Over the last two decades, British television show Top Gear has been one of the highest-rated motoring series, loved by gearheads for its interesting car videos and charismatic hosts. Top Gear has had several hosts over its production life, but most people agree that the best ever was Jeremy Clarkson. Clarkson hosted Top Gear for the first 13 years, but after disagreements with the BBC, he left the show in 2015.
Eventually, the BBC found a worthy replacement in Chris Harris, and while it took some getting used to, many Top Gear fans believe he's doing a great job. Clarkson and Harris may be totally different in Top Gear viewers' eyes, but they share one thing in common - their undying love for supercars. Both of them have fantastic car collections, but which is better?
10 Jeremy Clarkson: Ford GT
The Ford GT was an instant hit when it came out in 2005. It was powered by a massive supercharged V8 and had a unique design that paid homage to one of the best American sports cars ever - the GT40 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row.
After driving a prototype, Clarkson loved the Ford GT so much that he decided to buy one. However, he soon regretted that decision as it turned out that the car was too thirsty for fuel, too wide for British roads, and had several electrical issues.
9 Chris Harris: Ferrari 512 TR
When naming his 'holy grail' cars, Harris puts the Ferrari 512 TR on top of his list. Bought in 2013, the 512 TR - which is the iconic Testarossa's evolutionary son - is the one car Harris says he'd never sell.
Introduced in 1992, the 512 TR came with several aesthetic upgrades and a major mechanical revamp compared to the Testarossa. It is powered by a monstrous 4.9-liter V12 engine pumping out 422 horsepower, allowing it to go from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
8 Jeremy Clarkson: Ferrari F355
Clarkson has never hidden his love and respect for Italian hypercars, and one of his favorite brands is Ferrari. After testing out a Ferrari 355 on a Top Gear episode, Clarkson was impressed, and he bought one shortly after. This car was a big cornerstone in Clarkson's career as it showed that he was now operating in the big leagues.
Sadly, the F355 didn't end up a happy purchase for Clarkson. For one, he regretted opting for the GTS version, which he complained about in an article on Top Gear Magazine.
7 Chris Harris: Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
Like many motoring enthusiasts, Harris believes that the Porsche 911 is one of the greatest European cars of all time, which is why he has owned several of them. The latest addition to Harris' 911 collection is this GT3 RS 4.0 edition he bought in 2019.
This German beauty is powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six engine cranking out 493 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. It accelerates to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 193 mph. The 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is one of the rarest cars in Harris' collection, with only 600 ever made.
6 Jeremy Clarkson: Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
Lamborghini is another Italian automaker Clarkson seems to have a soft spot for. Clarkson loves Lamborghinis and describes them as rugged sports cars that can take a beating - unlike Ferraris. Clarkson opted for the convertible version of Lamborghini's best-selling model - the Gallardo.
Clarkson's Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is seriously cool-looking, especially with the soft-top down, and has the power to match. It has a fire-breathing V10 under the hood pumping out 513 horsepower paired with a low-ratio six-speed manual gearbox. With its rear mid-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout, this is one of the most fun-to-drive cars in Clarkson's collection.
5 Chris Harris: BMW M5 E28
The BMW M5 E28 may have looked quite harmless when it first came out in the early 80s, but it was a whole different story under the hood. This car had a 3.4-liter straight-six engine producing 286 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque, making it a supercar slayer.
With a 0-62 mph time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph, the M5 E28 was one of the fastest four-door sedans of the 80s. BMW produced just 2,241 examples over the E28's production run, making it one of the rarest BMW models.
4 Jeremy Clarkson: Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
Clarkson loves the quality, power, safety, and reliability German cars have. He particularly loves Mercedes-Benz cars, especially the AMG-tuned versions. This SL55 AMG is the car that made Clarkson fall in love with Mercedes-AMG cars.
The two-seater convertible is sleek and is powered by a 5.5-liter supercharged V8, cranking out 469 horsepower. When Clarkson steps on the gas, this car takes just 4.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. The SL55 AMG's top speed is limited to 155 mph, but it's powerful enough to hit the 200 mph mark.
3 Chris Harris: Ferrari 599 GTB
Motoring journalists sometimes say things that automakers don't like, and that's exactly what led to a row between Harris and Ferrari. Following the row, Ferrari executives decided to stop lending vehicles to Harris for reviews. But since Harris was too curious about the 599 GTB, he decided to buy one directly.
The 599 GTB is powered by a massive 6.0-liter V12 producing 620 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque. It goes from 0-62 mph in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph.
2 Jeremy Clarkson: McLaren 675LT
Ever since McLaren launched the F1 in the 90s, Clarkson has been a huge fan of the British automaker. Clarkson has repeatedly praised McLaren for incorporating racing technology into road-going cars to make them much better driving machines.
Clarkson's McLaren is the 675LT from 2015, which he got after signing a deal with Amazon for The Grand Tour. The 675LT is not the best or most expensive McLaren in the market, but it's still an imposing car. It takes just 2.9 seconds to get to 60 mph and has a top speed of 205 mph thanks to a 666-horsepower V8.
1 Chris Harris: Peugeot 205 Rallye
Harris has a soft spot for French hatchbacks, one of which is the Peugeot 205. Harris doesn't own the famed 205 GTi, but he owns three 205 XSs and two 205 Rallyes.
The 205 Rallye is a special homologation car that Peugeot made in 1990 in order to qualify for the sub-1300cc Group N rally championships in Europe. The 205 Rallye is basically a 205 XS shell equipped with a screaming 1298cc engine, increasing the power output from 85 horsepower to 100 horsepower. This doesn't sound like a lot, but for such a tiny car, it's more than enough. The 205 Rallye is also extremely rare, making it a fantastic investment.