Top Gear returns Dec. 27th with controversial Patagonia Special

By Nick Jaynes Published December 18, 2014

If you’re anything like me and you consider the Top Gear boys, Jezza, Captain Slow, and Hamster, your close, personal friends, I have good news; your besties are back … well, at least, they will be on December 27th.

That’s right; Top Gear will finally return to the airwaves with its controversial Patagonia Special, which has been teased in the 20-second video below.

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And just why is the special so controversial? Good question.

Well, it all stems from the license plate show leader Jeremy Clarkson chose for his Porsche, which read, “H982 FKL.” Hyper-vigilant Argentinians took this as an reference (an offensive one) to Argentina’s 1982 invasion of the British-controlled Falkland Islands. After only 10 weeks, Argentina surrendered to the Brits, returning the islands to them. So, as you might imagine, Argentinians didn’t take too kindly to the reference to the loss — even if it did occur over three decades ago.

Accordingly, the Top Gear team was run out of the country before filming concluded.

Keeping with the ‘if you’re like me’ motif, you should be quite eager indeed to see how the episode concludes. Oh, and seeing the automotive antics in the middle, which include May’s Lotus getting stuck in the mud, Hammond’s Peugeot-badged Mustang pushing a carcass, and Clarkson’s Porsche driving very squirrely on some ice.

The first half of the special airs on December 27^th at 8:30PM on BBC2, and the conclusion airs the following day at 8:00PM.

If you’d like to catch up on the rest of the Top Gear escapades, check out my list of the Top 10 Best Top Gear Episodes on Digital Trends.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Jaynes is the automotive editor of The Manual. When Nick isn't behind the wheel on the open road, he can be found…

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