How much would it cost to do a Top Gear road trip?
Top Gear has a history dating back to the 1970s, but the internationally famous iteration with Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond officially ends on June 28. That's when the final, extended episode airs on the BBC with the guys doing two of their famous challenges. Other than money, time, and some courage, there's nothing stopping you from getting some buddies together to take your own TG-style adventure, though.
UK company Car Leasing Made Simple has crafted an infographic with some back-of-the-envelope math (embedded below) to figure out what it might cost to perfectly recreate two of the show's classic trips. While certainly not cheap, if split three ways, the prices aren't insurmountable for such a huge experience.
For example, when Top Gear went to India the guys bought a trio of British classics, but spent much of the actual distance on trains. This accounting figures that it would cost the equivalent of $47,170, or $15,720 per person, to follow in the tire treads of Clarkson, May, and Hammond, although, you could probably cut a few corners to save money. About $33,000 comes just in buying the cars, shipping them over, and plane tickets. The rest includes stunts that no one but the trio of hosts could get away with, like holding a garden party at an embassy.
The company also runs the numbers on Top Gear's trip through the Middle East in roadsters. Although, given that much of the route is through currently unstable Syria, this adventure is more hypothetical than realistic. The cost works out to about $44,050, or $14,683 per person. Again, at around $28,500, much of the cost is buying the cars and getting them to the starting point.
While it might be cool to follow Top Gear's trail, you could undoubtedly still have a great adventure with friends while staying within the US, not to mention a significantly cheaper one. Just set a price range to buy three beat-up cars, and try to make it to a coast or maybe a major automotive event like the Indy 500 or 24 Hours of Daytona. Scroll down to see the entire graphic.
Source: Autoblog
