In an exciting summer launch a refreshed World of Top Gear will be opening at Beaulieu to reflect changes introduced to the new-look BBC Top Gear.
Amazing new exhibits from the world’s biggest motoring show include the impressive Ssangyacht, the longest limousine selfie opportunity ever and a marine feature displaying boat challenge vehicles. While the Enormodrome boasts a brand new studio in keeping with the style of the latest series with presenters Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid.
In homage to the past, a heritage corridor timeline will pay tribute to the show’s 40-year history which began with Angela Rippon as the first presenter and ran through four decades up to more recent times with Formula One racing driver Tiff Needell, then Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
Beaulieu Commercial Director Stephen Munn said: “The World of Top Gear is hugely popular with many visitors to Beaulieu and we are delighted to give it a fresh, new look which brings it up-to-date with the latest series of Top Gear while displaying the highlights of its 40-year history.”
At the entrance to the World of Top Gear experience, the stretch Panda limousine used to carry a celebrity to the glittering Brit Awards has been made into the longest car seat ever for group selfies. Head inside to see the indestructible Toyota Hilux rising from the ashes in a haze of smoke, alongside the roofless Reliant Rialtos driven by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc in their first road trip challenge.
Enter the Enormodrome with its star feature – the current Reasonably Fast Car, a suitably red Toyota GT86 and one of the most famous vehicles on the planet today. Then walk through the upcycled tyre columns to the dry marina where the amphibious car challenge’s damper van and Triumph Herald and sail will be displayed alongside the Nissan pick-up which crossed the English Channel.
For a photo opportunity, sit in the trailer hooked behind the Jaguar XJS rail car or dress up as a granny and step inside the unforgettable Fiat Multipla grannymobile.
An open side gives a better view inside the airship caravan, while you can get up close to the red Lotus with a sleeping compartment, Porsche 944 Turbo ambulance and double-decker racing cars. Then follow Top Gear’s adventures across the globe with the scooters from Vietnam, ski slope Mini with a union flag on top and high-mileage taxis from the recent Kazakhstan road trip.
In a separate gallery, see the surprisingly sleek looking Ssangyacht which was built to shake up the world of luxury yachting. Look across to the scrap art map, with toy cars showing everywhere the programme has been filmed and shown . . . the complete World of Top Gear!
Memorabilia from Top Gear is on show throughout the display, including the Jaguar steering wheel from a Clarkson challenge and door panels from the Hindustan Ambassador hailed as the world’s best taxi.
Old favourites will remain on show outside the display, including the rocket-shaped Reliant Robin space shuttle and snowbine which cleared an entire Norwegian road of snow. They are joined by the giant hovervan, which was created from a Ford transit van.
The refreshed World of Top Gear is included in a general admission ticket to Beaulieu which also offers entrance to the National Motor Museum and its collection of more than 250 vehicles, On Screen Cars, the 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House – which has been home to the Montagu family since 1538 – and its stunning grounds and gardens. To book tickets in advance online or for more information please click here.
For a good value extra charge you can also race remote-control models of some of the most popular Top Gear challenge cars on a scaled-down version of the Dunsfold Park track in the World of Top Gear Test Track Challenge, or enjoy a ride in the Top Gear simulator.
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The refreshed World of Top Gear will be open in time for the summer holidays.