I suppose if Top Gear were a car it would be powered by a frenetic three-cylinder engine. It would be supercharged and turbocharged, still with plenty of go, though misfiring at times. It would have a slightly weary superstructure, suffering from a little metal fatigue and the odd spot of corrosion. Nothing serious, you understand, but in need of attention.
So the first of the latest series (its 33rd) is very much the typical formula, with all its strengths and weaknesses. The lucky trio of presenters – Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness – get to explore the car culture of Thailand, which is just as fascinating as you’d expect. Funnily enough, I reviewed the new Isuzu D-Max pick-up myself recently – a tidy enough drive for a diesel commercial vehicle – but never dreamt it could be raced and rallied with quite the aplomb it clearly is in the beautiful jungles of Indochina.
