Top Gear: The Specials

It's the ultimate test of man against machine - or should that be dog against machine - as the Top Gear team set out on their most ambitious and arduous challenge to date. Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are take part in an epic land race starting in the town of Resolute, Northern Canada, finishing 450 miles later at the Magnetic North Pole. This being Top Gear, the three presenters' modes of transport are a little out of the ordinary. Jeremy and James drive, of course. Their vehicle of choice is specially converted for the task. Richard travels on something a little less hi-tech - a sled pulled by a team of 10 Canadian Inuit dogs. Richard's human companion is Matty McNair, a hugely experienced Polar explorer who has an almost telepathic understanding of her dogs. Pitting dog power against horse power may sound like a one-sided contest but, given the nature of the terrain, there's no telling who will make it to the pole first. In fact, there's no guarantee that either team will make it to the finish line at all. After all, the Arctic is home to 80 per cent of the world's polar bear population...

The team travel to Norway where they attempt Olympic events - in cars. A rocket-powered mini is fired off a ski jump, Jeremy and James tackle the biathlon with 4x4s, Richard stages a game of car ice hockey, and the new Jaguar XK races a speed skater.

Cars! Film! Cars on film! Film involving cars! You get the idea. Gasp as we find the perfect drift car for a gritty, Bourne Identity-style chase! Cheer as we stage a race for all those unsung heroes of the movie industry! Whoop as we find the car that makes the perfect dramatic exhaust note to dub onto an action sequence! Make some other sort of noise we haven't thought of yet as we re-attempt the classic Man With The Golden Gun barrel roll, having frankly made a total hash of it when we first tried it on telly! All this plus a vast fleet of sexy supercars and a man with a jet pack racing a Skoda.

No action hero in cinema history is as well known for his cars as James Bond. Alongside the gadgets, the girls and the baddies, Bond's cars are one of the vital ingredients that have made the films such a spectacular success, and in this entertaining Top Gear Special, Richard Hammond celebrates 50 years of Bond's greatest cars. We reveal the entertaining behind-the-scenes stories of the most iconic cars, including the Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 and the Lotus Espirit submarine car. Roger Moore takes us through the era of Bond's greatest car stunts and, inspired by some of the greatest gadgets, Richard gets in on the action with Bond Car On A Budget; building his own invisible car and Lotus submarine -- on worryingly low funds. On top of all that, there's an exclusive set report from the latest Bond film, Skyfall

Just what will motoring be like in a post-apocalyptic world that's been blown to bits by nuclear bombs or a massive comet? It's a burning question that's on literally nobody's mind, and we give you all the answers in this brand new, incredibly cheerful Top Gear Special. Embarking on a terrifying journey into the future, we show you how to drive to work in the perpetual darkness of a Nuclear Winter, how to make motorsport exciting when there's only two racing drivers left alive, and, in a world where all cars are bristling with weapons, how to survive the savage, explosive fury of a Doomsday M.O.T test. And amongst all the nuclear carnage, we also tackle the ultimate petrolhead's dilemma- what cars would you take for a final drive if there was only one barrel of petrol left on the planet? The explosions are huge, the cars are superb, so relax and enjoy. PS. This frightening vision of a post-nuclear world is backed up by top scientists, in case you think it's us just messing about.

Richard Hammond uncovers the tomfoolery and dark arts required to be a Top Gear presenter.