The Grand Tour Insults Argentina Five Years After Top Gear Controversy
Oh dear, it’s happened again and people aren’t happy… Even we have had email complaints about this, and of course the media have gone mad over it. The Grand Tour has insulted Argentina, and because they have quite the history with the country, things have been blown out of proportion.
Richard Hammond has reignited the feud between the Clarkson, Hammond and May trio and Argentina by calling the country ‘God’s cesspit’. It’s only been five years since the Patagonia Special episode of Top Gear where Clarkson drove through the country with a numberplate reading ‘H982FKL’, which Argentinians thought was a reference to the Falklands War.
While the Top Gear team had always denied that it was a planned part of the episode, Clarkson later said that he should have returned with a number place saying ‘W3 WON’. Obviously there’s still a grudge with Hammond bringing up the country again.
During a tent segment Clarkson turns to Hammond and May and asks,
“You know how we’ve always said Canada is God’s pantry and that Saudi Arabia is his petrol station?’ Hammond interrupts with. yeah, Lancashire is his cupboard under the stairs, our tent’s about to blow down… Argentina is his cesspit.”
The trio nod to the audience as they burst into laughter.
![grand tour argentina episode grand tour argentina episode](https://grandtournation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sei_46153973-01b0.jpg)
Thankfully, unlike last time where the trio were threatened with three years in an Argentinian prison, nothing more have come of this. But maybe they should put this grudge to bed? Let us know what you think.
And while you’re here… We’d really appreciate it if you checked out our merch! Use TGT15 at checkout and you’ll get 15% off.
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Steven Douglas
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10 comments.
I am going to 100 percent honest here . As an american we have had jokes about ww2 and several other wars . And we are insulted daily . The diffrence is we have thick skin amd can take a joke . As far as iam concerned argentina treated them like complete shit even after they tried to make there shit hole country seem beautifal and inviteing . So as far as iam concerned argentina can look both ways before theu go fu*k themselfs !!.
That joke went down like the Belgrano!
Seriously, Hammond can’t go two days without saying something stupid. He can’t let sleeping dogs lie. And in all honesty, neither can Mr. Joe.
This is the trouble these days, someone speaks the truth and it offends someone else. At least the never his Nazi war criminals for 40 odd years….oh.
So you wanna dismiss the war they had in the 80’s with that sort of response? Real mature.
This is exactly the problem with people like you; you never learn when to shut your mouths. You just want to dismiss everything with sarcasm, because the reality is too harsh for you.
Honestly… Do we care if they were a bit butt hurt? No. Not really.
Dude, the Falklands War is no “butthurt matter.” In all seriousness, the boys should have left sleeping dogs lie.
If you wanna dismiss the Falklands War as being a little butthurt, you’re shrugging off what was a big issue as if it was a little problem.
Seriously, the boys should have left sleeping dogs lie.
totally agree: there is enough real and threatening discrimination, in this world, to deal with, already!
Patagonia Special
- South America
- Jeremy Clarkson
- Richard Hammond
- Christmas Specials
- Two-Part Specials
![grand tour argentina episode TG en Patagonia](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/topgear/images/e/eb/TG_en_Patagonia.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/320?cb=20150111135028)
The Top Gear crew riding through Chile
The Patagonia Special is a two-part Top Gear Christmas special, which aired as part of the show's twenty-second series . The special is the second that Top Gear has filmed in South America, after the Bolivia Special . Although originally presented with a challenge to drive from a hotel in Bariloche, Argentina to a lodge that American outlaw Butch Cassidy used as a hide-out, the presenters soon learned that their actual objective was to drive more than 1,600 miles to Ushuaia - the southernmost region of the South American continent - as an homage to the V8 engine. There, they would host a game of car football against a local Argentinian team. The special was broadcast in two parts - with the first part airing on the 27th and the second part airing on the 28th of December - like the previous two specials; the Burma Special and Africa Special .
The Patagonia Special is well-known for the controversy that erupted when Argentinians in Tierra del Fuego, the destination of their journey, took offense to the license plate on Jeremy's Porsche when it was reported on by a blogger. As a result of a subsequent series of protests by local Argentinians against the show, the production crew decided to suspend filming prematurely and re-enter neighboring Chile. The controversy culminated in an attack on the convoy as they fled to Chile, documented at the end of the special.
- 3.1 Series of Events
- 7 Thumbnail
Summary [ ]
The three presenters are told to meet up on the banks of a lake near a hotel (Hotel Llao Llao) in Bariloche, Argentina. Jeremy is the first to arrive in his Porsche 928 GT, with Richard arriving shortly afterwards in a Ford Mustang Mach 1, and James arriving last in a Lotus Esprit V8. Jeremy and Richard are shocked at James' selection of a Lotus, given their notorious unreliability. James and Richard call the Porsche 928 boring. The team are instructed to drive just over a hundred miles to a house Butch Cassidy used to live in when he was on the run. near the town of Cushamen, Argentina. En-route to their destination, Jeremy explains that he chose the 928 because it was the car he drove to his father's deathbed saying, "If I hadn't been driving a car which could sit quite happily at 170 miles per hour I wouldn't have had the opportunity to say goodbye to my Dad. So as far as I'm concerned, the Porsche 928 is alright". Richard's Mach 1 begins to show signs of serious problems early on with very haphazard steering which, as Richard describes, is "kind of vague". Whilst Richard wrestles with his Mustang, James and Jeremy begin enter an overtaking race with each other, eventually pulling over to wait for Richard at a fuel stop. Finding the Mustang's fuel cap position - and subsequently Richard's position when filling up - amused the convoy before they set off once again. The trio pass through Bariloche, a town which they note was a "haven for Nazi war criminals" in World War II, continuing to make progress towards Butch Cassidy's house. However, just one and a half miles from their destination Richard's Mustang breaks down with his ability to steer completely gone. James and Jeremy leave Richard behind and eventually reach Butch Cassidy's house. Unable to fix his Mustang, Richard is forced to push the car to the destination where he is greeted by James and Jeremy around a camp fire.
Awaking the next morning, the presenters learn that their actual challenge is to drive to Ushuaia, purported to be the world's southernmost city, in order to stage a game of car football against the locals. Shocked to learn that this would encompass a drive of more than 1,600 miles - the largest yet on a Top Gear Special - the team head off on their epic quest. The team decide that they should drive on the promising sounding 'Road to the South' in Chile, requiring the presenters to cross the Andes mountain range. Jeremy takes charge on their route and decides that they should attempt this crossing as soon as possible. Having mocked Richard once more whilst filling up his Mustang in a nearby town, Jeremy soon discovers that the Mach 1's fuel tank is leaking. Passing a sign in Spanish reading "The Falklands are Argentina's forever" Jeremy vows to "not spark fury on this trip". Soon the road to Chile turns into an unpaved and rocky off road track, causing serious problems for Jeremy, Richard, and James's low-slung sports cars. Shortly afterwards, the track disappears entirely and the team are forced to off road through the woods. James snags his Lotus on a tree stump and Richard's Mustang's steering fails once more. Having punted the Lotus free with his Porsche, Jeremy and James decide to leave Richard to fix his Mach 1 and continue on without him. After slowly navigating down a steep rocky bank, James and Jeremy rejoin a main road and, a few miles later, arrive at the Chilean border. Richard arrives shortly after and, whilst napping, James and Jeremy take advantage of the situation to sticker on Peugeot liveries to his Mustang in the hopes of making it "more reliable". Richard, unamused with the stickers, and the rest of the team continue their journey in Chile only to have the Mustang break down again after just a few kilometers. Jeremy and James continue on without Richard once more and begin to race through the twisty turns of a nearby highway. James loses control of his Lotus on a sharp turn, regaining control just before the car hits the guard rail, to Jeremy's amusement. Jeremy and James pull over at a café in the next village to discuss their V8 engines, leaving again when Richard finally arrives. Soon Jeremy accidentally leads the convoy to a wooden suspension bridge; agreeing they must cross it, the presenters decide to drive over one by one with James going first. Despite being a scary experience, all three presenters make it across only to realize that their track leads to a dead end and that they must turn around. Having crossed over the bridge again and found another track, the weather closes in on the convoy. Commenting on the now eerie quality of their surrounding, the trio soon find that their track leads to a swamp. In the bog, Richard and Jeremy become stuck quickly whilst James's Lotus continues to surprise the trio by working flawlessly. Despite having only just been freed from the swamp by James's Lotus, Jeremy decides to regain some of his pride by unsticking Richard. Unfortunately, Jeremy becomes stuck once more and James is forced to free him again before attending to Richard. Finding a rocky trail the presenters continue onwards until Jeremy sights the 'Road to the South' they have been looking for. In order to reach it, the team are forced to cross a river on an unfinished wooden bridge. As the day draws to a close and the rain becomes heavier, the convoy successfully complete and cross the bridge, relieved to have finally found their road and that, unlike most other Chilean Patagonian roads, it is paved.
The next morning the team continue driving south on their road. However, it is soon clear to the presenters that the road isn't paved all the way and they quickly find themselves on a rocky and muddy off road track once more. Richard's Mustang sustains a puncture on the roads and Jeremy and James decide to leave him once more. Stopping at a town named Puyuhuapi, Jeremy and James comment on the odd-positioning of the town's playground in a known tsunami zone before Richard rejoins them. After poking fun at the town's seemingly useless fire station and the region's road safety tips - which have been translated in broken English - the team set off once more. The roads become increasingly worse and Richard and his Mustang begin to suffer. After learning that they have more than half the journey still to go Richard begins to complain to James and Jeremy however his cries are drowned out by the deafening noises of his Mustang's underside being degraded by the roads. Soon they pull over after noticing a Citroen 2CV that has been following them since Bariloche; they soon realise that it is the backup car provided by the producers for the shoot. Later that day, at that night's hotel, Richard persuades James and Jeremy to cross over the Andes again and head back in to Argentina where, as he says, "the roads will be better". Reluctantly agreeing, Jeremy close out the day by handing leadership over to Richard.
Awaking to an intense mist covering the scenery, the convoy heads off over the Andes towards Argentina. In the mountains James and Jeremy struggle to cope with the iced-over roads with Richard mocking them as such. Back in Argentina, Jeremy and James are further irritated by the washboard-like quality of the Argentinian roads. Continuing along the route the convoy is eventually brought to a halt when James becomes stuck in the mud. Having winched James out after making him admit that his Porsche 928 "isn't boring" Jeremy too then begins to encounter some problems. The bumpy road causes his washer-bottles and wipers to become stuck on, something both he and James had never seen before. Continuing along Jeremy's Porsche has another serious problem just a few miles later when his dashboard lights up with every warning light and his power steering fails. As Richard and James leave Jeremy's Porsche mysteriously comes back to life without any repairs whatsoever, however the washerbottle - now empty - is still turned on, as are the wipers. Just a mile down the road the Porsche breaks down yet again, however this time the problem is more severe. Jeremy discovers that his engine and starter motor are both jammed on and the only way to turn them off is to disconnect the battery. Jeremy also finds that one of his shock absorbers has been seperated from it's mountings and has torn open his electrical wiring loom. On the road, Richard informs James that they will have to camp that night rather than stay in a hotel, a fact that irritates James even further. Meanwhile, Jeremy begins to solder his wires together in the hopes that he can get some of his Porsche's electrics to work again. James and Richard arrive at the camp ground where they will stay the night; Richard orders James to set up the tents whilst he goes on the lookout for food. A while later, Richard returns to the camp site with a cow on the roof of his Mustang saying that he will cook a traditional gaucho barbecue for dinner. Having set up dinner and erected the tents, James and Richard wait for Jeremy agreeing that he is likely to be in the 2CV. Jeremy surprises both by turning up in his Porsche having successfully mended the 928's electrics. During the night James and Richard decide to "cheer up" Jeremy by attaching various bits to his car.
The next morning Jeremy wakes up to find his 928 vandalized by Richard and James. Upset at them both he relieves Richard of command and sets off as the leader once more. On the road the convoy soon find themselves in the middle of a blizzard. Jeremy discovers that James and Richard have also tampered with the inside of his car, having attached a brake-light inside the cabin. With more than 900 miles still to go Jeremy realizes that he hasn't managed to mend all of his Porsche's electrics, with his dashboard all but unusable. The Mustang too has some issues with Richard asking, "can anyone else smell burning?".
The film picks up with the presenters in Argentina, having escaped from the earlier blizzard. Continuing down the lone empty roads of the Patagonian Desert, the presenters soon become bored of the tedium of Argentina's long corner-less roads. They decide to race in one of the desert's vast open plains by carving their own race circuit in to the dirt; Jeremy sets out to create the track in his Porsche, deciding to attempt to replicate Imola Circuit. Although the final product "looked more like a placenta than Imola" the team decide to stage a three-abreast race with an infinite number of laps, dubbing it 'The Inaugural V8 Desert Marathon'. During the race all three presenters are, at times, in the lead. However, Richard calls the race off just a few laps in after his rear-view mirror shears itself from the windscreen, cracking the glass panel too. After inspecting their cars at the end of the race, Richard also discovers that his Mustang's carburettor has been filled with rocks from the desert. The presenters then realise that they've lost their bearings in the open desert plain and have no idea which way the road is. Unable to agree on which way to go, Jeremy puts himself in charge and leads the team off over sand dunes until they reach an enormously long fence with a locked gate. Richard argues that he should demolish the fence with his Mustang and leave the owner a note with some money to pay for the damage. Jeremy and James disagree, however, and decide they need to get some bolt cutters from Tres Lagos, a town more than 20 kilometers away. James and Richard argue that they should walk to the town and back but Jeremy decides to hire some local horses to complete the journey on instead. Whilst mounting his horse James falls off his saddle and injures his back, forcing Jeremy and Richard to walk into town whilst he is attended to by medical professionals. Having bought the bolt cutter, returned to the gate, opened it, and set off Richard and Jeremy discover that James has cracked three ribs, a fact that makes him exceptionally irritated with Jeremy. The team set off again and continue along the Argentinian highway until Jeremy's Porsche stops. Initially believing it be the cause of an empty fuel tank Jeremy, quickly realises that his problems are alternator-related. James, still upset with Jeremy, decides to leave him and head onwards to that night's accomodationn; when Richard catches up to Jeremy he too decides to leave him. Jeremy is unable to fix the problem has he does not have a spare alternator belt so he installs a battery into his 928's boot and sets off in to the night without being able to use any of his electrics. Soon, Jeremy catches up with Richard and the two decide to ride together due to Jeremy's lack of headlights. Sharing Richard's Mustang's single working headlight the team continue onwards towards the overnight halt.
The next morning, the team set off for El Calafate with Jeremy's Porsche still without an alternator belt. Jeremy explains that he was unable to find a spare alternator belt and could not mend his now broken dashboard so the previous night he decided to "fiddle with Richard's car instead", wiring his air horn to his brake pedal. Although they stop briefly to admire the scenery, the convoy makes good time to El Calafate and decide that they should modify their cars to make them "more workman-like" for Ushuaia. The trio find a garage and work through the night to modify their vehicles.
The following day the presenters reveal their modifications to one another. Jeremy and Richard have both converted their cars into pickup trucks, Richard has installed a roll-cage to the outside of the Mustang - dubbing it the "exoskeleton", Jeremy has installed sat-nav by way of a map of Patagonia over top of his dashboard, Richard has lifted his Mustang and installed a new set of lights, and Jeremy has added a racing stripe to make his car more interesting. James, however, reveals that he hasn't modified his Lotus at all but has, instead, built a trailer which he will tow behind it. The convoy head out of town with Jeremy and Richard deciding to annoy James running in to his Lotus' trailer. Out on the highway, Richard realises that his roll-cage has severely impacted his visibility. Jeremy decides that they should catch a ferry to Tierra del Fuego which departs from Punta Arenas, a sea-port town in Chile. Richard and James agree to the plan and the convoy head for the Chilean border once more. On the way to the border, Jeremy's Porsche's sun roof partially opens which causes the cabin to become windy and noisy. Jeremy finds out a way to stop the problem is to drive in reverse, something which he quickly abandons after being overtaken by a local. The team arrive at the Chilean border shortly afterwards and, after Richard fills up his Mustang again, the team set off towards Fin del Mundo, the end of the World. After arriving in Punta Arenas later that same day, the team decide that they should do some shopping to buy items for their football stadium. Having purchased corner flags, goal posts, beer, and a trophy Jeremy then reveals the presents he has bought Richard and James; a pair of baby's pyjamas for Richard and a stuffed horse toy for James. The team then must board their ferry to Tierra del Fuego which is an easy exercise for Richard and Jeremy but proves far more challenging for James on account of his trailer. After enjoying "an hour and a half's entertainment" watching James repeatedly fail to load his Lotus, the ferry leaves the port of Punta Arenas and sails towards Tierra del Fuego.
The next morning, Jeremy reveals to James and Richard that the ferry cannot dock in Argentina due to Chile and Argentina's frosty relationship with regards to the area - or, as Jeremy calls it, 'political reasons'. Instead, they must disembark on a rocky beach some miles away, cross another set of mountains, and ford a river border to enter Argentina. Upon arriving on shore, the presenters find the going difficult and, as the tide starts to creep inwards, they elect to use some of the equipment they had bought for the stadium to make progress faster. The trio initially work together to traverse the rough terrain, but as the sun starts to set and the tide begins to rise much more rapidly, Jeremy and Richard leave James to fend for himself. With the trailer on the back of his Lotus, James eventually gets trapped by the tide and is forced to leave his car on the beach. The trio camp out that night.
The next day, the trio set off over the mountains towards the Argentine border. Though their surroundings are pretty, the presenters again find the going difficult. The slippery, icy, and snowy surfaces make driving difficult, and it doesn't take long for Jeremy to drive his Porsche into a snowy embankment. While attempting to go around Jeremy, Richard too becomes stuck. However, the trio realise that Richard has snapped his steering rod in the process, meaning he can no longer turn his wheel. As he is blocking the road, James tows Richard out of the snow drift and then leaves with Jeremy. While Richard stays behind to mend his steering, James and Jeremy reach the Argentinian border, but discover that the only way to cross it is to load their cars on the back of a flatbed truck so that they can ford a deep river. The process takes the rest of the day, by which point Richard manages to mend his car and arrives at the border. Jeremy and James trick Richard into thinking that he has to drive across the river and Richard enlists a local digger-driver to tow him across after he gets stuck. Richard makes it to the other side and is immediately suspicious when he sees that both Jeremy and James's cars aren't wet.
At this point in the film, the production crew encounter a local group of protestors while shooting in Argentina ski resort, on account of Jeremy's perceived offensive number plate . What follows becomes one of the show's most famous controversies , as Jeremy, Richard, and James fly out of Argentina, and the production crew are forced to flee back to the Chilean river border that the presenters had just crossed the day before. Along the way, the crew is attacked by a mob of protesters who throw stones and eggs at the convoy. Eventually, the crew decides to ditch the Lotus, Mustang, and Porsche at the side of the road.
Controversy and Removal from Argentina [ ]
![grand tour argentina episode Top gear james may](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/topgear/images/0/0c/Top_gear_james_may.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/298?cb=20141006040757)
James May's Lotus abandoned at the side of the road in Patagonia.
While filming in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina at the culmination of their journey, the Top Gear became entangled in a controversy regarding the number plate displayed by Jeremy's Porsche: H982 FKL . Local Argentinians in Ushuaia claimed that the plate was a reference to the Falklands War of 1982, a highly sensitive topic in Argentina, especially Tierra del Fuego.
Before entering Ushuaia, Jeremy had swapped the number plate for an alternative - H1 VAE - in the hopes that this would keep the protesters at bay. The Top Gear crew had planned to film a car-based football match between England and Argentina in Ushuaia as the finale to the special, with a BE11 END plate to be swapped over for the H1 VAE plate once in Ushuaia. However, the crew were banned from filming in the town by the local government shortly after their arrival in to Ushuaia.
Series of Events [ ]
While filming at a ski resort in Tierra del Fuego the crew encountered a group of local protestors who told them that a mob was coming and that there would "be trouble" if the team didn't leave Argentina in three hours time. Shortly after, the crew retreated to a hotel in Ushuaia. More demonstrators were waiting at their hotel and the presenters and crew were forced to hide inside. Executive producer of the show, Andy Wilman, attempted to converse with one of the head figures of the protests but to no avail. Despite a police presence at the hotel, the team were advised to leave the country as soon as possible. Jeremy, James, and Richard - along with one of the producers and the females in the film crew - were evacuated from Ushuaia via aircraft on a flight to Buenos Aires. The remaining crew members, including Andy Wilman, were forced to drive to the Chilean border in the cars used by the presenters along with other production vehicles, with a police escort. The convoy encountered another group of protesters in Tolhuin, a town outside of Ushuaia, who had blocked the right hand lane of the road with a lorry. Bricks, bottles, and pick-axe handles were flung at the cars; the attack was captured on video , and this footage aired as part of the special. Further along, the crew received word that an ambush was set up in Rio Grande, a town the convoy needed to travel through in order to reach the Chilean border. The convoy was pursued by the protesters from Tolhuin, who attempted to herd them into Rio Grande. The production crew decided to abandon the three star cars at the side of the road and headed off-road to the river border instead. Their police escort headed into Rio Grande so as to distract the pursuing protesters from the escaping film crew. The crew were forced to ford a river to cross into the safety of Chile, using the same digger that Richard has used the day before.
- It was the first Top Gear special since 2011's India Special to be broadcast at Christmas time.
- Like both the Burma and Africa Special, the Patagonia Special was broadcast in two parts.
- The special was the second special episode to air in 2014, the first of which was the Burma Special. This makes 2014 only the second year in which Top Gear has ever broadcast two specials.
- "Patagonia Special, Part 1" was one of the only Top Gear episodes to be broadcast on a Saturday rather than a Sunday.
- The one day gap between the airings of both parts of the special is the smallest amount of time that has ever passed between airings of two new Top Gear episodes.
- This special makes references to the following specials: USA, Botswana, Burma, Bolivia and Africa.
- This is the final Top Gear Special to feature Jeremy, James and Richard as hosts. Specials did not continue when LeBlanc , Reid , and Harris became hosts, however returned when Harris was joined by Flintoff and McGuinness.
Pictures [ ]
![TG Patagonia 9.jpg (63 KB) One of few promotional images featuring Jeremy's Porsche.](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/topgear/images/b/b7/TG_Patagonia_9.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20141211221412)
Trailer [ ]
Thumbnail [ ]
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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson call Argentina ‘God’s cesspit’ on The Grand Tour five years after Top Gear fiasco
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![grand tour argentina episode (L - R) Presenters James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond strike a pose during filming of The Grand Tour. Undated handout file photo issued by Amazon of (left to right) James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond during filming of The Grand Tour, as the debut episode of the show set a new streaming record for Amazon Prime Video, the company has said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday November 22, 2016. The Former Top Gear stars Clarkson, Hammond and May's new effort has become the subscription service's biggest premiere, beating previous number one show on the service, 2015's The Man In The High Castle. See PA story SHOWBIZ GrandTour. Photo credit should read: Amazon Prime Video/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/sei_44348800-7cde.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C433)
The Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond has reignited the trio’s feud with Argentina by calling the country ‘God’s cesspit’.
Jeremy Clarkson famously managed to rile millions of citizens back in 2014 when he drove through Patagonia for an episode of Top Gear with a license plate number which read H982 FKL, sparking complaints the vehicle was referring to the Falklands War.
The presenter was chased out of Argentina, but he remained peak Clarkson about the whole thing and later quipped that should he ever return, ‘the number plate will be W3 WON’ because he’s lovely like that.
And it appears the trio still are still bearing a grudge, as Hammond couldn’t resist having another pop at the Argentinians during the latest episode of The Grand Tour.
In the instalment released on Amazon Prime today, Clarkson turned to his merry men and began: ‘You know how we’ve always said Canada is God’s pantry and that Saudi Arabia is his petrol station?’
Hammond interrupted: ‘Yeah: Lancashire is his cupboard under the stairs, our tent’s about to blow down… Argentina is his cesspit.’
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Naturally, the main man agreed, nodding along while the studio audience cracked up.
The BBC Trust declared in 2015 there was no evidence to suggest the number plate intentionally referenced the Falklands War and the row was put to bed.
![grand tour argentina episode http://topgear.wikia.com/wiki/H982_FKL Jeremy Clarkson still isn't over that Top Gear Falklands fiasco and let us know on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Picture: topgear.wikia METRO GRAB](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/sei_46153973-01b0.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=540%2C399)
However, Clarkson and the Top Gear team were threatened with three years in an Argentinian prison after provoking the country’s war veterans.
During a recent episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? the host made sure viewers knew he wasn’t quite over the ordeal just yet when Buenos Aires popped up in a question.
‘See, Buenos Aires, I have a different term for people who live there, after what happened to us in Argentina,’ he told a contestant.
The latest episode of The Grand Tour has been described as the ‘best yet’ by loyal fans of the motoring series, as the gang test out motorised suitcases, wreaking havoc through the gates of Stansted airport and accidentally knocking over an elderly passenger.
The Grand Tour is available to stream on Amazon Prime now.
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Patagonia Special: Part 1
- Episode aired Jan 12, 2015
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Clarkson, Hammond and May embark on a journey to the southernmost point of South America. Clarkson, Hammond and May embark on a journey to the southernmost point of South America. Clarkson, Hammond and May embark on a journey to the southernmost point of South America.
- James Bryce
- Jeremy Clarkson
- Richard Hammond
- 1 User review
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- Self - Presenter
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- Trivia All entries contain spoilers
Jeremy Clarkson - Presenter : [Jeremy drives past a sign] Map of the Falkland Islands with "Argentina's forever". That is a straight face I'm pulling right now. Straight. I will not spark fury on this trip. This is the new me, the smart me, the clever me.
- Connections References Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
User reviews 1
- January 12, 2015 (United States)
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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- Runtime 1 hour 2 minutes
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- Entertainment
Top Gear: Series 22 – Patagonia Special (1/2)
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- The boys go on an epic road trip across Argentina in three used coupes.
- Porsche 928 GT, Lotus Esprit V8 and a Ford Mustang Mach 1.
Episode Guide
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Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take three V8-engined sports cars on a gruelling 1600-mile journey through the spectacular landscapes of Patagonia. Along the way they encounter rough roads, collapsed bridges, broken bones and a cow as they press onwards against the odds in a quest to reach the southernmost city in the world.
The trio are challenged with finding a car with a V8 engine. Clarkson chooses a Porsche 928, which the other presenters mock for being boring. Hammond chooses a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, which is berated for having a number of pointless features. James May chooses a Lotus Esprit, which is constantly belittled for its notorious history of unreliability; even James admits that it is “a risk”. They are first told that they have to travel 130 miles to Butch Cassidy’s final resting place, much to the shock and delight of the presenters, Jeremy in particular. On the way, they drive through Bariloche, a place Hammond describes as “a haven for Nazi war criminals”. Hammond’s car experiences problems at this stage; the Mach 1 has poor steering and requires a lot of fuel stops. It then breaks down a mile and a half from the destination, forcing him to push it the rest of the way.
After spending the night in the house, they are then told to drive to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in the world, 1600 miles away. Hammond’s car breaks down a number of times which he blames on Jeremy’s route. Both the Porsche and the Mustang get beached in a swamp, forcing the Lotus to rescue them, much to their surprise. They also drive over numerous dangerous bridges, one of which is very unsturdy and ends up leading them to a dead end. At this point, Jeremy notes that although it is the most unreliable car to have brought, the Lotus is surprisingly doing the best. Along the way, they notice a Citroën 2CV following them, which they realise is the comedy backup car. Clarkson notes his particular dislike for this car, saying that the only reason he got on to the orginal series of Top Gear was because he spent his screentest ranting about how much he hated it for twenty minutes.
Hammond then decides to change the route, as Clarkson’s had led them along numerous dangerous roads which Hammond claimed to have damaged his Mustang. Hammond’s route proves to be worse, driving back over the Andes and on rickety roads. Hammond’s car loses two gears, and the Porsche’s window wipers bizarrely turn on without any instruction to. Jeremy cannot turn them off, and his engine breaks down numerous times. It is later revealed that damage to a shock absorber has affected the electrical systems. Hammond and May continue, and Jeremy is left with two options – to fix the car, which involves doing manual labour (something he hates) and is very complicated, or to drive in the 2CV. When the Lotus and Mustang stop, James is infuriated by Hammond’s camping suggestion. Hammond returns with a cow, though James opposes this, saying they already did that joke. Despite Jeremy’s incompetence, he fixes the Porsche and is also annoyed with the camping. James and Hammond annoy him further by adding garish visuals to the Porsche.
In the ensuing rant, Hammond is stripped of leadership, and the team drive on.
01:09 – 01:39 – Brian Tyler – Rambo Main Title 01:42 – 01:44 – Jeff Cardoni – Greed 01:44 – 01:46 – Jeff Cardoni – The Chief 02:40 – 02:46 – ? MP3 Sample 03:57 – 04:13 – Sheena Easton – For Your Eyes Only 04:23 – 04:24 – Jeff Cardoni – Elvis Elvis Apartment 04:24 – 04:27 – Jeff Cardoni – Greed 06:33 – 08:05 – The Horrors – Chasing Shadows (Instrumental) 08:05 – 08:43 – Tommi Eckart – Casino (Solid State Remix) 08:46 – 09:55 – ? MP3 Sample 09:55 – 10:38 – Nine Inch Nails – Me, I’m Not 10:49 – 10:59 – Thomas Newman – Power of Denial 11:13 – 12:08 – Alex Heffes – Civil Disobedience 13:05 – 13:24 – Amon Tobin – Slowly 14:08 – 15:02 – The War On Drugs – The Haunting Idle 15:02 – 15:21 – Carter Burwell – The Unexpressed Expressed 16:31 – 16:41 – Gustavo Santaolalla – Brokeback Mountain 3 18:43 – 19:17 – Basil Poledouris – Betrayal 19:16 – 20:02 – B.J. Thomas – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head 20:03 – 20:24 – Christopher Gordon & Iva Davies – Into the Fog 20:42 – 21:03 – Basil Poledouris – The Dream 21:03 – 21:48 – Sean Callery – Jack in the Limo 21:51 – 22:17 – Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On 22:17 – 22:42 – ? MP3 Sample 23:36 – 24:14 – Thomas Newman – Choking the Bishop 24:27 – 24:33 – Thomas Newman – Choking the Bishop 24:49 – 25:02 – Thomas Newman – Choking the Bishop 25:04 – 25:19 – Forest Swords – The Weight of Gold 25:54 – 26:23 – Kasabian – Stevie (Instrumental) 26:46 – 27:05 – Forest Swords – Miarches 27:12 – 28:02 – Brian Tyler – DK vs. Han 28:24 – 29:03 – Forest Swords – Thor’s Stone 30:27 – 31:08 – Kasabian – Bumblebeee (Instrumental) 31:08 – 31:12 – Nathan Johnson – Closing Your Loop 31:40 – 32:19 – Atli Örvarsson – Testudo 32:43 – 33:16 – Atli Örvarsson – Testudo 33:25 – 34:16 – Christopher Gordon & Iva Davies – The Galapagos 34:17 – 34:49 – ? MP3 Sample 34:53 – 35:36 – Angelo Badalamenti – The Pink Room 36:11 – 36:34 – Graeme Revell – Goldie’s Dead 36:34 – 36:52 – Forest Swords – Thor’s Stone 36:54 – 37:21 – Forest Swords – Irby Tremor 37:54 – 38:05 – Sean Callery – 24 Theme 38:10 – 38:35 – Steven Price – Soyuz 38:35 – 38:53 – Dan Croll – Only Ghost 38:53 – 39:15 – Pixies – Velouria 39:34 – 39:40 – Carter Burwell – Adaptation (Fatboy Slim Remix) 39:44 – 40:04 – Fuck Buttons – Stalker 40:14 – 40:27 – Carter Burwell – Adaptation (Fatboy Slim Remix) 40:47 – 40:56 – ? MP3 Sample 41:12 – 41:26 – Carter Burwell – Adaptation (Fatboy Slim Remix) 41:42 – 42:08 – Hookworms – Beginners 42:24 – 42:38 – The Horrors – Chasing Shadows 43:22 – 44:14 – Marc Streitenfeld – Frank Lucas 44:15 – 44:53 – ? MP3 Sample 45:21 – 46:21 – The Horrors – So Now You Know 47:21 – 48:00 – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard – Eptesicus 48:03 – 48:19 – Robert Plant – Up On the Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur) 48:46 – 48:57 – Robert Plant – Up On the Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur) 48:57 – 49:19 – Kasabian – Treat (Instrumental) 49:39 – 49:48 – Robert Plant – Turn It Up 49:50 – 50:20 – Nathan Johnson – Closing Your Loop 50:41 – 50:58 – Alex Heffes – Sharpeville & Exile 51:26 – 52:06 – Atticus Ross – The Journey 52:06 – 52:20 – Alex Heffes – Sharpeville & Exile 52:28 – 52:37 – Tykwer, Klimek & Heil – Casino 53:39 – 53:49 – Gary Numan – Dark 54:10 – 54:16 – Robert Rodriguez – Sin City 54:29 – 54:41 – Lorne Balfe – Regans Gaff 55:14 – 55:19 – Graeme Revell – Goldie’s Dead 55:21 – 55:29 – Fuck Buttons – Stalker 56:12 – 56:24 – Robert Plant – A Stolen Kiss 56:49 – 56:57 – Graeme Revell – Goldie’s Dead 56:58 – 57:13 – City of Prague Philharmonic – Ben-Hur 58:01 – 58:10 – Gustavo Santaolla – Desert Bus Ride 58:30 – 58:51 – Atli Örvarsson – Barbarians 59:31 – 59:55 – Robert Plant – Turn It Up 60:13 – 60:32 – Robert Plant – Turn It Up 60:40 – 61:39 – Steven Price – April, 1945
Screenshots
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First Top Gear Patagonia Special trailer released!
Top gear: series 22 – patagonia special (2/2), related posts, top gear: series 22, episode 8, top gear: series 22, episode 7, top gear: series 22, episode 6, top gear: series 22, episode 5, top gear: series 22, episode 4, top gear: series 22, episode 3, 29 comments.
James throwing a piece of wood at Jeremy- best scene ever!!!
Anyone know where exactly the footbridge is? I’ve been able to locate nearly everything else in Part 1.
Hey if you are having trouble watching, go over to google and type “watchseries top gear” . click the first link and you will see all the episodes, new ones are right at the bottom. click on it and find a suitable link for yourself. good to have adblock on
Seems like James is changed. Not in a very positive way though. I prefered the old, kinda nerdy/geeky/weird/intelligent person.
here we go:
Part 1: http://shared.sx/03f1f8f097 Part 2: http://shared.sx/14813c8421
Hi, Does anybody know what song is being played at 36:35 of this episode ?
@Jaw and everyone else….i just did what @Jaw said- i live in the USA and desperate to get my top gear fix…..as of 3 minutes into the episode- it works.
Jaw…the Hola work-around worked. thank you so much!
Is that why I haven’t seen it on Streetfire… Dang! That’s how I normally watch it too!
Likewise, just did the Hola thing, worked for me too 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much.
I can’t find it on any torrent website?
Go on bbc iplayer if you live outside the UK (unlike me) Go and download an IP changer switch it to UK then go on BBC iplayer then you can watch it
I’ve already watched it. You can find it on torrent. Noticed something though, all the fuss about the number plate….i think it was on purpose. In one part of the video (SPOILERS :D) Jeremy drives by a sign with something about Falklands and says he will not say anything because he’s serious now and its new Jeremy with no provocations involved. But next shot shows his car from the front and everyone with a little common sense will see the plate and will know whats it all about. U sneeky, cheesy Jezza.
Its cool special after all, lots of funny stuff, cant wait part 2. (and sorry if my grammar is bad, you’ll figure it out)
Jel mozez brate da napises link za 2. deo kada izadje.Hvala unapred.I ja sam ukapirao da nesto nije u redu sa tablicama kad je pomenuo znak.
I think you forgot that they cut it AFTER everything happened. ( Naturally. )
It becomes a big deal in the next part, so they are trying to highlight it now. It wasn’t originally on purpose ( because it was the original plate that came with the car ), but now they are going back and making a bigger deal out of it than intended. That comment he makes was meant about the Falklands in general, they then later cut in the license plate because it became a big deal.
Think about it this way: If it had been on purpose ( which would have been a stupid waste if effort ), they would have mentioned it at some point. Top Gear isn’t exactly known for being subtle.
Since there’s no stream here, it would be better to watch on BBC iplayer
Please tell me someone is working on a stream, I hate myself for missing it
I haven’t seen it! does anybody have a link to a stream?
This episode has been the best one for a while. Shame they didn’t complete the journey. It would have been interesting to see them build the stadium and then play car football.
I’ve captured the stream, but cant fing a place to upload it to
Streetfire.net!
I would upload it but I can’t login on streetfire
Unfortunately first two minutes of video I’ve captured got a lot of ambient noise. I can upload it, but it may be better just to wait for someone to upload it with normal sound.
I want to watch this episode. I cant find where to watch it. I hope the “coming soon” is really soon. Huge fan, keep the great job.
Unfortunately no-one has uploaded a copy that we can stream yet. I am interstate at the moment and was hoping to stream a copy too!
Where the fuck is the episode, i’m waiting!!!!!!!!!! <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 Huge fan love Nico<3
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
The hosts and staff faced the wrath of enraged Patagonian locals who believed one of the car’s number plates was a deliberate reference to the dispute over Falkland Islands’ sovereignty. The outraged crowds hurled stones, forcing the team to leave the region abruptly.
In September and October, 2014, one of Top Gear's biggest and most high-profile controversies erupted while the crew was filming for an episode of the show in Argentina, eventually leading to the production team being forced to flee the country.
It’s only been five years since the Patagonia Special episode of Top Gear where Clarkson drove through the country with a numberplate reading ‘H982FKL’, which Argentinians thought was a reference to the Falklands War.
The following is a list of episodes, listed in order of their original air date, along with information regarding featured cars that were reviewed and the main feature of the episode; for the second series only, the list also includes the celebrity guests who appeared on the programme.
Top Gear: Patagonia Special is a full length special that was aired as a two-part episode for the BBC car show Top Gear; the first part was aired on 27 December 2014, while the second part was aired a day later on 28 December.
The first part of the Patagonia Special aired on the 27th of December, 2014. It was the 173rd episode overall. The three presenters are told to meet up on the banks of a lake near a hotel (Hotel Llao Llao) in Bariloche, Argentina.
Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson call Argentina ‘God’s cesspit’ on The Grand Tour five years after Top Gear fiasco. The Grand Tour trio reignite their feud with Argentina (Picture:...
Patagonia Special: Part 1: Directed by James Bryce. With Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May. Clarkson, Hammond and May embark on a journey to the southernmost point of South America.
The boys go on an epic road trip across Argentina in three used coupes. Porsche 928 GT, Lotus Esprit V8 and a Ford Mustang Mach 1. Episode Guide. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take three V8-engined sports cars on a gruelling 1600-mile journey through the spectacular landscapes of Patagonia.
Season 5. Jeremy, Richard and James head to Central Europe on a road trip nobody has ever thought of, in cars nobody would ever dream of. This epic 1400-mile journey takes them from Gdańsk in Poland, through Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia.