Comments on: Silverstone

By: Mark P

Mark P — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:01:55 +0000

October 2008 - unfortunately the images have been updated, and whilst they’re very nice hi-rez shots (the Big Red Cars are quite clearly boxy-bodied fire trucks), there’s no-one on the track and hardly anyone around the circuit at all (at least, hardly anyone who’s driven or flown in - probably just some maintenance and admin staff). Not even anyone doing the strange “Porsche Experience” twisty-track skidpan thing.

Bit sad really, but it would be hard to get a good aerial shot on a major race day - it becomes pretty much a no-fly area for anyone who hasn’t booked prior clearance, and the skies are already thick with private planes, copters, TV camera flights, military plane/copter/parachute display teams, etc - you’d be lucky to get near.

By: Mark Smith

Mark Smith — Fri, 18 May 2007 09:29:30 +0000

The cars in the very centre are two catehams doing the skid pan course and the two white cars are Silverstones formula first cars modified for the skid pan. The cars on the south half of the cicuit are the lotus exiges used for red letter days! and the north half is on a track/test day. Possibly some BTCC cars.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:25:34 +0000

Top Gear is actually filmed at Dunsfold Park in Surrey. It used to be the Harrier testing base but then when it was decommisioned, Top Gear were able to use the track. I live just down the road and and hopefully going to see it in the future.

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:23:31 +0000

I think that the Top Gear shots were taken before the show started using the field. The runway, being decommissioned, has at least one big ‘X’ painted across it — to tell planes not to use it. You can sometimes see this in the show. This isn’t visible in the satellite photos.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 07:01:28 +0000

mark, if all you have is Google Maps, the link Adam S gave in reply #9 is as good as it gets, it’s ugly and lo-res. For the record, there is NO logo painted on the roof of the hangar.

If you have Google Earth, check this out, courtesy of Wingnut326 at Google Earth Community:

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/80464/page//vc/1

Or simply check this out, just a sat image with no addy or coords:

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/341/dunsfoldtopgearcircuit1ng.jpg

All Google Earth info provided courtesy of Wingnut326 [he even drew the test track on the airstrip!]

Happy Geeking!

By: mark

mark — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:40:35 +0000

Where in the UK is the Top Gear Track and Studio. I can't find an address or anything.

Thanks

By: skip

skip — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 17:26:10 +0000

I found the top gear test track on google earth.
Its not too had to find.
Res is top quality,
However the top gear studio clealry doesnt have top gear written on it!

By: Adam S

Adam S — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:53:03 +0000

I’ve looked for and found most if not all of the UK race circuits but only Silverstone, Donnington Park (if you scroll right a tiny bit you can see East Midlands Airport) and a very tiny bit of the Goodwood track (the track used for the Goodwood Revival meeting, which I must say is worth a visit if your down that way!!). I hope more circuits become high res because it would be really cool if one of them had a race meeting on when the image was taken!!

Donnington
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

Goodwood
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 17:45:38 +0000

Ahh, good show. I thought all of UK was in hi-res, guess not.

By: Adam S

Adam S — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 11:32:09 +0000

This is the Top Gear test track but its not Hi Res yet Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth