars of the engines, through to the thrill and excitement of accelerating at break neck speeds, there is just so much enjoyment the comes from putting your foot flat in a V8.

Apparently all episodes from the season will air on DStv channel 120 within 3 days of the UK broadcast. That means Wednesday evenings, as the original episodes air on Sunday’s in the UK.

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Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.