World of Top Gear exhibit opens in UK

From the impossible-to-kill Toyota pickup truck, to the amphibious cars the three presenters created to cross the English Channel, to the Reliant Robbin Space Shuttle they tried to put into orbit, our fondest memories of Top Gear over the years almost always seem to center around the ridiculous vehicular challenges that the show's producers provide for Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

Soon, anyone wishing to catch a first-hand glimpse of these machines will get their chance as the U.K.'s National Motor Museum just opened the doors to its new World of Top Gear exhibition. Also on display will be a full-scale reproduction of the stage where Top Gear is filmed before a live studio audience, the infamous Cool Wall, and the Celebrity Lap Time board. Want to know more? Click here to visit the official website and hit the jump to read the press release.

[Source: National Motor Museum Beaulieu]

PRESS RELEASE:

MAJOR NEW EXHIBITION LAUNCHED AT THE BEAULIEU ATTRACTION

World of Top Gear Now Open

The World of Top Gear Exhibition opened its doors at the National Motor Museum on June 19th.

The new exhibition at Beaulieu in the New Forest features a collection of the actual cars created by presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May for some of their most ambitious challenges on the TV show over the years.

Fans of the show will be familiar with challenges such as their attempt to cross the Channel with their home-made car/boats, and the Stretched Limo Challenge, where they set out to turn rusty second-hand cars into luxury stretch limos, and chauffeur three celebs to the BRIT Awards.

Visitors will also experience the Top Gear 'Enormodrome' which aims to recreate the feel of the Top Gear studio, where the TV show is filmed in front of a live audience.

As well as regular features from the programme including the Cool Wall and the Celebrity 'Lap Times' boards, visitors can watch an exclusive video presentation from behind the scenes at the TG HQ with Jeremy, Richard and James plus clips from the show featuring the cars on display.

"It makes perfect sense for the National Motor Museum to be working with BBC Worldwide on the launch of World of Top Gear. While the National Motor Museum is primarily about historic vehicles this exhibition shows that cars can be entertaining and accessible to the whole family, not just the car enthusiast. We are delighted with the response that it has received from Top Gear fans," said Stephen Munn, Commercial Director at the National Motor Museum.

"It's fantastic that Beaulieu are preserving for posterity so many of the cars Jeremy, Richard and James have built for the show, and we are delighted to make the cars accessible for Top Gear fans to enjoy close up," said Adam Waddell, Managing Director of Top Gear, BBC Worldwide.