When Top Gear embarks on a special, the formula is deceptively simple: take three middle-aged men, give them impossibly cheap cars, and send them across some of the most hostile terrain on Earth. The 2010 Middle East Special is a masterclass in this formula, swapping the usual jungles or poles for the biblical deserts of the Levant. The mission? To re-enact the journey of the Three Wise Men (Magi) from the roof of a hotel in Ash Sharqiyah, Iraq, to the "birthplace of Jesus" in Bethlehem, West Bank.
The , originally aired on Boxing Day 2010, remains one of the most culturally significant and visually striking episodes in the history of the BBC motoring program. Retracing the biblical journey of the Three Wise Men , presenters Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond , and James May attempted to navigate 1,200 miles across some of the world's most politically sensitive regions in three wholly unsuited, second-hand convertibles. The Premise and Challenges top gear specials middle east
As always, the cars are the third, fourth, and fifth hosts. The budget was £3,500 each, bought in a Baghdad car market (a deliberately provocative and brilliantly staged starting point). When Top Gear embarks on a special, the
The route was brutal and brilliant: from the salt flats of southern Iraq, through Jordan, across the Negev desert, into the West Bank. To re-enact the journey of the Three Wise
A hallmark of the special was the deliberate choice of "inappropriate" vehicles for the terrain. The presenters chose three used convertibles to navigate gravel, sand, and mountains: