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James May dishes on the new season of <em>Top Gear</em>


Cape Town – The 22nd season of Top Gear is set to hit our screens this Sunday on BBC Entertainment.

Co-presenter James May dishes on what to expect from the new season.



What, for you, are the essential elements that make a super car?

It must look fantastic, and it must be a credible performance machine rather than a sham. It has by definition to be compromised.

What cars in this series excite you the most?

Weirdly, I’m contesting an off-road challenge in a very battered Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin.

It’s the underdog in the test, so that excites me. Crap cars are great.

Does Jeremy really only repair cars with a hammer?

I don’t believe Jeremy has ever repaired anything, with anything.

Do you notice people’s different driving styles when you travel?

I notice a fundamental difference in driving philosophy between, say, Asia and Europe.

Between Britain and Italy, for example, it may all just be an extension of national temperament.

You didn’t get a chance to visit Asia in the new series, but would you like to go back again?

I’ve never been to Pakistan. It looks interesting. I’d go there like a shot.

What did you enjoy most about filming in the foreign locations that you visited for the new series?

South America’s scenery; Canada’s gentle pace and Australia, what we now call the ‘banter’.

What was the funniest experience you had while filming S22?

I suppose it was falling off the horse. I didn’t find it funny at all, but I know a lot of viewers did.

We are here to serve.



Are there any elements of the new series that you will incorporate into the Top Gear Festival/Top Gear Live?

The live shows are different, because, well, they’re live, and there’s no editing, and it has to take place in one location.But the mutual dislike, pantomime and misplaced ambition are the same.

Do you share the same camaraderie and banter with Jeremy and Richard off screen as you do on screen?

No. I avoid them.

You drive a lot of special cars in the series – do you ever have special training to drive these?

I have a driving licence. They are only cars, and available to anyone who is allowed to drive.

I’m not sure I should be any different.

What do you think is the most important in choosing a car to buy: safety, performance, or looks?

Ultimately, it must be looks first. I don’t like dull-looking things.

Catch the new season of  Top Gear on Sunday 25 January 2015 at 22:00 on BBC Entertainment (120)

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