In this 75-minute special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are tasked with retracing the journey of the Three Wise Men. However, instead of camels, they must drive second-hand two-door sports cars from Iraq to Israel, carrying gifts appropriate for a baby, culminating in arrival in Bethlehem.
"Traction," May explained, laying the carpet under the wheels. "It’s the same principle as the Egyptians using logs to build the pyramids. Except we are idiots, and the pyramids are a 1996 Fiat Barchetta." top gear middle eastern special
Leave it to Captain Slow to save the day. While Clarkson wanted to set the BMW on fire (a recurring theme), May produced a roll of carpet from the Fiat's minuscule boot. In this 75-minute special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond,
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Send three middle-aged men—one who looks like a confused geography teacher, one who dresses like a rejected 90s pop star, and one who is, well, a hamster—into the furnace of the Middle East. Give them three cheap, decaying convertibles. Tell them to find the lost city of Ubar, also known as "The Atlantis of the Sands." "It’s the same principle as the Egyptians using
Some of the episode's highlights include:
The trio manages to reach Israel on Christmas Eve. They navigate the traffic and chaos of Jerusalem before finally arriving in Bethlehem. However, they cannot enter the town center due to a tank blockade (and the fact that they are a film crew). They stop on a hillside overlooking the town.