Crossing into Syria (then still open to Western tourists), the production team fails to find decent accommodation. They end up in a motel that appears to have been bombed in 1973 and never repaired. The beds are stained, the toilet is a hole in the floor, and the shower delivers either boiling steam or freezing sludge. The sight of James May trying to sleep while wrapped in a plastic Top Gear raincoat is peak British misery.
If you are searching for the , this guide covers the highlights, the cars, the controversy, and where you can legally stream it today. 🚗 The Premise: A Journey of Biblical Proportions
James May’s head injury was not scripted. He genuinely suffered a concussion while trying to help pull Hammond’s bogged-down Fiat out of a ditch in the dark.
Each presenter was given a strict budget of £3,500 to purchase their vehicle. The catch, which added immediate tension to the episode, was that the starting location was undisclosed until they landed. The team touched down at an airfield in Erbil, a city in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq—marking the first time a major Western television production had filmed extensively in the region since the Iraq War. The Vehicle Lineup
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Instead of camels, the presenters opted for cheap, second-hand, two-door sports cars, embarking on a grueling 1,200-mile (1,900 km) trek starting from Iraqi Kurdistan and ending in Bethlehem.
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As they move south into Syria, the tone shifts. The cars begin to fall apart—especially Hammond’s Fiat, which suffers from electrical issues and the desire to set itself on fire. This segment is famous for James May’s breakdown. In a fit of frustration, May physically assaults his BMW with a rock, destroying the windscreen in the process.
The opening is pure Top Gear . The trio are in the back of a Russian cargo plane, having been told to buy £3,500 convertibles but given no other information about their destination. As the cargo doors swing open mid-flight to reveal a vast desert, the presenters—and the audience—realize they are in one of the most volatile regions on Earth. They have landed at Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Travel to the birthplace of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
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The trio buys three used, convertible two-seater sports cars for £3,500 each and attempts to drive from northern Iraq (Erbil) to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem, through Syria, Jordan, and the West Bank.
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