top gear star in a reasonably priced car

“Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” was Top Gear’s celebrity hot-lap segment, where actors, comedians and the occasional F1 ace tried to wring glory from a humble hatch.

They blasted around the Dunsfold test track, set a timed lap, and got their names pinned to a magnetic leaderboard—ego meets stopwatch. Over the years the “reasonably priced” machinery rotated from the Suzuki Liana to a Chevrolet Lacetti, then a Kia Cee’d, and later a Vauxhall Astra. F1 drivers usually stuck with the trusty Liana to keep things vaguely comparable. It was equal parts farce and skill, proving fame doesn’t buy apexes—only practice (and maybe dry weather).