Top Gear Botswana Cars -

Jeremy Clarkson, slumped against the bonnet of a 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé, was watching the bodywork dissolve in real-time. "It's not rust," he mumbled, gesturing to a flaking door panel that crumbled like a dry biscuit. "It's a structural time-lapse. I've owned a cheese sandwich with better integrity."

The final leg of the journey forced the cars through the delta, an area teeming with wildlife, deep river channels, and thick sand tracks. The cars had to be modified with makeshift snorkel systems to breathe through deep water crossings. It was here that Oliver sank, and the Lancia’s throttle choked on dust, but through sheer mechanical grit (and a lot of pushing), all three vehicles made it to the finish line at the Namibian border. The Verdict

Similar to most of Clarkson's choices, it was designed for a quick laugh and to test the patience of the crew. 3. James May’s Mercedes-Benz 230E top gear botswana cars

It was during this leg that the Lancia finally began to die. The heat was too much. Yet, in a display of mechanical sympathy that defied logic, Clarkson managed to keep it running. He famously discovered that the car would only start if he poured water over the starter motor, a routine he performed daily.

In the end, all three cars eventually made it to the Namibian border despite the Lancia suffering two more breakdowns. Clarkson and May jointly declared the winner to be the backup VW Beetle. Jeremy Clarkson, slumped against the bonnet of a

: Hammond chose this small, lightweight car for its simplicity. He famously fell in love with it, shouting "Oliver!" whenever it faced peril. It was the only car of the three that didn't have its weight stripped to cross the salt flats. Jeremy Clarkson’s 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé

But this little car became the heart of the episode. Hammond instantly bonded with it, christening it "Oliver," and that attachment only grew as it outperformed the more glamorous cars. At the Makgadikgadi Salt Flats, while Clarkson and May had to strip their cars, the lightweight Oliver crossed without a single major modification. The only major scare came when it was partially submerged while fording a river, leading to Hammond's desperate late-night repairs and the legendary cry of "Oliver!" he made when restarting the car. The moment remains one of the most emotional in Top Gear history. I've owned a cheese sandwich with better integrity

After the special ended, May chose to leave the car in Botswana, believing it was "utterly the wrong thing to do" to bring it back. He felt that the car's history was more valuable than its restoration. The Mercedes was later found, having been welded back together, but remarkably still intact.